University of Virginia Library

SCENE THE FOURTH.

Agesistrata, Agis.
Agis.
... Oh heavens! ...
Oh mother! ...

Ages.
Son, in this thy hour of need,
To thee thy mother never could be wanting.
A liberty, that's worthy of ourselves,
I bring thee.—In a far different shape
To thee I would have yielded it; but when
There was a time for this, thou didst thyself
Divest me of all means t'accomplish it.

Agis.
What would'st thou with these Spartan cries obtain? ...

Ages.
In vain doth Sparta cry. The treacherous tyrant
The place hath so well guarded with his soldiers,
That our adherents nothing can perform:
In vain do they attempt to force their ranks;
Inert, abash'd, disgraced, discomfited,
They are repell'd. Among our impious foes
Forward I darted; from behind I heard
Fierce voices in my favour, which exclaim'd,
“Miscreants! dare you to interdict approach
“To Agis' mother?” ... Anpharus then saw me;
Made them give way to me, and here I'm driven.

Agis.
Perfidious! He would also make thee captive.
Ah, mother! To what useless risk for me! ...

Ages.
Risk! dost thou say? Beside my son, I come
To certain death. Behold, in proof of this,
The gift I bring.

Agis.
A sword!—Oh genuine mother!—
My breast did not contain another wish
Than to possess a sword to rescue Sparta,
And to withdraw myself from death-wounds, given
By an ignoble hand: and thou, oh joy!
Bringest one to me!—Give it me ...

Ages.
Chuse thou:
There are two swords; mine is the one thou leavest.

Agis.
Oh heaven! ... and wilt thou? ...

Ages.
Dost thou then account me
Mother of Agis, or a vulgar woman?
Few years at best remain for me to live:
Sparta, which thou in vain dost hope to save,
Already is enthrall'd: if she remain,
Thy mother is Leonidas's slave.
Now speak; I hear thee: darest thou council me
On such conditions to consent to live?

Agis.
What can I say? I am a son.—Oh mother,
Suffer me first to die: although enslaved,
Sparta is not extinct; hence other hands
May liberate her yet. Perchance my blood
To freedom may restore her: but if I,
Abject, in order not to shed my own,
Had let the citizens in my defence
Lavish their blood, Sparta had been no more.

Ages.
Sparta too certainly expires with thee.—
And wouldest thou that I, a Spartan mother,
Survive my son and country?—Son, embrace me.

Agis.
Oh mother! ... Thou surpassest even me
In dignity of soul.—Now give to me,
And take the last embrace. I dare not weep
In thus embracing thee; for in thine eyes
I see thy tears by fortitude restrain'd.

Ages.
My Agis, ... thou indeed art worthy Sparta ...
And I of thee am worthy.—Once again
Let me embrace thee ... Whence this deafening noise?