ange rites by which the women, in their
lurking-places, did honor to Dionysos. So he went secretly to some
hidden dells, whither he knew that the women had gone; but Dionysos
saw him and laid his hands upon him, and straightway the mind of King
Pentheus himself was darkened, and the madness of the worshipers was
upon him, also. Then in his folly he climbed a tall pine-tree, to see
what the women did in their revelry; but on a sudden one of them saw
him, and they shrieked wildly and rooted up the tree in their fury.
With one accord they seized Pentheus and tore him in pieces; and his
own mother, Agave, was among the first to lay hands on her son. So
Dionysos, the wine god, triumphed; and this was the way in which the
new worship was set up in the Hellenic land.

ASKLEPIOS.

On the shores of the Lake Boibeis, the golden-haired Apollo saw and
loved Koronis, the beautiful daughter of Phlegyas. Many a time they
wandered beneath the branching elms while the dew-drops glistened like
jewels on the leaves, or sat beneath the ivy bowers as the light of
evening faded from the sky and the blue veil of mist fell upon the
sleeping hills. But at length the day came when Apollo must journey to
the western land, and as he held Koronis in his arms, his voice fell
softly and sadly on her ear. "I go," he said, "to a land that is very
far off, but surely I will return. More precious to me than aught else
on the wide earth is thy love, Koronis. Let not its flower fade, but
keep it fresh and pure as now, till I come to thee again. The dancing
Horai trip quickly by, Koronis, and when they bring the day on which I
may clasp thee in mine arms once more, it may be that I shall find
thee watching proudly over the child of our love."

He was gone, and for Koronis it seemed as though the sun had ceased to
shine in the heaven. For many a day she cared not to wander by the
winding shore in the light of early morning, or to rest in the myrtle
bowers as the flush of evening faded from the sky. Her thoughts went
back to the days that were passed, when Apollo, the golden-haired,
made her glad with the music of his voice. But at length a stranger
came to the Boibean land, and dwelt in the house of Phlegyas, and the
spell of his glorious beauty fell upon Koronis, and dimmed the love
which she had borne for Apollo, who was far away. Again for her the
sun shone brightly in the heaven, and the birds filled the air with a
joyous music, but the tale went sw