Car. Then Rome shall know The man, that makes her spring of glory grow. Jun. The elder and the nobler; I will give place, sir. Suet. You shew a friend's soul. March on, and through the camp, in every tongue, The virtues of great Caratach be sung! [Exeunt. SCENE I. ACT I. Heph. Coward flesh! O feeble arm! He dallied with my point, and when I thrust, He frowned and smiled, and foiled me like a fencer. O reverend Clytus, father of the war, Most famous guard of Alexander's life, Take pity on my youth, and lend a sword: Lysimachus is brave, and will but scorn me; Kill me, or let me fight with him again. Lys. There, take thy sword, and since thou art resolved For death, thou hast the noblest from my hand. Cly. Stay thee, Lysimachus; Hephestion, hold; | Two wives he takes, two rival queens disturb I bar you both, my body interposed. Now let me see, which of you dares to strike! By Jove, ye have stirred the old man; that rash day! Heph. I was to blame. When our hot master, that would tire the world, Heph. Why is it then we love? crown; Nor could the gods defend their images, Which with the gaudy coach lay overturned: 'Twas not the shaft of love, that did the feat; Cupid had nothing there to do; but now The court; and while each hand does beauty hold, Where is there room for glory? Heph. In his heart. Cly. Well said. You are his favourite, and I had forgot Now make your claim, while I attend the king. ]Exit. Enter SYSIGAMBIS, PARISATIS. Par. Did not you love my father? Yes, I see You did; his very name but mentioned brings The tears, however unwilling, to your eyes. I loved him too; he would not thus have forced My trembling heart, which your commands may break, But never bend. Sys. Forbear thy lost complaints; Urge not a suit, which I can never grant. Behold the royal signet of the king, Therefore resolve to be Hephestion's wife, Par. No! since Lysimachus has won my heart, My body shall be ashes, e'er another's. Sys. For sixty rolling years who ever stood The shock of state so unconcern'd as I? This, whom I thought to govern, being young, Heaven, as a plague to power, has rendered strong; Judge my distresses, and my temper prize; Who, though unfortunate, would still be wise. Lys. To let you know, that misery doth sway [Both kneel. An humbler fate than yours, see at your feet The lost Lysimachus: O mighty queen, I have but this to beg, impartial stand; And, since Hephestion serves by your permission, Disdain not me, who ask your royal leave To cast a throbbing heart before her feet. Heph. A blessing, like possession of the prin cess, No services, not crowns, nor all the blood, But love and I bring such a perfect passion, Heph. Such arrogance, should Alexander woo, Would lose him all the conquests he has won. Lys. Let not a conquest once be named by Heph. It will never be. Lys. No, I will yet love on, And hear from Alexander's mouth, in what Sys. I grieve, And fear the boldness, which your love inspires ; Lys. Let's away to meet the king; You know my suit. Heph. Yonder Cassander comes, He may inform us. Lys. No, I would avoid him; There's something in that busy face of his, Heph. Where and what you please. [Exeunt. SCENE II. Enter CASSANder. Thess. The haughty Polyperchon comes this way, A mal-content, on whom I lately wrought, Cass. So, when I mocked the Persians, that He struck me in the face, and by the hair Pol. Sure I have found those friends, dare se I hear fresh murmurs as I A beardless boy, swelled with inglorious wrong, Cass. The morning rises black, the lowering sun, And when time ripens thee to break, O shed As if the dreadful business he foreknew, Drives heavily his sable chariot on : The face of day now blushes scarlet deep, Like that of Jupiter-Lightning and thunder! Cass. Welcome dear Thessalus, and brother Papers with what contents? Phil. From Macedon A trusty slave arrived――great Antipater comes, Who in my room must govern Macedon; The stock of all thy poison on his head. Cass. All nations bow their heads with homage down, I fawn, or fall, like a far eastern slave, Thess. The king shall slay me, cut me up alive, Cass. Curse on thy tongue for mentioning Phi- I had rather thou hadst Aristander been, Cass. So dismal! Peace! Is straight disrobed, a napkin ties his head, Pol. Now, by the soul of royal Philip fled, Cass. Oh, Polyperchon, Philip, Thessalus, Did not your eyes rain blood, your spirits burst, To see your noble fellow-soldier burn, Yet without trembling, or a tear, endure The torments of the damned? O barbarians, Could you stand by, and yet refuse to suffer? Ye saw him bruised, torn, to the bones made bare; His veins wide lanced, and the poor quivering flesh With pincers from his manly bosom ript, Till ye discovered the great heart lie panting. Pol. Why killed we not the king, to save Philotas? Cass. Asses! fools! but asses will bray, and fools be angry. Why stood ye then like statues? there's the case, man. Phil. Wretched Philotas! bloody Alexander! Thess. Soon after him the great Parmenio fell, Stabbed in his orchard by the tyrant's doom. But where's the need to mention public loss, When each receives particular disgrace? Pol. Late I remember, to a banquet called, After Alcides' goblet swift had gone The giddy round, and wine had made me bold, Stirring the spirits up to talk with kings, I saw Craterus with Hephestion enter In Persian robes; to Alexander's health They largely drank; then, turning eastward, fell Flat on the pavement, and adored the sun. Straight to the king they sacred reverence gave, With solemn words, Ŏ son of thundering Jove, Young Ammon, live for ever;' then kissed the ground. I laughed aloud, and, scoffing, asked them, why They kissed no harder ;- -but the king leapt up, And spurned me to the earth with this reply: 'Do thou !'-—whilst with his foot he prest my neck, A surfeit, nay a fit of common sickness, Are your hearts firm? Phil. Hell cannot be more bent To any ruin, that I to the king's. Thess. And I. Pol. Behold my hand: and if you doubt my truth, Tear up my breast, and lay my heart upon it. Cass. Join then, O worthy, hearty, noble hands, Fit instruments for such majestic souls! Remember Hermolaus, and be hushed. Pol. Still as the bosom of the desert night, As fatal planets, or deep plotting fiends. Cass. To day he comes from Babylon to Susa, With proud Roxana. Ah! who's that? -look there! Enter the Ghost of King Philip, shaking a truncheon at them, walks over the Stage. Cass. Now by the gods, or furies, which I ne'er Believed,- -there's one of them arrived to shake us. What art thou? glaring thing, speak! What, the spirit Of our king Philip, or of Polyphemus? Phil. 'Tis said, that many prodigies were seen This morn, but none so horrible as this. Pol. What can you fear? though the earth yawned so wide, That all the labours of the deep were seen, Cass. As I was saying, this Roxana, whom, news Of his revolt? Thess. With grief incredible! Till from my ears, my nose, and mouth, the blood For which I wish this dagger in his heart. Cass. There spoke the spirit of Calisthenes; Remember he's a man, his flesh as soft And penetrable as a girl's: we have seen him wounded, A stone has struck him, yet no thunderbolt : Fell dead among her maids; With richest cordials, for an hour or more, Cass. Knowing how much she loved, I hoped to turn her all into Medea; |