 | Hecuba |  |
ULYSSES, TALTHYBIUS.
ULYSSES.
What—when the peace, the future fame of Greece,
Hang on th'event, does Nestor thus advise?
Thou must mistake him, herald.
TALTHYBIUS.
With due deference
He hears Ulysses' counsel; yet compassion
Prompts him to listen to Pyrechmes' suit,
And yield up Hecuba.
ULYSSES.
Compassion!—weakness!
Meer womanish weakness! call it nothing better.
I feel a crimson blush burn on my cheek
E'vn at the thought. Was it for this, dread Pallas,
We led our Argives to Scamander's banks
To toil ten tedious years? was it for this,
You crown'd those toils with conquest? oh for pity,
Send thy sage spirit to direct our councils,
That veer as passion drives. See where our sails
Stand bent at Chersonesus, to transport
Us and our spoils to Greece: and shall we leave
The noblest, most important part behind,
The queen of Troy and her young dangerous daughter,
Because Pyrechmes bids? What is Pyrechmes,
That Greece in her full glory fears his frown?
Greece has more cause to fear a future foe.
Yes, from releas'd Polyxena may spring
New Hectors, arm'd to wreak revenge hereafter,
And send our sons to people Pluto's realms.
By force, I must detain her, or by fraud:
For my own sake I must: for on Ulysses
The shame, the weakness, want of policy,
All fall upon Ulysses.
TALTHYBIUS.
Yet the queen's
Distressful state—
ULYSSES.
Talthybius, do not think,
That ten long years of bloodshed stop up here
The passages to pity. No, the groans
Of reverend, wretched age, the tears that gush
From the sad eyes of supplicating beauty,
Wou'd melt my heart too at less dangerous times:
But now—back herald to the king; inform him—
Yet stay.—Have these ambassadors with Nestor
Held private conference?
TALTHYBIUS.
Young Eriphilus
Enter'd his tent at day-break. Till which time,
With Iphitus alone has he confer'd.
ULYSSES.
That lowring leader of a Trojan troop,
Just ripe for a revolt?
TALTHYBIUS.
He, royal sir,
The queen's chief oracle—as for Melanthus—
ULYSSES.
Aye, what of him? what know'st thou of Melanthus?
TALTHYBIUS.
Nothing. He shuns all converse, and seems rapt
In melancholy musings.
ULYSSES.
Yes, th'old man
Seems close and crafty; bears himself aloof;
Keeps his young charge, as 'twere, beneath his wing.
I do not like that caution: it means mischief.
Else wherefore ventur'd not the youth alone?
What needed this grey-bearded monitor
To help him pay the ransom?—Say to Nestor,
I'll meet him at his tent.
[Exit Tal.
My doubts were just!
Danger doth lurk beneath the hoary locks
Of this Melanthus. There's some secret plot—
'Tis scarce engender'd yet; and prudence bids
We crush the dang'rous birth. Yes, if the wizard
I've conjur'd up, wave skilfully his wand,
The princess shall be fetter'd with a charm
Faster than his fond efforts can undo.
And for the queen—why, let the queen go free.
It harms not us: her barren womb no more
Shall teem with Trojan pests: and such an act
May smooth the roughness of our enterprize,
And calm Pyrechmes. True, we fear him not;
Yet policy forbids us to despise
Ev'n a weak foe, till we recruit our pow'rs,
Thin'd by a ten years siege.
ULYSSES.
What—when the peace, the future fame of Greece,
Hang on th'event, does Nestor thus advise?
Thou must mistake him, herald.
TALTHYBIUS.
With due deference
He hears Ulysses' counsel; yet compassion
Prompts him to listen to Pyrechmes' suit,
And yield up Hecuba.
ULYSSES.
Compassion!—weakness!
Meer womanish weakness! call it nothing better.
I feel a crimson blush burn on my cheek
E'vn at the thought. Was it for this, dread Pallas,
We led our Argives to Scamander's banks
To toil ten tedious years? was it for this,
2
Send thy sage spirit to direct our councils,
That veer as passion drives. See where our sails
Stand bent at Chersonesus, to transport
Us and our spoils to Greece: and shall we leave
The noblest, most important part behind,
The queen of Troy and her young dangerous daughter,
Because Pyrechmes bids? What is Pyrechmes,
That Greece in her full glory fears his frown?
Greece has more cause to fear a future foe.
Yes, from releas'd Polyxena may spring
New Hectors, arm'd to wreak revenge hereafter,
And send our sons to people Pluto's realms.
By force, I must detain her, or by fraud:
For my own sake I must: for on Ulysses
The shame, the weakness, want of policy,
All fall upon Ulysses.
TALTHYBIUS.
Yet the queen's
Distressful state—
ULYSSES.
Talthybius, do not think,
That ten long years of bloodshed stop up here
The passages to pity. No, the groans
Of reverend, wretched age, the tears that gush
From the sad eyes of supplicating beauty,
Wou'd melt my heart too at less dangerous times:
But now—back herald to the king; inform him—
Yet stay.—Have these ambassadors with Nestor
Held private conference?
3
Young Eriphilus
Enter'd his tent at day-break. Till which time,
With Iphitus alone has he confer'd.
ULYSSES.
That lowring leader of a Trojan troop,
Just ripe for a revolt?
TALTHYBIUS.
He, royal sir,
The queen's chief oracle—as for Melanthus—
ULYSSES.
Aye, what of him? what know'st thou of Melanthus?
TALTHYBIUS.
Nothing. He shuns all converse, and seems rapt
In melancholy musings.
ULYSSES.
Yes, th'old man
Seems close and crafty; bears himself aloof;
Keeps his young charge, as 'twere, beneath his wing.
I do not like that caution: it means mischief.
Else wherefore ventur'd not the youth alone?
What needed this grey-bearded monitor
To help him pay the ransom?—Say to Nestor,
I'll meet him at his tent.
[Exit Tal.
My doubts were just!
Danger doth lurk beneath the hoary locks
Of this Melanthus. There's some secret plot—
'Tis scarce engender'd yet; and prudence bids
We crush the dang'rous birth. Yes, if the wizard
4
The princess shall be fetter'd with a charm
Faster than his fond efforts can undo.
And for the queen—why, let the queen go free.
It harms not us: her barren womb no more
Shall teem with Trojan pests: and such an act
May smooth the roughness of our enterprize,
And calm Pyrechmes. True, we fear him not;
Yet policy forbids us to despise
Ev'n a weak foe, till we recruit our pow'rs,
Thin'd by a ten years siege.
| Hecuba | |