Bears it on high! Yea, to these walls her face Was set, exulting in her deed of blood, Calling upon her Bromios, her God, Her Comrade, Fellow-Render of the Prey, Her All-Victorious, to whom this day She bears in triumph . . . her own broken heart! For me, after that sight, I will depart Before Agâvê comes.--Oh, to fulfil God's laws, and have no thought beyond His will, Is man's best treasure. Aye, and wisdom true, Methinks, for things of dust to cleave unto! [_The_ MESSENGER _departs into the Castle_. CHORUS. _Some Maidens._ Weave ye the dance, and call Praise to God! Bless ye the Tyrant's fall! Down is trod Pentheus, the Dragon's Seed! Wore he the woman's weed? Clasped he his death indeed, Clasped the rod? _A Bacchanal._ Yea, the wild ivy lapt him, and the doomed Wild Bull of Sacrifice before him loomed! _Others._ Ye who did Bromios scorn, Praise Him the more, Bacchanals, Cadmus-born; Praise with sore Agony, yea, with tears! Great are the gifts he bears! Hands that a mother rears Red with gore! LEADER. But stay, Agâvê cometh! And her eyes Make fire around her, reeling! Ho, the prize Cometh! All hail, O Rout of Dionyse! [_Enter from the Mountain_ AGAVE, _mad, and to all seeming wondrously happy, bearing the head of_ PENTHEUS _in her hand. The_ CHORUS MAIDENS _stand horror-struck at the sight; the_ LEADER, _also horror-struck, strives to accept it and rejoice in it as the God's deed_. AGAVE. Ye from the lands of Morn! LEADER. Call me not; I give praise! AGAVE. Lo, from the trunk new-shorn Hither a Mountain Thorn Bear we! O Asia-born Bacchanals, bless this chase! LEADER. I see. Yea; I see. Have I not welcomed thee? AGAVE (_very calmly and peacefully_). He was young in the wildwood: Without nets I caught him! Nay; look without fear on The Lion; I have ta'en him! LEADER. Where in the wildwood? Whence have ye brought him? AGAVE. Kithaeron. . . . LEADER. Kithaeron? AGAVE. The Mountain hath slain him! LEADER. Who first came nigh him? AGAVE. I, I, 'tis confessèd! And they named me there by him Agâvê the Blessèd! LEADER. Who was next in the band on him? AGAVE. The daughters. . . LEADER. The daughters? AGAVE.