第6章 THE MINOTAUR(3)

It so happened that the king's nephews met Theseus, and found out who he was, just as he reached the entrance of the royal palace.With all their evil designs against him, they pretended to be their cousin's best friends, and expressed great joy at making his.acquaintance.They proposed to him that he should come into the king's presence as a stranger, in order to try whether Aegeus would discover in the young man's features any likeness either to himself or his mother Aethra, and thus recognize him for a son.Theseus consented; for he fancied that his father would know him in a moment, by the love that was in his heart.But, while he waited at the door, the nephews ran and told King Aegeus that a young man had arrived in Athens, who, to their certain knowledge, intended to put him to death, and get possession of his royal crown.

"And he is now waiting for admission to your majesty's presence," added they.

"Aha!" cried the old king, on hearing this."Why, he must be a very wicked young fellow indeed! Pray, what would you advise me to do with him? "In reply to this question, the wicked Medea put in her word.As I have already told you, she was a famous enchantress.

According to some stories, she was in the habit of boiling old people in a large caldron, under pretense of making them young again; but King Aegeus, I suppose, did not fancy such an uncomfortable way of growing young, or perhaps was contented to be old, and therefore would never let himself be popped into the caldron.If there were time to spare from more important matters, I should be glad to tell you of Medea's fiery chariot, drawn by winged dragons, in which the enchantress used often to take an airing among the clouds.This chariot, in fact, was the vehicle that first brought her to Athens, where she had done nothing but mischief ever since her arrival.But these and many other wonders must be left untold; and it is enough to say, that Medea, amongst a thousand other bad things, knew how to prepare a poison, that was instantly fatal to whomsoever might so much as touch it with his lips.

So, when the king asked what he should do with Theseus, this naughty woman had an answer ready at her tongue's end.

"Leave that to me, please your majesty," she replied."Only admit this evil-minded young man to your presence, treat him civilly, and invite him to drink a goblet of wine.Your majesty is well aware that I sometimes amuse myself by distilling very powerful medicines.Here is one of them in this small phial.As to what it is made of, that is one of my secrets of state.Do but let me put a single drop into the goblet, and let the young man taste it; and I will answer for it, he shall quite lay aside the bad designs with which he comes hither."As she said this, Medea smiled; but, for all her smiling face, she meant nothing less than to poison the poor innocent Theseus, before his father's eyes.And King Aegeus, like most other kings, thought any punishment mild enough for a person who was accused of plotting against his life.He therefore made little or no objection to Medea's scheme, and as soon as the poisonous wine was ready, gave orders that the young stranger should be admitted into his presence.

The goblet was set on a table beside the king's throne; and a fly, meaning just to sip a little from the brim, immediately tumbled into it, dead.Observing this, Medea looked round at the nephews, and smiled again.

When Theseus was ushered into the royal apartment, the only object that he seemed to behold was the white-bearded old king.

There he sat on his magnificent throne, a dazzling crown on his head, and a scepter in his hand.His aspect was stately and majestic, although his years and infirmities weighed heavily upon him, as if each year were a lump of lead, and each infirmity a ponderous stone, and all were bundled up together, and laid upon his weary shoulders.The tears both of joy and sorrow sprang into the young man's eyes; for he thought how sad it was to see his dear father so infirm, and how sweet it would be to support him with his own youthful strength, and to cheer him up with the alacrity of his loving spirit.When a son takes a father into his warm heart it renews the old man's youth in a better way than by the heat of Medea's magic caldron.And this was what Theseus resolved to do.He could scarcely wait to see whether King Aegeus would recognize him, so eager was he to throw himself into his arms.

Advancing to the foot of the throne, he attempted to make a little speech, which he had been thinking about, as he came up the stairs.But he was almost choked by a great many tender feelings that gushed out of his heart and swelled into his throat, all struggling to find utterance together.And therefore, unless he could have laid his full, over- brimming heart into the king's hand, poor Theseus knew not what to do or say.The cunning Medea observed what was passing in the young man's mind.She was more wicked at that moment than ever she had been before; for (and it makes me tremble to tell you of it) she did her worst to turn all this unspeakable love with which Theseus was agitated to his own ruin and destruction.