Racine: Phaedra

—
PROMETHEUS BOUND I5
It struck him, and his strength was withered up
To ashes, thunder-blasted. Now he Hes
A helpless trunk supinely, at full length
Beside the strait of ocean, spurred into
By roots of ^tna ; high upon whose tops
Hephaestus sits and strikes the flashing ore.
From thence the rivers of fire shall burst away
Hereafter, and devour with savage jaws
The equal plains of fruitful Sicily,
Such passion he shall boil back in hot darts
Of an insatiate fury and sough of flame.
Fallen Typhon—howsoever struck and charred
By Zeus's bolted thunder. But for thee,
Thou art not so unlearned as to need
My teaching—let thy knowledge save thyself.
/ quaff the full cup of a present doom,
And wait till Zeus hath quenched his will in wrath.
OcEANUS.—Prometheus, art thou ignorant of this,
That words do medicine anger ?
Prometheus.— If the word
With seasonable softness touch the soul
And, where the parts are ulcerous, sear them not
By any rudeness.
OcEANUS.
With a noble aim
To dare as nobly—is there harm in thatf
Dost thou discern it ?
Prometheus.—
Teach me.
I discern
Vain aspiration, unresultive work.
Oceanus.—Then suffer me to bear the brunt of this I
Since it is profitable that one who is wise
Should seem not wise at all.
Prometheus.— And such would seem
My very crime.
Oceanus.— In truth thine argument
Sends me back home.
Prometheus.— Lest any lament for me
Should cast thee down to hate.
Oceanus.— The hate of him
Who sits a new king on the absolute throne ?
Prometheus.—Beware of him, lest thine heart grieve by him.
v.^oa.vc. Vol. •^Cy—B