burden of so many sorrows? Hast thou with
baneful folly sinned against the gods through thy skill in prophecy? For
this are they greatly wroth with thee? Yet our spirit is dismayed within
us for all our desire to aid thee, if indeed the god has granted this
privilege to us two. For plain to discern to men of earth are the
reproofs of the immortals. And we will never check the Harpies when they
come, for all our desire, until thou hast sworn that for this we shall
not lose the favour of heaven."

Thus he spake; and towards him the aged sire opened his sightless eyes,
and lifted them up and replied with these words:

"Be silent, store not up such thoughts in thy heart, my child. Let the
son of Leto be my witness, he who of his gracious will taught me the
lore of prophecy, and be witness the ill-starred doom which possesses me
and this dark cloud upon my eyes, and the gods of the underworld--and
may their curse be upon me if I die perjured thus--no wrath from heaven
will fall upon you two for your help to me."

Then were those two eager to help him because of the oath. And quickly
the younger heroes prepared a feast for the aged man, a last prey for
the Harpies; and both stood near him, to smite with the sword those
pests when they swooped down. Scarcely had the aged man touched the food
when they forthwith, like bitter blasts or flashes of lightning,
suddenly darted from the clouds, and swooped down with a yell, fiercely
craving for food; and the heroes beheld them and shouted in the midst of
their onrush; but they at the cry devoured everything and sped away over
the sea afar; and an intolerable stench remained. And behind them the
two sons of Boreas raising their swords rushed in pursuit. For Zeus
imparted to them tireless strength; but without Zeus they could not have
followed, for the Harpies used ever to outstrip the blasts of the west
wind when they came to Phineus and when they left him. And as when, upon
the mountain-side, hounds, cunning in the chase, run in the track of
horned goats or deer, and as they strain a little behind gnash their
teeth upon the edge of their jaws in vain; so Zetes and Calais rushing
very near just grazed the Harpies in vain with their finger-tips. And
assuredly they would have torn them to pieces, despite heaven's will,
when they had overtaken them far off at the Floating Islands, had not
swift Iris seen them and leapt down from the sky from heaven above, and
checked them with these w