University of Virginia Library

SCENE III.

THE PALACE.
Alexander, Lysimachus, Eumenes, Perdiccas, Officers, Guards, and Attendants, discovered.
Alex.
Search there; nay, probe me; search my wounded reins,—
Pull, draw it out.

Lysi.
We have search'd, but find no hurt.

Alex.
Oh, I am shot; a forked burning arrow
Sticks cross my shoulders; the sad venom flies,
Like light'ning, thro' my flesh, my blood, my marrow.

Lysi.
How fierce his fever!

Alex.
Ha! what a change of torments I endure!
A bolt of ice runs hissing through my bowels;
'Tis, sure, the arm of death. Give me a chair;
Cover me, for I freeze, and my teeth chatter,
And my knees knock together.

Eume.
Have mercy, Heav'n!

Alex.
Who talks of Heav'n?—
I burn, I burn again;—
The war grows wond'rous hot;—hey for the Tygris!
Bear me, Bucephalus, amongst the billows.
Oh, 'tis a noble beast; I wou'd not change him,
For the best horse the sun has in his stable;
For they are hot, their mangers full of coals,
Their manes are flakes of lightning, curls of fire,
And their red tails like meteors whisk about.

Lysi.
Help all; Eumenes, help.

Alex.
Ha, ha, ha, I shall die with laughter.
Parmenio, Clytus, do you see yon fellow,
That ragged soldier, that poor tatter'd Greek?
See, how he puts to flight the gaudy Persians,
With nothing but a rusty helmet on, through which
The grisly bristles of his pushing beard
Drive 'em like pikes—ha! ha! ha!

Perd.
How wild he talks!

Lysi.
Yet warring in his wildness.

Alex.
Sound, sound! keep your ranks close; ay, now they come.
Oh, the brave din, the noble clank of arms!—
Charge, charge apace; and let the phalanx move;
Darius comes—ay, 'tis Darius;
I see, I know him by the sparkling plumes,
And his gold chariot drawn by ten white horses:
But, like a tempest, thus I pour upon him—
He bleeds; with that last blow I brought him down;
He tumbles, take him, snatch the imperial crown.
They fly, they fly; follow, follow—Victoria,
Victoria, Victoria—

Perd.
Let's bear him softly to his bed.

Alex.
Hold; the least motion gives me sudden death;
My vital spirits are quite parch'd, burnt up,
And all my smoaky entrails turn'd to ashes.

Lysi.
When you, the brightest star that ever shone,
Shall set, it must be night with us for ever.

Alex.
Let me embrace you all, before I die.—
Weep not, my dear companions; the good gods
Shall send ye in my stead a nobler prince;
One that shall lead ye forth with matchless conduct.

Lysi.
Break not our hearts with such unkind expressions.

Perd.
We will not part with you, nor change for Mars.

Alex.
Perdiccas, take this ring,
And see me laid in the temple of Jupiter Ammon.

Lysi.
To whom does your dread majesty bequeath
The empire of the world?

Alex.
To him that is most worthy.

Perd.
When will you, sacred Sir, that we should give
To your great memory those divine honours
Which such exalted virtue does deserve?

Alex.
When you are all most happy, and in peace.
Your hands—Oh, father, if I have discharg'd
The duty of a man to empire born;
If, by unweary'd toil, I have deserv'd
The vast renown of thy adopted son,
Accept this soul which thou did'st first inspire,
And which this sigh thus gives thee back again.

[Dies.
Lysi.
There fell the pride and glory of the war.
If there be treason let us find it out;
Lysimachus stands forth to lead you on,
And swears, by these most honour'd dear remains,
He will not taste those joys which beauty brings,
Until he has reveng'd the best of kings.