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18 Teir. King though thou be, I claim an equal right

To make reply. That power, at least, is mine:

For I am not thy slave, but Loxias';

Nor shall I stand on Creon's patronage:

And this I say, since thou my blindness mock'st,

That thou, though seeing, failest to perceive

Thy evil plight, nor where thou liv'st, nor yet

With whom thou dwellest. Know'st thou even this,

Whence thou art sprung? All ignorant thou sinn'st

Against thine own, beneath, and on the earth:

And soon a two-edged Curse from sire and mother,

With foot of fear, shall chase thee forth from us,

Now seeing all things clear, then all things dark.

And will not then each creek repeat thy wail,

Each valley of Kithæron echoing ring,

When thou discern'st the marriage, fatal port,

To which thy prosp'rous voyage brought thy bark?

And other ills, in countless multitude,

Thou see'st not yet, shall make thy lot as one

With sire's and child's. Vent forth thy wrath then loud,

On Creon, and my speech. There lives not man

Whose life shall waste more wretchedly than thine.

Œdip. Can this be longer borne! Away with thee!

A curse light on thee! Wilt thou not depart?

Wilt thou not turn and from this house go back?

Teir. I had not come, had'st thou not called me here.

Œdip. I knew not thou would'st speak so foolishly;

Else I had hardly fetched thee to my house.

Teir. We then, so seems it thee, are fools from birth,

But, unto those who gave thee birth, seem wise. [Turns to go.