 | Agis |  |
SCENE THE FIFTH.
Leonidas, Agiziade.Agi.
I will not, father, from thy side depart,
Nor at thy footsteps will I cease to kneel,
Nor to embrace thy knees, till thou once more
Restore to me my husband; or till thou
With thy own hand join me with him in death.
Le.
Beloved daughter, rise! oh never more
Do thou depart from me, I wish nought else.
Thou hast with me magnanimously shared
The many outrages of adverse fortune;
Hence is it just, that thou a partner be
In my prosperity: no one shall be
Over my heart more prevalent than thou:
Thee, as my representative, I make
The arbitress of Sparta:—nor without thee ...
Agi.
What words are these? 'Tis Agis I demand
Agis, and nought besides. Thou gav'st him to me
And thou canst never take him from me, no,
163
From Sparta take him, without dreadful stain
Of violence as a king, and as a man,
Of a denaturalized and cruel heart.
Le.
How canst thou thus be wilfully deceived?
That he is guilty, art thou not convinced?
But grant that he is guiltless, thou know'st well,
In either case, he is not in my power.
Th'ephori ought to hear him, ought to judge him:
Nor, for his detriment, or his advantage,
Can I, unaided, any thing perform.
Agi.
Thou art a father; and thou lovest me;
Thou hast already seen my filial love
Brought to a cruel test; and can it be
That thou would'st now dissemble with thy daughter?—
By treacherous arts erewhile hadst thou the power
Unaided, to immure him in a prison?
And, being innocent, canst thou not save him?
Ah, force me not to think thee ...
Le.
What avails it?
In this I can do nothing: furthermore,
'Tis needful that without delay I give
To th'ephori, not only an account
Of my own actions, but of those of Agis.
Agi.
Ah no! I will not quit thee: nor canst thou
A cruel order give, that will not fall,
At least in part, upon thy daughter ...
Le.
Cease;
Return thou to my palace ...
Agi.
I go with thee.
All wilt thou do, all oughtest thou to do,
164
Who saved thy life ... Ah, no! thou canst not slay him,
If first thou wilt not murder thy own daughter.
| Agis | |