Page:Tragedies of Sophocles (Plumptre 1878).djvu/187

Rh And when thy soul was filled with all thy wish,

Should give, when favour little favour wins.

Would'st thou not find this boon an empty show?

Yet such the thing that thou dost offer me,

Goodly in show, yet mischievous in act.

These too I [sic]'ll tell, that I may show thee base;

Thou com'st to take me, not to take me home,

But on the borders of thy land to place me,

That so thy state from troubles may be freed,

Untouched by any evil from this land.

That shall not be; but this shall be thy lot,

My stern Avenger dwelling with thee still;

And those my sons shall gain of that my land

Enough to die in, that and nothing more.

Do not I wiser prove for Thebes than thou?

Yea, far, as I more clearly hear the voice

Of Phœbos, and of Zeus who calls Him son?

But here thy mouth has come with feignèd lips,

Speaking thy pointed words. Yet thou may'st reap

In this thy speech more evil far than good.

But since I know I move thee not, depart,

And leave us here in peace, for we should fare,

E'en as we are, not badly, being content.

Creon. Think'st thou I prosper less in what concerns thee,

Than thou in what concerns thyself, in this?

Œdip. I am content, if thou dost not prevail,

Persuading me, or these my neighbours here.

Creon. Ο man ill-starred! shall time not make thee wise?

Wilt thou still bring to age such foul disgrace?

Œdip. Thy gift of speech is wondrous; but I know

None pleading well all causes, and yet just.

Creon. Much speech is one thing, well-timed speech another.