Œdip. Adrastus, I have found thee:
The malice of a vanquished man has seized thee!
Adr. If envy and not truth—
Œdip. I'll hear no more: Away with him. [Hæmon takes him off by force: Creon and Eurydice follow.
[To Tir.] Why stand'st thou here, impostor?
So old, and yet so wicked,—Lie for gain?
And gain so short as age can promise thee!
Tir. So short a time as I have yet to live,
Exceeds thy 'pointed hour;—remember Laius!
No more; if e'er we meet again, 'twill be
In mutual darkness; we shall feel before us
To reach each other's hand;—remember Laius! [Exit Tiresias: Priests follow.
Œdipus solus.
Remember Laius! that's the burden still:
Murther and incest! but to hear them named
My soul starts in me: The good sentinel
Stands to her weapons, takes the first alarm
To guard me from such crimes.—Did I kill Laius?
Then I walked sleeping, in some frightful dream;
My soul then stole my body out by night;
And brought me back to bed ere morning-wake
It cannot be even this remotest way,
182 But some dark hint would justle forward now,
And goad my memory.—Oh my Jocasta!
Enter Jocasta.
Joc. Why are you thus disturbed?
Œdip. Why, would'st thou think it?
No less than murder.
Joc. Murder! what of murder?