Page:Tragedies of Sophocles (Plumptre 1878).djvu/251

Rh And know well to be governed, and would stand

In war's wild storm, on his appointed post,

A just and good defender. But the man

Who by transgressions violates the laws,

Or thinks to bid the powers that be obey,

He must not hope to gather praise from me.

No! we must follow whom the State appoints

In things or just and trivial, or, may be,

The opposite of these. For anarchy

Is our worst evil, brings our commonwealth

To utter ruin, lays whole houses low,

In battle strife hurls firm allies in flight;

But they who yield to guidance,—these shall find

Obedience saves most men. Thus help should come

To what our rulers order; least of all

Ought men to bow before a woman's sway.

Far better, if it must be so, to fall

By a man's hand, than thus to bear reproach,

By woman conquered.

Chor. Unto us, Ο king,

Unless our years have robbed us of our wit,

Thou seemest to say wisely what thou say'st.

Hæm. The Gods, my father, have bestowed on man

His reason, noblest of all earthly gifts;

And that thou speakest wrongly these thy words

I cannot say, (God grant I ne'er know how

Such things to utter!) yet another's thoughts

May have some reason. 'Tis my lot to watch

What each man says or does, or blames in thee,

For dread thy face to one of low estate,

Who speaks what thou wilt not rejoice to hear.

But I can hear the things in darkness said,

Ηοw the whole city wails this maiden's fate,

As one "who of all women most unjustly,