Page:Four Plays of Aeschylus (1908) Morshead.djvu/58

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Or for the gods and for each holy place—

Be thy choice good or ill,

Blow is with blow requited, grace with grace.

Such is Zeus' righteous will.

Yea, I have pondered: from the sea of doubt

Here drives at length the bark of thought ashore;

Landward with screw and windlass haled, and firm,

Clamped to her props, she lies. The need is stern;

With men or gods a mighty strife we strive

Perforce, and either hap in grief concludes.

For, if a house be sacked, new wealth for old

Not hard it is to win—if Zeus the lord

Of treasure favour—more than quits the loss,

Enough to pile the store of wealth full high;

Or if a tongue shoot forth untimely speech,

Bitter and strong to goad a man to wrath,

Soft words there be to soothe that wrath away:

But what device shall make the war of kin

Bloodless? that woe, the blood of many beasts,

And victims manifold to many gods,

Alone can cure. Right glad I were to shun

This strife, and am more fain of ignorance

Than of the wisdom of a woe endured.

The gods send better than my soul foretells!

Of many cries for mercy, hear the end.

Say on, then, for it shall not 'scape mine ear.