CHORUS
What canst thou say we do not know already?
PHILOCTETES
O'erwhelmed by such a storm of griefs as I am,
You should not thus resent a madman's frenzy.
CHORUS
Comply then and be happy.
PHILOCTETES
Never, never!
Be sure of that. Tho' thunder-bearing Jove
Should with his lightnings blast me, would I go?
No! Let Troy perish, perish all the host
Who sent me here to die; but, O my friends!
Grant me this last request.
CHORUS
What is it? Speak.
PHILOCTETES
A sword, a dart, some instrument of death.
CHORUS
What wouldst thou do?
PHILOCTETES
I'd hack off every limb.
Death, my soul longs for death.
CHORUS
But wherefore is it?
PHILOCTETES
I'll seek my father.
CHORUS
Whither?
PHILOCTETES
In the tomb;
There he must be. O Scyros! O my country!
How could I bear to see thee as I am-
I who had left thy sacred shores to aid
The hateful sons of Greece? O misery!
(He goes into the cave.)
LEADER OF THE CHORUS (speaking)
Ere now we should have taken thee to our ships,
But that advancing this way I behold
Ulysses, and with him Achilles' son.
(NEOPTOLEMUS enters,
still carrying the bow;
he is followed closely by ULYSSES.)
ULYSSES
Why this return? Wherefore this haste?
NEOPTOLEMUS
I come
To purge me of my crimes.
ULYSSES
Indeed! What crimes?
NEOPTOLEMUS
My blind obedience to the Grecian host
And to thy counsels.
ULYSSES
Hast thou practised aught
Base or unworthy of thee?
NEOPTOLEMUS
Yes; by art
And vile deceit betrayed th' unhappy.
ULYSSES
Whom?
Alas! what mean you?
NEOPTOLEMUS
Nothing. But the son
Of Poeas-
ULYSSES
Ha! what wouldst thou do? My heart
Misgives me.
NEOPTOLEMUS
I have ta'en his arms, and now-
ULYSSES
Thou wouldst restore them! Speak! Is that thy purpose?
Almighty Jove!
NEOPTOLEMUS
Unjustly should I keep
Another's right?
ULYSSES
Now, by the gods, thou meanest
To mock me! Dost thou not?
NEOPTOLEMUS
If to speak truth
Be mockery.
ULYSSES
And does Achilles' son
Say this to me?
NEOPTOLEMUS
Why force me to repeat
My words so often to thee?
ULYSSES
Once to hear them
Is once indeed too much.
NEOPTOLEMUS
Doubt then no more,
For I have told thee all.
ULYSSES
There are, remember,
There are who may prevent thee.
NEOPTOLEMUS
Who shall dare
To thwart my purpose?
ULYSSES
All the Grecian host,
And with them, I.
NEOPTOLEMUS
Wise as thou art, Ulysses,
Thou talkst most idly.
ULYSSES
Wisdom is not thine
Either in word or deed.
NEOPTOLEMUS
Know, to be just
Is better far than to be wise.
ULYSSES
But where,
Where is the justice, thus unauthorized,
To give a treasure back thou ow'st to me,
And to my counsels?
NEOPTOLEMUS
I have done a wrong,
And I will try to make atonement for it.
ULYSSES
Dost thou not fear the power of Greece?
NEOPTOLEMUS
I fear
Nor Greece nor thee, when I am doing right.
ULYSSES
'Tis not with Troy then we contend. but thee-
NEOPTOLEMUS
I know not that.
ULYSSES
Seest thou this hand? behold,
It grasps my sword.
NEOPTOLEMUS
Mine is alike prepared,
Nor seeks delay.
ULYSSES
But I will let thee go;
Greece shall know all thy guilt, and shall revenge it.
(ULYSSES departs.)
NEOPTOLEMUS
'Twas well determined; always be as wise
As now thou art, and thou mayst live in safety.
(He approaches the cave and calls.)
Ho! son of Poeas! Philoctetes, leave
Thy rocky habitation, and come forth.
PHILOCTETES (from the cave)
What noise was that? Who calls on Philoctetes?
(He comes out.)
Alas! what would you, strangers? Are you come
To heap fresh miseries on me?
NEOPTOLEMUS
Be of comfort,
And bear the tidings which I bring.
PHILOCTETES
I dare not;
Thy flattering tongue hath betrayed me.
NEOPTOLEMUS
And is there then no room for penitence?
PHILOCTETES
Such were thy words, when, seemingly sincere,
Yet meaning ill, thou stolst my arms away.
NEOPTOLEMUS
But now it is not so. I only came
To know if thou art resolute to stay,
Or sail with us.
PHILOCTETES
No more of that; 'tis vain
And useless all.
NEOPTOLEMUS
Art thou then fixed?
PHILOCTETES
I am;
It is impossible to say how firmly.
NEOPTOLEMUS
I thought I could have moved thee, but I've done.
PHILOCTETES
'Tis well thou hast; thy labour had been vain;
For never could my soul esteem the man
Who robbed me of my dearest, best possession,
And now would have me listen to his counsels-
Unworthy offspring of the best of men!
Perish th' Atreidae! perish first Ulysses!
Perish thyself!
NEOPTOLEMUS
Withhold thy imprecations,
And take thy arrows back.
PHILOCTETES
A second time
Wouldst thou deceive me?
NEOPTOLEMUS
By th' almighty power
Of sacred Jove I swear.
PHILOCTETES
O joyful sound!
If thou sayst truly.
NEOPTOLEMUS
Let my actions speak.
Stretch forth thy hand, and take thy arms again.
(As NEOPTOLEMUS gives the bow and arrows
to PHILOCTETES, ULYSSES suddenly enters.)
ULYSSES
Witness ye gods! Here, in the name of Greece
And the Atreidae, I forbid it.
PHILOCTETES
Ha!
What voice is that? Ulysses'?
ULYSSES
Aye, 'tis I-
I who perforce will carry thee to Troy
Spite of Achilles' son.
PHILOCTETES
(He aims an arrow directly at ULYSSES.)
Not if I aim
This shaft aright.
NEOPTOLEMUS (laying hold of him)
Now, by the gods, I beg thee
Stop thy rash hand!
PHILOCTETES
Let go my arm.
NEOPTOLEMUS
I will not.
PHILOCTETES
Shall I not slay my enemy?
NEOPTOLEMUS
Oh, no!
'Twould cast dishonour on us both.
(ULYSSES hastily departs.)
PHILOCTETES
Thou knowst,
These Grecian chiefs are loud pretending boasters,
Brave but in tongue, and cowards in the field.
NEOPTOLEMUS
I know it; but remember, I restored
Thy arrows to thee, and thou hast no cause
For rage or for complaint against thy friend.
PHILOCTETES
I own thy goodness. Thou hast shown thyself
Worthy thy birth; no son of Sisyphus,
But of Achilles, who on earth preserved
A fame unspotted, and amongst the dead
Still shines superior, an illustrious shade.
|