|
No sound or sign of intelligence escaped her at the time. But in the
morning, as soon as day broke, she hastened to choose from among her
retinue such as she knew to be most faithful to her, and preparing them
for what was to ensue, summoned Gyges into her presence. Now it had
often happened before that the queen had desired to confer with him,
and he was accustomed to come to her at her call. He therefore obeyed
the summons, not suspecting that she knew aught of what had occurred.
Then she addressed these words to him: "Take thy choice, Gyges,
of two courses which are open to thee. Slay Candaules, and thereby
become my lord, and obtain the Lydian throne, or die this moment in
his room. So wilt thou not again, obeying all behests of thy master,
behold what is not lawful for thee. It must needs be that either he
perish by whose counsel this thing was done, or thou, who sawest me
naked, and so didst break our usages." At these words Gyges stood
awhile in mute astonishment; recovering after a time, he earnestly
besought the queen that she would not compel him to so hard a choice.
But finding he implored in vain, and that necessity was indeed laid on
him to kill or to be killed, he made choice of life for himself, and
replied by this inquiry: "If it must be so, and thou compellest me
against my will to put my lord to death, come, let me hear how thou
wilt have me set on him." "Let him be attacked," she answered,
"on the spot where I was by him shown naked to you, and let the
assault be made when he is asleep."
|
|