Page:Tragedies of Sophocles (Plumptre 1878).djvu/460

362 Chor. [To .] Stop; let us learn. Two

men draw near, the one

A sailor from thy ship, the other seems

A stranger. Ask of them, and then go in.

Attend. Son of Achilles, this thy shipmate here,

Who with two others o'er the ship kept watch,

I bade to tell where thou might'st chance to be;

For so I met him, not intending it,

But to the self-same harbour brought by chance.

For I, as owner of my little boat,

Was sailing home from Ilion to the shores

Of Peparêthos, where the grapes grow fair;

And when I heard that all those sailors there

Had sailed with thee, I deemed it well to wait

Silent no longer, but to tell thee all,

And then to sail with what my news deserves:

For thou know'st nought of what concerns thee much,

The new plans which the Argives form for thee;

Nor are they plans alone, but of a truth

Are being done, no longer tarrying.

Neop. I owe thee thanks for this thy forethought, friend,

And if I be not base those thanks will last.

But tell me what thou mean'st, that I may know

What new device thou from the Argives bring'st.

Attend. They with good show of ships pursue thee now,

The aged Phœnix and great Theseus' sons.