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Show l6 OEDIPUS, The hunger of m y Love on this proud Beauty, And leave the fcraps for Slaves. [Enter Tircfias , leaning on a Staff, and led by his Daughter Manto. What makes this blind prophetick Fool abroad ? Wou'd his Apollo had him , he's too holy For Earth and m c ; H I fhun his walk, and fcek M y popular Friends. [EtH Crcon. Tircfias. A little fatthcr , yet a little farther; Thou wretched Daughter of a dark old M a n, Conduct m y weary fteps; and thou w h o feefl For m c and for thy fc)f, beware thou tread not With impious fteps upon dead Corps; - - N o w flay, Methinks I draw more open, vital Air, Where arc w c ? Manto. Under covert of a Wall : T h e molt frequented once, and noific part Of Thebes, n o w midnight filencc reigns even here ; And Grafs untrodden fprings beneath our Feet. Tir. If there be nign this place a Sunny Bank, There let m c reft a while: a Sunny Bank 1 Alas h o w can it be, where no Sun thines 1 But a dim winking Taper in the Skies, That nods, and fcarce holds up hisdrowfie head T o glimmer through tbe Damps. [tsfNoife within , Follow, follow , follow, ^A Creon , <J. Creon , cA Creon. Hark! a rumultuous noifc , and Cr«m's Name Thrice echoed. Man. Fly , the T e m p e d drives this way. Tir. Whither can Age and Blindnefs take their If I could fly , what cou'd I fuftcr worle , Secure of greater 111 1 [Noife aoain, Crcon, Crcon, Creon. Ent(t OEDIPUS. *> Enter Creon, Dioclcs, Alcander, Pyracmon, follow'd by the Crowd. Creon. I thank ye, Gountrymen •, but muft rcfufc The Honours you intend m e ; they're too great, And I a m too unworthy: think agen , And make a better Choice. (all m y Life: i. Cit. Think twice! I ne'er thought twice in That's double work. I. Cit. M y firft word is always m y iecond ; and therefore I'll have no fecond word ; and therefore once again I fay , a Creon. t^ill. A Creon, a Creon , a Creon. Creon. Yet hear m e , Fellow Citizens. Dice. Fellow Citizens 1 there was a word of kindnefs. ^Alc. W h e n did Oedipus falute you by that familiar N a m e ? x.Cit. Never,never; He was too proud. Creon. Indeed he could not, for he was a Stranger: But under him our Thebes is half deikoyed. Forbid it Heav'n, the refiduc fhould perifh Under a Theban born. (you* 'Tis true, the Gods might fend this Plague among Becaufe a Stranger rul'd. But what of that ? Can I redrefs it now ? 3. Cit. Yes,you or none. 'Tis certain that the Gods arc angry with us Becaufe he Reigns. Creon. Oedipus may return: You may be ruin'd. i.CifrJNay, if that be the matter, wearcruin'd already. i.CH. Half of us that arc here prefent, were living Men but yeflerday,- and w c that arc ablenr, do but drop and drop , and and no M a n knows whether he he deader living : therefore , while wc arc found and well , let us fatisflc our Confcien- B ccs, |
