Page:Tragedies of Euripides (Way 1898) v3.djvu/515

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Why threaten these, and strive, barbarian thou,

To cozen barbarian wit with glozing speech?

Thine was the deed! None other shall the dead,

Or wounded living, hold to be thereof

Guilty! Long speech and subtle shalt thou need

To make me think thou murderedst not thy friends,

As coveting the steeds, for which thou slayest

Allies whose coming was so straitly urged.

They came—they are dead! More seemly Paris shamed

Guest-faith, than thou, who murderest thine allies!

Nay, never tell me 'twas some Argive came

And slew us! Who could through the Trojan lines

Have passed, and won to us, unmarked of them?

Before us camped were thou and Phrygia's host:—

Of thy friends who was wounded then, who slain,

When came the foes whereof thou tellest us?

We—some are wounded, some have suffered scathe

More deadly, and the sun's light see no more.

In plain words, no Achaian we accuse.

Who of the foe had come, and in the night

Found Rhesus' couch—except a very God

Guided the slayers? They not even knew

That he had come! Now nay, this plot is thine.

Long time have I had dealings with allies,

Long as Achaian folk have trod my land;

Nor ever bare I ill report of them.

With thee should I begin? May no such lust

For steeds take me, that I should slay my friends!