University of Virginia Library

SCENE THE FOURTH.

ORESTES, ELECTRA, PYLADES, MELISANDER, ARCAS, ÆTHON and a train of Argian Nobles.
ARCAS
, kneeling with Æthon and the argian nobles.
See, sov'reign lord, your kingdom's richest store,
The vow'd asserters of your sacred rights!
A band of loyal and intrepid nobles,
Who have resolv'd to hazard in your cause,
All that they love, they honour, and they hope.

ORESTES.
Rise my good people [They all rise.
—rather let me say,
Friends, brothers, fathers—children!—O my soul!
How strong are thy sensations! Language fails
T' express the transports that I feel within me—
These silent oracles will best reveal them.

PYLADES.
Most happy meeting of a prince and people!

ORESTES.
Let Melisander, he who form'd my mind,
Witness how oft my heart hath yearn'd to serve ye.
Nor fear, my subjects, ye shall e'er lament
My mad misuse of pow'r. The thrones of kings,
I want not yet to learn, are only firm
While fix'd on public use and approbation.
Let tyrants strive with rods and racks to bow
To forc'd obedience the reluctant will:
Be it my glory, my delight, to merit
That best of duty which affection prompts.

ÆTHON.
Such sentiments inspire our raptur'd souls
With glowing gratitude and ardent zeal!
Another monarch, like our Agamemnon,
Comes, as a God, to scatter blessings round him!

ARCAS.
By the great name of him, whose sceptre sway'd
The realms of Argos with renown and glory!
Kneeling [They kneel.
before his awful dust, we vow
A firm allegiance to his lineal heir.
Lead us to face your foes—to danger—death!
No soul shall shrink, no sword shall shame your cause.

ORESTES.
Rise not, my people, ere my willing knee
Bend with the rest [Kneeling.
, and in the face of heav'n,
By all its blest inhabitants, I swear
Firmly to combat till I break your bonds,
And fix, beyond the will of pow'r to shake,
The full possession of your natal rights;
Those rights which none but tyrants e'er invade.

[They all rise.
ELECTRA.
The sacred ashes that are there enshrin'd,
Must be a party in this solemn league.
The injur'd have a right, the right of vengeance,
Which heav'n admits whenever urg'd by justice.
O then remember, my belov'd Orestes,
Your murder'd sire. And you, who always found him
The kind and common parent of ye all,
Forget not, when your weapons shall assail
The hearts whose flinty qualities could bear
To act an outrage of so black a dye,
To say ye strike for Agamemnon's wrongs.
That sound shall make impiety recoil—
Thro' ev'ry nerve strike terror and dismay—
Add double venom to the shaft of death,
And send them shudd'ring to the doom they merit.

ORESTES
, kneeling.
Hear, slaughter'd parent, royal Agamemnon—
And ev'ry God recognize what I vow!—
Ne'er shall this arm have respite, till my sword
Has paid the debt of duty which it owes;
And so reveng'd thee—that thy awful ghost,
Which now methinks, with languid looks, I see
Point at its gorey wounds to fire my rage,
Shall with a sigh of transport say—'tis done!
And sink compos'd to everlasting rest.

[He rises.
ARCAS.
Here break we off, lest interruption come,
The harbinger of danger. What remains,
Is to determine on the hour and place
To manifest your person and design.
The phocian bands, which royal Strophius sends
For your support, draw near: ere they arrive
It much imports our enterprize should open.

MELISANDER.
Goes not Ægysthus with his num'rous guards
To the wide plain without the city-gate
This very hour, to solemnize the sports
With which he entertains the populace,
On the suppos'd disaster of their king?

ÆTHON.
He does.

MELISANDER.
The queen—goes she not with him?

ÆTHON.
No.
The tyrant, tho' reluctantly, consents,
At her strong suit, to spare her soul the anguish
A sight like that must give.

MELISANDER.
Th' occasion's good
And we'll embrace it. Those who guard the palace
Will be but few, and easily subdu'd.
Possess'd thereof, we'll instantly proclaim
Our just and loyal purpose. The whole people,
Who venerate the house of Agamemnon,
Will join to seize the city-gates, and bar
The entrance of Ægysthus, whose strong guard
The hasten'd phocians sudden will surprize,
Attack, and bravely vanquish.

ORESTES.
Well advis'd.
May heav'n insure a happy execution.

ARCAS.
Princess, 'tis meet that you retire forthwith—
You need no caution for discreet demeanour.
Expect us soon. Till when, by all safe means,
Promote our good design.

ELECTRA.
Of that be sure.
O my Orestes! that we now must part,
Is to secure a long and happy meeting.