HER. Speak to her; for thou hast all that thou desirest.
ADM. O face and person of my dearest wife, have I thee beyond my hopes,
when I thought never to see thee more?
HER. Thou hast: but _take care_ there be no envy of the Gods.
ADM. O noble son of the most powerful Jove, mayst thou be blest, and may
thy father, who begot thee, protect thee, for thou alone hast restored me!
How didst thou bring her from beneath into this light!
HER. Having fought a battle with the prince of those beneath.
ADM. Where dost thou say thou didst have this conflict with Death!
HER. At the tomb itself, having seized him from ambush with my hands.
ADM. But why, I pray, does this woman stand here speechless?
HER. It is not yet allowed thee to hear her address thee, before she is
unbound from her consecrations[51] to the Gods beneath, and the third day
come. But lead her in, and as thou oughtest, henceforward, Admetus,
continue in thy piety with respect to strangers. And farewell! But I will
go and perform the task that is before me for the imperial son of
Sthenelus.
ADM. Stay with us, and be a companion of our hearth.
HER. This shall be some time hence, but now I must haste.
ADM. But mayst thou be prosperous, and return on thy journey back. But to
the citizens, and to all the tetrarchy I issue my commands, that they
institute dances in honor of these happy events, and make the altars
odorous with their sacrifices of oxen that accompany their vows. For now
are we placed in a better state of life than the former one: for I will not
deny that I am happy.
CHOR. Many are the shapes of the things the deities direct, and many things
the Gods perform contrary to our expectations. And those things which we
looked for are not accomplished; but the God hath brought to pass things
not looked for. Such hath been the event of this affair.
* * * * *