Hath o’er-mastered this offence,
Yield but one thing to my prayer!
Ch. 12. What wouldst thou have?
Phi. Some weapon bare,
Axe or sword or sharpened dart,
Bring it to content my heart.
Ch. 13. What is thy new intent?
Phi. To sever point by point
This body, joint from joint.
On bloody death my mind is bent.
Ch. 14. Wherefore?
Phi. To see my father’s face.
Ch. 15. Where upon earth?
Phi. He hath no place
Where sun doth shine, but in the halls of night.
O native country, land of my delight,
Would I were blest one moment with thy sight!
Why did I leave thy sacred dew
And loose my vessels from thy shore,
To join the hateful Danaän crew
And lend them succour? Oh, I am no more!
Leader of Ch. Long since thou hadst seen me nearing yonder ship,
Had I not spied Odysseus and the son
Of great Achilles hastening to our side.
Od. Wilt thou not tell me why thou art hurrying
This backward journey with reverted speed?
Neo. To undo what I have wrongly done to-day.
Od. Thy words appal me. What is wrongly done?
Neo. When in obeying thee and all the host———
Od. Thou didst what deed that misbecame thy life?
Neo. I conquered with base stratagem and fraud———
Od. Whom? What new plan is rising in thy mind?
Neo. Not new. But to the child of Poeas here———
Od. What wilt thou do? I quake with strange alarm.
Neo. From whom I took these weapons, back again———
Od. O Heaven! thou wilt not give them! Mean’st thou this?
