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BALAUSTION'S ADVENTURE.
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Each man, himself, and held, no otherwise,That, of all evils in the world, the worstWas—being forced to die, whate'er death gain:How all this selfishness in him and themCaused certain sorrow which they sang about,—I think that Herakles, who held his lifeOut on his hand, for any man to take—I think his laugh had marred their threnody.
"He is i' the house," they answered. After all,They might have told the story, talked their bestAbout the inevitable sorrow here,Nor changed nor checked the kindly nature,—no!So long as men were merely weak, not bad,He loved men: were they Gods he used to help?"Yea, Pheres' son is in-doors, Herakles:But say, what sends thee to Thessalian soil,Brought by what business to this Pherai town?"