"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 wor-
thy to quaff it than yourself!"

So saying, King Aegeus took the golden gob-
let 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 with-
in him at the thought of what he was going to
do for all these reasons, the king's hand trem-
bled so much that a great deal of the wine
slopped over. In order to strengthen his pur-
pose, 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 stran-
ger's guilt? There is the very sword with
which he meant to slay you. How sharp, and
bright, and terrible it is! Quick! let him

[[36]]

p035 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p036w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p037

v?