Hannibal A Drama [Part 2] |
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Scene IV.
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 | Hannibal |  |
Scene IV.
—The sea-shore. A crowd collected waiting for Hannibal's embarcation. Herdoneans and Metapontines mixed with the people of Crotona.A Cit.
Ay, let the women wail! 'Tis time indeed!
Who will protect us now?
Anoth.
Yes, there they go!
Gaul, Spaniard, African—each in their turn,
The blue-eyed and the swarthy—one fierce face
After another. Pass one little hour,
And this land will have seen its last of them!
Anoth.
A swarm of hornets seeking a new nest!
And ne'er a Roman dares but raise a shout
To send them quicker.
Anoth.
Pale, sad faces here!
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What shall our fate be now? As yet the Roman
Cares not to show so much as a spear's point.
They let him go in peace, but once he's gone,
Down come they with a vengeance!
Anoth.
Mighty Juno!
He leaves us worse off than we were before!
He should have never come, or never gone.
A Herd.
Let him go, the black-hearted Carthaginian!
And let the curses of the slain go with him!
Anoth. Herd.
And let the curses of our ruined cities
Shake his own Carthage deep as her foundations!
A Metap.
You'll all live to regret him. Greater man
Never did this land see, nor ever shall—
A man more dreadful to his enemies,
More generous, just, and faithful to his friends,
Yea, to the humblest of them.
A Cit.
If he beats
Young Scipio, who knows but he'll come again?
Anoth.
If Scipio beats him, he's the age's wonder.
Who ever heard of Hannibal defeated?
Anoth.
Say what you will, with him our sun goes down.
Enter Hannibal, Maharbal, Adherbal, and others, attended by some of the principal Citizens.
Han.
Farewell, my friends! To leave you thus exposed
To Rome's revenge, afflicts me to the soul,
Believe me. I have done what best I could
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That Rome may gently deal with you. Farewell!
Cit.
O Hannibal! Farewell! farewell! farewell!
Enter Ianthe, dressed as a Sibyl.
Ian.
O Hannibal! Dost thou remember me?
Han.
What seek'st thou, lady?
Ian.
What I cannot find—
Rest for this troubled brain—ice for this fever—
Comfort to my despair. Thou art going, then?
Go, with the curse of cruelty upon thee!
Go, with an evil star, to Africa,
And think of me upon the battle-field!
Live to see Scipio riding o'er thy slain!
Live to fly routed before Scipio's face!
Live to behold the ruin of thy country!
[She rushes away.]
Adh.
An evil omen, if the soldiers heard.
Mah.
Confound her, the mad witch!
Adh.
Ah, fair Ianthe—
Good-bye to thy crazed, piteous loveliness!—
And thee, too, goddess Juno, gazing down
From yon sun-lighted promontory of woods—
Through which thy temple sparkles like a flame—
To watch us go! It may be thou shalt yet
Watch us return.
Han.
What though we ne'er return!
Whatever henceforth shall become of me,
My labour never will have been in vain—
Long shall Rome feel me in her heart of hearts!
| Hannibal | |