"Does your majesty sea his confusion?'' she
whispered in the king's ear. "He is so con-
scious of guilt, that he trembles and cannot
speak. The wretch lives too long! Quick',
offer him the wine!"

Now King Aegeus had been gazing earnestly
at the young stranger, as he drew near the
throne. There was something, he 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 whis
pered in the king's ear, and compelled him, by her
witchcraft, to see every thing under a false aspect.

He made up his mind, therefore, to let Thescu?
drink off the poisoned wine.

[[35]]

p034 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p035w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p036

v?