University of Virginia Library

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.