He did leap, and landed just in front of Griffith; his rider curbed him so keenly that he went back almost on his haunches, and then stood motionless all across the road, with quivering tail. A lady in a scarlet riding-habit and purple cap sat him as if he had been a throne instead of a horse, and, without moving her body, turned her head swift as a snake, and fixed her great gray eyes full and searching upon Griffith Gaunt. THE PARTING OF HECTOR AND ANDROMACHE. FROM THE SIXTH BOOK OF THE ILIAD. So spake the matron. Hector left in haste The mansion, and retraced his way between The rows of stately dwellings, traversing The mighty city. When, at length, he reached The Scaean gates, that issue on the field, His spouse, the nobly dowered Andromache, Came forth to meet him, daughter of the Prince Eetion, who among the woody slopes Of Placos, in the Hypoplacian town Of Thebe, ruled Cilicia's sons, and gave His child to Hector of the beamy helm. She came, attended by a maid who bore A tender child, a babe too young to speak, Beautiful as a star, whom Hector called Scamandrius,--but all else Astyanax, The City's Lord, since Hector stood the sole Defence of Troy. The father on his child Looked with a silent smile. Andromache Pressed to his side, meanwhile, and all in tears Clung to his hand, and, thus beginning, said:-- "Too brave! thy valor yet will cause thy death. Thou hast no pity on thy tender child, Nor me, unhappy one, who soon must be Thy widow: all the Greeks will rush on thee, To take thy life. A happier lot were mine, If I must lose thee, to go down to earth; For I shall have no hope, when thou art gone,-- Nothing but sorrow. Father have I none, And no dear mother. Great Achilles slew My father, when he sacked the populous town Of the Cilicians, Thebe with high gates. 'T was there he smote Eetion, yet forbore To make his arms a spoil: he dared not that, But burned the dead with his bright armor on, And raised a mound above him. Mountain nymphs, Daughters of aegis-bearing Jupiter, Came to the spot and planted it with elms. Seven brothers had I in my father's house, And all went down to Hades in one day: Achilles the swift-footed slew them all, Among their slow-paced beeves and snow-white flocks. My mother, princess on the woody slopes Of Placos, with his spoils he bore away, And only for large ransom gave her back. But her Diana, archer-queen, struck down Within her father's palace. Hector, thou Art father and dear mother now to me, And brother, and my youthful spouse besides. In pity keep within the fortress here, Nor make thy child an orphan, nor thy wife A widow. Post thine army near the place Of the wild fig-tree, where the city-walls Are low, and may be scaled. Thrice, in the war,