University of Virginia Library

SCENE, another part of the prison.
Timanthes
alone.
Why should we covet life? What are its charms,
Since all degrees are wretched? Every state
Partakes of misery: in infancy
We tremble at a frown; in ripening youth
We're made the sport of fortune and of love:
In age we groan beneath the weight of years:
Now we're tormented with the thirst of gain,
And now the fear of loss: eternal war
The wicked with themselves maintain; the just
With fraud and envy: all our schemes are shadow
Vain and illusive as a sick man's dream,
And when we but begin at last to know
Our life's whole folly, death cuts short the scene.

Enter Cherinthus.
CHERINTHUS.
Where is my friend, my brother!

[embrace.
TIMANTHES.
Ha! Cherinthus,
Are these the tears due to thy brother's death,
When thus you press me with a last embrace?

CHERINTHUS.
What last embrace, what tears, what death, Timanthes!
Still live, and still be bless'd—these hands shall loose
Thy galling chains, these lips shall breathe the sound
Of life and happiness.

TIMANTHES.
Is't possible!

CHERINTHUS.
Our father now relents; the holy priests
With due libations have appear'd the powers,
And purg'd the fane from sacrilegious guilt:
A powerful advocate asserts thy cause—

TIMANTHES.
What tongue will plead for me, a wretched outcast
Of heaven and earth!

CHERINTHUS.
Cephisa—

TIMANTHES.
Ha! Cephisa!
She whom my scorn offended!

CHERINTHUS.
Not alone
For thee she pleads—She pleads Ismena's cause—

TIMANTHES.
For my Ismena!—breath of gods inspire
Her lips with eloquence!—O! my Cherinthus!
Should heaven propitious now—but O! I feel
A father's anguish here—couldst thou for me
Discharge his promise to the Phrygian king,
Give, in my stead, thy hand to fair Cephisa—

CHERINTHUS.
I own my soul has long ador'd Cephisa;
I love her with the tenderest passion, yet
I must not hope the princess e'er will deign
To accept my hand: thou know'st she came to wed
The kingdom's heir—

TIMANTHES.
Is this the only bar?
Then she is yours—I here renounce my claim
To Thrace, to empire.

CHERINTHUS.
Whither would Timanthes!

TIMANTHES.
Away, and seek the king; tell him, Cherinthus
Will from dishonour save the Thracian name:
O! fly, and with a brother's speed return,
My all depends on this eventful hour!

[Exit Cherinthus.
Timanthes
alone.
Indulgent powers! methinks my heart dilates
With new-reviving joy! shall I once more
Without a pang embrace my wife and son!

Enter Mathusius with a paper.
MATHUSIUS.
Timanthes! O! ill fated prince!

TIMANTHES.
Mathusius!
Thou know'st not what has chanc'd; the pitying hand
Of heaven even yet may save us, bring once more
Thy daughter to my arms—

MATHUSIUS.
Forbid it nature,
That thou should'st e'er embrace Ismena more!

TIMANTHES.
What means Mathusius?—speak—

MATHUSIUS.
Fate has unveil'd
A dreadful secret—and Ismena—

TIMANTHES.
Ha!
Say, what of her?

MATHUSIUS.
She is—Timanthes' sister.

TIMANTHES.
My sister!—what delusion—

MATHUSIUS.
No, Timanthes,
Too certain are the proofs.

TIMANTHES.
'Tis madness all—
Take heed, old man, my love can brook but ill
The dreams of doating age.

MATHUSIUS.
Unhappy youth!
Hear then the dreadful tale—when late for flight
I gather'd all my treasures to the shore,
I found a casket, that had lain conceal'd
E'er since I lost the partner of my bed:
Doubtless thou oft hast heard Barcene bore
Such faithful friendship to the queen deceas'd,
Our king's first consort, that the day which saw
Argea's death, beheld Barcene's too.

TIMANTHES.
I know it well—

MATHUSIUS.
This casket by Argea
Was trusted to Barcene, which contain'd
This paper, written by the queen's own hand.

TIMANTHES.
What paper? ha!—

MATHUSIUS.
[reads.
“Ismena is not daughter to Mathusius,
“But owes her birth to me and to Demophoon,
“By what event her fortune has been chang'd,
“Another mystic paper must disclose;
“Let this be sought for in the houshould temple,
“Beneath the footstool of the god.

“Argea.”

TIMANTHES.
Imposture all!

MATHUSIUS.
Behold the royal signet—

[gives the paper.
TIMANTHES.
What, say'st thou! Oh!

[drops the paper.
MATHUSIUS.
My prince—

TIMANTHES.
Away, Mathusius!

MATHUSIUS.
I dare not leave thee thus—

TIMANTHES.
I charge thee hence,
Thou minister of fate—haste to the temple,
And open all this tale of guilt and horror!

MATHUSIUS.
Yes, I must go—but O! ye pitying powers,
Look down, and send some messenger of peace
To guard him in this hour of dreadful trial.

[Exit.
Timanthes
alone.
Heaven hears him not—a night of black despair
For ever wraps me round—Olinthus now
Nephew and son! Ismena wife and sister!
Detested union! horrible to thought!
Fly, fly, Timanthes, hide thee from mankind,
Thou now must prove thy father's curse—behold
The furies here reviv'd of Thebes and Argos!
O! that these eyes had never seen Ismena!
What then I deem'd the violence of love
Was nature's secret force—what sound was that!
Enter Demophoon and Cherinthus.
My father!—hide me earth!—

DEMOPHOON.
My dearest son,
In these lov'd arms—

TIMANTHES.
Forbear—no more Demophoon
Must call Timanthes by that tender name.

DEMOPHOON.
Perhaps thou know'st not—

TIMANTHES.
O! I know too much—

DEMOPHOON.
I come to chace the clouds of black despair—
Thy faults are now forgiven—and once again
Ismena shall be thine—Still art thou silent!
Receive this dear embrace, thy pledge of pardon—
But say—why dost thou fly thy father's sight?

TIMANTHES.
I dare not look on thee—

Enter Ismena, Olinthus, and Attendant.
ISMENA.
My lord, my husband!

TIMANTHES.
Away and leave me.

ISMENA.
Ha! what means my love!
Are we not one? Has not relenting fate
Unravell'd all our sorrows?—this blest hour
Indulgent heaven restores thee to Ismena,
And dost thou welcome thus—

TIMANTHES.
Oh!—

DEMOPHOON.
Speak, Timanthes—

TIMANTHES.
I cannot speak—Ah! whither shall I fly
To hide—

DEMOPHOON.
Whom fly'st thou from?

TIMANTHES.
From men and gods!
From you and from myself—to solitude,
Where my remembrance may be lost for ever!

CHERINTHUS.
'Tis frenzy all!—Hast thou forgot each name
That wakes the soul to tenderness—behold
Thy brother here, thy son—

ISMENA.
Behold thy wife,
Who thus adjures thee by each thought, that now
Should fill thy breast, to hear and pity her!
Or if thy wife must plead in vain, yet hear
In this poor innocent the voice of nature—
What has he done, that thou should'st cast him off?
He never could offend—why dost thou shun
His harmless looks?—O! take him to thy bosom—
Now, by this hand—you shall not wrest it from me—
Once the dear pledge of happiness—

TIMANTHES.
No more—
Thou rend'st my heart—wife, father, son, and brother,
Are names of transport to a mind at ease,
To me they're sounds of horror!—take, O! take
That infant from my sight—his presence starts
A thousand dreadful thoughts—art thou not chang'd?
Dost thou not shudder—hear then, wretched woman!
Thou art—I cannot speak it—O, Ismena!

[Exit.
ISMENA.
Stay, stay, Timanthes, if I must be wretched,
Thy lips shall seal my doom—

DEMOPHOON.
Cherinthus, go—
Pursue thy brother's steps, and learn the cause
Of this mysterious grief—

[Exit Cherinthus.
ISMENA.
And is he gone?
Did he not cast me from his lov'd embrace?
Did he not spurn Olinthus from his arms?
Some horrid secret!—O! what art thou, great
Mysterious evil! that in darkness hid,
Gives double terror—but I'll seek Timanthes,
Nor leave him till I share in all he suffers!

[Exeunt Ism. Olin. and Attendant.
Enter Adrastus.
ADRASTUS.
The sacred pontiff now requests your presence
To meet Mathusius in the houshould temple,
On some important business that regards
Your house's honour, and the kingdom's weal.

DEMOPHOON.
To meet Mathusius! let us hence, Adrastus,
And learn what yet remains for suffering Thrace.

[Exeunt.