Page:Tragedies of Sophocles (Plumptre 1878).djvu/427

Rh Who urged his sailors in a storm to sail,

But not a word had he, when driven to prayer

By stress of tempest, but beneath a cloak

He crouched, and let each sailor tread on him;

And so for thee, and those thy haughty lips,

Some great storm, blowing from a tiny cloud,

Shall soon, perchance, hush all thy clamorous speech.

Teu. And I have seen a man of folly full

Who wantoned proudly in his neighbour's ills,

And then one came, in fashion like to me,

And like in mood, and looked, and spake this word:

"Ο man, abstain from outrage to the dead,

For if thou dost it, dearly shalt thou pay."

Such counsel did he give that wretched fool,

And now I see him; and he is, 'twould seem,

None else but thee. Do I speak parables?

Mene. I go my way, for it is sore disgrace

With words to punish, force being in our power.

Teu. Go, then, thy way; to me 'tis worst disgrace

To hear a vain fool prating empty words.

Chor. Struggle of mighty strife there soon will be;

But thou, Ο Teucros, speed,

Haste, some deep pit to find,

Where he shall find a grave of dreariest gloom,

Yet one which men will hold in memory.

[ advances, with holding her hand.

Teu. And lo! they come at very nick of time,

And stand hard by, this hero's wife and child,

To deck the burial of the ill-starred dead.

Come hither, boy, and standing suppliantly,

Lay hand upon the father that begat thee,

And sitting in the guise of one who prays,

Hold in thy hands my locks, and hers, and thine,