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Tanglewood Tales-Part3_NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE(1804-1864)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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knew not what, either in his white brow, or in the fine



expression of his mouth, or in his beautiful and tender eyes,

that made him indistinctly feel as if he had seen this youth



before; as if, indeed, he had trotted him on his knee when a

baby, and had beheld him growing to be a stalwart man, while he



himself grew old. But Medea guessed how the king felt, and

would not suffer him to yield to these natural sensibilities;



although they were the voice of his deepest heart, telling him

as plainly as it could speak, that here was our dear son, and



Aethra's son, coming to claim him for a father. The enchantress

again whispered in the king's ear, and compelled him, by her



witchcraft, to see everything under a false aspect.

He made up his mind, therefore, to let Theseus drink off the



poisoned wine.

"Young man," said he, "you are welcome! I am proud to show



hospitality to so heroic a youth. Do me the favor to drink the

contents of this goblet. It is brimming over, as you see, with



delicious wine, such as I bestow only on those who are worthy

of it! None is more worthy to quaff it than yourself!"



So saying, King Aegeus took the golden goblet from the table,

and was about to offer it to Theseus. But, partly through his



infirmities, and partly because it seemed so sad a thing to

take away this young man's life. however wicked he might be,



and partly, no doubt, because his heart was wiser than his

head, and quaked within him at the thought of what he was going



to do--for all these reasons, the king's hand trembled so much

that a great deal of the wine slopped over. In order to



strengthen his purpose, and fearing lest the whole of the

precious poison should be wasted, one of his nephews now



whispered to him:

"Has your Majesty any doubt of this stranger's guilt? This is



the very sword with which he meant to slay you. How sharp, and

bright, and terrible it is! Quick!--let him taste the wine; or



perhaps he may do the deed even yet."

At these words, Aegeus drove every thought and feeling out of



his breast, except the one idea of how justly the young man

deserved to be put to death. He sat erect on his throne, and



held out the goblet of wine with a steady hand, and bent on

Theseus a frown of kinglyseverity; for, after all, he had too



noble a spirit to murder even a treacherous enemy with a

deceitful smile upon his face.



"Drink!" said he, in the stern tone with which he was wont to

condemn a criminal to be beheaded. "You have well deserved of



me such wine as this!"

Theseus held out his hand to take the wine. But, before he



touched it, King Aegeus trembled again. His eyes had fallen on

the gold-hilled sword that hung at the young man's side. He



drew back the goblet.

"That sword!" he exclaimed: "how came you by it?"



"It was my father's sword," replied Theseus, with a tremulous

voice. "These were his sandals. My dear mother (her name is



Aethra) told me his story while I was yet a little child. But

it is only a month since I grew strong enough to lift the heavy



stone, and take the sword and sandals from beneath it, and come

to Athens to seek my father."



"My son! my son!" cried King Aegeus, flinging away the fatal

goblet, and tottering down from the throne to fall into the



arms of Theseus. "Yes, these are Aethra's eyes. It is my son."

I have quite forgotten what became of the king's nephews. But



when the wicked Medea saw this new turn of affairs, she hurried

out of the room, and going to her private chamber, lost no time



to setting her enchantments to work. In a few moments, she

heard a great noise of hissing snakes outside of the chamber



window; and behold! there was her fiery chariot, and four huge

winged serpents, wriggling and twisting in the air, flourishing



their tails higher than the top of the palace, and all ready to

set off on an aerial journey. Medea staid only long enough to



take her son with her, and to steal the crown jewels, together

with the king's best robes, and whatever other valuable things



she could lay hands on; and getting into the chariot, she

whipped up the snakes, and ascended high over the city.



The king, hearing the hiss of the serpents, scrambled as fast

as he could to the window, and bawled out to the abominable



enchantress never to come back. The whole people of Athens,

too, who had run out of doors to see this wonderful spectacle,



set up a shout of joy at the prospect of getting rid of her.

Medea, almost bursting with rage, uttered precisely such a hiss






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