Page:Tragedies of Sophocles (Jebb 1917).djvu/93

Ch. Thou hast sinned— Oe. No wilful sin—

Ch. How?— Oe. A gift was given to me—O, broken-hearted that I am,540 would I had never won from Thebes that meed for having served her!

ant. 2.  Ch. Wretch! How then?…thine hand shed blood?…

Oe. Wherefore this? What wouldst thou learn?

Ch. A father s blood? {{sc|Oe}. Oh! oh! a second stab—wound on wound!

Ch. Slayer! Oe. Aye, slayer—yet have I a plea—

Ch. What canst thou plead?— Oe. —a plea in justice. . . .

Ch. What?…

Oe. Ye shall hear it; they whom I slew would have taken mine own life: stainless before the law, void of malice, have I come unto this pass!

Ch. Lo, yonder cometh our prince, Theseus son of Aegeus, at thy voice, to do the part whereunto he was summoned.550

Enter Theseus, on spectators' right.

Th. Hearing from many in time past concerning the cruel marring of thy sight, I have recognised thee, son of Laïus; and now, through hearsay in this my coming, I have the fuller certainty. For thy garb, and that hapless face, alike assure me of thy name; and in all compassion would I ask thee, ill-fated Oedipus, what is thy suit to Athens or to me that thou hast taken thy place here, thou and the hapless maiden at thy side. Declare it;560 dire indeed must be the fortune told by