Racine: Phaedra

CEDIPuS REX 71
The Pythian hearth oracular, or birds
In mid-air crying? ^° By their auguries,
I was to slay my father. And he dies,
And the grave hides him ; and I find myself
Handling no sword ; . . . unless for love of me
He pined away, and so I caused his death.
So Polybos is gone, and bears with him.
In Hades 'whelmed, those worthless oracles.
JocASTA.—Did I not tell thee this long time ago?
CEdipus.—Thou didst, but I was led away by fears.
JocASTA.—Dismiss them, then, forever from thy thoughts
CEdipus.—And yet that " incest; " must I not fear that?
JocASTA.—Why should we fear, when chance rules everything,
And foresight of the future there is none
'Tis best to live at random, as one can.
But thou, fear not that marriage with thy mother:
Many ere now have dreamt of things like this,
But who cares least about them bears life best.
CEdipus.—Right well thou speakest all things, save that she
Still lives that bore me, and I can but fear,
Seeing that she lives, although thou speakest well.
JocASTA.—And yet great light comes from thy father's grave.
CEdipus.—Great light I own ; yet while she lives I fear.
Messenger.—Who is this woman about whom ye fear ?
CEdipus.— 'Tis Merope, old sir, who lived with Polybos.
Messenger.—And what leads you to think of her with fear?
CEdipus.—A fearful oracle, my friend, from God.
Messenger.—Can'st tell it ? or must others ask in vain ?
CEdipus.—Most readily : for Loxias said of old
That I should with my mother wed, and then
With mine own hands should spill my father's blood.
And therefore Corinth long ago I left,
And journeyed far, right prosperously I own ;
And yet 'tis sweet to see one's parents' face.
Messenger.—And did this fear thy steps to exile lead ?
CEdipus.— I did not wish to take my father's life.
Messenger.—Why, then, O king, did I, with good- will come,
Not free thee from this fear that haunts thy soul ?
"The " Pythian hearth," with special Delphic oracle; "birds," to that of tho
reference to the apparent failure of the auguries of Teiresias.