University of Virginia Library

SCENE THE FOURTH.

Cinyras, Pereus, Cecris.
Pe.
Tardy, irresolute, and apprehensive,
And full of mortal wretchedness, ye see me.
A bitter conflict lacerates my heart:
Me, pity, and disinterested love
Of others, have subdued. This sacrifice
Will cost my life. No otherwise this grieves me
Than that I thus have forfeited the power
To spend it in your service: but I will not,
No, I will never drag t'untimely death
My adored Myrrha! The disastrous tie
Shall now be torn asunder; and with that
The thread of my existence.

Cin.
... Oh my son! ...
Yet by this name I call thee; and I hope
That thou ere long more than in name will be so.
We, since thyself, have heard explicitly
The secret thoughts of Myrrha: I have taken,
As a true father, every means with her,
To encourage her with absolute free will
Her own unbiass'd judgment to pursue.
But 'mid the winds the rock is not more firm,
Than she is firm to thee: thee, thee, alone
She wills, and she solicits; and she fears
Lest thou be taken from her. She knows not
Herself how to adduce to us a cause
For her despondency: her infirm health,
Which was at first the effect of this, perchance
Is now its only cause. But her deep grief
Deserves much pity, be it what it may;
Nor should she wake in thee, more than in us,
Any dissatisfaction. A sweet solace
Thou wilt be of her ills: on thy firm love
Her hopes are founded all. What stronger proof
Would'st thou require than this? She will herself
At all events abandon us to-morrow;
(Us, who so dearly love her) and for this
Th' assign'd inducement is to be with thee
More uniformly; to become more thine.

Pe.
Ah, could I trust to this? but 'specially
This her abrupt departure ... Ah, I tremble,
Lest she designs in secret to make me
Th' instrument of her death.

Ce.
Pereus, to thee
Do we confide her: fate to-day decrees it.
Too certainly before our very eyes
Here would she fall extinct, if to her will
Our hearts permitted us to persevere
In opposition. Change of place and scene
Potently operates on youthful minds.
Then lay aside all inauspicious thoughts;
And think alone of making her more happy.
Bring to thy countenance its wonted cheer;
And by avoiding mention of her grief,
Soon wilt thou see that grief itself subside.

Pe.
May I believe then, certainly believe,
That Myrrha hates me not?

Cin.
From me thou may'st
Believe it, yes! What heretofore I said
Remember! by her words I'm now convinced,
That far from being the source of her distress,
She deems these nuptials her sole remedy.
She must be treated with indulgence; thus
She will submit to any thing. Go thou;
Quickly prepare thyself for festive pomp;
And at the same time every thing dispose
For taking from us by to-morrow's dawn
Our only daughter. We will not assemble
Before the altar of the public temple
In sight of all the inhabitants of Cyprus;
For the long rite would be an obstacle
To your abrupt departure. We will chaunt
The hymeneal anthems in this palace.

Pe.
Thou hast restored me suddenly to life.
I fly; and here will instantly return.