OD. O Heaven! thou wilt not give them! Mean'st thou this?
NEO. Yea, for I have them through base sinful means.
OD. I pray thee, speak'st thou thus to anger me?
NEO. If the truth anger thee, the truth is said.
OD. Achilles' son! What word is fallen from thee?
NEO. Must the same syllables be thrice thrown forth?
OD. Once was too much. Would they had ne'er been said!
NEO. Enough. Thou hast heard my purpose clearly told.
OD. I know what power shall thwart thee in the deed.
NEO. Whose will shall hinder me?
OD. The Achaean host
And I among them.
NEO. Thou'rt sharp-witted, sure!
But little wit or wisdom show'st thou here.
OD. Neither thy words nor thy design is wise.
NEO. But if 'tis righteous, that is better far.
OD. How righteous, to release what thou hast ta'en
By my device?
NEO. I sinned a shameful sin,
And I will do mine utmost to retrieve it.
OD. How? Fear'st thou not the Achaeans in this act?
NEO. In doing right I fear not them nor thee.
OD. I call thy power in question.
NEO. Then I'll fight,
Not with Troy's legions, but with thee.
OD. Come on!
Let fortune arbitrate.
NEO. Thou seest my hand
Feeling the hilt.
OD. And me thou soon shalt see
Doing the like and dallying not!--And yet
I will not touch thee, but will go and tell
The army, that shall wreak this on thy head. [_Exit_
NEO. Thou show'st discretion: which if thou preserve,
Thou may'st maintain a path exempt from pain.
Ho! son of Poeas, Philoctetes, come
And leave thy habitation in the rock.
PHI. What noise again is troubling my poor cave?
Why do ye summon me? What crave ye, sirs?
Ha! 'tis some knavery. Are ye come to add
Some monster evil to my mountainous woe?
NEO. Fear not, but hearken to what now I speak.
PHI. I needs must fear thee, whose fair words erewhile
Brought me to bitter fortune.
NEO. May not men
Repent and change?
PHI. Such wast thou in thy talk,
When thou didst rob me of my bow,--so bright
Without, so black within.
NEO. Ah, but not now,
Assure thee! Only let me hear thy will,
Is 't constant to remain here and endure,
Or to make voyage with us?
PHI. Stop, speak no more!
Idle and vain will all thine utterance be.
NEO. Thou art so resolved?
PHI. More firmly than I say.
NEO. I would I might have brought thee to my mind,
But since my words are out of tune, I have done.
PHI. Thou wert best. No word of thine can touch my soul
Or win me to thy love, who by deceit
Hast reft my life away. And then thou com'st
To school me,--of noblest father, basest son!
Perish, the Atridae first of all, and then
Laërtes' child, and thou!
NEO. Curse me no more,
But take this hallowed weapon from my hand.
PHI. What words are these? Am I again deceived?
NEO. No, by the holiest name of Zeus on high!
PHI. O voice of gladness, if thy speech be true!
NEO. The deed shall prove it. Only reach thy hand,
And be again sole master of thy bow. [ODYSSEUS _appears_
OD. But I make protest, in the sight of Heaven,
For Atreus' sons, and all the Achaean host.
PHI. Dear son, whose voice disturbs us? Do I hear
Odysseus?
OD. Ay, and thou behold'st him nigh,
And he shall force thee to the Trojan plain,
Howe'er Achilles' offspring make or mar.
PHI. This shaft shall bear thee sorrow for that boast.
NEO. Let it not fly, by Heaven!
PHI. Dear child, let go
Mine arm!