University of Virginia Library

ACT THE FOURTH.

SCENE THE FIRST.

Masinissa, Numidian Soldiers.
Ma.
Let all, obeying my commands, at night
Be ready with their steeds: and silently
Let them, oh Boccar, ambush where I told thee.—
Faithful Guludda, thou, at all events,
Meanwhile be ready with the fatal bowl.
Of every monarch 'tis the sole resource
Who would become the friend or enemy
Of execrable Rome.—Go hence; and let
Nothing of this transpire.

SCENE THE SECOND.

Masinissa.
Ma.
Oh Masinissa,
Should'st thou stoop, to defend thy rights, to art? ...
Ne'er for myself would I do this; but I
Should place in safety whom I've placed in danger,
Or perish with her.—Do I in this place,
With difficulty, a brief audience gain? ...
Oh heaven! is she then absolutely changed? ...
But see, she comes ... I tremble ...

SCENE THE THIRD.

Sophonisba, Masinissa.
So.
I expected
No more to see thee; and in truth I ought not;
But (when thou hear'st it, canst thou trust my words?)
Syphax himself enjoin'd it ...

Ma.
Influenced
By scorn or pity?

So.
'Twas magnanimous;
And 'tis sufficient to awake in us
A noble emulation. He himself
Would fain converse with thee: but he commands
That I precede him. And that ...

Ma.
Can I bear
A sight like this? ...

So.
Art thou less great than he?
Fears he thy presence?

Ma.
Nor can I tell thee first? ...

So.
What canst thou tell me that I ought to hear?

Ma.
In vain dost thou inflict on me new torments:
I would inform thee that I here enticed thee,
And that I would, at all events, myself
Drag thee from hence.

So.
I gave myself to thee,
Thou knowest it; from thee I take myself.
A lofty duty, fatal to myself,
Demands this sacrifice. I feel assured,
By following Syphax, to withdraw myself
From every ill. Do thou then now from me
Learn to be strong. This is the camp of Rome:
Scipio is station'd here; a monarch, thou
Art station'd here: and I am station'd here
Asdrubal's daughter: tell me, would'st thou now
That we be govern'd by a vulgar love?

Ma.
Ah! with a flame far different to thine
My bosom is consumed ... In thee alone
I place my fame, my glory, and my greatness ...
Thou should'st be mine; although my kingdom perish,
The whole world perish, ... mine thou shalt be. I
Perils and losses neither know nor fear.
I am prepared for all, except to lose thee;
And sooner ...

So.
Thou with having all my heart,
Ah be thou satisfied ... Prove not thyself
Of this unworthy ... But, what do I say?
The sight, the sight alone of Syphax, powerless,
Vanquish'd, and captive, yet serene and firm,
Will of itself restore to thee thy reason.

Ma.
... Ah wretched me! ... Could I at least alone! ...
But I am not less generous than you;
I am indeed far different as a lover:
And I prepare to yield to you of this
A memorable proof ...

So.
See, here is Syphax.

Ma.
He too may hear me; nor will you have then
Courage to scorn me.

SCENE THE FOURTH.

Syphax, Sophonisba, Masinissa.
Ma.
Now before thine eyes,
Syphax, thy mortal foe presents himself.
But thou beholdest him in such a state,
That he no more thy indignation merits.

Sy.
All indignation from a king in chains
Would be ridiculous. If before me
My rival formerly had been presented,
While I possess'd a sword, I might have then
Display'd to him no inefficient rage:
Now cruel fate hath nothing left to me
But a firm visage and impassive heart.
Hence shalt thou hear me speak to thee with mildness.

Ma.
My desperate and immeasurable grief
Should be to thee no unimportant solace:
Then learn what that grief is.—See me: I am
Far more enchain'd than thou art, far more vanquish'd,
More stripp'd of judgment, and far less a king.
Thou tookest formerly my realm; but then
Thou wert not, as thou'rt now, my conqueror;
An indefatigable foe, more fierce,
More ardent, always I arose again
From my defeats; till I alternately
Became a conqueror, regain'd my own,
And took from thee thy realm.—But thou exult,
Triumph; this sublime lady yields to thee,
Whom thou hast twice from Masinissa snatch'd,
Entire superiority o'er me.

So.
And wouldest thou that I indeed should blush
At thy weak courage? ...

Ma.
I've not yet given
Proof of my courage to you: 'twill at least
Keep pace with my despair.—You are, I see,
Both by premeditated death sustain'd.
Worthy of both is this resolve; and I
Feel its “sublime attraction” much as others.
And to each one of you 'tis suitable,
Singly consider'd. Thou, a fetter'd king,
Longer wilt not, nor oughtest, to exist.
Thou art determined, thou, the wife of Syphax,
Daughter of Asdrubal, before all Rome
To shew a lofty and intrepid spirit:
Nor art thou sway'd by any impulses
Save those of rage and hate.—But how can Syphax,
He who adores thee, who hath been impell'd
To his entire destruction for thy sake,
And thy sake only; he who doth possess
No less an ardent than a noble heart,
Oh heaven! ah how ... how can he bear to hear
That his beloved lady is to perish? ...

So.
And could he, even if he would, divert
Me from my duty?

Sy.
Whence canst thou thus know
My thoughts?

Ma.
I, by far different furies sway'd,
I cannot now from thee conceal my own;
Nor will I change them, except first I die!
At all risks I wish Sophonisba safe,
And she (I understand) will not be saved,
Cannot be saved, if Syphax also is not.—
Already my Numidians are accoutred:
If at the gathering of the shades of night
Thou, Syphax, to be one of these wilt feign,
I swear to thee to be thy guide myself,
And, with thy Sophonisba, to conduct thee,
Unhurt and unassail'd, e'en to the gates
Of your beloved Carthage. There may'st thou
Collect arms, steeds, and troops; for while a king
Retains his freedom, he is yet unconquer'd.
I will abandon Rome's abhorred banners,
And I for Carthage and our Africa,
And for thyself perchance, will henceforth fight.
Whenever thou shalt have regain'd thy realm
And sovereign sway, so that, as king with king,
We to the trial of the sword may come,
I then will claim of thee with this my sword
This most beloved woman, whom I now
To thee surrender for no other cause
Than to avert from her an immature
And undeserving death.

So.
Thou fruitlessly
Proposest an impracticable scheme ...

Sy.
His language intimates a lofty heart;
Me he offends not; nay, he does impel me
Another, and more certain, means to offer,
Easier for him, and less unworthy Syphax;
And 'tis ...

Ma.
You, by adversity subdued,
Deem that impracticable which to me
Would be most easy; but, if honour prompt you,
Dare and attempt with me. Always at hand
Is death, the last and certain remedy;
To men of courage he is always present:
But indispensable to all of us
He is not yet. Not till to-morrow's dawn
Deluded Scipio of our flight will hear:
Just as he is, and in his heart humane,
My rights he may respect; at all events,
Thanks to our fleet-hoof'd steeds, by break of day
We shall have pass'd pursuit. If any one
Should make the attempt to follow us, I swear
That I would rather e'en in Scipio's breast
Immerge my sword, than ever yield you to him.
This sword of mine, which hath so many times
Already saved me; this, whence I regain'd
Not only my own realm but that of others,
Will that suffice not to place both of you
In Carthage safe? Now, for a brief while, yield,
Oh Syphax, yield to fortune: finally,
Yet may'st thou fly from hence; nor wilt thou be
To me at all indebted. Foes we were,
And foes once more we shortly may become:
The danger of an object loved alike
By both of us, 'tis this, and this alone,
That silences our hatred and revenge.
Hear me address thee suppliantly; in thee
Is thy deliverance placed. But yet, if cruel
Thou dost, e'en more than thou dost love thy wife,
Detest thy foe, oh wreak on him, I pray thee,
Before thy death, a plenary revenge.
Behold my naked sword; plunge it in me.—
Kill me or follow me.

Sy.
Oh Masinissa! ...
Amid the turbulence of thy intense
And passionate ferocity, a ray
Of hope yet shines to thee; thou art not conquer'd,
Nor powerless, nor a captive: thence thou seest
Human affairs with other eyes than mine.
But in my heart there is conceal'd, beneath
A brow of undisturb'd serenity,
In my sad heart, more agonized than thine,
There is conceal'd such a tormenting flame,
Such grief, such desolation, and such rage,
That language fails to represent my anguish. ...
Yes, my distraction never can be known
To one, who loving, is beloved again ...
Ah, so much is my agony more fierce,
Inflicted by the asps of jealousy,
As I see Sophonisba more intent
The affections of her lacerated heart
Magnanimously to hide. To a severe,
But to a worthy conflict, I'm impell'd
By her unvanquish'd courage.—Jealous rage,
Ambition, vengeance, all my furies yield
To love alone.—Now more than half the knot
Already is unloosed. Listen to me,
Oh lady. I love thee, for thy sake only,
Nor for myself: hence had I, as a spouse,
Rather myself resign thee to another,
Than for my sake behold thee die in vain.

So.
What do I hear? ... What dar'st thou say to me? ...

Sy.
I hope that thou wilt hear thy consort's prayers;
And where his prayers suffice not, wilt obey
His last commands.—The wife of Masinissa
Thou hither camest ... I restore thee now
To Masinissa, wife.

So.
Ah! no ...

Sy.
Oh thou
Who could'st protect her when she was not thine,
Now that I've made her thine, wilt do it better.—
Farewell for ever. To pursue my steps
Let none of you presume.

SCENE THE FIFTH.

Masinissa, Sophonisba.
So.
No power on earth
Shall now prevent me from pursuing thee.—
Farewell, ah Masinissa!

SCENE THE SIXTH.

Masinissa.
Ma.
Oh despair! ...
Brief is the time: ... both of them would forestall me ...
I only fear to be less swift than they.