Page:Tragedies of Sophocles (Plumptre 1878).djvu/487

Rh Neop. Thou'rt wise in time; and should'st thou keep that mind,

Thou may'st perchance thy foot keep out of harm.

Ho, Philoctetes! Ho there, Pœas' son,

Come forth, and leave this rocky roof of thine.

Phil. What noise of shouting make ye at my cave?

Why call ye me? What want ye, strangers, here?

Alas, 'tis something evil. Are ye come

To bring fresh evils upon evils on me?

Neop. Be of good cheer, and list to what I speak.

Phil. Nay, but I fear: 'twas by fair words before

That I fared foully, by thy words deceived.

Neop. And is repentance, then, impossible?

Phil. Such wast thou then, when thou did'st steal my bow,

Faithful in words, within all treacherous.

Neop. But not so now: I wish to hear from thee,

Whether thy mind is fixed to tarry here,

Or sail with us.

Phil. Stop, stop; not one word more:

All that thou speakest will be said in vain.

Neop. Is this thy mind?

Phil. Yet stronger than I speak.

Neop. I would that thou had'st hearkened to my words;

But if I chance to speak unseasonably,

I hold my peace.

Phil. Thou wilt say all in vain,

For never shalt thou turn my mind to thee,

Who, taking from me that which gave me life,

Did'st basely rob me of it, and now com'st,

And givest me thy counsel, basest son

Of noblest father. May ye perish all,

And chiefly the Atreidæ; after them,