irtue, and thy patience, and thy truth,
And thy self-mastery. Thrice I put thee, King!
Unto the trial. In the Dwaita wood,
The day of sacrifice,--then thou stood'st fast;
Next, on thy brethren's death and Draupadi's,
When, as a dog, I followed thee, and found
Thy spirit constant to the meanest friend.
Here was the third and sorest touchstone, Son!
That thou shouldst hear thy brothers cry in hell,
And yet abide to help them. Pritha's child,
We love thee! Thou art fortunate and pure,
Past trials now. Thou art approved, and they
Thou lov'st have tasted hell only a space,
Not meriting to suffer more than when
An evil dream doth come, and Indra's beam
Ends it with radiance--as this vision ends.
It is appointed that all flesh see death,
And therefore thou hast borne the passing pangs,
Briefest for thee, and brief for those of thine,--
Bhima the faithful, and the valiant twins
Nakla and Sahadev, and those great hearts
Karna, Arjuna, with thy princess dear,
Draupadi. Come, thou best-beloved Son,
Blessed of all thy line! Bathe in this stream,--
It is great Gunga, flowing through Three Worlds.'

"Thus high-accosted, the rejoicing king
(Thy ancestor, O Liege!) proceeded straight
Unto that river's brink, which floweth pure
Through the Three Worlds, mighty, and sweet, and praised.
There, being bathed, the body of the king
Put off its mortal, coming up arrayed
In grace celestial, washed from soils of sin,
From passion, pain, and change. So, hand in hand
With brother-gods, glorious went Yudhishthir,
Lauded by softest minstrelsy, and songs
Of unknown music, where those heroes stood--
The princes of the Pandavas, his kin--
And lotus-eyed and lovliest Draupadi,
Waiting to greet him, gladdening and glad."

_FROM THE "SAUPTIKA PARVA" OF THE MAHABHARATA,_

OR

_"NIGHT OF SLAUGHTER."_

_To Narayen, Best of Lords, be glory given,
To great Saraswati, the Queen in Heaven;
Unto Vyasa, too, be paid his meed,
So shall this story worthily proceed._

"Those vanquished warriors then," Sanjaya said,
"Fled southwards; and, near sunset, past the tents,
Unyoked; abiding close in fear and rage.
There was a wood beyond the camp,--untrod,
Quiet,--and in its leafy harbour lay
The Princes, some among them bleeding still
From spear and arr