On, with your awful burden. Follow me, Thralls, to his house, whose body grievously With many a weary search at last in dim Kithaeron's glens I found, torn limb from limb, And through the interweaving forest weed Scattered.--Men told me of my daughters' deed, When I was just returned within these walls, With grey Teiresias, from the Bacchanals. And back I hied me to the hills again To seek my murdered son. There saw I plain Actaeon's mother, ranging where he died, Autonoë; and Ino by her side, Wandering ghastly in the pine-copses. Agâvê was not there. The rumour is She cometh fleet-foot hither.--Ah! 'Tis true; A sight I scarce can bend mine eyes unto. AGAVE (_turning from the Palace and seeing him_). My father, a great boast is thine this hour. Thou hast begotten daughters, high in power And valiant above all mankind--yea, all Valiant, though none like me! I have let fall The shuttle by the loom, and raised my hand For higher things, to slay from out thy land Wild beasts! See, in mine arms I bear the prize, That nailed above these portals it may rise To show what things thy daughters did! Do thou Take it, and call a feast. Proud art thou now And highly favoured in our valiancy! CADMUS. O depth of grief, how can I fathom thee Or look upon thee!--Poor, poor, bloodstained hand! Poor sisters!--A fair sacrifice to stand Before God's altars, daughter; yea, and call Me and my citizens to feast withal! Nay, let me weep--for thine affliction most, Then for mine own. All, all of us are lost, Not wrongfully, yet is it hard, from one Who might have loved--our Bromios, our own! AGAVE. How crabbèd and how scowling in the eyes Is man's old age!--Would that my son likewise Were happy of his hunting, in my way, When with his warrior bands he will essay The wild beast!--Nay, his valiance is to fight With God's will! Father, thou shouldst set him right. . . . Will no one bring him hither, that mine eyes May look on his, and show him this my prize! CADMUS. Alas, if ever ye can know again The truth of what ye did, what pain of pain That truth shall bring! Or were it best to wait Darkened for evermore, and deem your state Not misery, though ye know no happiness? AGAVE. What seest thou here to chide, or not to bless? CADMUS (_after hesitation, resolving himself_). Raise me thine eyes to yon blue dome of air! AGAVE. 'Tis done. What dost thou bid me seek for there? CADMUS. Is it the same, or changèd in thy sight? AGAVE. More shining than before, more heavenly bright! CADMUS. And that wild tremor, is it with thee still? AGAVE (_troubled_). I know not what thou sayest; but my will Clears, and some change cometh, I know not how. CADMUS. Canst hearken then, being changed, and answer, now? AGAVE.