ETEOCLES

The question that betwixt us two is grown, Believe me mother, can not end with words: You waste your breath, and I but lose my time, And all your travel lost and spent in vain: For this I swear, that peace you never get Between us two, but with condition, That while I live, I will be Lord of Thebes. Then set aside these vain forewasted words, And yield me leave to go where need does press: And now good sir, get you out of these walls, Unless you mean to buy abided with blood. By thee he stands, and thou standest him before, Lo here the sword that shall perform his word. If with a wretch or coward shouldst thou fight, O dastard villain, what first moved Thee With swarms of Greeks to take this enterprise? This truce assured Thee Polinices, And makes Thee bold to gyve such boasting words: So be thou sure, that had this truce not be, Then long ere this, these hands had be embrued, And eke this soil besprinkled with thy blood. Cut of thy hope to reign in Theban walls, Nought hast thou here, nor nought shall ever have, Away. Whom thou art come to spoil and to deface. With foreign power his country to invade. That for thy wicked deeds do hate thy name. Out of the which thou camest me to driven. Pray to the Gods in Greece and not in Thebes. Not cruel to my country Like to Thee. Eke from thy life if long thou tarry here. As though thy devilish deeds were hid from him. I hear no prayers of my enemy. Much more is that he proffereth unto me. So dare I come, wherefore dost thou bemaunde? No less desire this heart of mine did press, To send for Thee Creon, since that in vain My mother hath his words and travail spent, To reconcile Pollinices and me: For he (so dull was his capacity) Did think, he could by dread of danger, win My princely heart to yield to him this realm. And what is that? o quickly tell it me. And what say he that does so much import? Then must I straight prepare our Citizens In glittering arms to march into the field. And were not this both sound and wise advise, Boldly to look our foemen in the face, Before they spread our fields with hugy host, And all the town beset bysiege at once? Our men have yet more courage far than they. Those eyes of thine in little space shall see How many I my self can bring to ground. I nill pan up our men within the walls. And wilt thou then I use some other read? By night I will the Camuassado give. The vantage is to him that doth assault. Let set upon them as they fit at meat. So shall we do. Amid their trenches shall we them invade? Should I then yield the City to my foes? That were thy part, that knowest more than I. Yea Creon yea, thy counsel hold I deer. A slender number for so great emprise. To such and host? why they may not suffice. What then behooves so bestead to done? And then commit our men in charge to them? And how shall I the City then defend? And shall I choose the boldest or the wisest? "Force without wisdom then is little worth. Creon I will thy counsel follow still, For why, I hold it wise and trusty both, And out of hand for now I will depart That I in time the better may provide Before occasion slip out of my hands, And that I may this Pollinices quell: For well may I with bloody knife him le That comes in arms my country for to spoil, But if so please to fortune and to fate That other end than I do think may fallen, To Thee my friend it rests to procure The marriage betwixt my sister Antygone And thy deer son Haemone, to whom for dowry At parting thus I promise to perform As much as late I did behest to Thee: My mother's blood and brother deer thou art, Ne need I crave of Thee to guard his well, As for my father care I not, for if So chance I die, it may full well be said His bitter curses brought me to my bane, Of Thebes town the rule and sceptre lo I need nor ought it other wise dispose Than unto Thee, if I die without heir. Yet longs my lingering mind to understand The doubtful end of this unhappy war: Wherefore I will thou send thy son to seek Tyresia's the divine, and learn of him, For at my call I know he will not come That often have his arts and him reproude. And last, I Thee and city both command, If fortune friendly favour our attempts, And make our men triumphant victor's all, That none there be so hardy ne so bold For Pollinices bones to give a graven: And who presumest to break my hest berein, Shall die the death in penance of his pain, For though I were by blood to him conioynde I partly it now, and justice goes with me To guide my steps victoriously before. Pray you to Jove he deign for to defend, Our City safe both now and evermore. "If what to some seems honest, good and joust, "Could seem even so in every doubtful mind, "No dark debate nor quarrel could arise: "But look, how many men so many minds, "And that, that one man judgeth good and joust, "Some other deems as deeply to be wrong. To say the truth (mother) this mind of mine Does Fleet full far from that farfetch of his, Ne will I longer cover my conceit: If I could rule or reign in heaven above, And eke command in depth of derksome hell, No toil ne travel should my sprites abash, To make the way unto my restless will, To climb aloft, nor down for to descend. Then think you not, that I can yield consent To yield a part of my possession, Wherein I live and led the monarchy. "A witless fool may every man him guess, "That leaves the more and takes him to the less. With this, reproach might to my name redound, If he, that hath with foreign power spoilde Our pleasant fields, might reave from me perforce, What so he list by force of arms demand. No less reproof the citizens ensues, If I, for dread of Greekish hosts, should grant That he might climb to height of his desire. In fine, he ought not thus of me to crave Accord or peace, with bloody sword in hand, But with humility and prayer both. For often is it seen , and proof does teach, "Sweet words prevail, where sword and fire fail. Yet this, if here within these stately walls He list to live, the son of Oedipus, And not as king of Thebes, I stand content. But let him think, since now I can command, This neck of mine shall never yield to yoke Of servitude: let bring his banners splaide, Let spear and shield, sharp sword, and cyndring flame Procure the part that he so vainly claims: As long as life within this breast does last, I nill consent that he should reign with me. If law of right may any way be broke, "Desire of rule within a climbing breast "To break a vow may bear the buckler best. Have done thou not deservest With that false tonge thy mother once to name. When thou ariuest in Greece, Choose out thy dwelling in some musty Moors. Away I say out of these walls. And canst thou yet With shameless tonge once name thy noble raze That art become a common foe to Thebes? Be sure thou shalt them never see again, Nor other friend that in these walls remain. Ah wretch, my thirstis all as dry as thine. And that right soon the proof shall plainly show. Oh slow & sluggish heart of mine, Why do I stay to embrew these slothful hands? But for his greater grief I will depart, And at return if here I find my foe, This hasty hand shall end our hight debate. Mother, behold, your hests for to obey, In person now am I resorted hither: In haste therefore, fain would I know what cause With hasty speed, so moved hath your mind To call me now so causeless out of time, When common wealth most craves my only aid: Fain would I know, what quaint commodity Persuades you thus to take a truce for time, And yield the gates wide open to my foe, The gates that might our stately state defend, And now are made the path of our decay.