Lives of Alcyone

Ursa then became King, and he was resolved that his elder
son Sirius should be heir to the throne, instead of Pollux, as the
latter had even shown a weak and dissipated character. The new
King was however in difficulties, as he could not well annul the
decree which his father had forced him to sign, so he determined to
manage privately the escape of Sirius from prison. His second wife,
Hesperia, seems in some way to have got wind of his intention, or
perhaps she only suspected him, but at any rate she watched him
closely and resolved to thwart him in the interest of her own son
Pollux.
The prison was a curious labyrinth of stone walls, circle within
circle, and every opening from one circle to another was efficiently
guarded. The son, as a prisoner of State, was placed in the central
cell of all. Ursa disguised himself and left his palace, secretly at
night, went to the outer guard and bribed him with a curious trinket,
in consideration for receiving which he agreed to absent himself for
a few moments, and allow the disguised King to enter the prison.
Meanwhile the jealous Hesperia had discovered her husband’ s
absence, and, full of suspicion, immediately rushed to the prison
gates. Finding the first guard gone her suspicions were confirmed,
and she entered by the door which Ursa had left open. The latter
went on until he met the second guard, upon whom he sprang
before he could give the alarm, and managed, after a furious
struggle, to choke the man to death. He succeeded in eluding the
third guard, but again had a struggle with the fourth, in which he
finally conquered, though he himself was wounded. Finally he
penetrated to the innermost cell and found his son, to whom he
offered freedom and safety on condition that he would go away
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