1832.] Pericles -A Tale of Greece. 549 



into the matter was immediately instituted, which confirmed, beyond a 

 doubt, the general suspicion, and it was the verdict of Hippocrates upon 

 an examination of the body, that he had been poisoned, though every 

 attempt at discovering the perpetrator of the murder proved entirely fruit- 

 less. No accuser was found -, and none appeared sufficiently suspicious 

 to justify a state prosecution. But a few days since, a youth, actuated 

 less by patriotism, than by a low ambition of applause, brought a formal 

 accusation against my son before the Upper Council; an accusation, 

 indeed, totally groundless, though alas ! too commonly accredited ; and 

 he is now enduring the rigours of imprisonment till the cause be 

 decided." 



" The name," interrupted Euphilus, " of the person, with whose com- 

 pany we are now honoured, is unknown to us." 



" The name," replied the veteran, " which I have the honour to bear, is 

 Glauco, and that of my son is Anticles ; and this night is the fate of our 

 house to be decided." 



" And what is expected," said Polidorus, " to be the issue of the trial ?" 

 " The issue/' replied Glauco in a voice of despondency, " none can 

 foretel : corruption has been introduced even within the sacred pale of 

 the senate, and even their decisions upon cases of life and death are gene- 

 rally the result of popular prejudice or personal pique. So changed are 

 the times." 



Scarcely had he uttered these words, when the Areopagus appearing at 

 a little distance, the immense crowds of people congregated around the 

 spot, and the gloomy and threatening aspect of the clouds, which seemed 

 to spread a sable mantle over the moonless prospect, turned the conver- 

 sation to other topics. By the time they arrived at the senate ground,* 

 the storm had acquired additional fury, and the heavy showers of rain, 

 together with the "flashings of lightning and the peals of thunder, seemed 

 but the demonstrations of the indignation of the gods at the present trial, 

 and a terrific warning to the Areopagites to vote according to the dictates 

 of truth, and not to the impulse of passion or of prejudice. The court was 

 sitting in full-assembled conclave, transacting some preliminary business 

 which had been brought before them. But it was not long ere the coming 

 on of the case of Anticles was preceded by the administering of oaths 

 to the parties in the cause. The accuser swore that he was related 

 to the deceased person ,f and that the prisoner was the author of his 

 death, and confirmed his oath with the most direful imprecations, calling 

 for destruction upon himself and his whole house and family, if his oath 

 were false. And a sudden tremour overcame Glauco, when he heard the 

 accuser of his son preface his accusation with such horrible signs of con- 

 fidence, and Polidorus perceived him shake with an involuntary shudder, 

 and seize convulsively the rope, which encircled the court and kept back 

 the throng, as he uttered the last words of the the imprecation, oXoi^v. 

 The accused swore with equal confidence, and as direful imprecations, 

 that he was innocent of the crime alleged against him. The accuser 

 and the accused were then placed opposite each other on two silver 

 stools, the first on the Stool of Injury ,1 the other upon the Stool of 

 Innocence ;\\ whence, after the preliminary formulae, Anticles was to address 



* There was no senate-house ; the court met in the open air. 



t None but relations were allowed to prosecute for the murder of the deceased. 



\ This was called vfyis. || The stool on which the prisoner stood was called 



