en, slain by each other's
hand.

Antigone and Ismene then enter, each bewailing the death of their
brothers. A herald interrupts them in the midst of their lamentations to
announce to them the decree of the senate, which is that Eteocles, on
account of his attachment to his country, though a fratricide, shall be
honored with fitting funeral rites, but that Polynices, the would-be
overturner of his native city, shall be cast out unburied, a prey to the
dogs.

Against this decree Antigone rebels, and with her final words announces
her unalterable intention of burying her brother in spite of the fate
which awaits her disobedience to the will of the senate.

PROMETHEUS CHAINED.

Prometheus having, by his attention to the wants of men,
provoked the anger of Jove, is bound down in a cleft of a
rock in a distant desert of Scythia. Here he not only
relates the wanderings, but foretells the future lot of
Io, and likewise alludes to the fall of Jove's dynasty.
Disdaining to explain his meaning to Mercury, he is swept
into the abyss amid terrific hurricane and earthquake.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

STRENGTH.
FORCE.
VULCAN.
PROMETHEUS.
CHORUS OF NYMPHS, DAUGHTERS OF OCEAN.
IO, DAUGHTER OF INACHUS.
MERCURY.

STRENGTH, FORCE, VULCAN, PROMETHEUS.

STRENGTH. [1]We are come to a plain, the distant boundary of the earth,
to the Scythian track, to an untrodden[2] desert. Vulcan, it behooves
thee that the mandates, which thy Sire imposed, be thy concern--to bind
this daring wretch[3] to the lofty-cragged rocks, in fetters of
adamantine chains that can not be broken; for he stole and gave to
mortals thy honor, the brilliancy of fire [that aids] all arts.[4] Hence
for such a trespass he must needs give retribution to the gods, that he
may be taught to submit to the sovereignty of Jupiter, and to cease from
his philanthropic disposition.

VULCAN. Strength and Force, as far as you are concerned, the mandate of
Jupiter has now[5] its consummation, and there is no farther obstacle.
But I have not the courage to bind perforce a kindred god to this
weather-beaten ravine. Yet in every way it is necessary for me to take
courage for this task; for a dreadful thing it is to disregard[6] the
directions of the Sire.[7] Lofty-scheming son of right-counseling
Themis, unwilling shall I rivet thee unwilling in indissoluble shackles
to this solitary rock, where nor voice nor form of any one of mortals
sha