HECUBA. 139 Ody. I well remember the awful risk I ran. Hec. Didst thou embrace my knees in all humility ? Ody. Yea, so that my hand grew dead and cold upon thy robe. Hec. What saidst thou then, when in my power? Ody. Doubtless I found plenty to say, to save my life. Hec. Was it I that saved and sent thee forth again ? Ody. Thou didst, and so I still behold the light of day. ' Hec. Art not thou then playing a sorry part to plot against me thus, after the kind treatment thou didst by thy own confession receive from me, showing me no gratitude but all the ill thou canst ? A thankless race ! all ye who covet honour from the mob for your oratory. Oh that ye were unknown to me ! ye who harm your friends and think no more of it, if ye can but say a word to win the mob. But tell me, what kind of cleverness did they think it, when against this child they passed their bloody vote ? Was it duty ^ led them to slay a human victim at the tomb, where sacrifice of oxen more befits ? or does Achilles, if claiming the lives of those who slew him as his recompense, show his justice by marking her out for death ? No ! she at least ne'er injured him. He should have demanded Helen as a victim at his tomb, for she it was that proved his ruin, bringing him to Troy ; or if some captive of surpassing beauty was to be singled out for doom, this pointed not to us ; for the daughter of Tyndareus was fairer than all womankind, and her injury to him was proved no less than ours. Against the justice of his plea I pit this argument. Now hear the recompense due from thee to me at my request. On thy own confession, thou didst fall at my feet and embrace my hand and aged cheek ; I in my turn now do the same to thee, and claim the favour then bestowed ; and I implore thee, tear not my child from my arms, nor slay her. There be dead enough ; she is my ^ TO XPV'^- Nauck prefers to xp^h
