After these things came King Xuthus himself, who, after he had greeted the Queen, said that Trophonius would not indeed go before the answer of Apollo, yet promised this, that he should not go to his home childless.  So the two went together into the shrine that they might inquire yet further of the matter; and Ion abode without, meditating much on the things which these strangers had said.

But after a while the King came forth in great joy, and when he saw the youth Ion standing without the shrine, he caught him by the hand, and would have thrown his arms about him, but the youth drew back, thinking that the God had smitten him with madness, and even would have drawn his bow against him.  Then the King set forth to him the answer that Apollo had given him.  For the God had said, “Thou art not childless as thou thinkest, but the father of a fair son.  And thy son is he whom first thou shalt meet going forth from my shrine.”  “And now,” said the King, “thou art he whom first I meet coming forth, and I claim thee to be my son.”  And when Ion would know how this might be, the King said that in days past, before he had married the Princess Creuesa, being young and foolish, he had taken to wife a maiden of low degree in this very city of Delphi, and that if she had borne him a son—­for that he knew not, having left her long since—­the child would bear such age as Ion.  And when Ion heard this he was glad, for he had feared lest haply he should be found to be the son of some slave.  Only he said to himself, “O my dear mother, shall I ever see thee?  For now do I long more than ever to look upon thee; but haply thou art dead and this may never be.”

And the maidens of Athens standing by heard the talk between the two, and said, “It is well for the people that the royal house should prosper.  Yet it had pleased us well that our lady the Queen should have hope of offspring, and that the house of Erechtheus should not be left without an heir.”

Then said the King to Ion, “My son, it is well both with thee and me, for I have found that which I most desired and thou also.  And as to that which thou now sayest about thy mother, haply, if only we have patience, this also shall be as thou wouldst have it.  But now I would have thee leave the temple of Apollo and this thy subsistence of alms, and come with me to the great city of Athens, where thou shalt have great wealth, and in due time this sceptre that I hold.  But why art thou silent and castest thine eyes to the ground?  Suddenly art thou changed from joy to sorrow, and the heart of thy father misgiveth him.”

Then spoke Ion, saying, “My father, the aspect of many things changeth according as a man seeth them, whether it be near or afar off.  Right glad was I to find a father in thee; but as to what else thou sayest, hearken to me.  Men say that the Athenians are a people that have dwelt in the land from the beginning.  Wherefore I shall have among them a double reproach, being both basely born and also a