 | Thyestes |  |
SCENE II.
Philisthenes and Antigone meet.SCENE the Mouth of a Cave in a Grove.
Ant.
Oh! my Philisthenes, sad news! sad news!
My cruel Fathers Feaver of Revenge
Grows on him every hour, night brings him all
The restless shades of Hell, day all the Flames,
He's ever calling for thy Fathers Blood:
How greedily wou'd he drink thine more sweet?
But do not fear; as soon as Night appears
Away we'll fly from this accursed place,
Devoted by our Fathers to all ill:
By thine to Incest, and by mine to blood.
Phi.
Oh! Gods! what dreadful miseries must befall
Th'unhappy Off-spring of two such bad men?
Ant.
Our Innocence and Love will guard us safe:
I have prepar'd a Chariot for our flight
To the Ægean Sea, and there a Boat
Lies lock'd at Anchor, in a Creek so small,
It seems a little Closet of the Sea,
Where Mayden Calms lye hid from Ruffian Winds:
The Creek appears a wrinkle made with age,
In a high Promontories bending brow.
The little Harbour is o're-look'd by all
But a poor humble Fisherman, whose Hut
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There needs no Porter where there is no Door.
Nothing they think can creep out o' that Chink.
The honest Fisherman expects us both
E're Night be old; then let us fearless fly,
We cannot lose our way, for we transport
Our Journeys end along with us, our selves.
Phi.
What Beauty, and Love, do I to Misery lead?
Oh! Love! I lead thee from thy Fathers rage
To a more cruel Tyrant, merciless want!
My Fathers sins have press'd him down so low,
He stoops to eat the Charitable Bread
Of a poor aged Man, Peneus by Name.
Ant.
I knew that man: oh! that's a good old man!
Phi.
Where he conceals my Father, I know not;
He would not trust the secret with my Youth,
For fear I shou'd be cheated by ill men;
But from my Father oft he Presents brings,
Such as his miserable Fortune yields:
Their chiefest value is my Fathers Love.
Now shall I steal thee from thy Fathers Court,
And cannot give thee for it a poor Cave?
Ant.
I foresaw this, and all my Jewels brought:
Those with our Love will make a great Estate.
Phi.
Oh! you kind Gods! which way have I deserv'd
Such wondrous Love, from such a wondrous Maid?
Ant.
What have I done with 'em?—I have 'em not—
I have not lost 'em sure.
I left 'em in my Chamber, I did ill,
For I abhor to thrust my head again
Within that cursed House, which is a Sink
Where Jove throws all the scum of all ill stanes;
And Furies watch'd my absence, I'm afraid,
To set my Jewels in some baleful Charm:
But I'le go fetch 'em; hide! oh! hide, my Dear!
Down to the darkest corner of the Vault.
Phi.
Oh! let me see thee, as long as e're I can.
Ant.
No, no, 'tis dangerous, down, down, my Love!
Oh! Cave, be faithful to thy precious trust,
And all the youthful Lovers in the World,
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Shall make a Temple of thee, and adore
Night's little Picture that adorns thy Walls,
Night Lover's Goddess, and Eternal Friend.
Farewell my Love.
Phi.
Farewell my Dear!—my Eyes
[Ex. Ant.
Are fastned to her steps, and I must look
What-e're it cost me.
Enter a Captain of the Guard with a Guard, and seize Phil.
Capt.
And 'twill cost thee dear.
Phi.
Betray'd? ha! what are you?
Capt.
King Atreus Guard.
Phi.
Oh! I am lost!
Capt.
Indeed young man, thou art
So lost, I pity thee; and wou'd it cost
No life but mine, by Heaven, I'd set thee free.
But were it known, 'twou'd cost a thousand Lives;
My single Life wou'd to the raging King
Be but like a little Pillar to the Sea;
Not stop the Waves, but make 'em foam the more.
And that 'twill be discover'd is as sure
As there are Spies and Villains in a Court.
Phi.
What have I done, the King shou'd seek my Life?
Capt.
Thy Father sinn'd both for himself and thee.
Phi.
I from my Father receive no Estate,
'Tis hard I shou'd inherit all his Faults.
Capt.
May the King use thee as thou dost deserve.
Phi.
Since you have so much pity, I dare beg
For my Dear Love; (whom I must see no more!)
I know you over-heard our talk!
Capt.
We did.
Phi.
Oh! spare her Life; and do not tell the King
She loves unhappy me.
Capt.
No, no, dear Youth,
For our own sakes we'll hide it from the King:
Small trust he'd put in us, if he shou'd find
His daughter false.
Phi.
She is not false; but Fate
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Capt.
Ah! cruel Chance, that brought me to this Cave,
To ruine this unhappy lovely pair.
Phi.
Ah! poor Antigone! ah! wretched me!—
Ex. Phi. with the Guard. At another Door enter Antigone.
Ant.
Methought complaining sounds came from the Cave;
The sounds of differing Voices were compos'd;
I'm in a horrid Agony with fear!
I cannot stay, yet forward dare not go.
Forward I must; how deadly cold I am,
As if death stood between the Cave and me?
If I meet not my Love, I shall with Death:
He is not in the Cave; where is he wander'd?—
My Love! Philisthenes—my Love, my Love!
Where art thou hid? Come hither, I am here,
Antigone is here!—my Love—my Love.
Oh! nothing answers, he is seiz'd!—he's lost!—
She falls in a Swoun. Enter Peneus.
Pen.
Ha! what is she, that sleeps in open Air?
Indeed the place is far from any path,
But what Conducts to melancholly thoughts;
But those are beaten Roads about this Court.
Her Habit calls her, noble Grecian Maid;
But her sleep says she is a Stranger here.
All Birds of Night build in this Court, but Sleep;
And sleep is here made wild with loud Complaints,
And flies away from all; I wonder how
This Maid has brought it to her lure so tame.
Ant.
Oh! my Philisthenes!
Pen.
She wakes to moan;
Ay! that's the proper Language of this place!
Ant.
My Dear! my poor Philisthenes is seiz'd!
I know 'tis so! oh! Horrour! Death! Hell!—oh!
Pen.
I know her now, 'tis fair Antigone!
The Daughter and the Darling of the King,
This is the Lot of all this Family.
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I am old Peneus, one who threescore years
Has lov'd and serv'd thy wretched Family,
Impart thy sorrows to me, I perhaps
In my wide Circle of Experience,
May find some Counsel that may do me good.
Ant.
Oh! good old man! how long have you been here?
Pen.
I came but now.
Ant.
Oh! did you see this way
Poor young Philisthenes? you know him well.
Pen.
Thy Uncles Son? Thyestes eldest Son?
Ant.
The same! the same!
Pen.
No, all the Gods forbid
I shou'd meet him so near thy Fathers Court.
Ant.
Oh! he was here, one cursed minute past.
Pen.
What brought him hither?
Ant.
Love to wretched me.
Our warring Fathers never ventur'd more
For bitter hate, than we for innocent Love.
Here, but a minute past, the dear youth lay;
Here in this brambly Cave lay in my Arms;
And now he's seiz'd! oh! miserable me!
[She tears her Hair.
Pen.
Why dost thou rend that Beautious Ornament?
In what has it offended? hold thy hands.
Ant.
Oh! Father! go and plead for the poor Youth!
No one dares speak to the fierce King but you.
Pen.
And no one near speaks more in vain than I;
He spurns me from his presence like a Dog.
Ant.
Oh! then—
Pen.
She Faints! She Swouns!—I frightned her!—
Oh! I spoke indiscreetly!—Daughter! Child!
Antigone! I'le go!—indeed—I'le go!—
Ant.
There is no help for me in Heaven or Earth.
Pen.
There is, there is, despair not sorrowful Maid,
All will be well—I'm going to the King,
And will with powerful reasons bind his hands;
And something in me says I shall prevail;
But to whose care shall I leave thee mean while?
For, oh! I dare not trust thee to thy grief.
Ant.
I'le be dispos'd of, Father, as you please,
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Pen.
Then come, dear Daughter, lean upon my arm,
Which old and weak is stronger yet than thine,
Thy Youth has known more sorrow than my age.
I never hear of grief, but when I'm here:
But one days diet here of Sighs and Tears,
Returns me elder home by many years.
[Ex. Pen. Ant.
| Thyestes | |