To prowess shall I turn me?—who, that looks
On spears, shall witness to the hero-heart?
Best leave such things[1] to fall out as they will:
For this man is not among Argives great, 380
Nor by a noble house's name exalted,
But one of the many—proved a king of men!
Learn wisdom, ye which wander aimless, swoln
With vain imaginings: by converse judge
Men, even the noble by their daily walk. 385
For such be they which govern states aright
And homes: but fleshly bulks devoid of wit
Are statues in the market place.[2] Nor bides
The strong arm staunchlier than the weak in fight;
But this of nature's inborn courage springs. 390
But—seeing worthy is Agamemnon's son,
Present or absent, for whose sake we come,—
Accept we shelter of this roof. Ho, thralls,
Enter this house. For me the host whose heart
Leaps out in welcome, rather than the rich! 395
Thanks for the welcome into this man's house;
Yet fain would I it were thy brother now
That prospering led me into prosperous halls.
Yet may he come; for Loxias' oracles
Fail not. Of men's soothsaying will I none. 400
[They enter cottage.
- ↑ i.e. Wealth, poverty, strength: these, their incidence being independent of character, may be "disregarded quantities" in our investigation. The interpretation of Paley, Keene, and others, that it is best to dismiss the whole problem (thus understanding ταῦτα) as insoluble, is inconsistent with the conclusion which immediately follows, which is "by their fruits ye shall know them."
- ↑ One of Euripides' contemptuous references to the fine-looking, but brainless, athletes, who were held in higher honour than, in his opinion, they deserved.
