Choose therefore or to quit thy side and give

The palm unfought for to his bloodless hand,

Or by that father's sceptre, and the foot

Whose tramp far off makes tremble for pure fear

Thy soul-struck mother, piercing like a sword

700

The immortal womb that bare thee; by the waves

That no man bridles and that bound thy world,

And by the winds and storms of all the sea,

He swears to raze from eyeshot of the sun

This city named not of his father's name,

And wash to deathward down one flood of doom

This whole fresh brood of earth yeaned naturally,

Green yet and faint in its first blade, unblown

With yellow hope of harvest; so do thou,

Seeing whom thy time is come to meet, for fear

710

Yield, or gird up thy force to fight and die.

ERECHTHEUS.

To fight then be it; for if to die or live,

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