Agave had come hither — true he spoke;

I see her now — O most unblessed sight!

AGAVE

Father, ’tis thy peculiar peerless boast

Of womanhood the noblest t’ have begot —

Me — me the noblest of that noble kin.

For I the shuttle and the distaff left

For mightier deeds — wild beasts with mine own hands

To capture. Lo! I bear within mine arms

These glorious trophies, to be hung on high

Upon thy house: receive them, O my father!

Call thy friends to the banquet feast! Blest thou!

Most blest, through us who have wrought such splendid deeds.

CADMUS

Measureless grief! Eye may not gaze on it,

The slaughter wrought by those most wretched hands.

Oh! what a sacrifice before the gods!

All Thebes, and us, thou callest to the feast.

Justly — too justly, hath King Bromius Destroyed us, fatal kindred to our house.

AGAVE

Oh! how morose is man in his old age,

And sullen in his mien. Oh! were my son

More like his mother, mighty in his hunting,

When he goes forth among the youth of Thebes

Wild beasts to chase! But he is great alone,

In warring on the gods. We two, my sire,

Must counsel him against his evil wisdom.

Where is he? Who will call him here before us

That he may see me in my happiness?

CADMUS

Woe! woe! When ye have sense of what ye have done,

With what deep sorrow, sorrow ye! To th’ end,

Oh! could ye be, only as now ye are,

Nor happy were ye deemed, nor miserable.

AGAVE

What is not well? For sorrow what the cause?

CADMUS

First lift thine eyes up to the air around.

AGAVE

Behold! Why thus commandest me to gaze?

CADMUS

Is all the same? Appears there not a change?

AGAVE

’Tis brighter, more translucent than before.

CADMUS

Is there the same elation in thy soul?

AGAVE

I know not what thou mean’st; but I become

Conscious — my changing mind is settling down.

CADMUS

Canst thou attend, and plainly answer me?

AGAVE

I have forgotten, father, all I said.

CADMUS

Unto whose bed wert thou in wedlock given?

AGAVE

Echion’s, him they call the Dragon-born.

CADMUS

Who was the son to thy husband thou didst bear?

AGAVE

Pentheus, in commerce ’twixt his sire and me.

CADMUS

And whose the head thou boldest in thy hands?

AGAVE

A lion’s; thus my fellow-hunters said.

CADMUS

Look at it straight: to look on’t is no toil.

AGAVE

What see I? Ha! what’s this within my hands?

CADMUS

Look on’t again, again: thou wilt know too well.

AGAVE

I see the direst woe that eye may see.

CADMUS

The semblance of a lion bears it now?

AGAVE

No: wretch, wretch that I am; ’tis Pentheus’ head!

CADMUS

Even ere yet recognised thou might’st have mourned him.

AGAVE

Who murdered him? How came he in my hands?

CADMUS

Sad truth! Untimely dost thou ever come!

AGAVE

Speak; for my heart leaps with a boding throb.