Oedipus Tyrannus Oedipus O my loved sons ! the youthful progeny Of ancient Cadmus, wherefore sit you here And suppliant thus, with sacred boughs adorned, Crowd to our altars 1 Frequent sacrifice And prayers and sighs and sorrows fill the land. I could have sent to learn the fatal cause ; But see, your anxious sovereign comes himself To know it all from you ; behold your king, Kenowned CEdipus ; do thou, old man, r For best that office suits thy years, inform me, Why you are come ; is it the present ill That calls you here, or dread of future woe ? Hard were indeed the heart that did not feel For giief like yours, and pity such distress : If there be aught that (Edipus can do To serve his people, know me for your friend. PitiEST. O king ! thou seest what numbers throng thy altars ; Here, bending sad beneath the weight of years, The hoary priests, here crowd the chosen youth Of Thebes, with these a weak and suppliant train Of helpless infants, last in me behold The minister of J ove : far oft" thou seest Assembled multitudes, with laurel crowned, To where Minerva's hallowed temples rise Frequent repair, or wheie Ismenus laves Apollo's sacred shrine : too well thou knowst Thy wi-etched Thebes, with dreadful storms oppressed, Scarce lifts her head above the whelming flood ; The teeming earth her blasted harvest mourns, And on the barren plain the flocks and herds Unnumbered perish ; dire abortion thwarts The mother's hopes, and painful she brings forth The half-formed infant ; baleful pestilence Hath laid our city waste, the fiery god Stalks o'er deserted Thebes ; whilst with our groans Enriched, the gloomy god of Erebus Triumphant smiles. O (Edipus ! to thee We bend ; behold these youths, with me they kneel, And suppliant at thy altars sue for aid, To thee the first of men, and only less Than them whose favour thou alone canst gain, The gods above ; thy wisdom yet may heal The deep-felt wounds, and make the powers divine Propitious to us. Thebes long since to thee Her safety owed, when from the Sphynx delivered Thy gi-ateful people saw thee, not by man But by the gods instructed, save the land : Now then, thou best of kings, assist us now. Oh ! by some mortal or immortal aid F Now succour the distress! On wisdom oft, P And prudent counsels in the hour of ill, Success awaits. O dearest prince ! support, Relieve thy Thebes; on thee, its saviour once. Again its ."•alls. Now, if thou wouldst not see The mem'ry perish of thy former deeds, Let it not call in vain, but rise, and save ! With happiest omens once and fair succeso We saw thee crowned : oh ! be thyself again, And may thy will and fortune be the same ! If thou art yet to reign, O king ! remember A sovereign's riches is a peopled realm ; For what will ships or lofty towers avail Unarmed with men to guard and to defend them ? Oedipus O my unhappy sons ! too well I know Your sad estate. I know the woes of Thebes ; And yet amongst you lives not such a wretch As (Edipus ; for oh ! on me, my children. Your sorrows press. Alas ! I feel for you My people, for myself, for Thebes, for all ! Think not I slept regardless of your ills ; Oh no ! with many a tear I wept your fate. And oft in meditation deep revolved How best your peace and safety to restore : The only medicine that my thoughts could find I have administered : Menteceus' son. The noble Creon, went by my command To Delphos from Apollo's shrine, to know What must be done to save this wretched land t 'Tis time he were returned : I wonder much At his delay. If, when he comes, your king Perform not all the god enjoins, then say He is the worst of men. Priest O king ! thy words ; Are gracious, and if right these youths inform me, Creon is here. Oedipus O Phoebus ! grant he come With tidings cheerful as the smile he wears ! Priest He is the messenger of good ; for see, His brows are crowned with laurel. Be satisfied We shall soon he comes. Creon (Ei.i. Scene II. (Edipus, Priest, Chorus. QEdi. My dearest Creon, Oh ! say, what answer bearst thou from the god : Or good, or ill ? Creon Good, very good ; for know, The worst of ills, if rightly used, may prove The means of happiness. Oedipus What says my friend ? This answer gives me nought to hope oi' fear. Creon Shall we retire, or would you that I speak In public here ? Theii' woes sit heavier on me than my own, Creon (Edi. Before them all declare it ; Then mark what I have heard : the god commands That instant we drive forth the fatal cause Of this dire pestilence, nor nourish here The accursed monster. Kemove it ? Creon (Edi. Who? What monster? How Or by banishment, or death. Life must be given for life ; for yet his blood Rests on the city. Oedipus Whose ? What means the god ? Creon O king ! before thee Laius ruled o'er Thebes. Creon (Edi. I know he did, though I did ne'er behold him. Laius was slain, and on his murderers, So Phoebus says, we must have vengeance. Where are the murderers ? Who shall trace the guilt Buried so long in silence? Creon (Edi. Where, Here, he said. E'en in this land, what's sought for may be found, But truth unsearched for seldom comes to hght. Oedipus How did he fall, and where ? — at home, abroad ? Died he at Thebes, or in a foreign land ? Creon He left his palace, fame reports, to seek Some oracle ; since that, we ne'er beheld him. G]di. But did no messenger return ? Not one Of all his train, of whom we might inquire Touching this murder ? Creon One, and one alone, Came back, who, flying, 'scaped th^ general slaughter. But nothing save one little circumstance Or knew, or e'er related. Oedipus What was that ? Much may be learned from that. A little dawn Of light appearing may discover all. Creon Laius, attacked by robbers, and oppressed By numbers, fell. Such is his tale. Oedipus Would they— Would robbers do so desperate a deed, Unbribed and unassisted ? Creon So, indeed. Suspicion whispered then. But — Laius dead — No friend was found to vindicate the wrong. Q^Di. But what strange cause could stop inquiry thus Into the murder of a king ? Creon The Sphynx. Her dire enigma kept our thoughts intent On present ills, nor gave us time to search The past mysterious deed. Soon to unveil it. Thou, Apollo, well, And well hast thou, my Creon, lent thy aid. Your QEdipus shall now perform his part. Yes, I will fight for Phoebus and my country. And so I ought. For not to friends alone, Or kindred, owe I this, but to myself. Who murdered him, perchance would murder me I His cause is mine. Wherefore, my children, rise; Take hence your suppliant boughs, and summon here The race of Cadmus — my assembled people. Nought shall be left untried. Apollo leads, 9 And we shall rise to joy, or sink for ever. : Priest (Edi. ' Myself will try llaste, then, my sons, for this we hither came : About it quick, and may the god who sent This oracle, protect, defend, and save us ! \Excio^*, O thou great oracle divine ! Who didst to happy Thebes remove From Delphi's golden shrine. And in sweet sounds declare the will of Jove. Daughter of hope, oh ! soothe my soul to rest, And calm the rising tumult in my breast. Look down, O Phoebus ! on thy loved abode. Speak, for thou knowst the dark decrees of fate, Our present and our future state. O Delian ! be thou still our healing god ? Minerva ' Strophe i. Antistrojihe i. first on thee I call. Daughter of Jove, immortal maid, Low beneath thy feet we fall : Oh ! bring thy sister Dian to our aid. Goddess of Thebes, from thy imperial throne Look with an eye of gentle pity down ; And thou, far-shooting Phoebus, once the friend Of this unhappy, this devoted land. Oh ! now, if ever, let thy hand Once more be stretched to save and to defend ! Great Thel>es, my sons, is now no more ; She falls and ne'er again shall rise, Nought can her health or strength restore, Tlie mighty nation sinks, she droops, she dies. CEDIPUS TYJ^ANNCJS. Stripped of her fruits, behold the barren earth — The half-formed infant struggles for a birth. The mother sinks unequal to her pain : Whilst quick as birds in airy circles fly, Or lightnings from an angry sky, Crowds press on crowds to Pluto's dark domain. Behold what heaps of wretches slain, Unburied, unlamented lie, Nor parents now^ nor friends remain To grace their deaths with pious obsequy. The aged matron and the blooming wife, Cling to the altars — sue for added life. With sighs and groans united Pseans rise ; Re-echoed, still doth great Apollo's name Their sorrows and their wants proclaim. Frequent to him ascends the sacrifice. Haste then, Minerva, beauteous maid, Descend in this afflictive hour. Haste to thy dying people's aid. Drive hence this baneful, this destructive power ! Who comes not armed with hostile sword or shield. Yet strews with many a corse th' ensanguined field; To Amphitrite's wide extending bed Oh ! drive him, goddess, from thy favourite land, Or let him, by thy dread command, Bury in Thracian waves his ignominious head, Father of all, immortal Jove ! Oh ! now thy fiery terrors send ; From thy dreadful stores above Let lightnings blast him and let thunder*? rend And thou, O Lydian king ! thy a'd impart ; Send from thy golden bow, th' unerring dart ; Bmile, chaste Diana, on this loved abode, Whilst Theban Bacchus joins the maddening throng. O god of wine and mirth and song ! Now with thy torch destroy the base inglorious god. Oedipus StropJie 2. Antistroplie 2. Stroiihe 3. Antistrophe 3. [Exeunt. ACT II. Scene I. CHORUS, the People assembled. Oedipus Your prayers are heard : and if you will obey Your king, and hearken to his words, you soon Shall find relief ; myself will heal your woes. I was a stranger to the dreadful deed, A stranger e'en to the report till now ; And yet without some traces of the crime I should not urge this matter ; therefore hear me. I speak to all the citizens of Thebes, Myself a citizen — observe me Avell : If any know the murderer of Laius, Let him reveal it ; I command you all. But if restrained by dread of punishment He hide the secret, let him fear no more ; For nought but exile shall attend the crime Whene'er confessed ; if by a foreign hand The horrid deed was done, who points him out Commands our thanks, and meets a sure reward ; But if there be who knows the murderer, And yet conceals him from us, mark his fate. Which here I do pronounce : Let none receive Throughout my kingdom, none hold converse with him, Nor offer prayer, nor sprinkle o'er his head The sacred cup ; let him be driven from all, By all abandoned, and by all accursed, For so the Delphic oracle declared ; And therefore to the gods I pay this duty And to the dead. Oh ! may the guilty wretch, Whether alone, or by his impious friends Assisted, he performed the horrid deed, Denied the common benefits of nature, Wear out a painful life ! And oh ! if here, Within my palace, I conceal the traitoi-, On me and mine alight the vengeful curse ! To you, my people, I commit the care Of this important business ; 'tis my cause. The cause of Heaven, and your expii'ing country. E'en if the god had nought declared, to leave This crime unexpiated were most ungrateful. He was the best of kings, the best of men ; That sceptre now is mine which Laius boie ; His wife is mine ; so would his children be Did any live ; and therefore am I bound. E'en as he were my father, to revenge him. Yes, I will try to find this murderer, I owe it to the son of Labdacus, To Polydorus, Cadmus, and the race If great Agenor. Oh ! if yet there are, Who will not join me in the pious deed. From such may earth withhold her annual store, And barren be their bed, their life most wretched,. And their death cruel as the pestilence That wastes our city ! But on you, my Thebans, Who wish us fair success, may justice smile Propitious, and the gods for ever bless ! Chorus O king ! thy imprecations unappalled I hear, and join thee, guiltless of the crime. Nor knowing who committed it. The god Alone, who gave the oracle, must clear Its doubtful sense, and point out the offender. divine To speak their hidden purpose? Chorus (Edi. 'Tis true. But who shall force the powers One thing more, If I might speak. Shall dictate to thee. CEDIPUS TVRANNUS. Chorus (Edi. Say on, whate'er thy mind As amongst the gods All-knowing Phabus, so to mortal men Doth sage Tiresias in foreknowledge sure Shine forth pre-eminent. Perchance his aid Might much avail us. Oedipus Creon did suggest The same expedient, and by his advice Twice have I sent for tliis Tiresias ; much I wonder that he comes not. Choii. 'Tis most fitting We do consult him ; for the idle tales Which rumour spreads are not to be regarded. Oedipus What are those tales? for nought should we despise. Chorus 'Tis said some travellers did attack the king QEdi. It is; but still no proof appears. Chorus And yet, If it be so, thy dreadful execration Will force the guilty to confess. Who fears not to commit the crime will ne'er Be frightened at the curse that follows it. Chorus (Edi. Oh no ! Behold he comes, who will discover all. The holy prophet. See ! they lead him hither ; He knows the truth and will reveal it to us. Tiresias Scene II. (Edipus, Chorus. CKdi. O sage Tiresias, thou who knowest all That can be known, the things of heaven above And earth below, whose mental eye beholds, BUnd as thou art, the state of dying Thebes, And weeps her fate, to thee we look for aid, On thee alone for safety we depend. This answer, which perchance thou hast not heard, Apollo gave : the plague, he said, should cease When those who murdered Laius w^ere discovered And paid the forfeit of their crime by death Or banishment. Oh ! do not then conceal Aught that thy art prophetic from the flight Of birds or other omens may disclose. Oh ! save thyself, save this afflicted city, Save CEdipus, avenge the guiltless dead From this pollution ! Thou art all our hope ; Remember, 'tis the privilege of man, His noblest function, to assist the wretched. Tiresias Alas ! what misery it is to know When knowledge is thus fatal ! O Tiresias ! Thou art undone ! Would I had never come ! Oedipus What sayst thou ? Whence this strange dejection ? Speak. Till. Let me be gone ; 'twere better for us both That I retire in silence : be advised. 0]di. It is ingratitude to Tiiebes, who bore And cherished thee — ^^it is unjust to all, To hide the will of heaven. Tiresias 'Tis rash in thee To ask, and rash I fear will prove my answer. Chorus Oh ! do not, by the gods, conceal it from us, Suppliant we all request, we all conjure thee. Tiresias You know not what you ask ; I'll not unveil Your miseries to you. Oedipus Knowst thou then our fate, And wilt not tell it? Meanst thou to betray Thy country and thy king ? Tiresias I would not make Myself and thee unhappy ; why thus blame My tender care, nor listen to my caution? Oedipus Wretch as thou art, thou wouldst provoke a stone— Inflexible and cruel — still implored And still refusing. Tiresias Thou condemn'st my warmth, Forgetful of thy own. Oedipus Who would not rage To see an injured people ti-eated thus With vile contempt ? Tiresias What is decreed by heaven Must come to pa,ss, though I reveal it not. aCDlPUS TVRANNUS. Still 'tis thy duty to inform us of it. Till. I'll speak no more, not though thine luigor ^ swell E'en to its utmost. Oedipus Nor will I be silent. 1 tell thee once for all thou wert thyself Accomplice in thi.s deed. Nay, more, 1 think, But for thy blindness, wouldst with thy own hand Have done it too. Tiresias 'Tis well. Now hear, Tiresius. The sentence, which thou didst thyself proclaim, Falls on thyself. Henceforth shall never man Hold converse with thee, for thou art accursed — The guilty cause of all this city's woes. Oedipus Audacious traitor ! thinkst thou to escape The hand of vengeance ? Tiresias Yes, I fear thee not ; For truth is stronger than a tyi-ant's ai-m. Oedipus Whence didst thou learn this ? Was it from thy art? Tiresias I learned it from thyself. Thou didst compel me To speak, unwilHng as I was. Oedipus Once more Ilepeat it then, that I may know my fate More plainly still. Tiresias Is it not plain already ? Or meanst thou but to tempt me ? Oedipus No, but say, ©'peak it again. Tiresias Again then I declare Thou art thyself the murderer whom thou seekst. Oedipus A second time thou shalt not pass unpunished. Tiresias What wouldst thou say, if I should tell thee all? Tiresias (Edi. Say what thou wilt. For all is false. Know then, That CEdipus, in shameful bonds united With those he loves, unconscious of his guilt, Is yet most guilty. Oedipus Dar'st thou utter mwe, And hope for pardon? Tie. Yes, if there be strength In sacred truth. Oedipus But truth dwells not in thee : Thy body and thy mind are dark alike, For both are blind. Thy ev'ry sense is lost. Tiresias Thou dost upbraid me with the loss of that For which thyself ere long shall meet reproach From every tongue. Oedipus Thou blind and impious traitor ! Thy darkness is thy safeguard, or this hour Had been thy last. Tie. It is not in my fate To fall by thee. Apollo guards his priest. Tie. Creon is guiltless, and the crime is thine. Above them all, the best of human blessings, Excelling wisdom, how doth envy love To follow and oppress you ! This fair kingdom, Which by the nation's choice, and not my own, I here possess, Creon, my faithful friend. For such I thought him once, would now wrest from me. And hath suborned this vile impostor here. This wandering hypocrite, of sharpest sight When interest prompts, but ignorant and blind When fools consult him. Tell me, prophet, where Was all thy art when the abhorred Sphynx Alarmed our city 1 Wherefore did not then Thy wisdom save us? Then the man divine Was wanting. But thy birds refused their omens, Thy god was silent. Then came (Edipus, This poor, unlearned, uninstructed sage ; Who not from birds uncertain omens drew, But by his own sagacious mind explored The hidden mystery. And now thou com'st To cast me from the throne my wisdom gained, And share with Creon my divided empire. But you should both lament your ill-got power, You and your bold compeer. For thee, this moment. But that I bear respect unto thy age, I'd make thee rue thy execrable purpose. CiiOR. You both are angry, tlierefore both to blame ; Much rather should you join, witli friendly zeal And mutual ardour, to explore the will Of all-deciding Heaven. Till. What though thou lul'st O'er Thebes despotic, we are equal here : I am Apollo's subj(>ct, and not thine, I^or w'Awi J C^-eon to protect me. No ; I tell thee, king, this blind Tiresias tells thee, Seeing thou seest not, knowst not where thou art, What, or with whom. Canst thou inform me who Thy parents are, and what thy horrid crimes 'Gainst thy own race, the living and the dead ? A father's and a mother's curse attend thee ; Soon shall their furies drive thee from the land, And leave thee dark like me. Whnt mountain then, Or conscious shore, shall not return the groans Of Ql^dipus, and echo to his woes ? When thou shalt look on the detested bed, And in that haven where thou hop'st to rest, Shalt meet with storm and tempest, then what ills Shall fall on thee and thine ! Now vent thy rage On old Tiresias and the guiltless Creon ; We shall be soon avenged, for ne'er did Heaven Cut off a wTetch so base, so vile as thou art. Oedipus (Edi. Was this the tale of Creon, or thy own % (Edi. 0 riches, power, dominion ! and thou far Must I bear this from thee ? Away, begone ! Home, villain, home ! Tiresias I did not come to thee Unsent for. Oedipus Had I thought thou wouldst have thus Insulted me, I had not called thee hither. Tiresias Perhaps thou holdst I'iresias as a fool And madman ; but th/ parents thought me wise. parents ? Tiresias (Edj. My parents, saidst thou ? Speak, who were my This day, that gives thee life, shall give thee death. Oedipus Still dark, and still perplexing are the words Thou utter'st. Tiresias 'Tis thy business to unriddle, And therefore thou canst best interpret them. Oedipus Thou dost reproach me for my virtues. Tiresias They, And thy good fortune, have undone thee. I saved the city, I'm content. Tiresias (Edi. Since Farewell. Boy, lead me hence. Oedipus Away with him, for here His presence but disturbs us ; being gone, We shall be happier. Tiresias (Edipus, I go. But first inform me, for I fear thee not, Wherefore I came. Know then, I came to tell thee, The man thou seekst, the man on whom thou pouredst Thy execrations, e'en the murderer Of Laius, now is here — a seeming stranger And yet a Theban. He shall suffer soon For all his crimes ; from light and affluence driven To penury and darkness, poor and blind. Propped on his staff, and from his native land Expelled, I see him in a foreign clime A helpless wanderer ; to his sons at once A father and a brother ; child and husband Of her from whom he sprang. Adulterous, Incestuous parricide, now fare thee well ! Go, learn the truth, and if it be not so. Say I have ne'er deserved the name of prophet. When will the guilty wretch appear. Whom Delphi's sacred oracle demands ; Author of crimes too black for mortal ear, Dipping in royal blood his sacrilegious hands'? Swift as the storm by rapid whirlwinds driven ; Quick let him fly th' impending wrath of Heaven ; For lo ! the angry son of Jove, Armed with red lightnings from above. Pursues the murderer with immortal hate, And round him spreads the snares of unrelenting fate. From steep Parnassus' rocky cave, Covered with snow, came forth tlie di-ead command ; Apollo thence his sacred mandate gave, To search the man of blood through every land : Silent and sad, the weary wanderer roves O'er pathless rocks and solitary groves, Hoping to 'scape the wrath divine. Denounced from great Apollo's shrine ; Vain hopes to 'scape the fate by Heaven decreed. For vengeance hovers still o'er his devoted head. Tiresias Strophe I. Antistrophe i. Strojyhe 2. famed for wisdom's lore. Hath dreadful ills to CEdipus divined ; And as his words mysterious I explore. Unnumbered doubts perplex my anxious mind. Now raised by hope, and now with fears oppressed, Sorrow and joy alternate till my breast : How should these hapless kings be foes. When never strife between them rose ? Or why should Laius, slain by hands unknown. Bring foul disgrace on Polybus' unhappy son ? From Phoebus and all-seeing Jove Nought can be hid of actions here below ; But earthly prophets may deceitful prove. And little more than other mortals know : 'riiough much in wisdom man doth man excel. In all that 's human error still must dwell : Could he commit the bloody deed. Who from the Sphinx our city freed? Ob, no ! he never shed the guiltless blood ; The Sphynx declares him wise, and innocent^ and good. Ckeon, Otiorus Creon Antistro2)he 2. ACT III. Scene I. O citizens ! with grief T hear your king Hath blasted the fair fame of guiltless Creon ! And most unjustly brands me with a crime My soul abhors : whilst desolation spreads On every side, and universal ruin Hangs o'er the land, if I in word or deed Could join to swell the woes of hapless Thebes, T were unworthy — nay, I would not wish — To live another day : alas ! my friends. Thus to be deemed a traitor to my country, To you my fellow- citizens, to all That hear me, 'tis infamy and shame ; I cannot, will not bear it. Chorus 'Twas th' effect Of sudden anger only — wliat lie said But could not think. Creon Who told him I suborned The prophet to speak falsely 1 What could raise This vile suspicion ? Chorus Such he had, but whence I know not. Creon Talked he thus with firm composure And confidence of mind ? Chorus I cannot say ; 'Tis not for me to know the thoughts of kings, Or judge their actions ! But behold ! he comes. Oedipus Scene II. Creon, Chorus. Oedipus Ha ! Creon here ? And dar'st thou thus approach My palace, thou who wouldst have murdered me, And ta'en my kingdom? by the gods I ask thee, Answer me, traitor, didst thou think me fool, Or coward, that I could not see thy arts, Or had not strength to vanquish them ? What madness, What strange infatuation led thee on, Without or force or friends, to grasp at empire, Which only their united force can give ? What wei't thou doing? Creon (TDTPUS TYRj Hear what I shall answer, Then judge impartial. But I shall ne'er attend to thee ; thy guilt Js plain ; thou art my deadliest foe. CiiEOX. But hear What I shall urge. Say not, thou'rt innocent. C'REON. If self-opinion void of reason seem Conviction to thee, know, thou errVt most gi'ossly Oedipus (Edi. Thou canst talk it well, And thou more grossly, if thou thinkst to pass Unpunished for this injury to thy friend. Creon I should not, were I guilty ; but w^hat crime Have I committed? Tell me. The man who urged me to require the aid Creon (Edi. Wert not thou Of your all-knowing prophet % True, I was; 1 did persuade you ; so I would again. Oedipus How long is it since Laius Creon Laius ! What ? Oedipus Since Laius fell by hands unknown? Creon A long, Long tract of years. Oedipus Was this Tiresias then Creon A prophet % Ay ; in wisdom and in fame As now excelling. Oedipus Did he then say aught Concerning me 1 Creon I never heard he did. Oedipus Touching this murder, did you ne'er inquire Who were the authors ? Creon Doubtless ; but in vain. Creon (Edi. Why did not this same prophet then inform you I know not that, and when I'm ignorant I'm always silent. Oedipus What concerns thyself At least thou knowst, and therefore shouklst declare it. Creon What is it 1 Speak ; and if 'tis in my power, I'll answer thee. Had not combined with thee, he would not thus Accuse me as the murderer of Laius, Creon (Edi. Thou knowst, if this Tiresias What he declares, thou best canst tell : of me, What thou requirest, myself am yet to learn. Oedipus Go, learn it then ; but ne'er shalt thou discover, That CEdi pus is guilty. Creon Art not thou My sister's husband ? Oedipus Granted. Creon Joined with her, Thou rul'st o'er Thebes. Oedipus 'Tis true, and all she asks Most fi^eely do I give her. Creon Is not Creon In honour next to you ? Oedipus Thou art ; and therefore The more ungrateful. Creon Hear what I shall plead And thou wilt never think so. Tell me, prince, Is there a man who would prefer a throne. With all its dangers, to an equal rank In peace and safety 1 I am not of those Who choose the name of king before the power ; Fools only make such wishes : I have all From thee, and fearless I enjoy it all : Had I the sceptre, often must I act Against my will. Know then, I am not yet So void of sense and reason as to quit A real Vantage for a seeming good. Am I not happy, am I not revered. Embraced, and loved by all ? To me they come Who want thy favour, and by me acquire it ; What then should Ci*eon wisli for ; shall he lear© All this for empire? Bad desires corrupt The fairest mind. I never entertained A thought 80 vile, nor would I lend my aid To forwai'd such base purposes. But go To Delphos, ask the sacred oracle If I have spoke the truth ; if there you find That with the prophet I conspired, destroy The guilty Creon ; not thy voice alone Shall then condemn me, for myself will join In the just sentence. But accnse me not On weak suspicion's most uncertain test. Justice would never call the wicked good, Or brand fair virtue with the name of vice, Unmerited : to cast away a friend, Faithful and just, is to deprive ourselves Of life and being, which we hold most dear : But time and time alone revealeth all ; That only shows the good man's excellence : I A day sufficeth to unmask the wicked. Chorus (EDIPUS TVRANNUS. O king ! his caution merits your regard ; Who judge in haste do seldom judge aright. Oedipus When they are quick who plot against my life, 'Tis fit I should be quick in my defence ; If I am tame and silent, all they wish Will soon be done, and CEdipus must fall. Creon What wouldst thou have ? my banishment ? Oedipus Thy death, Creon But first inform me wherefore I should die. Oedipus Dost thou rebel then ? Wilt thou not submit ? Creon Not when I see thee thus deceived. Oedipus 'Tis fit I should defend my own. Creon And so should I. Oedipus Thou art a traitor. Creon AVhat if it should prove I am not so. Oedipus A king must be obeyed. Creon Not if his orders are unjust. Oedipus O Thebes ! O citizens ! Creon I too can call on Thebes \ She is my country. Chorus Oh ! no more, my lords ; For see, Jocasta comes in happiest hour To end your contest. Jocasta Scene III. C'reon, OIdipus, Chorus. Joe. Whence this sudden tumult ? O princes ! Is this well, at such a time With idle broils to multiply the woes Of wretched Thebes? Home, home, for shame ! nor thus With private quarrels swell the public ruin. Creon Sister, thy husband hath most basely used me; He threatens me with banishment or death. GEdi. I do confess it ; for he did conspire With vile and Avicked arts against my life. Creon Oh ! may I never prosper, but accursed, XJnpitied, perish if I ever did. Joe. Believe him, CEdipus ; revere the gods Whom he contests, if thou dost love Jocasta ; Thy subjects beg it of thee. Chorus Hear, O king ! Consider, we entreat thee. Think you I'll e'er submit to him? Chorus (Em. What wouldst have ? Revere His character, his oath, both pleading for him. Oedipus But know you what you ask? Chorus We do. Chorus (Edi. What is it ? We ask thee to believe a guiltless friend, Nor cast him forth dishonoured thus, on slight Suspicion's weak surmise. Oedipus Bequesting this, You do request my banishment, or death. Chorus No ; by yon leader of the heavenly host, iao Th' immortal sun, 1 liail not such a thought ; I only felt for Thebes' distressful state, And would not have it by domestic strife Embittered thus. Oedipus Why, let liim then depart : If G^dipus must die, or leave his country For shameful exile, be it so ; 1 yield To thy request, not his ; for hateful still Shall Cieon ever be. Creon Thy stubborn soul Bends with reluctance, and when anger fiies it Is terrible ; but natures formed like thine Are their own punishment. Oedipus Wilt thou not hence 1 Wilt not begone ? Creon I go ; thou knowst me not ; But these will do me justice. [Exit Creon. Jocasta Scene IV. (EdIPUS, ChORUS. Chorus Princess, now Persuade him to retire. Joe. First, let me know The cause of this dissension. Chorus From reports Uncertain, and suspicions most injurious. The quarrel rose. Joe. Was th' accusation mutual 1 Chorus It was. Joe. AVhat followed then ? Chorus Ask me no more ; Enough 's already known ; we '11 not repeat The woes of hapless Thebes. . CEdi. You are all blind, Insensible, unjust; you love me not, Yet boast your piety. Jocasta I said before. Again I say, that not to love my king E'en as myself, would mark me for the worst Of men. For thou didst save expiring Thebes. Chorus Oh ! rise once more, protect, preserve thy country 1 Joe. O king ! inform me, whence this strange dissen- sion ? Oedipus I'll tell thee, my Jocasta, for thou knowst The love I bear thee, what this wicked Creon Did artfully devise against me. Joe. Speak it, If he indeed be guilty. That I did murder Laius. Joe. Spake he this As knowing it himself, or from another ? And sharpens every tongue against his king. Joe. Let not a fear perplex thee, (Edipus ; Mortals know nothing of futurity, And these prophetic seers are all impostors ; I'll prove it to thee. Know then, Laius once, Not from Apollo, but his priests, received An oracle, which said it was decreed He should be slain by his own son, the offspring Of Laius and Jocasta. Yet he fell By strangers, murdered, for so fame reports, By robbers, in the place where_three Avays meet. A son was born, but ere three days had passed The infant's feet were bored. A servant took And left him on the pathless mountain's top. To perish there. Thus Phoebus ne'er decreed That he should kill his father, or that Laius, Which much he feared, should by his son be slain. Such is the truth of oracles. Henceforth Regard them not. What heaven would have us know,}' It can with ease unfold, and will reveal it. ^ Oedipus (Edi. Creon says (Edi. He had suborned that evil-working priest, What thou hast said, Jocasta, much disturbs me; I tremble at it. Joe. Wherefore shouldst thou fear ? Oedipus Methought I heard thee say, Laius was slain Where three ways meet. Joe. 'Twas so reported then, And is so still. Oedipus Where happened the misfortune 1 Joe. In Phocis, where the roads unite that lead ^ To Delphi and to Daulia. Joe. A little time ere you began to reign O'er Thebes, we heard it. Oedipus (Edi. How long since ? O almighty Jove ! What -vvilt thou do with me ? Joe. Why talkst thou thus 'f GEdi. Ask me no more ; but tell me of this Laius : What was his age and stature 1 J oc. He was tall ; His hairs just turning to the silver hue ; His form not much unlike thy own. Sure I have called down curses on myself Unknowing. Joe Ha ! what sayst thou, CEdipus ? I tremble whilst I look on thee. Oedipus (Em. 0 me ! Oh ! much 1 fear the prophet saw too well ; but say, One thing will make it clear. Joe. I dread to hear it ; Yet speak, and I will tell thee'. GEdi. Went he forth With few attendants, or a numerous train. In kingly pomp? Joe. They were but tive in all. The herald with them ; but one chariot there. Which carried Laius. CEdt, Oh ! 'tis but too plain. Who brought the news? Joe. A servant, who alone Escaped with Ufe. Oedipus That servant, is he here 1 Joe. Oh no ! His master slain, when he returned And saw thee on the throne of Thebes, with piayer Most earnest he beseeched me to dismiss him, That he might leave this city, where he wished No longer to be seen, but to retire, And feed my flocks ; I granted his request, For that and more his honest services Had merited. Oedipus I beg he may be sent for Immediately. Joe. He shall ; but wherefore is it ? Oedipus I fear thou 'st said too much, and therefore wish To see him. Joe. He shall come ; but, O my lord ! Am I not worthy to be told the cause Of this distress ? Oedipus Thou art, and I will tell thee ; Thou art my hope — to whom should I impart My sorrows, but to thee? Know then, Jocasta, I am the son of Polybus, who reigns At Corinth, and the Dorian Merope His queen ; there long I held the foremost rank, Honoured and happy, when a strange event The deep concern I felt) alarmed me much : A drunken reveller at a feast proclaimed That I was only the supposed son Of Corinth's king. Scarce could I bear that day The vile reproach. The next, I sought my parents And asked of them the truth ; they too, enraged, Resented much the base indignity. I liked their tender warmth, but still I felt A secret anguish, and, unknown to them, Sought out the Pythian oracle. In vain. Touching my parents nothing could I learn ; But dreadful were the miseries it denounced Against me. 'Twas my fate, Apollo said, To wed my mother, to produce a race Accursed and abhorred ; and last, to slay My father who begat me. Sad decree ! Lest I should e'er fulfil the dire prediction, Instant I fled from Corinth, by the stars Guiding my hapless journey to the place Where thou report'st this wretched king was slain. But I will tell thee the whole truth. At length came to where the three ways meet, when, lo! I A herald, with another man hke him ! Wliom thou describst, and in a cliariot, met me. Both strove with violence to drive me back ; Enraged, I struck the charioteer, when straight. As I advanced, the old man saw, and twice Smote me o' th' head, but dearly soon repaid The insult on me ; from his chariot rolled Prone on the earth, beneath my staff he fell, And instantly expired ! Th' attendant train All shared his fate. If this unhappy stranger And Laius be the same, lives there a wretch So cursed, so hateful to the gods as I am ? Nor citizen nor alien must receive, Or converse, or communion hold with me, But drive me forth with infamy and shame. The dreadful curse pronounced with my own lips Shall soon o'ertake me. I have stained the bed Of him whom I had murdered ; am I then Aught but pollution ? If I fly from hence, The bed of incest meets me, and I go Tc sby m^ father Polybus, the best, The tenderest parent. This must bo. the work Of some malignant power. Ye righteous gods ! ^Let me not seejbhatdaj'-, but rest in death, Bather than su'ffer such calamity. Chorus (For strange it was, though little meriting O king ! we pity thy distress: but w^ait With patience his arrival, and despair not. Oedipus That shepherd is my only hope : Jocasta, Would he were here ! Joe. Suppose he were ; what then ? What wouldst thou do ? Oedipus I'll tell thee : if he says The same as thou dost, I am safe and guiltless. Joe. What said I, th&n ? Oedipus Thou saidst he did report Laius was slain by robbers ; if 'tis true He fell by numbers, I am innocent, For I was unattended ; if but one Attacked and slew him, doubtless I am he. Joe. Be satisfied it must be as he first Reported it ; he cannot cliange the tale : Xot I alone, but the whole city heard it. Falfilled ; for Phoebus said, JocSsta's son Should slay his father. That could never be ; For, oh ! Jocasta's son long since is dead. ITe could not murder Laius ; therefore never Will I attend to prophecies again. Oedipus ( )r ^rant he should, the oracle was ne'er Right, my Jocasta ; but, I beg thee, send And fetch this shepherd ; do not fail. Joe. I will This moment ; come, my lord, let us go in •• I will do nothing but what pleases thee, - [Exeunt. Grant me henceforth, ye powers divine, In virtue's purest paths to tread ! In every word, in every deed. May sanctity of manners ever shine ! Obedient to the laws of Jove, The laws descended from above. Which, not like those by feeble mortals given, Buried in dark oblivion lie, Or worn by time decay, and die, But bloom eternal like their native heaven ! Pride first gave birth to tyrflnufi^r"^ That hateful vice, insulting pride, When, every human power defied, She lifts to glory's height her votary ; Soon stumbling, from her tottering throne She throws the wretched victim down. But may the pfod indulgent hear my prnyer, That god wliom humbly I adore, Oh ! may he smile on Thebes once more, And take its wretched monarch to his care ! Perish the impious and profane, Who, void of reverential fear. Nor justice nor the laws revere, "Who leave their god for pleasure or for gain ! Who swell by fraud their ill-got store, Who rob the wretched and the poor ! If vice unpunished virtue's meed obtain, Who shall refrain the impetuous soul, The rebel passions who control, Or wherefore do I lead this choral train ? No more to Delphi's sacred shrine Need we with incense now repair, No more shall Phocis hear our prayer ; Nor fair Olympia see Jier rites divine ; If oracles no longer prove The power of Phoebus and of Jove. Great lord of all, from thy eternal throne Behold, how impious men defame Thy loved Apollo's honoured name ; Oh ! guard his rights, and vindicate thy own. [Exeunt. 'Scene I. Jocasta Scene V. StroijJie I. Antistrophe i. Stro2)he 2. Antistrophe 2. ACT IV. Chorus. Jocasta Sages and rulers of the land, I come To seek the altars of the gods, and there With incense and oblations to appease Offended Heaven. My (Edipus, alas ! JN"o longer wise and prudent, as you all Remember once he was, with present things Compares the past, nor judges like himself ; Unnumbered cares perplex his anxious mind, And every tale awakes new terrors in him ; Vain is my counsel, for he hears me not. First, then, to thee, O Phoebus ! for thou still Art near to help the wretched, we appeal, And suppliant beg thee now to grant thy aid Propitious ; deep is our distress ; for, oh ! "We see our pilot sinking at the helm, And much already fear the vessel lost. Shepherd from Corinth, Jocasta, Chorus. Shepherd Scene II. Can you instruct me, strangers, which way lies The palace of king Oedipus ; himself I would most gladly see. Can you inform me ? Chorus This is the palace ; he is now within ; Thou seest his queen before thee. Shepherd Ever blest And happy with the happy mayst thou live ! Joe. Stranger, the same good wish to thee, for well Thy words deserve it ; but say, wherefore com'st thou, And what 's thy news ? Shepherd To thee, and to thy husband. Pleasure and joy. Joe. What pleasure ? And whence art thou ? Shepherd From Corinth. To be brief, I bring thee tidings Of good and evil. Joe. Ha ! what mean thy words Ambiguous ? Shepherd Know then, if report say true, The Isthmian people will choose CEdipus Their sovereiirn. No; Joe. SnEP. Joe. SllEP. If Is not Polybus their king ? Poly bus is dead. What sayst thou ? Dead 1 I speak falsely, may death seize on me ! one of her Atpendants]. Why fliest thou not to tell thy master ? Hence ! What aie you now, you oracles divine ? Where is your truth? The fearful (Edipus From Corinth Hed, lest he should slay the king, This Polybus, who perished, not by him, But by the hand of Heaven. My dear Jocasta, Why hast thou called me hither ? Joe. Hear this man, And when thou hearst him, mark what faith is due To your revered oracles. And what doth he report ? Joe. He comes from Corinth, And says thy father Polybus is dead. speak ! Shepherd (Edi. Scene III. (Edipus, Jocasta, Shepherd, Chorus. (Edi. Who is he ? (Edi. What sayst thou, stranger ? Speak to me — oh! If touching this thou fii'St desir'st my answer ; Know, he is dead. Or some disease ? Shepherd (Edi. How died he % Say, by treason. Alas ! a little force Will lay to rest the weary limbs of age. Shepherd (Edi. Distemper then did kill him ? That in part, And part a length of years that wore him down. To prophecies, and seers, and clanioious birds With their vain omens — they who had decreed That T should kill my father. He thou seest r Beneath the earth lies buried, whilst I live In safety here and guiltless of his blood : Unless perhaps sorrow for loss of me Shortened his days, thus only could I kill My father. But ho's gone, and to the shades Hath cariied with him those vain oracles Of fancied ills, no longer worth my care. Joe. Did I not say it would be thus? Oedipus (Edi. Now, my Jocasta, who shall henceforth trust Thou didst ; But I was full of fears. Joe. Henceforth, no more Indulge them. Must be avoided. I must fly from that. Joe. Why should man fear, whom chance, and chance alone, Doth ever rule 1 Foreknowledge, all is vain, And can determine nothing. Therefore best It is to live as fancy leads, at large, Uncurbed, and only subject to our will. Fear not thy mother's bed. Oftimes in dreams Have men committed incest. But his life Will ever be most happy who contemns Such idle phantoms. Did not my mother live. But as it is, Spite of thy words, I must be anxious still. Joe. Think on thy father's death ; it is a light To guide thee here. Oedipus (Edi. But my mother's bed — that still (Edi. Thou wert right, Jocasta, It is so. Yet I fear Whilst she survives him. Shepherd Who is it you mean ? What woman fear you ? Oedipus Merope, the wife Of Polybus. Shepherd And wherefore fear you her? QHdi. Know, stranger, a most dreadful oracle Concerning her affrights me. Shepherd May I know it. Or must it be revealed to none but thee? Oedipus Oh no ! I'll tell thee. Phoebus hath declared Tliat (EcHpuR should stain his motlier's })e(l, 1 And dip his h.'inds in his own fatlier's blootl ; Wherefore 1 iled from Corinth, and lived here, In happiness indeed. But still thou knowst It is a blessing to behold our parents, And that I had not. Shepherd (ED! PUS TV R ANNUS, Was it for this cause Thou wert an exile then? That I might one day prove my father's murderer. SiiEP. What if I come, O king ! to banish hence Thy terrors, and restore thy peace? Oedipus (Edi. It was. I feared Oh stranger! Couldst thou do this, I would reward thee nobly. SiiEP. Know then, for this I came. I came to serve, And make thee happy. Oedipus But I will not go Back to my parents. Shepherd Son, I see thou knowst not What thou art doing. By heaven I beg thee then do thou instruct me. Shepherd (Edi. Wlierefore thinkst thou so ? If thou didst fly from Corinth for this cause Shepherd (Edi. Apollo's dire predictions still affright me. Fearst thou pollution from thy parents ? And that alone I dread. Shepherd (Edi. That, Thy fears are vain. Shepherd (Edi. Not if they are my parents. Polybus Was not akin to thee. Say, was not Polybus my father ? Shepherd (Edi. What sayst thou % Speak No ; No more than he is mine. His son? Shepherd (Edi. Why call me then Because long since I gave thee to him — He did receive thee from these hands. And could he love another's child so well ? Shepherd (Edi. Indeed ! He had no children ; that persuaded him To take and keep thee. Oedipus Didst thou buy me, then, Or am I thine, and must I call thee father 1 Shepherd I found thee in Cithaeron's woody vale. Oedipus What brought thee there ? Shepherd I came to feed my flocks On the green mountain's side. Oedipus It seems thou wert A wandering shepherd. Shepherd Thy deliverer; I saved thee from destruction. Had happened to me ? Shepherd (Edi. How ? What then Thy own feet will best Inform thee of that circumstance. CEdt. Alas ! Why callst thou to remembrance a misfortune Of so long date? Shepherd 'Twas I who loosed the tendons Of thy bored feet. I suffered much, then. Shepherd (Edi. It seems in infancy Tc this incident Thou ow'st thy name. Oedipus My father, or my mother, Who did it 1 Knowst thou ? Shepherd He who gave thee to mo Must tell thee that. Oedipus Then from another's hand Thou didst receive me. Shepherd . Ay ; another shepherd. Oedipus Whc was he? Canst thou recollect ? Shepherd 'Twas one, At least so called, of Laius' family. Oedipus Laius, who ruled at Thebes ? Shepherd The same ] this imai Was shepherd to King Laius. Oedipus Lives he still ? And could I see him ? Shepherd [pointing to the Chorus]. Some of these perhaps, His countrymen, may give you information. Oedipus (EDI PUS TV RAN N US. \to Ihe Chorus]. Oh you Know speak, my friends, if any of This shepherd ; whether still he lives at Thebes, Or in some neighbouring country. Tell me quick, For it concerns us near. Chorus It must be he Whom thou didst lately send for ; but the queen Can best inform thee. QEdi. Knowst thou, my Jocasta, Whether the man whom thou didst order hither. And whom the shepherd speaks of, be the same 1 Joe Whom meant he ? for I know not. CEdipus, Think not so deeply of this thing. Forbid, Jocasta, I should now neglect To clear my birth, when thus the path is marked And open to me. Joe. Do not, by the gods I beg thee, do not, if thy life be dear. Make further search, for I have felt enough Already from it. Oedipus (Edi. Good heaven ! Kest thou satisfied ; Were I descended from a race of slaves, 'Twould not dishonour thee. Joe. Yet hear me ; do not, Once more I beg thee, do not search this matter. And find it too. Joe. I know it best, and best Advise thee. Oedipus (Edi. I will not be persuaded. I must search That advice perplexes more. Joe. Oh ! would to heaven that thou mayst never know Or who, or whence thou art ! Oedipus \to the Attendants]. Let some one fetch That shepherd quick, and leave this woman here To glory in her high descent. Joe. Alas ! Unhappy CEdipus ! that word alone I now can soaak : remember 'tis my last. Qi^DiPUS, Chorus. Chorus [Exit JOOAS'J'A. Scene IY. "Why fled the queen in such disorder hence ? Sorely distressed she seemed, and much I fear Her silence bodes some sad event. Oedipus Whate'er May come of that, I am resolved to know The secret of my birth, how mean soever It chance to prove. Perhaps her sex's pride May make her blush to find I was not born Of noble parents ; but I call myself The son of fortune, my indulgent mothei', Whom I shall never be ashamed to own. The kindred months that are like me, her children, The years that roll obedient to her will, Have raised me from the lowest state to power And splendour. Wherefore, being what I am, I need not fear the knowledge of my birth. If my prophetic soul doth well divine. Ere on thy brow to-morrow's sun shall shine, Cithreron, thou the mystery shalt unfold ; The doubtful (Edipus, no longer blind, Shall soon his country and his father find, And all the story of his birth be told. Then shall we in grateful lays Celebrate our monarch's praise, And in the sprightly dance our songs triumphant raise. What heavenly power gave birth to thee, O king ! From Pan, the god of mountains, didst thou sprin^ With some fail' daughter of Apollo joined ; Art thou from him who o'er Cyllene reigns, JSwift Hermes, sporting in Arcadia's plains? Some nymph of Helicon did Bacchus find — Bacchus, who delights to rove Through the forest, hill and grove — And art thou, prince, the offspring of their love ? Oedipus Scene V. Strophe. Antistroplie. Scene VI. CHORUS, SHEPHERD from CORINTH. Had converse with, yon old man, whom I see This way advancing, must be that same shepherd We lately sent for, by his age and mien, E'en as this stranger did describe him to us ; My servants too are with him. But you best Can say, for you must know him well. Chorus (Edi. If I may judge of one whom yet I ne'er 'Tis he, My lord ; the faithful shepherd of King Laius. Oedipus (Ent. [to the SuepuErn from Corinth]. What sayst thou, stranger ? — is it he ? Shepherd It is. Old Shepherd, CEdipus, Shepherd from Corinth, speak : Didst thou belong to Laius 1 Old Shep. Sir, I did ; No hireling slave, but in his palace bred, I served him long. Oedipus Scene YII. (Edi. Now answer me, old man ; look this way — "What was thy business there ? Old Siiep. For my Hfe's better part I tended sheep. Old Siiep. To CithaBron, And to the neighbouring plains. Dost thou remember to have seen him 1 Old Shep. Whom 1 What hath he done ? Oedipus (Edi. And whither didst thou lead them ? (Edi. Behold this man : [pointing to the Shepherd of Corinth Him, who now stands before thee, Callst thou to mind, or converse or connection Between you in times past ? Old Shep. I cannot say I recollect it now. Shepherd of Corinth. I do not wonder He should forget me, but I will recall Some facts of ancient date. He must remember When on Cithaeron we together fed Our several flocks, in daily converse joined From spring to autumn, and when winter bleaK. Approached, retired. I to my little cot Conveyed my sheep ; he to the palace led His fleecy care. Canst thou remember this ? Old Shep. I do ; but that is long, long since Shepherd of Corinth. It is ; But say, good shepherd, canst thou call to mind An infant whom thou didst deliver to me, Requesting me to breed him as my own ? Old Shep. Ha ! wherefore askst thou this ? Shepherd of Corinth [pointing to CEdipus]. Behold him here, That very child. Old Shep. Oh ! say it not : away ! Perdition on thee ! Oedipus Why reprove him thus ? Thou art thyself to blame, old man. Old Shep. In what Am I to blame, my lord ? Oedipus Thou wilt not speak Touching this boy. or PUS TVRANNV^:. Old Shep. Wm^ ! poor man, he knows not What he hath said. Q^Di. If not by softer means To be persuaded, force shall wring it from thee. Old Siiep. Treat not an old man harshly. Oedipus \to the AiTENDANTs]. Bind his hands. Old Shep. Wherefore, my lord ? What wouldst thou have mo do ? Oedipus That child he talks of, didst thou give it to him? Old Shep. I did ; and would to heaven I then had died! Oedipus Die soon thou shalt, unless thou tellst it all. Old Shep. Say, rather if I do. OiJDi. This fellow means To trifle with us, by his dull delay. Old Shep. I do not ; said I not I gave the child ? QEdi. Whence came the boy ? Was he thy own, or who Did give him to thee ? Old Shep. From another hand I had received him. Oedipus Say, what hand ? From whom ? Whence came he? Old Shep. Do not — by the gods I beg thee, Do not inquire. Oedipus Force me to ask again, And thou shalt die. Old Shep. In Laius' palace born Oedipus Son of a slave, or of the king? Old Shep. Alas ! Tis death for me to speak. Oedipus And me to hear ; Yet say it. Old Shep. He was called the son of Laius ; But ask the queen, for she can best inform thee« Oedipus Did she then give the child to thee ? Old Shep. She did. Oedipus For what ? Old Shep. To kill him. Oedipus Kill her child ! Inhuman And barbarous mother ! Old Shep. A dire oracle Affrighted, and constrained her to it. Oedipus Ha ! What oracle ? Old Shep. Which said, her son should slay His parents. Oedipus Wherefore gav'st thou then the infant To this old shepherd 1 Old Shep. Pity moved me to it : I hoped he would have soon conveyed his charge To some far distant country ; he, alas ! Preserved him but for misery and woe ; For, O my lord ! if thou indeed art he, Thou art of all mankind the most unhappy. Oedipus O me ! at length the mystery 's unravelled j 'Tis plain, 'tis clear ; my fate is all determined. Those are my parents who should not have been Allied to me ; she is my wife, e'en she Whom Nature had forbidden me to wed ; I have slain him who gave me life ; and now Of thee, O light ! I take my last farewell, For (Edipus shall ne'er behold thee more. [Exeunt. O hapless state of human race ! How quick the fleeting shadows pass Of transitory bliss below, Where all is vanity and woe ! By thy example taught, O prince ! we see Man was not made for true felicity. Thou, CEdipus, beyond the rest Of mortals wert supremely blest ; Whom every hand conspired to raise. Whom every tongue rejoiced to praise, Wlien from the Sphinx thy all preserving hand Stretched forth its aid to save a sinking Innd. Thy virtues raised thee to a throne, And grateful Thebes was all thy own ; Alas ! how changed that glorious name ! Lost are thy virtues and thy fame ; How couldst thou thus pollute thy father's bed ? How couldst thou thus thy hapless mother wed 1 How could that bed unconscious bear So long the \dle incestuous pair 1 But time, of quick and piercing sight. Hath brought the horrid deed to light ; At length Jocasta owns her guilty flame, And finds a husband and a child the same. E'pode. Wretched son of Laius, thee Henceforth may I never see, But absent shed the pious tear, And weep thy fate with grief sincere ! For thou didst raise our eyes to life and light, To close them now in everlasting night. Messenger Scene VIII. Strophe 1. Antistrophe i. Strophe 2. Antistrophe 2. ACT V. Scene I. Chorus. Messenger Sages of Thebes, most honoured and revered, If e'er the house of Labdacus was dear And precious to you, what will be your grief CEDIPUS TYRANNUS. 227 When I shall tell the most disastrous tale You ever heard, and to your eyes present A spectacle more dreadful than they yet Did e'er behold : not the wide Danube's waves Nor Phasis' streams can wash away the stains Of this polluted palace ; the dire crimes Long time concealed at length are brought to light ; But those which spring from voluntary guilt Are still more dreadful. Chorus Nothing can be worse Than that we know already ; bringst thou more Misfortunes to us 1 Messenger To be brief, the queeUj Divine Jocasta's dead. Chorus Jocasta dead ! Say, by what hand ? Messenger Her own i And what 's more dreadful, no one saw the deed. What I myself beheld you all shall hear. Inflamed with rage, soon as she reached the palace, Instant retiring to the nuptial bed. She shut the door, then raved and tore her hair, Called out on Lai us dead, and bade him think On that unhappy son who murdered him And stained his bed ; then turning her sad eyes Upon the guilty couch, she cursed the place Where she had borne a husband from her husband, And children from her child ; what followed then I know not, by the cries of CEdipus Prevented, for on him our eyes were fixed Attentive ; forth he came, beseeching us To lend him some sharp weapon, and inform him Where he might find his mother and his wife, His children's wretched mother and his own. Some ill-designing power did then direct him Forcing the bolt, he rushed into the bed, And found Jocasta, where we all beheld her, Entangled in the fatal noose, which soon As he perceived, loosing the pendant rope, Deeply he groaned, and casting on the ground His wretched body, showed a piteous sight To tlie beholders; on a sudden, thence Starting, he phicked from oft* the robe she wore A golden buckle that adorned her side. And buried in his eyes the sliai-pened point, Crying, he ne'er again would look on her, Never would see his crimes or miseries more, Or those whom guiltless he could ne'er behold, Or those to whom he now must sue for aid. His hfted eyelids then, repeating still These dreadful plaints, he tore ; whilst down his cheek Fell showers of blood ! Such fate the wretched pair Sustained, partakers in calamity. Fallen from a state of happiness (for none Were happier once than they) to groans and death, Reproach and shame, and every human woe. Chorus (For we were silent) to the queen's apartment ; And where is now the poor unhappy man ? Messenger Open the doors, he cries, and let all Thebes Behold his parents' murderer, adding words Not to be uttered ; banished now, he says, He must be, nor, devoted as he is By his own curse, remain in this sad place. He wants a kind conductor and a friend To help him now, for 'tis too much to bear. - But you will see him soon, for lo ! the doors Are opened, and you will behold a sight That would to pity move his deadliest foe. Chorus Scene II. (Edipus, Messenger, Chorus. Oh ! horrid sight ! more dreadful spectacle Than e'er these eyes beheld ! what madness urged thee To this sad deed ? What power malignant heaped On thy poor head such complicated woe ? Unhappy man, alas ! I would have held Some converse with thee, but thy looks afiiight me j I cannot bear to speak to thee. Where am I ? and whence comes the voice 1 heai* ? Where art thou, fortup.e ? Chok. Changed to misery, Dreadful to hear, and dreadful to behold. Oedipus (Edi. O me ! O cruel darkness ! endless, hopeless night, Shame, terrors, and unutterable woe ! Mere painful is the memory of my crimes Than all the wounds my wild distraction made. Chorus Thus doubly cursed, O prince ! I wonder not At thy affliction. Oedipus Aii; thou here, my friend? I know thy voice ; thou wouldst not leave the wretched ; Thou art my faithful, kind assistant still. Chorus How couldst thou thus deprive thyself of sight? What madness drove thee to the desperate deed ? What god inspired? Oedipus Apollo was the cause ; He was, my friends, the cause of all my woes ; But for these eyes — myself did quench their light — I want not them ; what use were they to me, But to discover scenes of endless woe ; Chorus 'Tis but too true. Oedipus What pleasure now remains For CEdipus? He cannot joy in aught To sight or ear delightful. Curse on him, Whoe'er he was, that loosened my bound feet. And saved me, in Cithseron's vale, from death ! I owe him nothing : had I perished then, Much happier had it been for you, my friends, And for myself. Chorus I too could wish thou hadst. Oedipus I should not then have murdered Laius ; then I had not ta'en Jocasta to my bed ; But now I am a guilty wretch, the son Of a polluted mother, father now To my own brothers, all that 's horrible To nature is the lot of CEdipus. Chorus Yet must I blame this cruel act, for sure The loss of sight is worse than death itself. Oedipus I care not for thy counsel or thy praise ; For with what eyes could I have e'er beheld My honoured father in the shades below, Or my unhappy mother, both destroyed me? This jmnisliinent is worse than death, il so it should be. Sweet had been the sight Of my dear children — them I could have wished To gaze upon ; but I must never see C)r them, or this fail* city, or the palace Where I was born. Deprived of every bliss By my own lips, which doomed to banishment Tlie murderer of Laius, and expelled The impious wretch, by gods and men accursed : Could I behold them after this ? Oh no ! Would I could now with equal ease remove My hearing too, be deaf as well as blind, And from another entrance shut out woe ! To want our senses, in the hour of ill, Is comfort to the wretched. O Cithasron ! Why didst thou e'er receive me, or received. Why not destroy, that men might never know Who gave me birth ? O Polybus ! O Corinth ! And thou, long time beheved my father's palace, Oh! what a foul disgrace to human nature Didst thou receive beneath a prince's form ! Impious myself, and from an impious race. Wliere is my splendour now? O Daulian path ! The shady forest, and the nari'ow pass "Wliere three ways meet, who drank a father's blood Shed by these hands, do you not still remember The horrid deed, and what, when here I came. Followed more dreadful ? Fatal nuptials, you Produced me, you returned me to the womb That bare me ; thence relations horrible Of fathers, sons, and brothers came ; of "svives. Sisters, and mothei's, sad alliance ! all That man holds impious and detestable. But what in act is \^le the modest tongue Should never name. Bury me, hide me, friends. From every eye; destroy me, cast me forth To the wide .ocean — let me perish there : Do anything to shake off hated life. Seize me ; approach, my friends — you need not fear, Polluted though I am, to touch me ; none Shall suffer for my crimes but I alone. CiiOR. In most fit time, my lord, the noble Creon This way advances ; he can best determine A.nd best advise ; sole guardian now of Thebes, To him thy power devolves. Oedipus What shall I sayl Can I apply to him for aid whom late I deeply injured by unjust suspicion? Creon Scene III. (Edipus, Chorus. Creon I come not, prince, to triumph o'er thy woes With vile reproach ; I pity thy misfortunes. But, O my Thebans ! if you do not fear The censure of your fellow-citizens, At least respect the all-creating eye Of Phoebus, who beholds you thus exposing To public view a wretch accursed, polluted, Whom neither earth can bear, nor sun behold, Nor holy shower besprinkle. Take hira hence Within the palace ; those who are by blood United should alone be witnesses Of such calamity. The best of men, and I the worst, how kind Thou art to visit me ! Oh ! by the gods Let me entreat thee, since beyond my hopes Thou art so good, now hear me ; what I ask, Concerns thee most. Creon (Edi. O Creon ! thou, What is it thou desirest Thus ardently? Oedipus I beg thee, banish me From Thebes this moment, to some land remote, Wliere I may ne'er converse with man again. Creon Myself long since had done it, but the gods Must be consulted first. Oedipus Their \vill is known Already, and their oracle declared The guilty parricide should die. Creon It hatli ; But, as it is, 'twere better to inquire What must be done. Oedipus For such a wretch as me Wouldst tliou again explore the will of Heaven 1 Creon Thy hapless fate should teach us to believe, And reverence the gods. I l)Og thee, I conjure thee, let a tomb Be raised, and all due honours paid to her Who lies within : she was thy sister, Creon ; It is a duty which thou ow'st : for me, I cannot hope this city now will deign To keep me here. O Creon ! let me go, And seek the solitary mountain's top, My own Cith?eron, by my parents doomed Long since to be the grave of CEdipus ; Where would I die, as they decreed I should. Alas ! I cannot, must not perish yet, Till I have suffered evils worse than death, For I was only saved to be unhappy ; But I must meet my fate, whate'er it be. My sons are men, and wheresoever fortune May place them, cannot want the means of life ; They shall not burthen thee ; but, O my friend ! What will become of my unhappy daughters, With tenderest love, beneath a father's hand, Cherished so long ? Oh ! take them to thy care, Thou best of men ! Oh ! might I but embrace them, But shed a tear o'er their disastrous fate, Might I be suffered but to touch them here, I should rejoice, and think I saw them still. But hark ! methinks e'en now I hear the voice Of my dear daughters ; hath the gracious Creon, In pity to my woes, already brought My children to me 1 — is it so ? Creon (Edi. Now, Creon, list; It is : Thy wishes are prevented ; they are here. Daughters of (Edipus, (Edipus, Ceeon, Chorus. Oedipus Scene IV. May Heaven reward thee for this goodness to me, And give thee much more bliss than I have known ! Now, my dear children, come towards me, come Towards your father and your — brother ; see These sightless eyes, pierced by my own mad hands ; Behold that wretched father who begat you Unknowingly on her who gave me birth ; I cannot see you now — I can but weep Your fate, to think what hours of wretchedness You have to know hereafter. Whither now Must my poor children lly? From every feast Joyless with grief and shame, shall you return ; And when the time shall come when riper years Should give you to the nuptial bed, who then, Careless of fame, will let his child partake The infamy of my abhorred race. Sprung from a wretch accursed, who killed his father, And from the womb that bare him did beget You my unhappy daughters ? Such reproach Must still be yours, to virgin solitude Devoted ever, and a barren bed. Son of Menaeceus, thou alone art left Their father now, for, oh ! Jocasta 's dead, And T am — nothing. Do not then forsake Thy kindred ; nor, deserted and forlorn. Suffer them still in penury and woe To wander helpless, in their tender age : Kemember they have no support but thee. O generous prince ! have pity on them ; give me Thy friendly hand in promise of thy aid. To you, my daughters, had your early years Permitted, I had given my last advice : Too young for counsel, all I ask of you Is but to pray the gods that my sad life May not be long ; but 'Ours, my children, crowned vv iin many oays, ana happier far than mine. Creon It is enough; go in — thy grief transports thee Beyond all bounds. Creon (Edi. 'Tis hard ; but I submit. The time demands it ; therefore go. Knowst thou what now I wish ? Creon (Edi. O Creon ! What is it ? Speak, Creon (Edi. That I may quit this fatal place. Thou ask'st What Heaven alone can grant. I am most hateful. Creon (Edi. Alas ! to Heaven Yet shalt thou obtain What thou desirest. GEui. Shall I indeed ? Creon Thou shalt ; I never say aught that I do not mean. Creon (Edi. Then let me go : may I depart ? Thou may'st; But leave thy children. Creon (Edi. Do not taks them from me. Thou mu^t not always have thy will. Already Thou 'st suffered for it. Chorus Thebans, now behold The great, the mighty (Edipus, who once The Sphinx's dark enigma could unfold. Who less to fortune than to wisdom owed, In virtue as in rank to all superior, Yet fallen at last to deepest misery. Let mortals hence be taught to look beyond The present time, nor dare to say, a man Is happy till the last decisive hour Shall close his life without the taste of woe. DRAMATIS PERSONS. Antigone (Edipcis, \ Daughters of Ismene j (Edipus. " POLYNTCES, Son of (Edipus. Theseus King of Athens. An Athenian. Attendants on Oreon, Thesens, and Ismcm. Chorus composed of Ancient Men of Thebes.