 | Hypsipyle |  |
SCENE V.
Enter Rhodope.Rho.
What do I see? Learchus here and bound!
What power can save him!—Yes—I must dissemble.
[aside.
Eury.
Art thou my son! Am I Eurynome!
Lear.
As certain as desire to avenge thy son
Has made thee cruel to him.
Eury.
Wretched mother,
190
Only to make me guilty of thy death?
O my lov'd son! how dearly must I buy
The bitter pleasure of this fond embrace!
Rho.
Companions, bind the victim to yon' trunk,
And let our thirsty arrows drink his life.
[the Amazons bind Learchus to a tree.
Eury.
Ah! hold—Inhuman—
Rho.
First by force remove
Eurynome, nor let maternal sorrows
Disturb our purpose.
Hyp.
O unhappy mother!
Eury.
Have pity, Rhodope—
Rho.
Wouldst thou o'erturn
The laws thyself hast made?
Eury.
Hypsipyle,
Compassionate my tears!
Hyp.
Alas! what power
Remains in me!
Rho.
If but a moment more
Thou linger'st here, we speed the stroke of death.
Eury.
What mortal pangs can equal what I suffer!
The last farewell how shall I speak?
A mother's pain what words can tell?
I feel my heart with anguish break—
Dear offspring of my love farewell!
A mother's pain what words can tell?
I feel my heart with anguish break—
Dear offspring of my love farewell!
191
This fond embrace from her receive,
Whose fatal error seals thy death:
O! that I thus my woes could leave,
And in these arms resign my breath!
Whose fatal error seals thy death:
O! that I thus my woes could leave,
And in these arms resign my breath!
[Exit.
| Hypsipyle | |