After；　thy　wisdom　shall　impart　to　her
  The　conflict　yet　to　come。
  PROMETHEUS
  So　be　it；　then。
  And；　Io；　thus　much　courtesy　thou　owest
  These　maidens　being　thine　own　father's　kin。
  For　with　a　moving　story　of　our　woes
  To　win　a　tear　from　weeping　auditors
  In　nought　demeans　the　teller。
  IO
  I　know　not
  How　fitly　to　refuse；　and　at　your　wish
  All　ye　desire　to　know　I　will　in　plain；
  Round　terms　set　forth。　And　yet　the　telling　of　it
  Harrows　my　soul；　this　winter's　tale　of　wrong；
  Of　angry　Gods　and　brute　deformity；
  And　how　and　why　on　me　these　horrors　swooped。
  Always　there　were　dreams　visiting　by　night
  The　woman's　chambers　where　I　slept；　and　they
  With　flattering　words　admonished　and　cajoled　me；
  Saying；　〃O　lucky　one；　so　long　a　maid？
  And　what　a　match　for　thee　if　thou　would'st　wed
  Why；　pretty；　here　is　Zeus　as　hot　as　hot…
  Love…sick…to　have　thee！　Such　a　bolt　as　thou
  Hast　shot　clean　through　his　heart　And　he　won't　rest
  Till　Cypris　help　him　win　thee！　Lift　not　then；
  My　daughter；　a　proud　foot　to　spurn　the　bed
  Of　Zeus：　but　get　thee　gone　to　meadow　deep
  By　Lerna's　marsh；　where　are　thy　father's　flocks
  And　cattle…folds；　that　on　the　eye　of　Zeus
  May　fall　the　balm　that　shall　assuage　desire。〃
  Such　dreams　oppressed　me；　troubling　all　my　nights；
  Woe's　me！　till　I　plucked　courage　up　to　tell
  My　father　of　these　fears　that　walked　in　darkness。
  And　many　times　to　Pytho　and　Dodona
  He　sent　his　sacred　missioners；　to　inquire
  How；　or　by　deed　or　word；　he　might　conform
  To　the　high　will　and　pleasure　of　the　Gods。
  And　they　returned　with　slippery　oracles；
  Nought　plain；　but　all　to　baffle　and　perplex…
  And　then　at　last　to　Inachus　there　raught
  A　saying　that　flashed　clear；　the　drift；　that
  Must　be　put　out　from　home　and　country；　forced
  To　be　a　wanderer　at　the　ends　of　the　earth；
  A　thing　devote　and　dedicate；　and　if
  I　would　not；　there　should　fall　a　thunderbolt
  From　Zeus；　with　blinding　flash；　and　utterly
  Destroy　my　race。　So　spake　the　oracle
  Of　Loxias。　In　sorrow　he　obeyed；
  And　from　beneath　his　roof　drove　forth　his　child
  Grieving　as　he　grieved；　and　from　house　and　home
  Bolted　and　barred　me　out。　But　the　high　hand
  Of　Zeus　bear　hardly　on　the　rein　of　fate。
  And；　instantly…even　in　a　moment…mind
  And　body　suffered　strange　distortion。　Horned
  Even　as　ye　see　me　now；　and　with　sharp　bite
  Of　gadfly　pricked；　with　high…flung　skip；　stark…mad；
  I　bounded；　galloping　headlong　on；　until
  I　came　to　the　sweet　and　of　the　stream
  Kerchneian；　hard　by　Lerna's　spring。　And　thither
  Argus；　the　giant　herdsman；　fierce　and　fell
  As　a　strong　wine　unmixed；　with　hateful　cast
  Of　all　his　cunning　eyes　upon　the　trail；
  Gave　chase　and　tracked　me　down。　And　there　he　perished
  By　violent　and　sudden　doom　surprised。
  But　I　with　darting　sting…the　scorpion　whip
  Of　angry　Gods…am　lashed　from　land　to　land。
  Thou　hast　my　story；　and；　if　thou　can'st　tell
  What　I　have　still　to　suffer；　speak；　but　do　not；
  Moved　by　compassion；　with　a　lying　tale
  Warm　my　cold　heart；　no　sickness　of　the　soul
  Is　half　so　shameful　as　composed　falsehoods。
  CHORUS
  Off！　lost　one！　off！　Horror；　I　cry！
  Horror　and　misery
  Was　this　the　traveller's　tale　I　craved　to　hear？
  Oh；　that　mine　eyes　should　see
  A　sight　so　ill　to　look　upon！　Ah　me！
  Sorrow；　defilement；　haunting　fear；
  Fan　my　blood　cold；
  Stabbed　with　a　two…edged　sting！
  O　Fate；　Fate；　Fate；　tremblingly　I　behold
  The　plight　of　Io；　thine　apportioning！
  PROMETHEUS
  Thou　dost　lament　too　soon；　and　art　as　one
  All　fear。　Refrain　thyself　till　thou　hast　heard
  What's　yet　to　be。
  CHORUS
  Speak　and　be　our　instructor：
  There　is　a　kind　of　balm　to　the　sick　soul
  In　certain　knowledge　of　the　grief　to　come。
  PROMETHEUS
  Your　former　wish　I　lightly　granted　ye：
  And　ye　have　heard；　even　as　ye　desired；
  From　this　maid's　lips　the　story　of　her　sorrow。
  Now　hear　the　sequel；　the　ensuing　woes
  The　damsel　must　endure　from　Hera's　hate。
  And　thou；　O　seed　of　Inachaean　loins；
  Weigh　well　my　words；　that　thou　may'st　understand
  Thy　journey's　end。　First　towards　the　rising　sun
  Turn　hence；　and　traverse　fields　that　ne'er　felt　plough
  Until　thou　reach　the　country　of　the　Scyths；
  A　race　of　wanderers　handling　the　long…bow
  That　shoots　afar；　and　having　their　habitations
  Under　the　open　sky　in　wattled　cotes
  That　move　on　wheels。　Go　not　thou　nigh　to　them；
  But　ever　within　sound　of　the　breaking　waver；
  Pass　through　their　land。　And　on　the　left　of　the
  The　Chalybes；　workers　in　iron；　dwell。
  Beware　of　them；　for　they　are　savages；
  Who　suffer　not　a　stranger　to　come　near。
  And　thou　shalt　reach　the　river　Hybristes；
  Well　named。　Cross　not；　for　it　is　ill　to　cross；
  Until　thou　come　even　unto　Caucasus；
  Highest　of　mountains；　where　the　foaming　river
  Blows　all　its　volume　from　the　summit　ridge
  That　o'ertops　all。　And　that　star…neighboured　ridge
  Thy　feet　must　climb；　and；　following　the　road
  That　runneth　south；　thou　presently　shall　reach
  The　Amazonian　hosts　that　loathe　the　male；
  And　shall　one　day　remove　from　thence　and　found
  Themiscyra　hard　by　Thermodon's　stream；
  Where　on　the　craggy　Salmadessian　coast
  Waves　gnash　their　teeth；　the　maw　of　mariners
  And　step…mother　of　ships。　And　they　shall　lead　the
  Upon　thy　way；　and　with　a　right　good　will。
  Then　shalt　thou　come　to　the　Cimmerian　Isthmus；
  Even　at　the　pass　and　portals　of　the　sea；
  And　leaving　it　behind　thee；　stout　of　heart；
  Cross　o'er　the　channel　of　Maeotis'　lake。
  For　ever　famous　among　men　shall　be
  The　story　of　thy　crossing；　and　the　strait
  Be　called　by　a　new　name；　the　Bosporus；
  In　memory　of　thee。　Then　having　left
  Europa's　soil　behind　thee　thou　shalt　come
  To　the　main　land　of　Asia。　What　think　ye？
  Is　not　the　only　ruler　of　the　Gods
  A　complete　tyrant；　violent　to　all；
  Respecting　none？　First；　being　himself　a　God；
  He　burneth　to　enjoy　a　mortal　maid；
  And　then　torments　her　with　these　wanderings。
  A　sorry　suitor　for　thy　love；　poor　girl；
  A　bitter　wooing。　Yet　having　heard　so　much
  Thou　art　not　even　in　the　overture
  And　prelude　of　the　song。
  IO
  Alas！　Oh！　Oh！
  PROMETHEUS
  Thou　dost　cryout；　fetching　again　deep　groans：
  What　wilt　thou　do　when　thou　hast　heard　in　full
  The　evils　yet　to　come？
  CHORUS
  And　wilt　thou　tell
  The　maiden　something　further：　some　fresh　sorrow？
  PROMETHEUS
  A　stormy　sea　of　wrong　and　ruining。
  IO
  What　does　it　profit　me　to　live！　Oh；　why
  Do　I　not　throw　myself　from　this　rough　crag
  And　in　one　leap　rid　me　of　all　my　pain？
  Better　to　die　at　once　than　live；　and　all
  My　days　be　evil。
  PROMETHEUS
  Thou　would'st　find　it　hard
  To　bear　what　I　must　bear：　for　unto　me
  It　is　not　given　to　die；…a　dear　release
  From　pain；　but　now　of　suffering　there　is
  No　end　in　sight　till　Zeus　shall　fall。
  IO
  And　shall
  Zeus　fall？　His　power　be　taken　from　him？
  No　matter　when　if　true…
  PROMETHEUS
  'Twould　make　thee　happy
  Methinks；　if　thou　could'st　see　calamity
  Whelm　him。
  IO
  How　should　it　not　when　all　my　woes
  Are　of　his　sending？　learn　how
  These　things　shall　be。
  The　tyrant's　rod？
  And　fond　imaginings。
  IO
  But　how？　Oh；　speak；
  If　the　declaring　draw　no　evil　down　I
  PROMETHEUS
  A　marriage　he　shall　make　shall　vex　him　sore。
  IO
  A　marriage？　Whether　of　gods　or　mortals？
  Speak！
  If　this　be　utterable！
  PROMETHEUS
  Why　dost　thou　ask
  What　I　may　not　declare？
  IO
  And　shall　he　quit
  The　throne　of　all　the　worlds；　by　a　new　spouse
  Supplanted？
  PROMETHEUS
  She　will　bear　to　him　a　child；
  And　he　shall　be　in　might　more　excellent
  Than　his　progenitor。
  IO
  And　he　will　find
  No　way　to　parry　this　strong　stroke　of　fate？
  PROMETHEUS
  None　save　my　own　self…when　these　bonds　are　loosed。
  IO
  And　who　shall　loose　them　if　Zeus　wills　not？
  Of　thine　own　seed。
  How　say'st　thou？　Shall　a　child
  Of　mine　release　thee？
  PROMETHEUS
  Son　of　thine；　but　son
  The　thirteenth　generation　shall　beget。
  IO
  A　prophecy　oracularly　dark。
  PROMETHEUS
  Then　seek　not　thou　to　know　thine　own　fate。
  IO
  Nay；
  Tender　me　not　a　boon　to　snatch　it　from　me。
  PROMETHEUS
  Of　two　gifts　thou　hast　asked　one　shall　be　thine。
  IO
  What　gifts？　Pronounce　and　leave　to　me　the　choice。
  PROMETHEUS
  Nay；　thou　are　free　to　choose。　Say；　therefore；　whether
  I　shall　declare　to　thee　thy　future　woes