PHILOCTETES.


Philoctetes is the possessor of the bow and arrows of Hercules,
without which Troy, which has now been besieged for ten years, cannot
be taken. Suffering from an ulcer caused by the bite of the Hydra, and
becoming intolerable by his yells of anguish to the Hellenic camp, he
has been put ashore by Ulysses on the lonely island of Lemnos, and
there left for the ten years, whence he has conceived a deadly hatred
of Ulysses and the Hellenic host. His bow and arrows being
indispensable, the crafty Ulysses undertakes the task of inveigling
him, and goes to Lemnos for that purpose, taking with him Neoptolemus,
the young and generous son of Achilles, as a decoy. Neoptolemus, at
the instance of Ulysses, filches from Philoctetes the bow and arrows,
but being overcome by his nobler nature restores them. Here is now a
crisis worthy of the intervention of a god. Hercules descends upon the
scene, bids Philoctetes go to Troy with his bow, and promises to send
Aesculapius to heal him of his sickness.

* * * * *

_THE DECOY._

Ulysses explains the plan of action to Neoptolemus, and labours to
bend him to his purpose.

LINES 1-134.

ULYSSES.