entertainment in most unseemly fashion; for if he lacked aught he would call loudly for it; and then, taking a great cup wreathed with leaves of ivy in his hands, he drank great draughts of red wine untempered with water.  And when the fire of the wine had warmed him, he crowned his head with myrtle boughs, and sang in the vilest fashion.  Then might one hear two melodies, this fellow’s songs, which he sang without thought for the troubles of my lord and the lamentation wherewith we servants lamented our mistress.  But we suffered not this stranger to see our tears, for so my lord had commanded.  Surely this is a grievous thing that I must entertain this stranger, who surely is some thief or robber.  And meanwhile they have taken my mistress to her grave, and I followed not after her, nor reached my hand to her, that was as a mother to all that dwell in this place.”

When the man had so spoken, Hercules came forth from the guest-chamber, crowned with myrtle, having his face flushed with wine.  And he cried to the servant, saying, “Ho, there! why lookest thou so solemn and full of care?  Thou shouldst not scowl on thy guest after this fashion, being full of some sorrow that concerns thee not nearly.  Come hither, and I will teach thee to be wiser.  Knowest thou what manner of thing the life of a man is?  I trow not.  Hearken therefore.  There is not a man who knoweth what a day may bring forth.  Therefore I say to thee:  Make glad thy heart; eat, drink, count the day that now is to be thine own, but all else to be doubtful.  As for all other things, let them be, and hearken to my words.  Put away this great grief that lieth upon thee, and enter into this chamber, and drink with me.  Right soon shall the tinkling of the wine as it falleth into the cup ease thee of these gloomy thoughts.  As thou art a man, be wise after the fashion of a man; for to them that are of a gloomy countenance, life, if only I judge rightly, is not life but trouble only.”

Then the servant answered, “All this I know; but we have fared so ill in this house that mirth and laughter ill beseem us.”

“But they tell me that this dead woman was a stranger.  Why shouldst thou be so troubled, seeing that they who rule this house yet live.”

“How sayest thou that they live?  Thou knowest not what trouble we endure.”

“I know it, unless thy lord strangely deceived me.”

“My lord is given to hospitality.”

“And should it hinder him that there is some stranger dead in the house?”

“A stranger, sayest thou?  ’Tis passing strange to call her thus.”

“Hath thy lord then suffered some sorrow that he told me not?”

“Even so, or I had not loathed to see thee at thy revels.  Thou seest this shaven hair and these black robes.”

“What then? who is dead?  One of thy lord’s children, or the old man his father?”

“Stranger, ’tis the wife of Admetus that is dead.”