 | Electra |  |
SCENE THE FOURTH.
ÆGYSTHUS, LYCON, ÆTHON, and ELECTRA, in Mourning.ÆGYSTHUS.
Come near, Electra. Thou'rt, at length, convinc'd
The Gods are guardians of the thrones of kings.
Forever blasted thou behold'st thy hope
To wrest the sacred scepter from my grasp,
And, in a torrent of rebellious rage,
O'erwhelm my fortune, and involve my life.
But from my soul I pardon what is past:
And with the ashes of thy lifeless brother
Would bury all rememb'rance of my wrongs.
Nay more: to shew how truly I'm thy friend,
My bounteous heart rejoices to bestow
The sum of blessings thou'dst have torn from me,
Peace, safety, greatness, and the joys of love.
The Gods are guardians of the thrones of kings.
Forever blasted thou behold'st thy hope
To wrest the sacred scepter from my grasp,
And, in a torrent of rebellious rage,
O'erwhelm my fortune, and involve my life.
But from my soul I pardon what is past:
And with the ashes of thy lifeless brother
Would bury all rememb'rance of my wrongs.
Nay more: to shew how truly I'm thy friend,
My bounteous heart rejoices to bestow
The sum of blessings thou'dst have torn from me,
Peace, safety, greatness, and the joys of love.
Take with this worthy man, whom I esteem,
All that thy wish would reach. His heart is thine.
Unite affection in one ardent flame,
And on his happiness erect thy own.
All that thy wish would reach. His heart is thine.
Unite affection in one ardent flame,
And on his happiness erect thy own.
31
To all the wrongs which I so long have suffer'd,
To all the sorrows that oppress me now,
Sicken my soul, and sink it to despair,
Was there this insult wanting, awful Gods!
To make the measure of my woes complete?
To all the sorrows that oppress me now,
Sicken my soul, and sink it to despair,
Was there this insult wanting, awful Gods!
To make the measure of my woes complete?
But I'll sustain ev'n this—will welcome all—
From hope the gath'ring stock may grow so vast,
That, like an o'ercharg'd building, its own weight
Will bear it down, a bulg'd and broken ruine.
From hope the gath'ring stock may grow so vast,
That, like an o'ercharg'd building, its own weight
Will bear it down, a bulg'd and broken ruine.
LYCON.
In pity to thyself—to him whose heart
Hath suffer'd long in sharpest agonies,
A wishing, trembling, watching, bleeding—
ELECTRA.
Hence—
Avaunt, presumptuous reptile. Glorious Gods!
Avenge this vile attempt at profanation.
The blood deriv'd from your celestial source,
And stream'd thro' kings and heroes down to me,
Shall ruffian hopes dishonour?—Know thou tyrant,
[To Ægysthus.
That Agamemnon's daughter, first of kings!
Asserts her high pre-eminence of birth,
To treat this outrage with the scorn it merits.
ÆGYSTHUS.
Know'st thou not, boaster, all thy pride of soul
A single breath of mine can blast for ever?—
Then be advis'd; suppress such arrogance,
32
Who seem'd to carry thunder in his name,
Remember, minion, is for ever lost.
ELECTRA.
I know it well—know ev'ry hope is gone;
And loosing them, I also loose my fears.
What has thy pow'r I dare not to contemn?
Thy racks and engines? Bring 'em instant forth:
And thou shalt see, by my heroic suff'ring,
That I am worthy of my father's fame.
ÆGYSTHUS.
Exalted phrenzy!—Be the trial thine—
Nay, Lycon, I were abject to relent—
Nor must thou intercede—
LYCON.
For your renown—
An eagle wreaks no anger on a wren.
ÆGYSTHUS.
I'll crush the scorpion, whose invenom'd spite
Watches to wound and poison my repose.
By all my glories! 'tis her wish, her pride,
To thwart my inclination, mar my hopes,
And jar to discord ev'ry passion in me.
But she shall suffer—
| Electra | |