 | Tiresias |  |
Contrast Pylaon's with this Titias' fate.
Pylaon's gentle voice and courtesy
Warmed every heart to measure with his own.
Yet soft of touch he held in Titan grip
The state's advantage and our honour pledged.
Pylaon's gentle voice and courtesy
Warmed every heart to measure with his own.
Yet soft of touch he held in Titan grip
The state's advantage and our honour pledged.
Once on a time, ruling a dangerous tribe
In some wild far-away dependency;
While war in many flames between our sons
And natives fiercely raged; Godlike, inspired,
Pylaon gathering in his whole command,
Sent them with all his trained and bravest chiefs
To aid our brethren in their bitter hour;
Leaving himself, and dearer yet than self,
Bereft of power save an unflinching will,
Alone amid the lately conquered who,
Cunning and stern, were scarcely tamed to law.
Such was the man.
In some wild far-away dependency;
While war in many flames between our sons
And natives fiercely raged; Godlike, inspired,
Pylaon gathering in his whole command,
Sent them with all his trained and bravest chiefs
21
Leaving himself, and dearer yet than self,
Bereft of power save an unflinching will,
Alone amid the lately conquered who,
Cunning and stern, were scarcely tamed to law.
Such was the man.
Our Council driven by need
Of firm authority and kindly craft,
Sent great Pylaon to a troubled land
To soothe some factions there, whose differing aims
Issued unhindered in continuous strife.
Of firm authority and kindly craft,
Sent great Pylaon to a troubled land
To soothe some factions there, whose differing aims
Issued unhindered in continuous strife.
When there Pylaon, as a warrior, scanned
His foes before him marshalled for assault,
And swiftly marching on them unforeseen,
Delivering his own forces breaks their ranks
And rolls them backward on their native wilds.
For thus, by prowess and perfected skill,
He brought contention to a welcome close;
And promised plenty flowered the slopes of peace.
Pylaon thus was kneading their rude lives
Surely to fashion of an ordered state,
When here some money-bags, athirst for praise,
Puffed chatterers vain with cross-grained paradox,
Flattering the people's ear with fallacies,
And undigested rumour, raised a storm
Of howling hate against his noble name;
And our half-hearted caitiff rulers cast,
To save their fondled popularity,
Cast forth their noblest to these howling wolves!
His foes before him marshalled for assault,
And swiftly marching on them unforeseen,
Delivering his own forces breaks their ranks
And rolls them backward on their native wilds.
For thus, by prowess and perfected skill,
He brought contention to a welcome close;
And promised plenty flowered the slopes of peace.
22
Surely to fashion of an ordered state,
When here some money-bags, athirst for praise,
Puffed chatterers vain with cross-grained paradox,
Flattering the people's ear with fallacies,
And undigested rumour, raised a storm
Of howling hate against his noble name;
And our half-hearted caitiff rulers cast,
To save their fondled popularity,
Cast forth their noblest to these howling wolves!
| Tiresias | |