master　stood　there　in　his　gleaming　harness　like　a　flash　of　light；　till
  from　the　inmost　shrine　there　came　a　voice　of　thrilling　horror；
  stirring　the　crowd　to　make　a　stand。　Then　fell　Achilles'　son；　smitten
  through　the　flank　by　some　Delphian's　biting　blade；　some　fellow　that
  slew　him　with　a　host　to　help；　and　as　he　fell；　there　was　not　one　that
  did　not　stab　him；　or　cast　a　rock　and　batter　his　corpse。　So　his　whole
  body；　once　so　fair；　was　marred　with　savage　wounds。　At　last　they　cast
  the　lifeless　clay；　Iying　near　the　altar；　forth　from　the　fragrant　fane。
  And　we　gathered　up　his　remains　forthwith　and　are　bringing　them　to
  thee；　old　prince；　to　mourn　and　weep　and　honour　with　a　deep…dug　tomb。
  This　is　how　that　prince　who　vouchsafeth　oracles　to　others；　that
  judge　of　what　is　right　for　all　the　world；　hath　revenged　himself　on
  Achilles'　son；　remembering　his　ancient　quarrel　as　a　wicked　man
  would。　How　then　can　he　be　wise？
  （The　MESSENGER　withdraws　as　the　body　of　Neoptolemus
  is　carried　in　on　a　bier。　The　following　lines
  between　PELEUS　and　the　CHORUS　are
  chanted　responsively。）
  CHORUS
  Lo！　e'en　now　our　prince　is　being　carried　on　a　bier　from　Delphi's
  land　unto　his　home。　Woe　for　him　and　his　sad　fate；　and　woe　for　thee；
  old　sire！　for　this　is　not　the　welcome　thou　wouldst　give　Achilles'　son；
  the　lion's　whelp；　thyself　too　by　this　sad　mischance　dost　share　his
  evil　lot。
  PELEUS
  Ah！　woe　is　me！　here　is　a　sad　sight　for　me　to　see　and　take　unto
  my　halls！　Ah　me！　ah　me！　I　am　undone；　thou　city　of　Thessaly！　My　line
  now　ends；　I　have　no　children　left　me　in　my　home。　Oh！　the　sorrows
  seem　born　to　endure！　What　friend　can　I　look　to　for　relief？　Ah；　dear
  lips；　and　cheeks；　and　hands！　Would　thy　destiny　had　slain　the　'neath
  Ilium's　walls　beside　the　banks　of　Simois！
  CHORUS
  Had　he　so　died；　my　aged　lord；　he　had　won　him　honour　thereby；　and
  thine　had　been　the　happier　lot。
  PELEUS
  O　marriage；　marriage；　woe　to　thee！　thou　bane　of　my　home；　thou
  destroyer　of　my　city！　Ah　my　child；　my　boy；　would　that　the　honour　of
  wedding　thee；　fraught　with　evil　as　it　was　to　my　children　and　house；
  had　not　thrown　o'er　thee；　my　son；　Hermione's　deadly　net！　that　the
  thunderbolt　had　slain　her　sooner！　and　that　thou；　rash　mortal；　hadst
  never　charged　the　great　god　Phoebus　with　aiming　that　murderous　shaft
  that　spilt　thy　hero…father's　blood！
  CHORUS
  Woe！　woe！　alas！　With　due　observance　of　funeral　rites　will　I
  begin　the　mourning　for　my　dead　master。
  PELEUS
  Alack　and　well…a…day！　I　take　up　the　tearful　dirge；　ah　me！　old
  and　wretched　as　I　am。
  CHORUS
  'Tis　Heaven's　decree；　God　willed　this　heavy　stroke。
  PELEUS
  O　darling　child；　thou　hast　left　me　all　alone　in　my　halls；　old
  and　childless　by　thy　loss。
  CHORUS
  Thou　shouldst　have　died；　old　sire；　before　thy　children。
  PELEUS
  Shall　I　not　tear　my　hair；　and　smite　upon　my　head　with　grievous
  blows？　O　city！　of　both　my　children　hath　Phoebus　robbed　me。
  CHORUS
  What　evils　thou　hast　suffered；　what　sorrows　thou　hast　seen；　thou
  poor　old　man！　what　shall　be　thy　life　hereafter？
  PELEUS
  Childless；　desolate；　with　no　limit　to　my　grief；　I　must　drain　the
  cup　of　woe；　until　I　die。
  CHORUS
  'Twas　all　in　vain　the　gods　wished　thee　joy　on　thy　wedding　day。
  PELEUS
  All　my　hopes　have　flown　away；　fallen　short　of　my　high　boasts。
  CHORUS
  A　lonely　dweller　in　a　lonely　home　art　thou。
  PELEUS
  I　have　no　city　any　longer；　there！　on　the　ground　my　sceptre　do
  cast；　and　thou；　daughter　of　Nereus；　'neath　thy　dim　grotto；　shalt　see
  me　grovelling　in　the　dust；　a　ruined　king。
  CHORUS
  Look；　look！　（A　dim　form　of　divine　appearance　is　seen　hovering
  mid　air。）　What　is　that　moving？　what　influence　divine　am　I　conscious
  of？　Look；　maidens；　mark　it　well；　see；　yonder　is　some　deity；　wafted
  through　the　lustrous　air　and　alighting　on　the　plains　of　Phthia；　home
  of　steeds。
  THETIS　（from　above）
  O　Peleus！　because　of　my　wedded　days　with　thee　now　long　agone；　I
  Thetis　am　come　from　the　halls　of　Nereus。　And　first　I　counsel　thee
  not　to　grieve　to　excess　in　thy　present　distress；　for　I　too　who　need
  ne'er　have　borne　children　to　my　sorrow；　have　lost　the　child　of　our
  love；　Achilles　swift　of　foot；　foremost　of　the　sons　of　Hellas。　Next
  will　I　declare　why　I　am　come；　and　do　thou　give　ear。　Carry　yonder
  corpse；　Achilles'　son；　to　the　Pythian　altar　and　there　bury　it；　a
  reproach　to　Delphi；　that　his　tomb　may　proclaim　the　violent　death　he
  met　at　the　hand　of　Orestes。　And　for　his　captive　wife　Andromache；…she
  must　dwell　in　the　Molossian　land；　united　in　honourable　wedlock　with
  Helenus；　and　with　her　this　babe；　the　sole　survivor　as　he　is　of　all　the
  line　of　Aeacus；　for　from　him　a　succession　of　prosperous　kings　of
  Molossia　is　to　go　on　unbroken；　for　the　race　that　springs　from　thee　and
  me；　my　aged　lord；　must　not　thus　be　brought　to　naught；　no！　nor　Troy's
  line　either；　for　her　fate　too　is　cared　for　by　the　gods；　albeit　her
  fall　was　due　to　the　eager　wish　of　Pallas。　Thee　too；　that　thou　mayst
  know　the　saving　grace　of　wedding　me；　will　I；　a　goddess　born　and
  daughter　of　a　god；　release　from　all　the　ills　that　flesh　is　heir　to　and
  make　a　deity　to　know　not　death　nor　decay。　From　henceforth　in　the　halls
  of　Nereus　shalt　thou　dwell　with　me；　god　and　goddess　together；　thence
  shalt　thou　rise　dry…shod　from　out　the　main　and　see　Achilles；　our
  dear　son；　settled　in　his　island…home　by　the　strand　of　Leuce；　that　is
  girdled　by　the　Euxine　sea。　But　get　thee　to　Delphi's　god…built　town；
  carrying　this　corpse　with　thee；　and；　after　thou　hast　buried　him；
  return　and　settle　in　the　cave　which　time　hath　hollowed　in　the　Sepian
  rock　and　there　abide；　till　from　the　sea　I　come　with　choir　of　fifty
  Nereids　to　be　thy　escort　thence；　for　fate's　decree　thou　must　fulfil；
  such　is　the　pleasure　of　Zeus。　Cease　then　to　mourn　the　dead；　this　is
  the　lot　which　heaven　assigns　to　all；　and　all　must　pay　their　debt　to
  death。
  PELEUS
  Great　queen；　my　honoured　wife；　from　Nereus　sprung；　all　hail！
  thou　art　acting　herein　as　befits　thyself　and　thy　children。　So　I　will
  stay　my　grief　at　thy　bidding；　goddess；　and；　when　I　have　buried　the
  dead；　will　seek　the　glens　of　Pelion；　even　the　place　where　I　took　thy
  beauteous　form　to　my　embrace。　Surely　after　this　every　prudent　man　will
  seek　to　marry　a　wife　of　noble　stock　and　give　his　daughter　to　a　husband
  good　and　true；　never　setting　his　heart　on　a　worthless　woman；　not
  even　though　she　bring　a　sumptuous　dowry　to　his　house。　So　would　men
  ne'er　suffer　ill　at　heaven's　hand。
  （THETIS　vanishes。）
  CHORUS　（chanting）
  Many　are　the　shapes　of　Heaven's　denizens；　and　many　a　thing　they
  bring　to　pass　contrary　to　our　expectation；　that　which　we　thought　would
  be　is　not　accomplished；　while　for　the　unexpected　God　finds　out　a
  way。　E'en　such　hath　been　the　issue　of　this　matter。
  …THE　END…
  。