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118
A DIALOGUE.
Orpheus and Eurydice.
Orpheus.Eurydice , my fair, my fair Eurydice!
My love, my joy, my life, if so thou be
In Pluto's Kingdom answer me; appear
And come to thy poor Orpheus.—
Eur.
Oh I hear,
I hear, dear Orpheus, but I cannot come
Beyond the bounds of dull Elysium.
I cannot—
Or.
And why wilt thou not draw near?
Is there within these Courts a Shade so dear
As he that calls thee?
Eur.
No, there cannot be
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Orph.
Why comes not then Eurydice?
Eur.
The Fates,
The Fates forbid, and these eternal Gates
Never unbarr'd, to let a Pris'ner go,
Deny me passage; nay, grim Cerberus too
Stands at the door—
Orph.
But cannot then
They that o're Lethe go, return agen?
Eur.
Never, oh never!—
Orph.
Sure they may, let's try
If Art can null the Laws of Destiny.
My Lays compacted Thebes, made every Tree
Loosen its roots to caper; come let's see
What thou and I can do.
Chor.
Perchance the throngOf Ghosts may be enchanted with a Song,
And mov'd to Pity.—
Hark the Hinges move.
The Gate's unbarr'd, I come, I come, my Love.
120
Chorus.
'Twas Musick, only Musick, could un-spelHelpless, undone Eurydice from Hell.
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