University of Virginia Library

SCENE the last.

Scene opening discovers Eurydice sitting, Polydore kneeling by her.
Periander.
Ye righteous Gods!
O give her back to life, and to your justice
I bow this guilty head—What's to be done?
Leonidas, Ariston, fly, my friends,
Call, gather all our sages; bid them try
Their sovereign skill. My crown to him that saves her.

Eurydice.
It cannot be. Already death invades
My shivering bosom. Yet a little moment,
And I shall be with those that rest for ever.
But here in this last awful hour I swear,
By that dread world whither my soul is parting,
I never knew pollution: I am still
Your true and lawful wife.

Periander.
I know thou art,
Thou dying innocence. My fatal blindness,
Destruction on my head! has ruin'd thee.
My life! my soul's best joy! and must I lose thee?
Lose thee for ever?—Wretch! rash fool!—O yet
Forgive my madness.

Eurydice.
Thus, in thy lov'd arms
Each unkind thought is lost. Now I die pleas'd:
Now all is well.—Death! thou art here—

Melissa.
Ah! she expires. The last dim mist swims o'er
Her closing eyes!

Periander.
One moment, thou fair Spirit,
One moment tarry for me—Thus we join,
To part no more—

[he draws his sword to stab himself.
Ariston.
Ah! Sir—

Leonidas.
My Lord, what means
This fatal fury?

Periander.
Cruel men, away.
And would you then detain me longer here
On this loath'd spot, to linger out old age
With darkness and despair! to curse the hour
That gave a murderer birth! Would you, my friends,
Have me live thus?

Ariston.
Ye Gods asswage his grief!

Periander.
These righteous Gods have cast me off for ever.
My broken vow!—O terrible! it hangs,
A bursting thunder, o'er my head. I see—
And tremble at the sight, th'inquiring Judge,
Beyond these heavens, high on his throne of terrors;
His fix'd and dread regard turn'd full upon me!
And look! behold! the Minister of vengeance
But waits his nod to strike me thro' the centre.

Polydore.
Alas! my father—

Periander.
O my son! my son!
I have undone thee too. How dare I look
On that dear face, where thy lost Mother's sweetness
Smiles strong reproach, and charms me into madness?
Then, farewel reason! farewel human converse!
Sun, day, and time, farewel!—All hail despair!
Eternal darkness hail!—Say'st thou I've lost her?
No, no; we will not part. Thus let me press
Her clay-cold lips, thus weep my soul away
On her chaste bosom here. O yet, my love!
My better life! O yet lift up thy eyes!
O speak to me!

Leonidas.
Alas! she hears you not.
The soul is fled for ever.

Periander.
O my Queen!
[he throws himself by the body: the rest stand weeping and silent.
[raising himself up.
Ha! there—save me! 'tis he, the King of terrors!
Lo how the ghastly vision glares upon me
With his fix'd beamless eyes!—What path is this,
Dreary and deep, thro' which he drags me on?
Bless me!—look there—what shivering Forms are these,
Thin as the passing air, that skim around me?
And now th'infernal world hath shut me in!
But see the Furies arm'd! see their fell serpents
That rouse themselves to sting me! Is there none,
No Power to screen me from them?

Leonidas.
Gracious Sir,
Where is that patience—

Periander.
Soft—I see her plain.
Yonder on high she sits amid the Gods,
Who wonder at her charms—And dost thou smile
Upon thy murderer?—Thus let me kneel,
And weeping worship thee—Ha! seest thou there
Yon flaming pool? And what damn'd soul is that,
Rising from the mid deeps, that beckons me?
He wafts me still—By hell, 'tis hated Procles,
The cause of all my ruine!—Traitor, yes,
I come, I fly, to plunge thee deeper still
In this red sea of tortures—O!

Ariston.
He dies!

Polydore.
O matchless horror!

Leonidas.
Bear him gently hence.
Was ever sight like this?—O Jealousy!
This is thy dreadful work. May future times
Learn here thy power, and mark with heedful eyes,
From thy blind rage what mighty mischiefs rise.