Oedipus.

The tale, yes: but the witness, where is he?

Leader.

The man hath heard thy curses. If he knows
The taste of fear, he will not long stay close.

Oedipus.

He fear my words, who never feared the deed?

Leader.

Well, there is one shall find him.—See, they lead
Hither our Lord Tiresias, in whose mind
All truth is born, alone of human kind.

Enter Tiresias led by a young disciple. He is an old blind man in a prophet’s robe, dark, unkempt and sinister in appearance.

Oedipus.

Tiresias, thou whose mind divineth well
All Truth, the spoken and the unspeakable,
The things of heaven and them that walk the earth;
Our city … thou canst see, for all thy dearth
Of outward eyes, what clouds are over her.
In which, O gracious Lord, no minister
Of help, no champion, can we find at all
Save thee. For Phoebus—thou hast heard withal
His message—to our envoy hath decreed
One only way of help in this great need:
To find and smite with death or banishing,
Him who smote Laïus, our ancient King.
Oh, grudge us nothing! Question every cry
Of birds, and all roads else of prophecy
Thou knowest. Save our city: save thine own
Greatness: save me; save all that yet doth groan
Under the dead man’s wrong! Lo, in thy hand
We lay us. And, methinks, no work so grand
Hath man yet compassed, as, with all he can
Of chance or power, to help his fellow man.

Tiresias (to himself).

Ah me!
A fearful thing is knowledge, when to know
Helpeth no end. I knew this long ago,
But crushed it dead. Else had I never come.

Oedipus.

What means this? Comest thou so deep in gloom?

Tiresias.

Let me go back! Thy work shall weigh on thee
The less, if thou consent, and mine on me.

Oedipus.

Prophet, this is not lawful; nay, nor kind
To Thebes, who feeds thee, thus to veil thy mind.

Tiresias.

’Tis that I like not thy mind, nor the way
It goeth. Therefore, lest I also stray …

[He moves to go off. Oedipus bars his road.

Oedipus.

Thou shalt not, knowing, turn and leave us! See,
We all implore thee, all, on bended knee.

Tiresias.

All without light!—And never light shall shine
On this dark evil that is mine … and thine.

Oedipus.

What wilt thou? Know and speak not? In my need
Be false to me, and let thy city bleed?

Tiresias.

I will not wound myself nor thee. Why seek
To trap and question me? I will not speak.

Oedipus.

Thou devil!

[Movement of Leader to check him.

       Nay; the wrath of any stone
Would rise at him. It lies with thee to have done
And speak. Is there no melting in thine eyes!

Tiresias.

Naught lies with me! With thee, with thee there lies,
I warrant, what thou ne’er hast seen nor guessed.

Oedipus (to Leader, who tries to calm him).

How can I hear such talk?—he maketh jest
Of the land’s woe—and keep mine anger dumb?

Tiresias.

Howe’er I hold it back, ’twill come, ’twill come.

Oedipus.

The more shouldst thou declare it to thy King.

  By PanEris using Melati.

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