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392 And I will tell thee how I know these things

Stand thus ordained; for we a prophet have,

Taken from Troïa, noblest seer of all,

And Helenos his name, who clearly saith

That these things so must be; and further yet,

That it is doomed, this very harvest tide,

That Troïa should be taken utterly;

And should he prove false prophet, in our hands

He placed his life. And since thou knowest this,

Of thy free will consent; for great the gain,

Being judged the noblest one of Hellenes all,

To find skilled hands to heal thee, and to gain,

Sacking loud-wailing Troïa, highest praise.

Phil. Ο hateful life, why, why detain'st thou me

In day's clear light, and dost not let me go

To Hades dark? Ah me! what shall I do?

How shall I prove distrustful to his words,

Who gives me counsel out of kindly thought?

Yet must I yield? And how shall I, ill-starred,

Do this, and then look up? From whom shall I

Hear greeting kind? How will ye, Ο mine eyes,

That watch all varying chances of my life,

How will ye bear to see me living on

With those Atreidæ who have ruined me,

Or with that vilest son of Lartios?

It is not now the sorrow of the past

That chiefly gnaws, but what I seem to see

With prophet's glance I yet am doomed to bear

From these same foes; for those whose soul becomes

Mother of evil, them it trains to be

Evil in all things. And 'tis this that moves

My wonder at thee; for 'twas meet that thou

Should'st ne'er to Troïa come thyself, and next

Should'st keep us from them who so outraged thee,