University of Virginia Library

Ulysses—Pyrrhus
ULYSSES
O Pyrrhus, thou hast misconceived my drift,
Utterly headstrong thou hast stricken down
This Hellas, humouring a mad foolish man,
Who neither knows our meaning or his own.
And thou, new warrior in our nine year toil,
Whom I had yoked as comrade to myself,
Tho' thou hadst hardly dipped thine hand in war;
And chose thee out before these other kings
Older and wiser; for I said, he is young,
He will obey me, and, obeying, more
Profit than other's wisdom. For this thing
Is chiefly good, when one guides well, the rest
Footing the road he leads them with one mind.
But thou hast broken off from the safe band
And taken across a very perilous tract
After some marish meteor. Like a steed
Unbacked thou startest from the battle road
Because this madman by the hedge is set
Jingling his wrongs. Let the Greek cause go rot,
Since certain kings neglected to ensure
Most delicate lodgement for this raw disease
Called Philoctetes. Up, ye lazy kings,
Bathe one and all his ulcers, take his gibes
Demurely crouching, for Achilles' son
Will have it so or blast you with his ire.

PYRRHUS
Being set to do this thing thy words are wind.

ULYSSES
Ay, and this done on Greece a bitter gale.

PYRRHUS
Justice is more than fifty armaments.

ULYSSES
When the Greeks curse, will justice fatten thee?

PYRRHUS
The brave do right nor heed result like knaves.

ULYSSES
The blind ox butts the wall and brains himself.

PYRRHUS
He is no hero who has pity none.

ULYSSES
And of a girl each wounded cur draws tears.

PYRRHUS
Wounded some day thou wilt thyself bewail.

ULYSSES
Not if Achilles' kin has dealt the spear—
Behold the man returns, creeps from the thick
Eaves of his cave; these words are very vain,
Go thou thy way but rail not. To his face
At least we will not shame this Hellas here:
Hereafter more—so will you—but now peace.