SER. As doing what thing? of what manner of man even art thou speaking?

ED. This man, who is before thee: hast thou ever before now had dealings with him?

SER. Not at least that I could readily affirm it from recollection.

MES. And no wonder that at least, my lord: but I will distinctly remind him of forgotten times; for I am sure he knows when in the region of Citharon, he being with two flocks, I with one, I was the neighbour of this very man from spring to early autumn, three entire periods of six months each. And when now it was winter, I used on my part to drive my charge into sheepcotes, and he to the pens of Laïus. Say I any of these things or say I it not as it was done?

SER. Thou speakest the truth, though in sooth from a distant time.

MES. Come, now tell me ; rememberest thou to have given me any child at that time, that I might rear it as a nursling to myself?

SER. But what means this? wherefore enquirest thou in these words?

MES. This, my comrade, is that very one who was then an infant.

SER. Will not perdition seize thee? wilt not hold thy peace?

ŒD. Hold, old man, chastise not this man, since thine own words have more need of a chastiser than his. SER. But in what, my most gracious liege, am I in fault?

ED. In not declaring the child of whom this man asks thee.

SER. Because he speaks knowing nothing, but labours in vain.

ED. Thou indeed wilt not speak as a favour, but to thy cost thou shalt speak.

SER. Do not, I pray, for the love of the gods, ill use me an old man.

ED. Will not some one with all speed tie this fellow's hands behind him?

SER. Wretched man, for what purpose? what wouldst thou know more?

ED. Gavest thou to this man the boy of whom he questions thee?

SER. I did; but O that I had died on that day.

CED. Nay, to this thou wilt come, at least if thou speak not the truth.

SER. Much more certain is my destruction, if I shall speak.

ED. This fellow, it seems, is driving at delay.

SER. Not I, truly; but I said long ago that I had given the boy.

• The altercation with Creon, and this scene with the shepherds, from the snarling repartee which runs through them, are supposed by Twining to be among the parts of our poet which gave occasion to the ridiculous idea of a comic writer in Diogenes Laertius, (4. 20.) that Sophocles had a dog to help him write tragedies : κύων τις ἐδόκει συμποιεῖν Μολοττικός. That eminent translator seems to forget that anger levels most men, and that of kings especially the wrath is great;" he forgets that every passage he has produced from Sophocles to this point, is the expression of angry feeling; he forgets the simplicity of the times of which he is writing. But when he quotes Longinus, to prove that in these places the spirit of Sophocles oßévvvrai ἀλόγως, καὶ πίπτει ἀτυχέστατα· putting aside that as to Longinus's meaning he begs the question, let him show that Longinus ever wrote naturally for ten lines together, ere he takes that really great critic's dictum on the expression of heated feelings.

CED. Whence having got him? of thine own house or of any other?

SER. Surely I gave not my own away, but I received him from some one.

ED. From whom among these citizens, and from a house of what degree?

SER. Do not for the gods' sake, do not, my sovereign, enquire farther.

ED. Thou diest, if I shall ask thee this again.
SER. It was then one of Laïus' offspring.

CED. A slave, or one by birth of kin to him?

SER. Woe is me? I am surely on the verge of speaking the very horror.

ED. And I surely of hearing: yet must it be heard. SER. Why then it was said to be actually his own child: but the lady within could best inform thee how this stands.

ED. Why, is she the donor of this child to thee? SER. Even so, sire.

ED. For what purpose?

SER. That I might make away with him.

CED. The own mother, hard-hearted?

SER. In horror, however, of evil prophecies.

CED. Of what import?

SER. There was a story, that he should be his parents' murderer.

ED. How camest thou then to resign him to this elder?

b Erfurdt has a note here from Ruhnken's Preface to Scheller's Lexicon, which seems uncalled for. TAñμ means "to have the heart" to do any thing; and rλýμwv here takes this signification much better, surely, than that of perdita or miser.

SER. Through compassion, my liege, as supposing that he would carry him away to another land, whence he himself was: but he reserved him for the direst miseries for if thou art he whom this man declares thee to be, know thou art born to a cursed destiny.

ED. Oh! Oh! All must have its issue plainly. O light, may I look on thee now for the last time: I, that have been shown the son of those of whom I should not have been, holding commerce with those with whom it became me not, and having killed whom it was my duty

never.

CHORUS.

O generations of mortals, how as nothing do I reckon you in this life. For where, where is the man that achieves more of happiness, than barely so much as to fancy he has it, and so fancying to fall away from it? Even thine example having before me, thy destiny, even thine, O hapless Edipus, I term nothing of mortal fortunes happy: that destiny which, with archery triumphant to excess, achieved the prize of all-blissful prosperity, O Jove! having done to death the maiden prophetess with forked talons, nay, a bulwark against slaughters didst thou stand up to my country, whence also thou art titled my sovereign, and hast been supremely dignified with honour, lording it in Thebes the mighty. But now to hear of, who is more miserable? who in sorrows, who in cruel disasters more familiar with reverse of condition? Oh glorious majesty of Edipus, to whom one and the same ample haven was enough for son and father as a bridegroom to run into: how ever, how ever were thy father's furrows enabled to endure thee in silence so long, unfortunate? Time

the all-seeing detected thee reluctant; justice long since sentences the marriageless marriage, begetting and begotten. Oh! son of Laïus, would, would that I had never seen thee. For I mourn with passing sorrow from loudly-plaintive lips. Yet to tell the truth, by thy bounty have I drawn my breath again, and closed mine eyes in repose.

MESSENGER EXTRAORDINARY.

O ye, ever respected the most highly of this land, what deeds shall ye hear, what deeds shall ye witness, how heavy a grief shall ye have to bear, if yet from a feeling of kindred ye are concerned for the house of Labdacus! For, I believe, neither Ister nor Phasis, could lave with water of purification this roof before you of all which it conceals: while other ills will forthwith show themselves to the light, ills voluntary, and not unintended. But of mischiefs, those are the most afflicting which show themselves self-incurred.

CH. Nay, even what we knew before wants nothing of being deeply deplorable: but what hast thou to tell in addition to those?

M. E. The speediest of tales both to tell and to hear: the most noble Jocasta is no more.

CH. Most unhappy woman! means?

By what earthly

But of the action since the eyewit

M. E. Herself by her own hand. the most painful part is spared us, ness is not ours; but yet, as far at least as the memory of them resides in me, thou shalt hear the sufferings of that lost princess. For when, instinct with fury, she passed by within the portal, she went straight to her