University of Virginia Library

SCENE THE FIRST.

Sophonisba, Masinissa, Numidian Soldiers.
Ma.
Lady, pause here: behold the leader's tent.
Scarcely will Scipio have been heard, or seen,
By thee, than all suspicion from thy heart
Will be dispell'd.

So.
Oh Masinissa, yet
Art thou not satisfied? I give to thee,
I, daughter as I am of Asdrubal,
A lofty and a terrible of love
In coming with thee to the Roman camp.
But, that I should sustain th'abhorred sight
O' th'Roman leader? ... 'tis too much ...

Ma.
This camp
In which we stand, thou may'st as much pronounce
Numidian as Roman. A strong band
Of my troops here are placed, and I am here
No unimportant pillar of the war.
Daughter of Asdrubal art thou no more;
Widow no more of Syphax, since thou art
The promised spouse of Masinissa.

So.
Ah!
Let not the friendship which binds thee to Scipio
Blind thee too much. He, whatsoe'er he be,
Is evermore a Roman; hence he deems
All things subservient to Rome; nor can he
To any enemy of Rome be friendly.
His rage towards me will not be pacified
With having overcome, disgraced, and slain
Syphax: oh no! Cirta, besieged and burn'd,
The Massasyllii to the heavy yoke
Subjected all, have not appeased in him
Th'ambitious cruel thirst. Now, at the sight
Of Sophonisba almost in his hands,
Rightfully deem'd by him, for so I am,
Implacably the enemy of Rome,
Now, think'st thou not, that in his haughty heart
He cherishes th'insulting hope, to drag
Me through the streets of Rome bound to his car?
Yet this I apprehend not; though a woman ...

Ma.
Oh Heaven! what thoughts are these? While there remains
Within these veins of mine a drop of blood,
Can that e'er be? Ah no! believe it not;
Thy hate deceives thee now; thou know'st not Scipio.

So.
Hatred and love deceive me now alike.
Here ne'er should I have come: but in the world
There doth remain for me no place of safety.
It pleased my heart hither to follow thee,
And to my heart exclusively I trusted.
But my renown, my judgment, and my duty,
Appointed me, among its mouldering ruins,
A sepulchre in Cirta

Ma.
Dost thou grieve
That thou hast followed me? Alas! my life
Is irksome then to thee ...

So.
To die not thine
Would now alone afflict me: and to this
Dost thou expose me. Thou art well aware,
Oh Masinissa, that e'en 'mid the flames
Of Cirta's royal palace, 'mid the death
Of my defeated people, from thy lips
Impassion'd sentiments I dared to hear.
Alas! ... Already for a long time, I,
By the renown of thy transcendent virtues,
Which fill'd all Africa, had been enthrall'd.
I, from my tenderest infancy, to thee
Destined by Asdrubal, at once grew up
Thy mistress and thy spouse. Then, like myself,
Wert thou the bitter enemy of Rome:
To Carthage and my father, afterwards,
It seemed good to marry me to Syphax,
And to thyself it also seemed good
To be the friend of Rome: thus destiny
Disjoin'd us utterly ...

Ma.
Ah! we are now,
I swear to thee, for ever reunited.
Thou with me reignest, or I die with thee.
Having both personally seen and proved
The sovereign virtues of the mighty Scipio,
And having never seen thy peerless beauty,
Were then the reasons that I fought for Rome.
Syphax had ever been my enemy;
He had despoil'd me of my throne: reduced
By adverse fortune to extremity,
I found, excepting Scipio, no friend
In all the world; th'indissoluble tie
Of sacred gratitude bound me to him.
Since have I, combating in her defence,
Amply deserved the benefits of Rome:
But Scipio's benefits, his lofty, pure,
Disinterested friendship, can alone
By friendship, and by homage to his virtues,
Be recompensed by me. Thee, thee alone
Than Scipio more I love; thee only now
Prefer to him; for far more than myself
Do I love thee.

So.
To give me then a proof,
Worthy of both of us, of this thy love,
Swear to me thou, that thou wilt never let me
Living be dragg'd from Africa.

Ma.
'Tis useless,
Yet, since thou will'st it, by this sword I swear it.
Should I have brought thee here, if I had thought
That here thou wert in danger? In my realm
I might securely have transported thee
With my Numidians: but the call of war
Summon'd me here; I never from thy side
Can be dissever'd. Africa and Rome
Shall learn to pay thee homage as my consort:
Hence I, an enemy to all disguise,
Will now proclaim thee such.

So.
At length secure
In my proposal, and thy solemn oath,
I tranquillize myself ... But hitherward
A multitude advances: to thy tents
Meanwhile, 'mid thy Numidians, I retire.

Ma.
Since it seems good to thee, so do. This way
Scipio advances; I will speak to him.
Ere long I will rejoin thee.