esolved to abide in the island.

And when the man had denied that he would go, and had begun again to
call down a curse on the sons of Atreus, and on Ulysses, and on the
Prince himself, then the Prince bade him stay his speech, and gave him
back the bow and the arrows.

And when Ulysses, seeing this deed, was very wroth, and threatened
vengeance, Philoctetes put an arrow to the string, and drew the bow to
the full, and would have shot at the man, but the Prince stayed his
hand.

And then again the Prince was urgent with him that he should cease from
his anger, and should sail with him to Troy, saying that there he should
be healed by the great physician, the son of Asclepius, and should also
win great glory by taking the city, and that right soon; for that the
soothsayer Helenus had declared that it was the will of the Gods that
the city of Troy should be taken that same summer.

But for all this he prevailed nothing; for Philoctetes was obstinate
that he would not go to Troy, nor do any pleasure to the chiefs who had
done him such wrong. But he would that the Prince should fulfil the
promise which he had made, that he would carry him in his ship to his
own country. And this the Prince said that he would do.

And now the two were about to depart to the ship, when lo! there
appeared in the air above their heads the great Hercules. Very wonderful
was he to behold, with bright raiment, and a great glory shining from
his face, even as the everlasting Gods beheld him with whom he dwelt in
the place of Olympus. And Hercules spake, saying--

"Go not yet, son of Poeas, before thou hearest what I shall say to
thee. For 'tis Hercules whom thou seest and hearest; and I am come from
my dwelling in heaven to declare to thee the will of Zeus. Know then
that even as I attained to this blessedness after much toil, so shall it
be with thee. For thou shalt go to the land of Troy; and first thou
shalt be healed of thy grievous sickness, and afterwards thou shalt slay
Paris with thine arrows, and shalt take the city of Troy, whereof thou
shalt carry the spoils to thy home, even to Poeas thy father, having
received from thy fellows the foremost prize for valour. But remember
that all that thou winnest in this warfare thou must take as an offering
to my tomb. And to thee, son of Achilles, I say; thou canst not take the
city of Troy without this man, nor he without thee. Whereof, as two
lions that consort together, guard ye each other.