Page:Tragedies of Sophocles (Plumptre 1878).djvu/434

336 The best and bravest of the Argive host,

Of all that came to Troïa, saving one,

Achilles' self. Most wrong 'twould therefore be

That he should suffer outrage at thy hands;

Thou would'st not trample upon him alone,

But on the laws of God. It is not right

To harm, though thou should'st chance to hate him sore,

A man of noble nature lying dead.

Agam. Art thou, Odysseus, this man's champion found?

Odys. E'en so; I hated while 'twas right to hate.

Agam. Ought'st thou not then to trample on him dead?

Odys. In wrongful gain, Atreides, find not joy.

Agam. Full hard this fear of God for sovereign prince.

Odys. Not so to honour friends who counsel well.

Agam. The noblest man should those that rule obey.

Odys. Hush! thou dost rule when worsted by thy friends.

Agam. Remember thou to whom thou giv'st this grace.

Odys. An enemy, but still a noble one.

Agam. What wilt thou? Dost thou a foe's corpse revere?

Odys. Far more than hatred valour weighs with me.

Agam. Fickle and wayward, natures such as thine.

Odys. Many once friends again are bitter foes.

Agam. And dost thou praise the getting friends like these?

Odys. Unbending mood I am not wont to praise.

Agam. Thou wilt this very day make cowards of us.