[During the last lines Oedipus has come out from the Palace.

Oedipus.

Thou prayest: but my words if thou wilt hear

And bow thee to their judgement, strength is near

For help, and a great lightening of ill.

Thereof I come to speak, a stranger still

To all this tale, a stranger to the deed:

(Else, save that I were clueless, little need

Had I to cast my net so wide and far:)

Howbeit, I, being now as all ye are,

A Theban, to all Thebans high and low

Do make proclaim: if any here doth know

By what man’s hand died Laïus, your King,

Labdacus’ son, I charge him that he bring

To me his knowledge. Let him feel no fear

If on a townsman’s body he must clear

Our guilt: the man shall suffer no great ill,

But pass from Thebes, and live where else he will.

[No answer.

Is it some alien from an alien shore

Ye know to have done the deed, screen him no more!

Good guerdon waits you now and a King’s love

Hereafter.

Hah! If still ye will not move

But, fearing for yourselves or some near friend,

Reject my charge, then hearken to what end

Ye drive me.—If in this place men there be

Who know and speak not, lo, I make decree

That, while in Thebes I bear the diadem,

No man shall greet, no man shall shelter them,

Nor give them water in their thirst, nor share

In sacrifice nor shrift nor dying prayer,

But thrust them from our doors, the thing they hide

Being this land’s curse. Thus hath the God replied

This day to me from Delphi, and my sword

I draw thus for the dead and for God’s word.

And lastly for the murderer, be it one

Hiding alone or more in unison,

I speak on him this curse: even as his soul

Is foul within him let his days be foul,

And life unfriended grind him till he die.

More: if he ever tread my hearth and I

Know it, be every curse upon my head

That I have spoke this day.

All I have said

I charge ye strictly to fulfil and make

Perfect, for my sake, for Apollo’s sake,

And this land’s sake, deserted of her fruit

And cast out from her gods. Nay, were all mute

At Delphi, still ’twere strange to leave the thing

Unfollowed, when a true man and a King

Lay murdered. All should search. But I, as now

Our fortunes fall—his crown is on my brow,

His wife lies in my arms, and common fate,

Had but his issue been more fortunate,

Might well have joined our children—since this red

Chance hath so stamped its heel on Laïus’ head,

I am his champion left, and, as I would

For mine own father, choose for ill or good

This quest, to find the man who slew of yore

Labdacus’ son, the son of Polydore,

Son of great Cadmus whom Agenor old

Begat, of Thebes first master. And, behold,

For them that aid me not, I pray no root

Nor seed in earth may bear them corn nor fruit,

No wife bear children, but this present curse

Cleave to them close and other woes yet worse.

Enough: ye other people of the land,

Whose will is one with mine, may Justice stand

Your helper, and all gods for evermore.3

[The crowd disperses.

Leader.

O King, even while thy curse yet hovers o’er

My head, I answer thee. I slew him not,

Nor can I shew the slayer. But, God wot,

If Phoebus sends this charge, let Phoebus read

Its meaning and reveal who did the deed.

Oedipus.

Aye, that were just, if of his grace he would

Reveal it. How shall man compel his God?

Leader.

Second to that, methinks, ’twould help us most …

Oedipus.

Though it be third, speak! Nothing should be lost.

Leader.

To our High Seer on earth vision is given

Most like to that High Phoebus hath in heaven.

Ask of Tiresias: he could tell thee true.

Oedipus.

That also have I thought for. Aye, and two

Heralds have sent ere now. ’Twas Creon set

Me on.—I marvel that he comes not yet.

Leader.

Our other clues are weak, old signs and far.

Oedipus.

What signs? I needs must question all that are.

Leader.

Some travellers slew him, the tale used to be.