University of Virginia Library

SCENE V.

A Grotto in the Garden of the Palace—EUDOCIA solus— GAUDENTIUS approaching.
Gaudentius.

Eudocia
within, in a soft, plaintive, agonizing voice.
Oh! some kind seraph snatch my soul away,
And shroud my griefs beneath the peaceful tomb;
Or must a dagger ope a passage hence,
To set me free from Hunneric's embrace?

Gaudentius.
'Tis she herself—'tis her symphonious voice:
The murmuring maid in broken accents sighs;
Tis my Eudocia whispering to her God.
[Enters the Grotto.
Let not those sighs fear up an angel's breast;
Nor let the wreck of empire strike too deep.

Eudocia.
Hah!—who art thou that boldly dares intrude
On the last hour of this my still retreat?
Some spy of Hunneric's, to watch my steps,
Lest one short moment of repose I find,
This last sad night, ere I'm completely curs'd.

Gaudentius.
May all the powers who guard the good and just
Protect my princess!—

Eudocia.
Hah! my belov'd Gaudentius!—
Dost thou yet live, through all the perils
Of a barbarous siege, to see Eudocia
Snatch'd from thy lov'd arms?—Alas! my fate,
To what a hated rival am I doom'd!

Gaudentius.
I had not liv'd but for Eudocia's sake.

Eudocia.
Yet save a life much dearer than my own;
Nor linger here, 'tis on the verge of death:
Leave me to perish in my country's fall.

Gaudentius.
Not all the clangor, or the din of arms,
Or roughen'd tempests, whose impetuous blasts,
In fiery bolts, may rive the mountains up,
Again shall tear me from my lov'd Eudocia.

Eudocia.
My lips can't utter, nor my tongue express,
The anguish that my tortur'd soul endures:
'Twas early duty nurs'd my infant love,
And strictest virtue sanctifi'd the flame,
'Till Valentinian fell—alas! no more;
Nature—religion—reason—filial love,
Forbid a union with the son of Ætius.

Gaudentius.
My brain grows hot—it kindles to distraction—
This night secures my bliss—or—certain death.

Eudocia.
Oh! live Gaudentius—live for Rome's defence;
Nor rob thy country of so brave an arm.
Not crowns, or sceptres, or the world besides,
Has aught to balance with my love for thee;
Yet urge no more—fly hence and save thyself—
One parting sigh—one solemn, last adieu—
Then, for thy country's sake, forget Eudocia.

Gaudentius.
Not till the pulse of life forgets to play,
And death's cold dews pervade my quivering lip.
Within this garden will I find a grave,
Unless my princess dares an enterprise,
Which lost this night, may never more return;
I must attempt thy rescue ere the morn.

Eudocia.
In what new horror would this scene involve?

Gaudentius.
Arouse thy noble fortitude of mind—
'Tis the decisive hour—the next subjects
To Hunneric's embrace.—

Eudocia.
Not all that nature shudders at in death,
Has half the terrors that his name conveys;
Oh! save, if possible—prevent my fate.

Gaudentius.
Then fly with me from misery supreme.

Eudocia.
The port of Ostia's shut—and all the seas
Fill'd with Genseric's fierce piratic slaves:—
Where can the wretched fly?

Gaudentius.
Fly any where from Hunneric and death.

Eudocia.
Alas! my heart—my weak, my wavering heart!

Gaudentius.
Come, let us move to yonder small alcove;
The brave Traulista, whom Genseric trusts,
Most fortunately heads the nightly watch,
Patroles the posts until the morning dawns;
The moment that the midnight bell resounds,
He brings a Vandal garb for my Eudocia,
And aids our flight to the Tarentiae sea.

Eudocia.
Traulista!—I like not this Traulista—
Traulista has a rough, a savage soul,
Wrought up to treasons of the darkest hue.

Gaudentius.
His life he owes to Ætius and myself.

Eudocia.
But gratitude can never bind the base:
An infidel to God—there is no tie—
No principle to bind a worthless heart.

Gaudentius.
Hs is my friend; come, dissipate distrust.

Eudocia.
A thousand spectres stare on every side.

Gaudentius.
Let's lose no time, nor let thy fears retard;
[He offers to lead her out of the Bower.
The hazy moon enwraps her tranquil face,
And hides behind a thin transparent cloud,
Lest she betray, by her resplendent beam
Thy trembling step—the terror in thy eye.

[Moving slowly on.
Eudocia.
Methinks I hear some speedy foot advance.

[She starts back.
Gaudentius.
My generous friend anticipates the hour.

Eudocia.
Lie still, my heart—
Nor burst the brittle casement of my breast.

Enter SERVANT.
Servant.
Away, my lord—fly to the thickest shade,
Or, ere thou can'st escape, thou art undone.

Gaudentius.
Hah! betray'd!—

Servant.
Two ruffians arm'd, crawl round the citron walk—
They nam'd Gaudentius—I stay'd to hear no more—
But rush'd—and shot across the darken'd grove,
To serve the princess and to save my lord.

Gaudentius.
Alas! my faithful Cassio—thou'rt too late,
Yet as a soldier will I sell my life.

Enter HUNNERIC and TRAULISTA.
[Gaudentius makes a furious pass and mortally wounds Traulista.]
Traulista.
Death to my hopes—damnation to his hand!—

Gaudentius.
Oh! heavens! Traulista—art thou the villain—
Traitor—dastard—slave—lurking in secret,
To betray thy friends?

Traulista.
Coward, come on—
To brave in words thou may'st a dying man;
Yet know I've life enough to dash to hell,
And send thy puny soul to Pluto's shades,
For daring once to threat Traulista's life.

Gaudentius.
High heaven has levell'd at thy treacherous heart
The fatal stroke that justice' hand demands.

Traulista.
Now are there deities or devils—ghosts or gods,
I'd thank them all had he have dy'd before me.
My eye balls sink—my stiffen'd fibres fail!—
Haste, Charon—with thy boat—and set me o'er
The Stygian pool—blot out this being—
'Tis a curse to man—yet if these Romans live
In other worlds, I would exist again,
To chase them from Elysium, as from Rome.

[Dies.
Hunneric.
Seize this young furious prince, and on the rack
[To his Guards.
Extend each limb—with heated pincers tare,
'Till I have time to find new tortures out.

Gaudentius.
Not thee, nor death, nor tortures do I fear,
Would angel guards and ministers of fate
First snatch Eudocia from thy loath'd embrace—
Yet know, Gaudentius dies not as a slave.

[He rushes forward and engages Hunneric, who mortally wounds him.—Eudocia runs between their swords, and offers her breast to Hunneric.]
Eudocia.
Strike here, most noble Hunneric—end my pain—
Now if thy soul can do one generous deed
Emancipate thy prisoner—enhance the gift—
Nor like a niggard do thy work by halves;
But let me die with him, my life, my lord,
My husband, my Gaudentius.

Hunneric.
No, my Eudocia, live—thou art my queen.

Eudocia.
If hell's dark empire had a charm for me,
Then I might wish to be the Vandal queen.

Gaudentius.
Adieu, my fair—adieu, my lov'd Eudocia—
Adieu to glory, empire and renown!— [Falls.


Eudocia.
Oh! stay Gaudentius—let me assuage thy wounds,
Support thy drooping head one moment more—
Then I accompany my much lov'd lord.

[She faints.
Hunneric.
Slaves, bear her off—these are the sex's tricks—
While her fond eyes hang on her paramour
She'll play them o'er, and weep, and sigh, and rave,
And faint again—yet cannot die with grief—
But in mine arms she'll sink an easy bride.

Eudocia.
[The guards attempt to force her from the corpse of Gaudentius.]