Messenger: Thou wouldst say so, hadst thou been there to see his loving
tendance of the dead.
Adrastus: Did he himself wash the bloody wounds of the hapless youths?
Messenger: Ay, and strewed their biers and wrapped them in their shrouds.
Adrastus: An awful burden this, involving some disgrace.
Messenger: Why, what disgrace to men are their fellows' sorrows?
Adrastus: Ah me! how much rather had I died with them!
Messenger: 'Tis vain to weep and move to tears these women.
Adrastus: Methinks 'tis they who give the lesson. Enough of that!
My hands lift at meeting of the dead, and pour forth a tearful dirge
to Hades, calling on my friends, whose loss I mourn in wretched solitude;
for this one thing, when once 'tis spent, man cannot recover, the
breath of life, though he knoweth ways to get his wealth again.
Studies
