is wife Deianeira,
and his young son Hyllus.

In the course of their journey they arrived at the river Evenus, over which
the Centaur Nessus was in the habit {255} of carrying travellers for hire.
Heracles, with his little son in his arms, forded the stream unaided,
intrusting his wife to the care of the Centaur, who, charmed with the
beauty of his fair burden, attempted to carry her off. But her cries were
heard by her husband, who without hesitation shot Nessus through the heart
with one of his poisoned arrows. Now the dying Centaur was thirsting for
revenge. He called Deianeira to his side, and directed her to secure some
of the blood which flowed from his wound, assuring her that if, when in
danger of losing her husband's affection, she used it in the manner
indicated by him, it would act as a charm, and prevent her from being
supplanted by a rival. Heracles and Deianeira now pursued their journey,
and after several adventures at length arrived at their destination.

DEATH OF HERACLES.--The last expedition undertaken by the great hero was
against Eurytus, king of Oechalia, to revenge himself upon this king and
his sons for having refused to bestow upon him the hand of Iole, after
having fairly won the maiden. Having collected a large army Heracles set
out for Euboea in order to besiege Oechalia, its capital. Success crowned
his arms. He stormed the citadel, slew the king and his three sons, reduced
the town to ashes, and carried away captive the young and beautiful Iole.

Returning from his victorious expedition, Heracles halted at Cenoeus in
order to offer a sacrifice to Zeus, and sent to Deianeira to Trachin for a
sacrificial robe. Deianeira having been informed that the fair Iole was in
the train of Heracles was fearful lest her youthful charms might supplant
her in the affection of her husband, and calling to mind the advice of the
dying Centaur, she determined to test the efficacy of the love-charm which
he had given to her. Taking out the phial which she had carefully
preserved, she imbued the robe with a portion of the liquid which it
contained, and then sent it to Heracles.

The victorious hero clothed himself with the garment, {256} and was about
to perform the sacrifice, when the hot flames rising from the altar heated
the poison with which it was imbued, and soon every fibre of his body was
penetrated by the deadly venom. The unfortunate hero, suffering the most
fearful tortures, endeavoured to tear off