If you pursue the guilty, O complete
The glorious work, and make the victim known! [To the people.
Return, my people, to the temple; there
Once more entreat the gods: perhaps your prayers
May from their heavenly mansions draw them down
To dwell among us: if they loved the king,
They will avenge his death, and kind to him
Who errs unknowing, will direct this arm
For justice raised, and teach me where to strike.
The End of the First Act.
ACT II.SCENE I.
JOCASTE, ÆGINA, ARASPES, CHORUS.
ARASPES.
Believe me, 'tis too true, my royal mistress,
Your dying people, with one common voice,
Accuse the hapless Philoctetes: fate
Hath sent him back to save this wretched kingdom.
JOCASTE.
What do I hear, ye powers?
ÆGINA.
'Tis wonderful.
JOCASTE.
Who? Philoctetes?
ARASPES.
Yes, it must be he:
To whom can we impute it but to him?
When last at Thebes, he seemed to meditate
A deed like this; for much he hated Laius:
