University of Virginia Library

SCENE III.

Enter Omphales and Ammon, to Zimon, Tryphon, and Hesione.
Omphales.
See the happy Man!
Call'd by that Voice, were I an Age intomb'd,
Methinks, I e'en might force the Grave itself,
And struggle thro' the Arms of Death to meet thee!
[Embracing her.
Here every Fear is lost! this is the Hour
The Hour of Joy, and Heaven crowns our Wishes!
Thus let this happy Day begin with Blessings.
[Kneeling with Hesione, to Zimon, who turns from'em.
Hah! why this Silence, and these signs of Mourning?
Are these our Nuptials?—Oh, Hesione!
[Rising.
E'en on this Day shall we converse in Sighs,
The sad Intelligence of hopeless Lovers?—
Oh, answer me! nor turn thy Face in Sorrow

Hesione.
Learn there the Cause! a Tale too sad, I fear,
He labours to unsold.

[Pointing to Zimon.
Zimon.
Fain wou'd I speak
Of Joy, and Comfort to your troubled Souls!

Omphales.
Whate'er your heavy Story is, at once
Declare it: For my Soul had rather prove
One certain Evil, than imagine all.

Zimon.
Imagine what you least cou'd wish to hear.

Omphales.
Ha! how is this!—By Heav'ns it must be so!
It strikes at us, Hesione!—O, arm,
Arm thee with Patience, my prophetic Soul!
A third Delay!—how long must I endure?—
Thou honour'd Parent of Hesione!
I see thy gen'rous Breast is troubled for me,
Doubt not my Patience: I'm enur'd to suffer!
[Pointing to Hesione.
If yet the Gods wou'd prove my Constancy,
If it concerns thy Peace, that we again
Defer our promis'd Bliss, proclaim it now!
Name but the certain Time, th' appointed Day
When we shall meet in Joy, and tho' till then
Each Hour is loaded with an Age's Care;
Tho' no pale, lonely Ghost, deny'd its Rest,
Shall wish to wander out its Term so fast.
Yet point me out that Day! and mark how well
I've learnt to suffer for Hesione!

Zimon.
Oh, Nature!—oh, ye Gods!—how am I torn?
Tryphon, declare the Will of Heav'n, while I
Withdraw, and mourn their hapless Destiny.

[Going off.
Omphales.
Now, by the Gods, if 'tis of so much Weight,
I'll learn it from no Tongue but thine!

Zimon.
Know then—
(But arm your Hearts; for you have much t'endure)
Know you can never meet in nuptial Joy!

Omphales.
Never!

Hesione.
Avert it Heav'n!

Omphales.
By all our Sufferance,
They are unequal Gods that tell thee this!

Zimon.
Rash Youth, beware! let me not hear the Pow'rs
Revil'd in thy fantastic Passions!
By their blest Mansions! by their awful Thunder!
If in the face of Heav'n thou fling'st thy Slanders,
Wert thou the dearest Issue of these Loins,
I wou'd be first to practise Vengeance on thee!
—Unequal Gods!

Ammon.
Heavens! that these shou'd part!
This wou'd not be believ'd in Athens.

Tryphon.
Learn t'endure!—
[To Omphales: who is fix'd in Astonishment, and in an Agony of Passion.
Nor urge his Wrath!—wast thou not in the Field,
When at the Army's Head, an impious Foe
Traduc'd the Gods of Greece, while he inrag'd,
Rush'd forth, and pierc'd the proud Blasphemer's Heart?

Omphales.
Never! oh, never! not a distant Hope
To rest my Sorrows on! to turn away
Despair, and Frenzy, from my tortur'd Soul!

Hesione.
O think, my Father, think 'twas you who first,
Approving blew the kindling Flame of Love!
Early you taught me to receive his Vows,
And form'd my tender Heart for him alone.
Why did you paint him Noble, Gen'rous, Brave,
Perfection all, as you wou'd have describ'd
Some Offspring of the Gods? why all this Care
To train me up to Sorrow? rather why
Distant as Pole from Pole were we not plac'd;
Or told 'twas Death to gaze? O, yet recall,
Recall thy Words, and save us from Despair!

Zimon.
Daughter, trust Heaven with your Happiness!
You'll find the Gods are just.

Omphales.
Wou'd Man was so!
[Recovering from his Astonishment.
Now, by our glorious House! by the great Names,
And happy Souls of my brave Ancestors,
This matter wears a Face of Treachery!
'Tis all Deceit! an impious Artifice!
A studied Plot! a poor Conspiracy
T'illude my Hopes, evade the promis'd Rites,
And cheat me of my Love! by Heav'ns no more!

Zimon.
Know, when thou wou'dst be busy with my Honour,
Thou aim'st at what e'en Envy cannot reach!

Omphales.
Say, hast thou found a Youth who loves her more?
If so best prove him, and it shall be found,
Who dares deserve her most! or haply Avarice,
The Curse, and cold Disease of Age has seiz'd thee,
And it repents thee of the proffer'd Dow'r:
Take then thy Off'rings back, and with them all
E'er Fortune gave me—Oh, Hesione!
We cannot pay too dear for one another!
Banish me to some desert Isle remote,
Where Int'rest, or Ambition never led
Inquiring Man, where yet no Path is worn;
But all things rude as at the Birth of Nature:
Contented there with her cou'd I sit down,
There build the Nuptial Bed, wear out Life's Date,
And in those Arms forget there is a World!

Hesione.
But, oh, to live divided!

Omphales.
'Tis a Thought
My Nature starts at, and my Mind rejects,
As something Monstrous, and Impossible!

Ammon.
Compose thy Sorrows: Yet she shall be thine.

[Apart to Omphales.
Omphales.
O, Ammon, Ammon, I grow wild with Thought!
As soon thou may'st reclaim the angry North,
When in his Rage he bows the stubborn Forest.
She's mine! She's justly mine! My lawful Claim!
By Love, by Suff'rance and by Contract mine!
And now to give her up! tamely to part!
Let me be branded with a baser Name
Than Calumny has found, when that can happen!
Whatever desp'rate Man wou'd tear her from me,
Shall win her thus!—

[Here attempting to draw, Hes. obstructs his Hand.
Hesione.
Hah! whither art thou hurry'd?
Forbear this Violence! raise not thy Arm
Against that sacred Head!—

Omphales.
'Twas impious!—
But thou hast chasten'd me—behold me now
Calm, and Repentance all!—O, thou hast Pow'r,
E'en with a Look to charm the wildest Frenzy!
There dwells a wond'rous Magic in those Beauties,
Which, even as the Voice of Harmony,
Comes o'er the Soul, and all is strait compos'd!
Thus lowly let us bend, and to his Heart
Send forth the moving Pray'r of Misery.

[Kneeling with Hesione.
Zimon.
No more! I must not, dare not hear you more!
Tryphon instruct the Priests, that they prepare
A Sacrifice. I'll to the Altar strait,
And thank the Pow'rs, who deign to guide our Actions.