 | The destruction of Troy |  |
SCENE opens, and discovers Cassandra in a distracted posture, with her Hair loose, running and catching hold of several Trojans that pass hastily to and fro the Streets, bringing in the Horse.
Cass.
Hold Trojans, hold, you wilful wretched Men;
Are you all mad? Or have you been so long
Us'd and condemn'd to constant Misery,
That y' are grown senseless and like the Salamander
Live best in hottest Fires?—O stay, O hold
Your dreadful Hands that pull a Vengeance on
Your wretched Heads—Heark, hear my Voice in time,
And let me roar into your Adders Ears,
The damn'd in Hell are not so wretched as
You are—Ah me! why all this hast ingrateful Trojans?
Must these magnifick Walls be trampl'd on,
That have defended you, your Wives and Children,
So long, to let in this detested Pageant!
O ominous Signs of your severe Destruction!—
Stay, hear me once, before y' are quite undon:
Achilles with a Thousand Myrmidons
Is not so dreadful as this fatal Horse—
[Shouts.]
D'y' shout ye dull infatuated Monsters!
This treach'rous Joy betrays your Destiny:
For your own Voyces ring your Funeral Knells,
And your vile hands have batter'd down these Walls,
Whose ruinous, and revengful Heaps shall bury you.
Par.
Cassandra, Sir, is broke amongst the Throng,
And now again infected with her Madness,
And fill'd with some deceitful Prophesie,
Rails in the Streets with Curses in her Mouth.
The fearful Trojans hearken in a maze,
Forsake their Stations, and with wonder gaze.
Pri.
Let her alone, she's wretched only to her self,
Born under such a Curse, she still does grieve,
That none that hears her ever can believe.
The great Horse is discover'd.
Cass.
It comes, it comes, the Fatal How'rs at hand,
This Monumental Pride shall sink thy Land,
And thy vast Towers, swell'd with prodigious Height,
Shall groan, and fall under its mighty Weight—
Where shall Cassandra shew her Steps the way
To hide her from the Horrour of this Day?—
Come all you Hills, your Weight upon me lay;
Yet, yet more Mountains, yet more Earth I lack—
Atlas come throw the World upon my back,
And hide me, where I may for ever dwell
Beyond the uttermost Abyss of Hell,
Where I may see no Trojan Miseries,
Nor Fiends torment me with their roaring Cries.
Par.
See, seethe wond'rous Horse appears so high,
As if it nodded from the lofty Sky,
And did descend to lick the Dew on Mountains.
Cassandra comes forward upon the Stage.
Cass.
Ah Priamus, what has thy folly done,
Unworthy to be call'd Dardanus Son?—
Why has thy Mortal Hands prophan'd with Guilt
These Walls, by Neptune and Apollo built;
Troy's Sacred Beauty, and its Strength remov'd,
By Phœbus, and the Ocean so belov'd?—
Behold this Horse, 'tis not the Grecians God,
But the vast Trees, that on Mount Ida stood,
Has brought forth this prodigious Birth of Wood.
His Belly is a Camp that holds an Army,
And those hard monstrous Rows of dreadful Teeth
Are Trenches that it is defended with;
Those wide and gaping Nostrils Air receive,
And draw in breath, whereby a Thousand live;
This Land-Ship in it's monstrous Deck infolds
More than your Fleet upon the Ocean holds.
You are deceiv'd to think you have no Foes;
They are not all remov'd to Tenedos:
For the best part of all the Grecian Force
Is muster'd in the Belly of this Horse.
Ulyss.
O hateful Blasphemy against the Gods!
She is possest by some infernal Spirit,
That makes this horrid Sound come from her Mouth.—
'Tis your ill Fate that threatens you, O Trojans,
Who envious of your Happiness
Come cover'd o're with her Religious Madness,
To ruin you if you believe her.
Pri.
Bear it, with all your Sacred Reverence,
To Pallas Temple, and there let it stand,
Where once the great Palladium stood.
Cass.
O dreadful Sound! O woful King of Troy,
And Traitor to thy own Felicity!—
Must her Walls down? her golden Roofs lie flat,
To be a Stable for this filthy Horse!
Have you no pity, no remorse left for your selves?
O save the Cries of Infants, that this Night
Will all be torn from their dear Mothers Breasts,
And their young Heads be dash'd against the Walls,
And ravish'd Virgins run about the Streets
With fearful Shreiks, to wake the groaning Dead
To their Relief.
Pri.
Take her away; convey her to her Cloister,
There let her hollow to the Marble Walls,
Till she's convinc'd, and come t'her self again.
Cass.
O hear me first, my Knees bent to the Ground,
My Eyes with Tears, and Showers of Sorrow drown'd—
Stay your Commands, benum'd, and wretched King,
Are y' all turn'd Statues with Ulysses Tale?
The Adamantine Rocks, or frigid Zone,
Are more relenting, and more soft than you.—
I was an evil Spirit, and deceiv'd you,
When I foretold the Fate of Troilus,
And gallant Hector's Death, which the rash Men
Had both avoided, had they heard my Counsel.
Pri.
Guards instantly remove her.
Cass.
O mind what I shall tell; This Hill of Wood,
This Mountain of prodigious Timber here
Does groan to be deliver'd of a Monster
More fierce then Hydra, with a thousand Heads
Arm'd with impenetrable Steel—mind you—
It's ev'ry motion makes a jarring Sound,
As if the Gods, to punish 'em, had rais'd
A civil War within it's spatious Womb.—
I saw old Laacoon, with Zeal inspir'd,
Run from the steep and high Watch Tower of Troy,
(A Launce grasp'd in his steddy hand) from whence
He saw this dreadful Engin first appear,
And dauntless making to the huge Machine,
Struck with his Spear a mighty Blow thereon,
When straight there issu'd from it's bellowing sides,
A noise like Thunder, when Joves angry Bolts
Are troll'd along the Pavement of the Sky,
Or th'ratling Sound of Phœbus Chariot Wheels,
Driving along the Marble Firmament.
Ulyss,
Now may the Goddess strike this Woman dead
That shew'd her Vengeance on old Laacoon's Head.—
Witness you just revengful Powers on high,
And you brave Trojans, kill me if I lye.
No sooner had he done this horrid Deed,
But Heav'n this Judgment for his fault decreed;
I saw the giddy, and prophane old Priest,
With long wreath'd Serpents twisted round his Body,
And on his Breast, in view of all
The Trojan Princes, and the Grecian Kings,
The fearful Adders left their forked Stings.
Cass.
O it was false, your Eyes were all deceiv'd;
It was a Trick, the Cunning of Ulysses,
To cheat your Sights with such deluding Objects,
Which to my Sense Illusions did appear,
And all the Serpents, Conjurations were.
Pri.
I'll hear no more—Away with her—
And shut her up for ever in her Vault—
[Guards offer to take her away.]
Come Princes, now my Son Achilles wants you,
Longing till you conduct him to the Temple.
Cass.
Hear then, what Heav'n by me foretels you,
The Goddess from this minute hates you all,
Eternal Ruin on your Heads shall fall—
[Raves.]
Heark, heark—The Noise begins—The Tempest rolls,
That swallows up your misbelieving Souls—
Pale fac'd Revenge with tall red Murther meets
With noise of Blood, and Horrour in the Streets—
The Horse has litter'd, see, and from it breaks
A thousand untam'd, mad, and furious Greeks—
There's Diomedes, Ajax too, and more,
Give the Watch-Word—Now all the Grecians roar;
The Thunder's loud, and Pallas Temple shakes,
The Noise, mad sleeping Hecuba awakes;
Half naked, and distract along she reels,
A Tribe of ravish'd Matrons at her heels—
Give me my Children, then aloud She's heard;—
And takes that old rough Grecian by the Beard.—
See, all around shines a bright burning Light,
And Hector's Ghost runs trembling at the sight—
There's old Anchises, out of breath, and lame,
Beckens his Son to help him from the Flame;
Then good Æneas, through the fiery Track,
Carries his aged Sire upon his back—
Pity the poor young Man—Away, away,
The blazing Tow'rs shall guide thy Steps till day.—
So—Dissolution reigns—Distruction's nigh—
Help us, Cassandra, now in vain they cry—
I see—I hear, but will in spite be dumb—
Burn Ilium, burn—I told you what wou'd come.
Exit Mad.
Pri.
Run, quickly follow her, and watch her Steps—
She is arriv'd to the extremest height
Of wretched Madness.
Enter to them Achilles, Polyxena, Helen, and Andromache attended.
Ach.
Why, beauteous Goddess, dost thou lay aside
The charming Features of a chearful Bride?
Bedew'st the Earth in wast with Pearly Show'rs?
Where Virgins in the way have scatter'd Flow'rs.
Joy in the Face of all the World appears;
But sad Polyxena is still in Tears.—
Welcome brave Gen'ral, by my Joy thou art;
[To Agam.]
Welcome Ulysses, welcome to my Heart—
Where's Diomedes, Ajax, and the rest?
Cou'd they not come to see Achilles blest!
Thou Agamemnon, enviest not the Sight,
To see me lie, and bask in Heav'n to Night—
O how the Pleasure to my Sense is brought,
Beyond the exquisite Device of Thought.
My longing Arms about her I will twine,
Like Woodbine, Jessamin, or the curling Vine;
She, like the Sun, when the kind Spring is nigh,
And I the ravish'd Globe lie melting by;
Still brooding o're the Treasure of my Love,
And laugh at all the envious Gods above.
And.
Polyxena, you are unjust to mourn,
Y'are happy, and your Joys are all to come,
But mine are bury'd in my Hector's Tomb.
Polyx.
Ah Sister, will you not believe these Eyes?
I swear, I'de rather go a Sacrifice,
And offer up my Blood, this Peace to gain,
Than be the Queen of all this Nuptial Train.—
Yet I must go to keep you all from Ruin.
And.
But canst not save thy Husband's hated Breath.
[Aside.]
Ach.
Come my dear Friends, and let's to Hymen go,
With all the Pomp, and Glory we can shew—
Come beauteous Helen, and Andromache,
And thou most fair, and beauteous of the Three;
Cynthia bedect with Stars, shines not so bright,
As thou shalt gild the lower World to Night—
Let these two Princes take thee by the Hands,
As Jove, and Mars, led Venus o're the Sands,
Or as thy Mother Hecuba was led
By Asian Kings, a Globe upon her Head,
And brought in Triumph to her Nuptial Bed—
Ah! Father Priam, why do we not go?—
Come all you Sylvan Gods, and strew the way,
You Nymphs, and Virgins sing before, and play,
Whilst my Divine Polyxena, and I,
View all around Elysium Tapestry—
Let confin'd Lovers wanton under ground,
We'l tread above, with Nobler Pleasures crown'd—
Tell me the Tales of amorous Gods no more,
We are Immortal, and Divine all o're,
The thousand ways to Pleasure Jove enjoys
Are less than the dear Blessings of these Eyes.
Exeunt, as to the Temple, Achilles led by Andromache and Helen, and Polyxena led by Agam. and Ulysses. Manet Paris Solus.
Par.
'A goes, with Loves great Expectation curst,
And fill'd so full, this moment a' will burst.
Love shall prolong thy Destiny no more,
Whose borrow'd Wings does proudly make thee Soar.—
Help me, ye Gods, and lift me up on high,
To pull this horrid Meteor from the Sky,
Though thou dost ride the Chariot of the Sun,
Fate shall assist this Hand, to strike thee down,
Rash Phaeton, like whom thou dost aspire,
With thy hot Brain to set the World on Fire.
Paris going off, the Scene draws to the Temple, and discovers Priamus, Agamemnon, Achilles, Ulysses, Polyxena, Helen, and Andromache, Priests, and Attendants. Priamus giving Polyxena to Achilles, Paris behind the Altar.
Pri.
Forgetting, brave Achilles, what we 'ave lost,
And the revengeful Crys of Hector's Ghost,
To please the Gods, and end this fatal Strife,
I give you my lov'd Daughter for a Wife,
In hopes you'l prove a far more happy Son,
And heal the Trojans of the Wrongs y' have done—
Now Hymen, and the Priests, conclude the rest,
And Pallas in the Heavens make you blest.
Paris behind the Altar unseen, flings a Dart, and wounds Achilles. They all come forward upon the Stage. The Temple shuts.
Ach.
Ha! ha! Polyxena—what ails my Heart!
Sure 'twas not Love that gave that deadly smart—
I'me hurt—O Gods! Who can the Pain indure!
O Hercules! I'me struck with Lightning.
Help me—I'm stung—O give me room,
Some Serpent 'tis has bit me by the Heel,
I was Immortal else.—
And.
Thanks Paris, thou the gallant Deed hast done.
[Aside.]
Ulyss.
His Life's betray'd, there's Treason, though unknown—
Princes, let ev'ry man secure his own.
Polyx.
Ah me, how miserable was I born!
Pri.
Bear witness all ye Gods my Innocence!
I'm more astonish'd at the Deed than you.
Ach.
What Coward, Slave, has hurt me in this Part,
That durst not look Achilles in the Face—
Ulysses, Ulysses—Take thy keen Sword,
And with thy courteous Arm cut off this Joynt—
Quick, quick—Base, and untimely am I snatch'd.
Ulyss.
Seek out the Traytor.
[Paris comes forward.]
Par.
You need not—Here he stands that did the Deed.
I Paris, in the Face of all the World,
And in the sight of Jove, will Justifie,
That this revengeful, and successful Arm,
Has done it, for the sake of Troilus,
Whom cowardly, and basely he did murder,
Incompass'd with his bloody Myrmidons;
Then him, and Hector, most obscenely dragg'd
About the Walls, in sight of all the Trojans,
That saw the dismal Sight with bleeding Hearts,
And weeping Eyes.
Ach.
Ha, Jove! Must I then fall by him whose Head
But Yesterday I sav'd from Slaughter!
Hear me Alcides, help thy bleeding Son—
In spite of Tortures—All the Pangs of Hell
Shan't hinder me, but like a wounded Lion
I'll rush upon him, tear him with my Fangs
And sprinkle his nauseous Blood about the Air—
Ha! Let me go—D'ye hold me?—Let me go—
What shall Achilles know the cursed Slave,
Whose Hand has kill'd him, and die unreveng'd!
Hear me Ulysses,—Help me Agamemnon—
Where—where are my Myrmidons?—Go fetch 'em—
Hear, hear Achilles—
Par.
Guards all assist me, and secure my Life—
Who ever stirs shall meet Achilles Fate.
Pri.
Ye Gods! What's in this moment to be done.
Ulyss.
Fly thou with all the Wings of faithful speed,
[Aside to two Grecians.]
And bid the Camp at Tenedos remove,
And swiftly lead their Army forth to Troy—
Another run to watchful Synon straight;
Command him to unlock the Horse this Moment—
Tell Diomedes, Ajax, and the rest,
That now's the time to issue forth, and win
The Town—Go, tell 'em what has happen'd,
And bid 'em be as quick as Lightning.
[Exeunt 2 Grecians.]
Ach.
Help me—O carry me but to the Traitor—
Shepherd—Come from the Covert of thy Guards,
And if thou dar'st, out face me in the Storm—
O Thetis! pray the Gods to lend me Wings
Instead of Feet, to help thy wounded Son,
That I may fly like the Imperial Bird,
And snatch this Mountain-Pigeon for my Prey—
Am I forsaken?—Gods, will not you hear me then?—
Still dost thou weep, my dear Polyxena!
[To Polyx.]
Art thou not glad, glad that this hated man
Is snatch'd away in view of all his Hopes,
That murder'd Troilus, and kill'd brave Hector,
In spite of all thy Pray'rs, and softer Tears,—
Whose gentle Pow'r might then have staid, and charm'd
Thunder from the revengeful Hand of Jove—
Now, now I feel the weight of all thy Curses,
And heavier Sorrows on me.
Polyx.
I wish this Tongue of mine had then been blasted,
Or that those Curses had light heavier on
This woful Head; I then had been more happy.
Par.
Brave Agamemnon, since the thing is done,
That all the Power of Man can ner'e retrieve,
And Troilus, and Hector are reveng'd,
Paris declares in the behalf of Troy,
That in Achilles all its Foes are slain—
Henceforth we'l call you Friends, and from our Hearts
Embrace the Peace, as was before design'd,
Ulyss.
Trojans, Let us retreat: for we deny
All Friendship with the Murd'rers of Achilles.
Ach.
Thanks kind Ulysses, bravely hast thou said:
Revenge will please my Ghost when I am dead—
Let all the Grecians to my Burial come,
And there repeat their Vows upon my Tomb,
That Troy in Pyramids of Flames shall burn,
Its Gold and Jewels into Ashes turn,
And only spare this Virgin for my sake.
[Meaning Polyx.]
[Alarm, and shouts within.]
Ulyss.
Achilles has no sooner said the word,
But his Revenge is come.
Enter a Trojan.
Troj.
Fly Priamus, to Refuge straight retire,
Your Enemies come arm'd with Sword and Fire.
Thousands of Grecians set the Streets on Flame,
Whil'st we stand all amaz'd from whence they came.
Legions without encompass round the Town;
Sure all the Gods to aid 'em are come down:
For less than in a moment Troy is won.
Pri.
Now we find true Cassandra's Words too late.—
Come sad Remainder of lost Priam's Children,
Let us all burn, and die together.
And.
With greater Joy, than live after my Hector.
Ach.
O stay by me—O save Polyxena.
Exeunt Priam. Polyx. Andr. and Helen.
Paris.
Damn'd Traitors! Yet I am resolv'd
To die no Coward's Death.
Ach.
Hold Agamemnon, and support me firm—
Inspire me with new Strength ye Gods, but till
I die reveng'd—'A falls, the Traitor falls.
Agamemnon, and Ulysses support Achilles who kills Paris.
And thus I triumph in my Death.
Par.
Farwell to Beauty now, and all the World,
Helen, and I have troubl'd it too long—
My Soul moves heavy on wards with the thoughts,
That Menelaus now will grasp thee all—
Take her—O there's the Hell I go to meet with—
Bear witness Heav'n I part not with my Life
With half so much regret.
[Dies.]
Cass.
Hold Trojans, hold, you wilful wretched Men;
Are you all mad? Or have you been so long
Us'd and condemn'd to constant Misery,
That y' are grown senseless and like the Salamander
Live best in hottest Fires?—O stay, O hold
Your dreadful Hands that pull a Vengeance on
64
And let me roar into your Adders Ears,
The damn'd in Hell are not so wretched as
You are—Ah me! why all this hast ingrateful Trojans?
Must these magnifick Walls be trampl'd on,
That have defended you, your Wives and Children,
So long, to let in this detested Pageant!
O ominous Signs of your severe Destruction!—
Stay, hear me once, before y' are quite undon:
Achilles with a Thousand Myrmidons
Is not so dreadful as this fatal Horse—
[Shouts.]
D'y' shout ye dull infatuated Monsters!
This treach'rous Joy betrays your Destiny:
For your own Voyces ring your Funeral Knells,
And your vile hands have batter'd down these Walls,
Whose ruinous, and revengful Heaps shall bury you.
Par.
Cassandra, Sir, is broke amongst the Throng,
And now again infected with her Madness,
And fill'd with some deceitful Prophesie,
Rails in the Streets with Curses in her Mouth.
The fearful Trojans hearken in a maze,
Forsake their Stations, and with wonder gaze.
Pri.
Let her alone, she's wretched only to her self,
Born under such a Curse, she still does grieve,
That none that hears her ever can believe.
The great Horse is discover'd.
Cass.
It comes, it comes, the Fatal How'rs at hand,
This Monumental Pride shall sink thy Land,
And thy vast Towers, swell'd with prodigious Height,
Shall groan, and fall under its mighty Weight—
Where shall Cassandra shew her Steps the way
To hide her from the Horrour of this Day?—
Come all you Hills, your Weight upon me lay;
Yet, yet more Mountains, yet more Earth I lack—
Atlas come throw the World upon my back,
And hide me, where I may for ever dwell
Beyond the uttermost Abyss of Hell,
Where I may see no Trojan Miseries,
Nor Fiends torment me with their roaring Cries.
65
See, seethe wond'rous Horse appears so high,
As if it nodded from the lofty Sky,
And did descend to lick the Dew on Mountains.
Cassandra comes forward upon the Stage.
Cass.
Ah Priamus, what has thy folly done,
Unworthy to be call'd Dardanus Son?—
Why has thy Mortal Hands prophan'd with Guilt
These Walls, by Neptune and Apollo built;
Troy's Sacred Beauty, and its Strength remov'd,
By Phœbus, and the Ocean so belov'd?—
Behold this Horse, 'tis not the Grecians God,
But the vast Trees, that on Mount Ida stood,
Has brought forth this prodigious Birth of Wood.
His Belly is a Camp that holds an Army,
And those hard monstrous Rows of dreadful Teeth
Are Trenches that it is defended with;
Those wide and gaping Nostrils Air receive,
And draw in breath, whereby a Thousand live;
This Land-Ship in it's monstrous Deck infolds
More than your Fleet upon the Ocean holds.
You are deceiv'd to think you have no Foes;
They are not all remov'd to Tenedos:
For the best part of all the Grecian Force
Is muster'd in the Belly of this Horse.
Ulyss.
O hateful Blasphemy against the Gods!
She is possest by some infernal Spirit,
That makes this horrid Sound come from her Mouth.—
'Tis your ill Fate that threatens you, O Trojans,
Who envious of your Happiness
Come cover'd o're with her Religious Madness,
To ruin you if you believe her.
Pri.
Bear it, with all your Sacred Reverence,
To Pallas Temple, and there let it stand,
Where once the great Palladium stood.
Cass.
O dreadful Sound! O woful King of Troy,
And Traitor to thy own Felicity!—
Must her Walls down? her golden Roofs lie flat,
To be a Stable for this filthy Horse!
66
O save the Cries of Infants, that this Night
Will all be torn from their dear Mothers Breasts,
And their young Heads be dash'd against the Walls,
And ravish'd Virgins run about the Streets
With fearful Shreiks, to wake the groaning Dead
To their Relief.
Pri.
Take her away; convey her to her Cloister,
There let her hollow to the Marble Walls,
Till she's convinc'd, and come t'her self again.
Cass.
O hear me first, my Knees bent to the Ground,
My Eyes with Tears, and Showers of Sorrow drown'd—
Stay your Commands, benum'd, and wretched King,
Are y' all turn'd Statues with Ulysses Tale?
The Adamantine Rocks, or frigid Zone,
Are more relenting, and more soft than you.—
I was an evil Spirit, and deceiv'd you,
When I foretold the Fate of Troilus,
And gallant Hector's Death, which the rash Men
Had both avoided, had they heard my Counsel.
Pri.
Guards instantly remove her.
Cass.
O mind what I shall tell; This Hill of Wood,
This Mountain of prodigious Timber here
Does groan to be deliver'd of a Monster
More fierce then Hydra, with a thousand Heads
Arm'd with impenetrable Steel—mind you—
It's ev'ry motion makes a jarring Sound,
As if the Gods, to punish 'em, had rais'd
A civil War within it's spatious Womb.—
I saw old Laacoon, with Zeal inspir'd,
Run from the steep and high Watch Tower of Troy,
(A Launce grasp'd in his steddy hand) from whence
He saw this dreadful Engin first appear,
And dauntless making to the huge Machine,
Struck with his Spear a mighty Blow thereon,
When straight there issu'd from it's bellowing sides,
A noise like Thunder, when Joves angry Bolts
Are troll'd along the Pavement of the Sky,
Or th'ratling Sound of Phœbus Chariot Wheels,
Driving along the Marble Firmament.
67
Now may the Goddess strike this Woman dead
That shew'd her Vengeance on old Laacoon's Head.—
Witness you just revengful Powers on high,
And you brave Trojans, kill me if I lye.
No sooner had he done this horrid Deed,
But Heav'n this Judgment for his fault decreed;
I saw the giddy, and prophane old Priest,
With long wreath'd Serpents twisted round his Body,
And on his Breast, in view of all
The Trojan Princes, and the Grecian Kings,
The fearful Adders left their forked Stings.
Cass.
O it was false, your Eyes were all deceiv'd;
It was a Trick, the Cunning of Ulysses,
To cheat your Sights with such deluding Objects,
Which to my Sense Illusions did appear,
And all the Serpents, Conjurations were.
Pri.
I'll hear no more—Away with her—
And shut her up for ever in her Vault—
[Guards offer to take her away.]
Come Princes, now my Son Achilles wants you,
Longing till you conduct him to the Temple.
Cass.
Hear then, what Heav'n by me foretels you,
The Goddess from this minute hates you all,
Eternal Ruin on your Heads shall fall—
[Raves.]
Heark, heark—The Noise begins—The Tempest rolls,
That swallows up your misbelieving Souls—
Pale fac'd Revenge with tall red Murther meets
With noise of Blood, and Horrour in the Streets—
The Horse has litter'd, see, and from it breaks
A thousand untam'd, mad, and furious Greeks—
There's Diomedes, Ajax too, and more,
Give the Watch-Word—Now all the Grecians roar;
The Thunder's loud, and Pallas Temple shakes,
The Noise, mad sleeping Hecuba awakes;
Half naked, and distract along she reels,
A Tribe of ravish'd Matrons at her heels—
Give me my Children, then aloud She's heard;—
And takes that old rough Grecian by the Beard.—
See, all around shines a bright burning Light,
And Hector's Ghost runs trembling at the sight—
68
Beckens his Son to help him from the Flame;
Then good Æneas, through the fiery Track,
Carries his aged Sire upon his back—
Pity the poor young Man—Away, away,
The blazing Tow'rs shall guide thy Steps till day.—
So—Dissolution reigns—Distruction's nigh—
Help us, Cassandra, now in vain they cry—
I see—I hear, but will in spite be dumb—
Burn Ilium, burn—I told you what wou'd come.
Exit Mad.
Pri.
Run, quickly follow her, and watch her Steps—
She is arriv'd to the extremest height
Of wretched Madness.
Enter to them Achilles, Polyxena, Helen, and Andromache attended.
Ach.
Why, beauteous Goddess, dost thou lay aside
The charming Features of a chearful Bride?
Bedew'st the Earth in wast with Pearly Show'rs?
Where Virgins in the way have scatter'd Flow'rs.
Joy in the Face of all the World appears;
But sad Polyxena is still in Tears.—
Welcome brave Gen'ral, by my Joy thou art;
[To Agam.]
Welcome Ulysses, welcome to my Heart—
Where's Diomedes, Ajax, and the rest?
Cou'd they not come to see Achilles blest!
Thou Agamemnon, enviest not the Sight,
To see me lie, and bask in Heav'n to Night—
O how the Pleasure to my Sense is brought,
Beyond the exquisite Device of Thought.
My longing Arms about her I will twine,
Like Woodbine, Jessamin, or the curling Vine;
She, like the Sun, when the kind Spring is nigh,
And I the ravish'd Globe lie melting by;
Still brooding o're the Treasure of my Love,
And laugh at all the envious Gods above.
And.
Polyxena, you are unjust to mourn,
69
But mine are bury'd in my Hector's Tomb.
Polyx.
Ah Sister, will you not believe these Eyes?
I swear, I'de rather go a Sacrifice,
And offer up my Blood, this Peace to gain,
Than be the Queen of all this Nuptial Train.—
Yet I must go to keep you all from Ruin.
And.
But canst not save thy Husband's hated Breath.
[Aside.]
Ach.
Come my dear Friends, and let's to Hymen go,
With all the Pomp, and Glory we can shew—
Come beauteous Helen, and Andromache,
And thou most fair, and beauteous of the Three;
Cynthia bedect with Stars, shines not so bright,
As thou shalt gild the lower World to Night—
Let these two Princes take thee by the Hands,
As Jove, and Mars, led Venus o're the Sands,
Or as thy Mother Hecuba was led
By Asian Kings, a Globe upon her Head,
And brought in Triumph to her Nuptial Bed—
Ah! Father Priam, why do we not go?—
Come all you Sylvan Gods, and strew the way,
You Nymphs, and Virgins sing before, and play,
Whilst my Divine Polyxena, and I,
View all around Elysium Tapestry—
Let confin'd Lovers wanton under ground,
We'l tread above, with Nobler Pleasures crown'd—
Tell me the Tales of amorous Gods no more,
We are Immortal, and Divine all o're,
The thousand ways to Pleasure Jove enjoys
Are less than the dear Blessings of these Eyes.
Exeunt, as to the Temple, Achilles led by Andromache and Helen, and Polyxena led by Agam. and Ulysses. Manet Paris Solus.
Par.
'A goes, with Loves great Expectation curst,
And fill'd so full, this moment a' will burst.
Love shall prolong thy Destiny no more,
Whose borrow'd Wings does proudly make thee Soar.—
Help me, ye Gods, and lift me up on high,
70
Though thou dost ride the Chariot of the Sun,
Fate shall assist this Hand, to strike thee down,
Rash Phaeton, like whom thou dost aspire,
With thy hot Brain to set the World on Fire.
Paris going off, the Scene draws to the Temple, and discovers Priamus, Agamemnon, Achilles, Ulysses, Polyxena, Helen, and Andromache, Priests, and Attendants. Priamus giving Polyxena to Achilles, Paris behind the Altar.
Pri.
Forgetting, brave Achilles, what we 'ave lost,
And the revengeful Crys of Hector's Ghost,
To please the Gods, and end this fatal Strife,
I give you my lov'd Daughter for a Wife,
In hopes you'l prove a far more happy Son,
And heal the Trojans of the Wrongs y' have done—
Now Hymen, and the Priests, conclude the rest,
And Pallas in the Heavens make you blest.
Paris behind the Altar unseen, flings a Dart, and wounds Achilles. They all come forward upon the Stage. The Temple shuts.
Ach.
Ha! ha! Polyxena—what ails my Heart!
Sure 'twas not Love that gave that deadly smart—
I'me hurt—O Gods! Who can the Pain indure!
O Hercules! I'me struck with Lightning.
Help me—I'm stung—O give me room,
Some Serpent 'tis has bit me by the Heel,
I was Immortal else.—
And.
Thanks Paris, thou the gallant Deed hast done.
[Aside.]
Ulyss.
His Life's betray'd, there's Treason, though unknown—
Princes, let ev'ry man secure his own.
Polyx.
Ah me, how miserable was I born!
Pri.
Bear witness all ye Gods my Innocence!
I'm more astonish'd at the Deed than you.
Ach.
What Coward, Slave, has hurt me in this Part,
That durst not look Achilles in the Face—
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And with thy courteous Arm cut off this Joynt—
Quick, quick—Base, and untimely am I snatch'd.
Ulyss.
Seek out the Traytor.
[Paris comes forward.]
Par.
You need not—Here he stands that did the Deed.
I Paris, in the Face of all the World,
And in the sight of Jove, will Justifie,
That this revengeful, and successful Arm,
Has done it, for the sake of Troilus,
Whom cowardly, and basely he did murder,
Incompass'd with his bloody Myrmidons;
Then him, and Hector, most obscenely dragg'd
About the Walls, in sight of all the Trojans,
That saw the dismal Sight with bleeding Hearts,
And weeping Eyes.
Ach.
Ha, Jove! Must I then fall by him whose Head
But Yesterday I sav'd from Slaughter!
Hear me Alcides, help thy bleeding Son—
In spite of Tortures—All the Pangs of Hell
Shan't hinder me, but like a wounded Lion
I'll rush upon him, tear him with my Fangs
And sprinkle his nauseous Blood about the Air—
Ha! Let me go—D'ye hold me?—Let me go—
What shall Achilles know the cursed Slave,
Whose Hand has kill'd him, and die unreveng'd!
Hear me Ulysses,—Help me Agamemnon—
Where—where are my Myrmidons?—Go fetch 'em—
Hear, hear Achilles—
Par.
Guards all assist me, and secure my Life—
Who ever stirs shall meet Achilles Fate.
Pri.
Ye Gods! What's in this moment to be done.
Ulyss.
Fly thou with all the Wings of faithful speed,
[Aside to two Grecians.]
And bid the Camp at Tenedos remove,
And swiftly lead their Army forth to Troy—
Another run to watchful Synon straight;
Command him to unlock the Horse this Moment—
Tell Diomedes, Ajax, and the rest,
That now's the time to issue forth, and win
The Town—Go, tell 'em what has happen'd,
72
[Exeunt 2 Grecians.]
Ach.
Help me—O carry me but to the Traitor—
Shepherd—Come from the Covert of thy Guards,
And if thou dar'st, out face me in the Storm—
O Thetis! pray the Gods to lend me Wings
Instead of Feet, to help thy wounded Son,
That I may fly like the Imperial Bird,
And snatch this Mountain-Pigeon for my Prey—
Am I forsaken?—Gods, will not you hear me then?—
Still dost thou weep, my dear Polyxena!
[To Polyx.]
Art thou not glad, glad that this hated man
Is snatch'd away in view of all his Hopes,
That murder'd Troilus, and kill'd brave Hector,
In spite of all thy Pray'rs, and softer Tears,—
Whose gentle Pow'r might then have staid, and charm'd
Thunder from the revengeful Hand of Jove—
Now, now I feel the weight of all thy Curses,
And heavier Sorrows on me.
Polyx.
I wish this Tongue of mine had then been blasted,
Or that those Curses had light heavier on
This woful Head; I then had been more happy.
Par.
Brave Agamemnon, since the thing is done,
That all the Power of Man can ner'e retrieve,
And Troilus, and Hector are reveng'd,
Paris declares in the behalf of Troy,
That in Achilles all its Foes are slain—
Henceforth we'l call you Friends, and from our Hearts
Embrace the Peace, as was before design'd,
Ulyss.
Trojans, Let us retreat: for we deny
All Friendship with the Murd'rers of Achilles.
Ach.
Thanks kind Ulysses, bravely hast thou said:
Revenge will please my Ghost when I am dead—
Let all the Grecians to my Burial come,
And there repeat their Vows upon my Tomb,
That Troy in Pyramids of Flames shall burn,
Its Gold and Jewels into Ashes turn,
And only spare this Virgin for my sake.
[Meaning Polyx.]
[Alarm, and shouts within.]
73
Achilles has no sooner said the word,
But his Revenge is come.
Enter a Trojan.
Troj.
Fly Priamus, to Refuge straight retire,
Your Enemies come arm'd with Sword and Fire.
Thousands of Grecians set the Streets on Flame,
Whil'st we stand all amaz'd from whence they came.
Legions without encompass round the Town;
Sure all the Gods to aid 'em are come down:
For less than in a moment Troy is won.
Pri.
Now we find true Cassandra's Words too late.—
Come sad Remainder of lost Priam's Children,
Let us all burn, and die together.
And.
With greater Joy, than live after my Hector.
Ach.
O stay by me—O save Polyxena.
Exeunt Priam. Polyx. Andr. and Helen.
Paris.
Damn'd Traitors! Yet I am resolv'd
To die no Coward's Death.
Ach.
Hold Agamemnon, and support me firm—
Inspire me with new Strength ye Gods, but till
I die reveng'd—'A falls, the Traitor falls.
Agamemnon, and Ulysses support Achilles who kills Paris.
And thus I triumph in my Death.
Par.
Farwell to Beauty now, and all the World,
Helen, and I have troubl'd it too long—
My Soul moves heavy on wards with the thoughts,
That Menelaus now will grasp thee all—
Take her—O there's the Hell I go to meet with—
Bear witness Heav'n I part not with my Life
With half so much regret.
[Dies.]
| The destruction of Troy | |