Page:Works of Voltaire Volume 16.djvu/192

170 Thy pride offends me, whilst thy virtue charms. If thou art guiltless, thou hast naught to fear From justice and the laws; thy innocence Will shine with double splendor: dwell with us, And wait the event.

My honor is concerned, And therefore I shall stay; nor hence depart Till I have ample vengeance for the wrongs Thy base suspicions cast on Philoctetes.

Araspes, I can never think him guilty: A heart like his, intrepid, brave, and fearless, Could never stoop to mean disguise; nor thoughts So noble e'er inspire the timid breast Of falsehood: no! such baseness is far from him: I even blushed to accuse him, and condemned My own injustice: hard and cruel fate Of royalty! alas! kings cannot read The hearts of men, and oft on innocence, Spite of ourselves unjust, inflict the pains Due to the guilty. How this Phorbas lingers! In him alone are all my hopes: the gods Refuse to hear or answer to our vows; Their silence shows how much they are offended.

Rely then on thyself: the gods, whose aid This priest hath promised, do not always dwell