 | The Fatal Constancy |  |
263
SCENE IV.
Enter Tryphon, to Zimon, and Ammon.Tryphon.
O Zimon, Zimon! now thou art indeed,
The last of wretched Men!
Ammon.
What's this?
Zimon.
The Cause?
Declare it! I'm prepar'd for all Events!
Tryphon
Thy Daughter—
Zimon, Ammon.
Hah!
Tryphon.
The rash Hesione,
As now the Priests prepar'd the holy Place,
With an impatient Fury in her Looks
Approach'd the Altar, where upon her Knees
Thrice she invok'd Omphales, and the Gods;
Then drinking deep of that most deadly Bane
Against whose Force no Antidote prevails,
Ye Pow'rs, she cry'd, behold my Vow discharg'd!
264
Forbid it, Heav'n!
Tryphon.
She raves, now calls on Death!
Now on Omphales!
Ammon.
Then no Life for me!
My Hopes are lost!
Zimon.
Oh, impious Violence!
Ammon.
I promis'd this good Sword to ease my Heart
When'er I knew Despair! I've breath'd thus long
But in the Expectation of to-day.
Let Cowards live in Pain! I'm not so brave!
Zimon.
E'en in Contempt of Heaven's Clemency
To cast her Being off!
Ammon.
Nay, think not Heav'n—
Tryphon.
Where tends thy Rage?
[Apart to Ammon.
Ammon.
Away! thou canst no more!
Tryphon.
Hear me! This Disappointment hurts thy Brain!
265
Where have I err'd, that Heaven in its Wrath
Shou'd cast this Weight upon my weary Age?
Ammon.
Live? to become the Figure of Decay?
[Breaking from Tryphon.
To stalk, like a repining, meagre Ghost,
About th' Athenian Streets? Feeding the Pride,
And Insolence of Fortune's pamper'd Fools?
Rather Obscurity, and endless Sleep!
A Sleep which Fate's severest Storms defyes!
Against whose pow'rful Charm the thousand Tongues
Of Scorn, Reproach, and Envy hiss in vain!
Zimon.
Nor let me murmur yet! The Gods far off
Beheld this Storm, and suffer'd it to fall!
Tryphon.
Is this the Resolution of a Man?
[Apart to Ammon.
Insects, the Creatures of a Summer's Heat,
Who live but in the Bounty of the Sun,
And in the Season of Inclemency,
Seek Death in Holes, make such an End as this!
Ammon.
I'll treat thee as a sordid Instrument,
Made for some base Design, which, being us'd,
With Loathing, and Contempt is cast away.
266
Yet 'tis a Parent's Duty to receive
Her last, sad Words, and close her Eyes in Death!
[Going off, is detain'd by Ammon.
Ammon.
Patron! I owe thee for some Favours past—
Beware of this thy evil Counsellor!
Woud'st thou believe, that hoary, reverend Man,
Who smiles like Innocence, and talks of Heav'n,
Thy Action's Guide, the Partner of thy Heart
Has wrong'd thee? been the Author of these Ills?
Suffer'd a Bribe? and trifled with the Gods,
To rob thee of thy Daughter, and thy Fortunes?
In Combination too with that same Orphan
Whom thou hast cherish'd from his Infancy?
I say, woud'st thou believe it?
Zimon.
Hah!—believe it!
Tryphon.
Madness! the Rage of disappointed Love!
Ammon.
Credit a Man, devoted to Despair!
A Man, who builds not on to Morrow's Hopes!
But hates the Light, and longs to be no more!
Zimon.
Tryphon, if it be sound thou hast practis'd on me!
If of their Hopes thou hast wrong'd this faithful Pair!
267
[Threatning him.
If thou return'st, like Gold from out the Fire,
Purg'd and refin'd, and brighten'd from the Tryal
I meet thee thus! and take thee to my Heart—
[Embracing him.
This, if thou'rt Faithful found: if otherwise,
No Torture can be equal to thy Crime!—
I've heard, indeed, that Artifice, and Fraud
Have lurk'd beneath the Vail of Sanctity!
Tryphon.
In Hope of Mercy I confess it all!
[Kneeling.
Zimon.
Mercy!—Ye Gods! if in such Shapes as these,
So near your sacred Altars we're betray'd,
Where is't that Man is safe?
Ammon.
In Death alone!
Zimon.
Within! Secure him strait!
[Enter Attendants who seize Tryphon and carry him off.
| The Fatal Constancy | |