146 EURIPIDES. [L. 490-562 thinking there is any race of gods/ when it is chance that rules the mortal sphere ? Was not this the queen of wealthy Phrygia, the wife of Priam highly blest? And now her city is utterly o'erthrown by the foe, and she,* a slave in her old age, her children dead, lies stretched upon the ground, soiling her hair, poor lady ! in the dust. Well, well ; old as I am, may death be my lot before I am involved in any foul mischance. Arise, poor queen ! lift up thyself and raise that hoary head. Hec. Ah ! who art thou that wilt not let my body rest ? why disturb me in my anguish, whosoe'er thou art ? Tal. 'Tis I, Talthybius, who am here, the minister of the Danai ; Agamemnon has sent me for thee, lady. Hec. Good friend, art come because the Achaeans are resolved to slay me too at the grave ? How welcome would thy tidings be ! Let us hasten and lose no time ; prithee, lead the way, old sir. Tal. I am come to fetch thee to bury thy daughter's corpse, lady ; and those that send me are the two sons of Atreus and the Achaean host. Hec. Ah ! what wilt thou say ? Art thou not come, as I had thought, to fetch me to my doom, but to announce ill news ? Lost, lost, my child ! snatched from thy mother's arms ! and I am childless now, at least as touches thee ; ah, woe is me ! How did ye end her life ? was any mercy shown ? or did ye deal ruthlessly with her as though your victim were a foe, old man ? Speak, though thy words must be pain to me. Tal. Lady, thou art bent on making mine a double meed of tears in pity for thy child ; for now too as I tell the sad tale a tear will wet my eye, as it did at the tomb when she was dying. All Achaea's host was gathered there in full array before
- Nauck marks 1. 490 as spurious. ' avrn.
