Balaustion's Adventure Author:Robert Browning Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: 59 " Farewell!" And in the breath she passed away. " Undone—me miserable ! " moaned the king, While friends released the long-suspended sigh " Gone is she ... more »: no wife for Admetos more !" Such was the signal: how the woe broke forth, Why tell ?—or how the children's tears ran fast Bidding their father note the eye-lids' stare, Hands' droop, each dreadful circumstance of death. " Ay, she hears not, she sees not: I and you, 'T is plain, are stricken hard and have to bear!" Was all Admetos answered ; for, I judge, He only now began to taste the truth : The thing done lay revealed, which undone thing, Rehearsed for fact by fancy, at the best, Never can equal. He had used himself This long while (as he muttered presently) To practise with the terms, the blow involved By the bargain, sharp to bear, but bearable Because of plain advantage at the end. Now that, in fact not fancy, the blow fell— Needs must he busy him with the surprise. " Alkestis—not to see her nor be seen, Hear nor be heard of by her, any more To-day, to-morrow, to the end of time— Did I mean this should buy my life?" thought he. So, friends came round him, took him by the hand, Bade him remember our mortality, Its due, its doom : how neither was he first, Nor would be last, to thus deplore the loved. " I understand " slow the words came at last. " Nor of a sudden did the evil here Fly on me: I have known it long ago, Ay, and essayed myself in misery; Nothing is new. You have to stay, you friends, Because the next need is to carry forth The corpse here : you must stay and do your part, Chant proper pasan to the God below ; Drink-sacrifice he likes not. I decree That all Thessalians over whom I rule Hold grief in common with me ;...« less