University of Virginia Library

SCENE THE THIRD.

Cinyras, Cecris.
Ce.
Unhappy that we are! ... Unhappy daughter! ...

Cin.
Yet to behold her every day more sad,
My heart hath not the firmness. 'Twere in vain
To oppose ourselves ...

Ce.
Oh spouse! ... A thousand fears
Invade my heart, lest her excess of grief,
When she is gone from hence, should cause her death.

Cin.
From her expressions, from her looks, and gestures,
And also from her sighs, it seems to me
That by some superhuman agency
She's fearfully possess'd.

Ce.
... Ah! well I know,
Implacable, vindictive Venus, well,
Thy rigorous revenge. Thus dost thou make me
Atone for my irreverent arrogance.
But ah! my child was innocent; I only
Was the delinquent; I alone the culprit ...

Cin.
Oh heaven! what hast thou dared against the goddess? ...

Ce.
Unhappy me! ... Oh Cinyras, hear my fault;
When I beheld myself the spouse adored
Of the most winning and attaching husband,
A man for captivating grace unequall'd,
And by him mother of an only daughter,
(For beauty, modesty, and sense, and grace
Throughout the world unrivall'd) I confess,
Intoxicate with my distinguish'd lot,
I dared deny to Venus, I alone,
Her tributary incense.—Would'st thou more?
Insensate, and extravagant, at last
To such a pitch (alas infatuate!)
Of madness I arrived, that from my lips
I suffer'd the imprudent vaunt to escape,
That by the illustrious, celebrated beauty
Of Myrrha, now more votaries were drawn
From Asia and from Greece, than heretofore
Were e'er attracted to her sacred isle
By warm devotion to the Cyprian queen.

Cin.
Oh! what is this thou sayest? ...

Ce.
From that day
Henceforward, Myrrha lost her peace; her life,
Her beauty, like frail wax before the fire,
Slowly consumed; and nothing in our hands
From that time seem'd to prosper. Afterwards
What did I not attempt to appease the goddess?
What prayers, what tears, what penitential rites
Have I not lavish'd?—Evermore in vain!—

Cin.
Ill hast thou done, oh lady; and still worse
Hath been thy guilt, in keeping it from me.
A father wholly innocent, perchance,
I might by means of mediatorial rites
The pardon of the goddess impetrate:
And yet perchance (I hope) I may succeed.—
But meanwhile, now indeed do I concur
In Myrrha's judgment, that of force we must,
And with what promptitude we can effect it,
Remove her from this desecrated isle.
Who knows? Perchance the anger of the goddess
Will not to other climes pursue her? Hence
Our wretched daughter feeling in her breast
Such an imperative and unknown presage,
Perhaps hence alone, so much desires to go,
And builds on this departure such warm hopes.—
But Pereus comes; welcome he comes: he only,
By taking her away from us, can now
For us our daughter save.

Ce.
Oh destiny!