Page:Works of Voltaire Volume 16.djvu/186

164 Who, by his fatal charms, subdued my reason, And poured love's sweetest poison o'er my heart: Friendship sincere was all I could bestow On Œdipus, for much I prized his virtue; And pleased, beheld him mount the throne of Thebes Which he had saved; but, whilst I followed him, Even at the altar, my affrighted soul, Wherefore I knew not, was most strangely moved, And I retired with horror to his arms. To this a dreadful omen did succeed: Methought, Ægina, in the dead of night, I saw the gulf of hell yawn wide before me; When lo! the spirit of my murdered lord, Bloody and pale, with threatening aspect stood, And pointed to my son; that son, Ægina, Which I to Laius bore, and to the gods Offered, a cruel pious sacrifice. They beckoned me to follow them, and seemed To drag me with them to the horrid gloom Of Tartarus: my troubled soul long kept The sad idea, and must keep it ever. Now Philoctetes doubles every woe.

I heard a noise that way, and, see he comes.

'Tis he; I tremble: but I will avoid him.

Do not avoid me, do not fly, Jocaste, From Philoctetes; turn, and look upon me: