Page:Sophocles - Seven Plays, 1900.djvu/224

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It is not so. But if from him thou learnest

The lore of falsehood, it were best unlearnt;

Or if the instruction comes of thine own thought,

Such would-be kindness doth not prove thee kind.

Then tell me all the truth. To one free-born

The name of liar is a hateful lot.

And thou canst not be hid. Thy news was heard

By many, who will tell me. If thou fearest,

Thou hast no cause—for doubtfulness is pain,

But to know all, what harm? His loves ere now

Were they not manifold? And none hath borne

Reproach or evil word from me. She shall not,

Though his new passion were as strong as death;

Since most mine eye hath pitied her, because

Her beauty was the ruin of her life,

And all unweeting, she her own bright land,

Poor hapless one! hath ravaged and enslaved.—

Let that be as it must. But for thy part,

Though false to others, be still true to me.

. ’Tis fairly said. Comply. Thou ne’er wilt blame

Her faithfulness, and thou wilt earn our loves.

. Yea, dear my Queen, now I have seen thee hold

Thy mortal wishes within mortal bound

So meekly, I will freely tell thee all.

It is as he avers. This maiden’s love,

Piercing through Heracles, was the sole cause,

Why her Oechalia, land of plenteous woe,

Was made the conquest of his spear. And he—

For I dare so far clear him—never bade

Concealment or denial. But myself,

Fearing the word might wound thy queenly heart,

Sinned, if thou count such tenderness a sin.

But now that all is known, for both your sakes,

His, and thine own no less, look favouringly

Upon the woman, and confirm the word

Thou here hast spoken in regard to her:—

For he, whose might is in all else supreme,

Is wholly overmastered by her love.

. Yea, so my mind is bent. I will do so.