Page:Tragedies of Euripides (Way 1898) v3.djvu/389

Proclaiming silence and a reverent hush.
And the seer Kalchas in a golden maund 1565
Laid down a keen knife which his hand had drawn
Out of its sheath, then crowned the maiden's head.
Then Peleus' son took maund and lustral bowl,
And round the altar of the Goddess ran,
And cried, "Zeus' Daughter, slayer of wild beasts, 1570
Whose wheels of light roll splendours through the gloom,
Accept this offering which we render thee,
Achaia's host, with Agamemnon King,
The unsullied blood from a fair maiden's neck;
And grant the galleys voyaging unvexed; 1575
And grant our spears may spoil the towers of Troy."
With bowed heads Atreus' sons and all the host
Stood. The priest took the knife and spake the prayer,
And scanned her throat for fittest place to strike.
Then through my soul exceeding anguish thrilled: 1580
Mine head drooped:—lo, a sudden miracle!
For each man plainly heard the blow strike home;
But the maid—none knew whither she had vanished.
Loud cried the priest: all echoed back the cry,
Seeing a portent by some God sent down 1585
Unlooked-for, past belief, albeit seen.
For gasping on the ground there lay a hind
Most huge to see, and passing fair to view,
With whose blood all the Goddess' altar ran.
Then Kalchas cried—how gladly ye may guess:— 1590
"O chieftains of this leagued Achaian host,
See ye this victim by the Goddess laid
Before her altar, even a mountain hind?
This holds she more acceptable than the maid,
That she stain not with noble blood her altar. 1595