The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-04
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heart that sounds a dangling strain; | fierce, delirious reel. But to you l say, while yet my reason keeps it's throne, I | rightly did to death those who lie yon- der I have obeyed the will of, Apollo' and now I go self-exiled to his shrine | at Delphi to learn what other fate be- | tides me-" May, thy swift sword hath set all Argos free!' cried the people. | But suddenly Orestes started and, star ing with wild eyes straight before him, | cried out in terror: Say what are these. these fiends with snaky hair? They are no mere fantasies-they are the furles' my mothers hounds of wrath come to | torment me! They swarm on me. Help, | Lord Apollo, help! Ah, they hunt. me down! Away, awayl" The people, who had now gathered in. considerable num- bers, besought him to be calm, saying that they saw nothing. Recovering nlm- self somewhat, Orestes charged the noples to take care of the government during his absence, and, with an olive branch Tn his hand and a fllet of wool around his head betokening that he was a suppiiant' he fled to the Delphic Oracle, pursued py the Furies visible to him alone and not to other mortal eyes,
 l Tn spite of his. crime the sympathy of the people was with him, and they cried out after him, May good for tune attend thee and divine grace guide and protect thee in the end.' An, said an old man shaking his head, "how in their might have the storms of fate gathered around the stately wallsl There was the feast of Atreus-thoes murdered babes-the death of Iphigenia the weltering of Agamemnon in the bloody bath. and now this tragedy. It is now the turn of fortune or the death blow of the state-who shall say! Whither will ruin surge before its rage Is spent?' F
 Arriving at the sacred shrine of Apollo that god spoke to Orestes through the inspired lips of the Py- 1 thones-that priestess who read for men the determination of the gods. T will not fail thee" said Apollo T am thy guardian and protector. The Furies who have followed thee are sunk in sleep upon the benches of the temple But they will not fail to awake and to pursue thee Gas they have here to | this my shrine) far over the world highways until thou shalt set thy feet weary and worn. in the city or Pallas Take sanctuary there in Athens in the temple of that great goddess, daugE- ter of Zeus, who guards the place Clasp in thine arms her golden image until a court assembled of the Athen- ians shall adjudge thee guiltless. will appear there as thine attorney and advocate and avouch myself the | instigator of thy bloody deed.'
 The sleep which had fallen upon the Furies was a trap of Apollo-sleep sen' by his contrivance to keep them quiet while he purified Orestes with the blood of pig as he had promised to dc La purifcation which. in ordinar. cases, seems to have removed the stain of blood guiltiness from the peniten supplicant, but which, in the case oi Orestes, had to be supplemented by tho decision of the great court which des- tiny had ordained was about to bt constituted by Minerva or Pallas in hei city of Athens The ceremony of tht purification by the blood of pig hay ing been performed, Orestes started with all haste for Athens. Scarcely hat he left the temple of the Oracle wher the Furies awakened and began to heal reproaches upon the Sun god for thu trick he had played upon thm Apollo, appearing to them, cried: Out out! from this place. Quit my temple or, perhaps, the golden bowstring vii let its arrows slip on thee winged glistening snake. This is no ground for such feet as thine to touch. Y love the cheer of bloody dooms-anf therefore ye are loathed of heaven"
 My lord Apollo" cried one of tht Furies, this is our, appointed task, to hunt the mother slayer from his home | And twas thine Oracle which set him or to do the deed.' That mothers hand ha6 slain her lord" replied Apollo. That was no shedding of kindred blood" "Noi kindred blood? Why wedlock has it's sane. ton mightier than oaths Thou hadst nc eyes of fury when spouse killed spouse Yet would pursue Orestes. To heavenl, Pallss' court be my appeal. Cor "Hs
 
 Furies, "and our feet shall trail him to his undoing in life and death."
 Pursued by the Furies, Orestes made his way to Athens, and, clasping the golden image of the goddess. the Jove-born Pal las, cried out his plea, begging her te hear and judge him. While he thus pett- tioned the Furies entered the temple and denounced vengeance upon him. No Apollo, nor the might of Pallas car rescue thee, cried the Furies; ''joy is exterminated from thy very soul, wretch | devoted and ordained to destruction. Lei all the earth know that we, the Furies have a charter from fate, attitle from the ages and pride of place, although oul watch is kept in the sunless dusk oi hell"
 As the Furies thus raved about the mar kneeling at the altar Pallas appeared grand, awful, majestic, and at once the tumult of threatening and reproach was stilled ''I have caught the voice of thine appeal afar," said the goddess to Orestes and, turning to the Furies asked: "But who are ye? You look a brood sprung from no mortal seed nor yet are ye such as are seen where gods and goddesses : speak face to face. What seek ye here?
 "We are the children of sullen Night, returned the Fpries: "our mission is tc hunt the murderer from his home, and this man has a mothers blood upon his hands" Surely" returned the goddess