Page:Tragedies of Sophocles (Plumptre 1878).djvu/507

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'Tis better not to be than vilely live.

War ever takes our young men in its net.

A weary life is that the sailors lead,

To whom no gift from Heaven or Fortune sent

Could offer worthy recompense. Poor souls,

Adventuring traffic far on slender chance,

They save, or gain, or lose all utterly.

All evil things are found in length of years;

Sense gone, work useless, thoughts and counsels vain.

If men by tears could heal their several ills,

And by their weeping bring the dead to life,

Then gold would be of far less price than tears.

Greedy of gain is every barbarous tribe.

Be not afraid: speak thou the truth, and then

Thou shalt not fail.

What man soe'er, in troubles waxing wroth,

Will use a cure that's worse than the disease,

Is no physician skilled to deal with grief.

I by myself am nought; yea, oftentimes

So look I upon all our womankind,

That we are nothing. Young, we lead a life

Of all most joyous, in our father's house,

For want of knowledge is our kindly nurse;

But when we come to marriageable years,

Then are we pushed and bartered for away