e nursed his
dying form, kissed him and tried to retain the fleeting breath. When she
saw that he was gone she drew a dagger from her breast and stabbed
herself.

For a long time still the fight between the Lapithae and the Centaurs
continued; but at last night put an end to the tumult. Then Pirithous
remained in undisturbed possession of his bride, and on the following
morning Theseus departed, bidding farewell to his friend. The common
fight had quickly welded the fresh tie of their brotherhood into an
indestructible bond.

NIOBE

Niobe, Queen of Thebes, was proud of many things. Amphion, her husband,
had received from the Muses a wonderful lyre, to the music of which the
stones of the royal palace had of themselves assumed place. Her father
was Tantalus, who had been entertained by the gods; and she herself was
the ruler of a powerful kingdom and a woman of great pride of spirit and
majestic beauty. But of none of these things was she so proud as she was
of her fourteen lovely children, the seven sons and seven daughters to
whom she had given birth.

Indeed, Niobe was the happiest of all mothers, and so would she have
remained if she had not believed herself so peculiarly blessed. Her very
knowledge of her good fortune was her undoing.

One day the prophetess Manto, daughter of the soothsayer Tiresias, being
instructed of the gods, called together the women of Thebes to do honor
to the goddess Latona and her two children, Apollo and Diana. "Put
laurel wreaths upon your heads," were her commands, "and bring
sacrifices with pious prayers."

Then while the women of Thebes were gathering together, Niobe came
forth, clad in a gold-embroidered garment, with a crowd of followers,
radiant in her beauty, though angry, with her hair flowing about her
shoulders. She stopped in the midst of the busy women, and raising her
voice, spoke to them.

"Are you not foolish to worship gods of whom stories are told to you
when more favored beings dwell here among you? While you are making
sacrifices on the altar of Latona, why does my divine name remain
unknown? My father Tantalus is the only mortal who has ever sat at the
table of the gods, and my mother Dione is the sister of the Pleiades,
who as bright stars shine nightly in the heavens. One of my uncles is
the giant Atlas, who on his neck supports the vaulted heavens; my
grandfather is Jupiter, the father of the gods. The people of Phrygia
obey me, and to me and my h