And now the city was built, and there was a home in it for each of the
workmen. But the palace of Cadmus was not yet erected, because they had
left it till the last, meaning to introduce all the new improvements
of architecture, and make it very commodious, as well as stately and
beautiful. After finishing the rest of their labors, they all went to
bed betimes, in order to rise in the gray of the morning, and get at
least the foundation of the edifice laid before nightfall. But, when
Cadmus arose, and took his way towards the site where the palace was
to be built, followed by his five sturdy workmen marching all in a row,
what do you think he saw?
What should it be but the most magnificent palace that had ever been
seen in the world. It was built of marble and other beautiful kinds of
stone, and rose high into the air, with a splendid dome and a portico
along the front, and carved pillars, and everything else that befitted
the habitation of a mighty king. It had grown up out of the earth in
almost as short a time as it had taken the armed host to spring from the
dragon's teeth; and what made the matter more strange, no seed of this
stately edifice ever had been planted.
When the five workmen beheld the dome, with the morning sunshine making
it look golden and glorious, they gave a great shout.
"Long live King Cadmus," they cried, "in his beautiful palace."
And the new king, with his five faithful followers at his heels,
shouldering their pickaxes and marching in a rank (for they still had a
soldier-like sort of behavior, as their nature was), ascended the palace
steps. Halting at the entrance, they gazed through a long vista of
lofty pillars, that were ranged from end to end of a great hall. At the
farther extremity of this hall, approaching slowly towards him, Cadmus
beheld a female figure, wonderfully beautiful, and adorned with a royal
robe, and a crown of diamonds over her golden ringlets, and the richest
necklace that ever a queen wore. His heart thrilled with delight. He
fancied it his long-lost sister Europa, now grown to womanhood, coming
to make him happy, and to repay him with her sweet sisterly affection,
for all those weary wonderings in quest of her since he left King
Agenor's palace--for the tears that he had shed, on parting with
Phoenix, and Cilix, and Thasus--for the heart-breakings that had made
the whole world seem dismal to him over his dear mother's grave.
But, as Cadmus advanced to meet the beautiful stranger, he saw that
her features were unknown to him, although, in the little time that it
required to tread along the hall, he had already felt a sympathy betwixt
himself and her.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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