The Siege of Sinope | ||
SCENE IV.
ORONTES, TIGRANES, and Priests.TIGRANES.
Rever'd Orontes,
I sought the queen; from yonder scene of horror
I flew to guard her steps.
ORONTES.
Brave Artabanes
Conducts her to the palace.—But our monarch!
Pharnaces! Does he live?
TIGRANES.
With matchless valor
He stems the tide of battle; but too soon
Th' unequal conflict ends! Surpriz'd, betray'd,
A prey to basest perfidy, he falls;
And Rome and Athridates rule in Pontus.
Farewel: this sword may yet assist my prince.
ORONTES.
Say to the king, the gods are friends to truth:
Let him remember, keen Adversity
Is Virtue's healthful school: to-morrow's dawn
May see this tyrant, whose perfidious bosom,
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Prostrate on earth, confess the gods are just.
Retire, whilst here the ministers of heaven,
Submissive, deprecate the wrath divine.
[Scene closes.
The Siege of Sinope | ||