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PHI.
Never, learn it once for all!
Not though he, whom Heaven obeys,
Blast me with fierce lightning’s blaze!
Perish Troy, and all your host,
That have chosen, to their cost,
To despise and cast me forth,
Since my wound obscured my worth!
Ah, but, strangers, if your sense
Hath o’er-mastered this offence,
Yield but one thing to my prayer!

CH.
12. What wouldst thou have?

PHI.
Some weapon bare,
Axe or sword or sharpened dart,
Bring it to content my heart.

CH.
13. What is thy new intent?

PHI.
To sever point by point
This body, joint from joint.
On bloody death my mind is bent.

CH.
14. Wherefore?

PHI.
To see my father’s face.

CH.
15. Where upon earth?

PHI.
He hath no place
Where sun doth shine, but in the halls of night.
O native country, land of my delight,
Would I were blest one moment with thy sight!
Why did I leave thy sacred dew
And loose my vessels from thy shore,
To join the hateful Danaaen crew
And lend them succour? Oh, I am no more!

LEADER OF CH.
Long since thou hadst seen me nearing yonder ship,
Had I not spied Odysseus and the son
Of great Achilles hastening to our side.

OD.
Wilt thou not tell me why thou art hurrying
This backward journey with reverted speed?

NEO.
To undo what I have wrongly done to-day.

OD.
Thy words appal me. What is wrongly done?

NEO.
When in obeying thee and all the host–

OD.
Thou didst what deed that misbecame thy life?

NEO.
I conquered with base stratagem and fraud–

OD.
Whom? What new plan is rising in thy mind?

NEO.
Not new. But to the child of Poeas here–

OD.
What wilt thou do? I quake with strange alarm.

NEO.
From whom I took these weapons, back again—-

OD.
O Heaven! thou wilt not give them! Mean’st thou this?

NEO.
Yea, for I have them through base sinful means.

OD.
I pray thee, speak’st thou thus to anger me?

NEO.
If the truth anger thee, the truth is said.

OD.
Achilles’ son! What word is fallen from thee?

NEO.
Must the same syllables be thrice thrown forth?

OD.
Once was too much. Would they had ne’er been said!

NEO.
Enough. Thou hast heard my purpose clearly told.

OD.
I know what power shall thwart thee in the deed.

NEO.
Whose will shall hinder me?

OD.
The Achaean host
And I among them.

NEO.
Thou’rt sharp-witted, sure!
But little wit or wisdom show’st thou here.

OD.
Neither thy words nor thy design is wise.

NEO.
But if ’tis righteous, that is better far.

OD.
How righteous, to release what thou hast ta’en
By my device?

NEO.
I sinned a shameful sin,
And I will do mine utmost to retrieve it.

OD.
How? Fear’st thou not the Achaeans in this act?