 | Hannibal |  |
Scene II.
—Carthage. The house of Gisco. Ada alone.Ada.
Ah, how the stir of great and loud events,
Which make strong men turn pale, shakes all the strings
Of my fond heart with a soft thrill of dreams,
As if the great sea-winds should deign to play
Sweet music on this little lute of mine!
My Sophonisba! When I heard of thee,
I thought that I should never cease to weep!
I never thought to find one secret joy
In all the horror of this misery!
But he is coming! coming home to save us!—
As one who, pacing up a gloomy street,
Sees suddenly, through a wide-open door,
A flood of sunshine, a green stretch of plain,
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So seem I to emerge from stifling grief,
Into a bright astonishment of rapture.—
And I shall see him—see him in my youth—
See him whilst still my heart is warm to worship—
Yes, see him! Oh, if I might speak to him—
Find utterance for this passion of sympathy!
[Zeinab and Kora rush into the room.
Zein.
O Ada! Ada!
Kora.
Canst thou be so calm?
Hast thou not heard it?
Ada.
Heard what?
Kora.
He is come!
Hannibal's landed!
Ada.
Landed! Oh, when? where?
Zein.
Landed at Leptis—on his way now, doubtless,
To Adrumetum!
Kora.
Oh, we soon shall hear
He has met with Scipio!
Zein.
Ay, and sent him to us,
In chains, like a new Regulus! Hear'st thou
The shouting in the streets? 'tis all for him!
Kora.
We have flung the truce to the four winds. They say
Our government has caused some Roman ships,
Driven by storm into our port, to be
Seized upon straightway; no more waiting now
For Rome's consent to the hard terms of Scipio!
Now, war, war, war! Would I might wear a sword,
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Kora.
Now, hearken, Zeinab! Soon as all is over,
And Hannibal in triumph enters Carthage
With all his army, is 't not time our fathers
Should give us each to our affianced bridegrooms?
We'll have a merry wedding.
Zein.
That we will!
And if my wedding finery rivals not
E'en Sophonisba's, queen although she were—
Ha, Ada!
Kora.
She has fainted, just for joy!
Stay, she revives!
Ada.
He is come, Sophonisba!
Where is she?—Oh, my lost, lost Sophonisba!—
Leave me awhile, so best I shall recover.
Kora.
Poor Ada! Ah, thou wert so merry once!
We'll call thy Zilla to thee. [Claps her hands.]
Zilla, Zilla!
[Exeunt Zeinab and Kora.
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