if thou art by our Scythians seen Thy business is to dye But let 's retire and let th' Attendants bar These massy Gates for lo they come Euphrosine Enter Orestes Pilades Helymus Diores Euph. Shall we alarm the Guards Iph. Not for thy life My first request to great Diana is That I may ne're perform this cruel function For that which Reason utterly abhors Can ne're be acceptable to Divinity But if I am compell'd by these Batharians To do a deed which most my Soul abhors Let the Slaves destin'd for the Altar bleed But spare your Images ye pow'rs above In those two Godlike Youths Exeunt Iph. Euph. Or. You Helymus and you Diores Keep exact watch upon your several posts If we are caught on Scythian ground we die Ex. Hel. Di. I fear not for my self why shou'd a wretch That groans beneath intolerable woe Fear Death his kind Redeemer But for my Friend my Pilades I cannot chuse but fear Pil. I cannot fear with my Orestes near me Not even for Orestes Or. Alas you need not fear for me I am so exquisitely miserable That Death will long avoid me A wretch that labours with a world of woe By all but my Pilades forsaken By Gods and men forsaken And by the formidable Furies haunted Pil. Now your long miseries must cease take comfort The Delphick God has said it This is the Temple of the Dreadful Goddess Whose cruel Altars smoke with Human gore If we her Image can transport to Athens Your woes are at an end So said Diyine Apollo Or. See where that Image sits inthron'd in Horror And on the Bloody Battlements behold The spoils of murder'd Grecians The dreadful Gates are barr'd And the high Walls prohibit all access May we not justly then suspect this Oracle For how can we approach this fatal Image Or how can we transport it Pil. When we despair Great Love shall crown our action with success And from the Dangers of the place deliver us So said the God upon our Virtue then Upon our Friendship firmly let 's depend Immortal Love ne're stirs a moment from us Or. Above the world I swear I love my Pilades Then let us to the Ship retire That lies among the Rocks conceal'd And with the advantage of approaching night Sally with all our Friends Surprize and force the place Enter Helymus and after him Diores How now what means that ghastly look Hast thou too seen the Furies Why standst thou speechless What means that deep fetcht groan Why does Despair Stare thro thy haggard eyes Hel. My Lords defend your selves For from the Brow of yonder neighb'ring Hill A party of the Scythians have surpriz'd me Their reinless Steeds come scowring down the Mountain As they had Wings and seem to bend their course Directly tow'rds the Temple Or. It is enough my Pilades retire In the good Ship thy refuge quickly take While I with Helymus and good Diores Keep these inhumane Dogs that hunt for Blood at bay Pil. Had I made that Request to my Orestes By Heav'n I ne're shou'd have forgiv'n my self Because Orestes ne're could have forgiven me Should Pilades have ask'd his only friend To be so false so infinitely base As to desert him one day I must dye That is most certain and who knows how poorly How like the base born vulgar Cou'd I have ever wish'd to have faln more nobly Than fighting dying for my Dear Orestes How shou'd a Friend expire but with his Friend And not when Death has seiz'd his nobler part Drag a half wretched paralytick life His own forlorn Surviver Why wouldst thou then unkindly thus deprive me Of such a Death as I shou'd envy thee Then as we have liv'd let us embracing dye Now let them come Had they attack'd me only I wou'd have giv'n my wretched Breast to them That groans beneath th' intolerable weight Of never ceasing woe But since through mine they seek the life of Pilades By Castor and the friendly God his Brother They 'll find they safelier might have undertaken To have rousd the Hungry Monarch of the Woods While slumbring o're his young Enter Queen of the Scythians and Train Queen Give orders that the Horse remain at distance Let these on foot attend me to the Temple There 's something sad in my foreboding mind Tâ—â—â—s unbecoming of this pompous Festival 〈◊〉 night wâ—en Death-like Sleep had seiz'd on Mortals In the dread hour to silent Horror sacred This in the Visions of the Dark I saw The â—â—â—â—ings of th' Apartment where I lay Flew open with a Whiâ—â—windâ— violent blast And to my eyes appear'd th' amazing form Of 〈…〉 Goddess With 〈…〉 her head 〈…〉 Her 〈…〉 wrathful frown 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 the Fates â—â—reed She 〈…〉 Dreams are Dreams All 〈…〉 great Souls And I will think no more of it Seeing the Grecians Ha! 〈…〉 with Arms unlicenc'd And 〈…〉 〈…〉 that calls me Soveraign Or. 〈…〉 at us we are men And 〈…〉 ne're saw beforâ— Queen Yes I 'm a woman born to command men Pil. No to command Barbarians we are Grecians Queen By your exalted Speech and touring Meins I took you to be Gods But if you 're Grecians we shall find you mortal For if you 're Grecians know that you must dye Or. Then know that we resolve to die like Grecians Like two who know that we were born to die Pil. That ev'ry brave mans business is to die Or. Th' Employment of your Scythians is to kill But the whole business of a Grecians life Is like himself to die Pil. For Death is only certain all things else Depend on Fortune's Arbitrary freak And may or may not happen Death is Fate 's And only sure and common to us all Queen Gods how they talk I 'll see what they can do Fall on Or. Now the two friendly Brother Gods assist us They beat off the Scythians Queen Gods what have I beheld with what a fury They drove my Dastard Scythians all before theâ— As Whirlwinds drive the Dâ—â—â—â— Protect me great 〈…〉 Orestes Pâ—lâ—â—â—s Helymuâ— Diâ—â—â—s 〈…〉 Or. Now Madam you may see that thâ— we 〈…〉 Grecians are yet as faâ— aâ—â—â—â— your 〈…〉 As they 're below the gods But you are 〈…〉 Expecting we should 〈…〉 Because your 〈…〉 But we are able to 〈…〉 The high prerogative 〈…〉 Your Subjects as by 〈…〉 they 〈…〉 In all their Combate 〈…〉 Greatness of mind exciâ—â—◠〈…〉 Who conquers only to 〈…〉 And to improve the vanquish'd That you shall see your life your 〈…〉 Your Scepter 's yours once more 〈…〉 To shew more mercy to unhappy 〈…〉 Farewel Queen Gods Have I liv'd to hear such 〈…〉 'T is not the easie Conquers they obtain'd That mortifies my pride what 's 〈…〉 I have a greatness of my own a greatness Immortal like my Soul in which it dwells And ne're can suffer by my Subjects buseness But this is what tormentâ— me I have heard Gods I have heard them say such things as shows They who pronounc'd
is I. Or. Pil. 'T is both Queen But both it must not be I here am absolute But one shall fall a Victim to the Goddess Pil. To holy Friendship t'other falls a sacrifice Queen aside These are ye Gods the works of your own hands Your living Image To separate Apartments Guards conduct them Exeunt Guards with Orestes and Pilades Now to the Temple lead let 's there consult The Goddess she herself shall choose her Victim Exeunt Queen and Attendants Manet Iphigenia Euph. Iph. Stay my Euphrosine one moment stay Hast thou observ'd that Godlike Youth Who shew'd that noble sorrow Euph. I have Iph. Does he deserve the Death which we prepare for him Does he not say Deserve to be Immortal Euph. Yet he must die Iph. Dye Nature first he must not Dye Euphrosine Euph. Yes in the Arms of a young Beauteous Queen Iph. Ha! First let him bleed no let him live ye pow'rs Let Iphigemia Die Euph. Amazement What do I hear Iph. What wilt thou say when thou hast heard the rest Euph. The rest oh Heav'ns Iph. To my Apartment instantly let 's go There thou the secret of my Soul shalt know But not the very Winds of Heav'n must on it blow The end of the Second Act. ACT III. Iphigenia Euphrosine Iph. WIlt thou betray me Euph. I 'll rather dye with you Iph. Disswade me then no more I am determin'd And Fate crys out I must not lose a moment Be gone then fly and send the unhappy Grecian to me Enter Delia. Del. Madam the Queen commands that both the strangers Without delay be brought into her presence Iph. Unfortunate command that thus prevents me I will not be prevented inspire me thou Thou gentle God of Love for whom I act Delia inform the Queen that of the Captives The eldest is the Victim now Of these most dreadful Altars For such she says is great Diana's Will His Eyes are muffled and his Arms are pinion'd His Temples are with Holy Fillets bound Already has the sacred water cleans'd him And to the infernal Gods he stands devoted The other shall attend her instantly Exit Delia Euphrosine To me convey the eldest of the strangers And to the cruel Queen dispatch the other And thou Immortal Love whose conqu'ring pow'r Can give the Tender Timerous Virgin force Thus to defie the Terrors of the night Immortal Love indulge my bold design Preserve us thou preserver of the Universe Enter Orestes Or. Here all alone That pleases me But why Why I can gaze upon her unobserv'd And none condemn my weakness I have not half an hour to view the light And since I 've felt the extremity of woe 'T is fit I find some pleasure e're I dye Death's ghastly Image then I 'll chace away With Love's Transporting Thoughts But if those Thoughts once make me fond of Life I 'll think that I have reason to despair And so contented dye Coming up to Iphâ— It was your pleasure that a dying wretch Should come and take his leave of you Iph. Stranger I sent for you to give you notice That th' Altar is adorn'd the Steel prepar'd And the next moment they expect the Victim Or. The Victim will attend them But whose must be the executing arm Iph. Look how it Trembles at the Dreadful Deed Methinks with Horror Stranger you survey me Or. No do but strike with that soft melting look And my last breath shall Blessing pour my Soul on thee O Look ill suited to this cursed office That nought respires but Blood and horrid Murther How long have you possess'd it Iph. Last night the Scythians threatning horrid Tortures Compell'd me to accept of it But a more cruel wrack succeeds th' acceptance The fear of striking this accursed blow Has torn my heartin pieces Or. What object makes you start and turn so pale Iph. I sark heard you not the Temple doors Upon their hinges turning Or. No T was the hollow Breath of the Black North That grumbles on the Mountain Iph. My Apprehension every Moment murders me Ah Gods we must make haâ—â—â— the fatal Time draws nigh Or. Yet something wou'd I whisper to your Soul Wou'd you vouchsafe to hear me Iph. Alas 't is now too late we must be gone Or. To Death at your Command this readily I run Going towards the Temple Iph. Ah Gods You run you know not whither that 's not the way Suppose that â—ow some pitying God persuades me Yet to preserve you from impending Fate Or. And my Friend too Iph. And him too Or. To that propitious God my very self I 'll sacrifice Iph. Wou'd you take me the Partner of your Flight Or. The Partner What a Whirl of Fate is here Surprize and Joy distract me Iph. Wou'd you Or. Or may I perish in it unlamented Iph. No more Near yonder Western Point there lies A leaky Tempest-beaten tatter'd Bark In which Four Wretches slumber out the Night To fit them for the Labours of the Day That we must seize on and must trust to that Or. Alas we need not Near you Eastern Point The Sâ—out the Strong-ribb'd Argosic attends us A hundred daring Souls inclos'd in its huge Bulk All waiting on my Nod. Iph. Were you not wreck'd then Or. Among the Rocks the Vestel rides conceal'd Iph. What do I hear nay then the Gods regard us Remove a little further to the Right That no one from the Temple may discern you Thither I must return and thence transport The Image of the Goddess Or. That in my Rapture I had quite forgot Aside Iph. So shall we still be under her Protection And shall avoid the fierceness of her Anger Or. Alas You 've nam'd the very fatal Thing For which we touch'd on this accursed Shore Iph. Then came you here by choice Or. To fetch this fatal Image of the Goddess Iph. What mov'd you to it Or. The Delphick God ordain'd it Iph. Ha! How every thing I hear gives me new Life And makes my Blood run dancing to my Heart Six Grecian Virgins all of Noble Birth Within yon Temple wait upon my Call Who all wou'd offer up their Lives to serve me They tell me of prodigious Apparitions That have astonish'd them this fatal Night Two shall amuse the Queen with the Relation While the rest secretly transport the Goddess And thou old Night the Friend to Love and Stealth T' indulge this Stealth to which great Love compels me Redouble all thy Shades Aside Exâ—ect me in a Moment back again But on your Life re move not from the place Let me be sure to find you here So may you find the Happiness you wish for Exit Iph. Or. Confirm that Wish ye Heavens Heark Who comes there A Man Pray Heav'n a Friend What Alteration can a Moment make I who this Minute long'd to lay my Head Down in the dark and peaceful Grave Am now grown fond of miserable Life What sudden Vigour Love receives from Hope For scarce an Hour is past since the soft God
are not founded on Reason they will be sure to fall of themselves For all opinions are sure to change and prejudice and malice are sure to dye only Reason is always the same and only Truth is immortal The general success of the following Poem has been neither dispicable nor extraordinary I have pleas'd those whom I desir'd to please and the rest will one day follow But let the Writers value themselves upon Fortune who have nothing else to rely on To which of her scribbling Favourites has she not been kind has she not been coming But short have been her fantastick favours her affections fleeting and general contempt a terrible reverse has follow'd 'T is my Ambition to owe my Success to Reason and not to Chance to please the most judicious and the best of men and so to please for ever PROLOGUE Spoke by Mr Verbruggen The Genius of England rises to a Warlike Symphony SEe Brittâ—â— see before your ravish'd eyes See England's lofty Guardian Genius rise Admiring see that formidable mien That is by Gods with veneration seen That from great Neptune due Respect can draw And keep the watry trembling world in awe I who â—our Souls with all that s great inspire With soaring thoughts and each sublime desire 'T is I my Brittons who vouchsafe t' appear And. 〈…〉 God like Sons assembled here And 〈…〉 set you assembled all At 〈…〉 of my Majestic call 〈…〉 the Tragick Muse I have led Who had 〈◊〉 â—olling Moons been from you fled Forlorn forsaken the Celestial Maid In Solitudes disconsolatâ—â— straid Wild as a Bacchanal I saw her rove This 〈◊〉 Child of Memory and Jove Her once victorious eye now look'd Despair With miserable cries she rent the air Beat her Immortal Breasts and tore her golden Hair Am I by all forsaken then said she Oh is my Brittain faln to that degree As for effeminate Arts t' abandon me I left the enslav'd Italian with disdain And servile Gallia and dejected Spain Grew proud to be confin'd to Brittain's shore Where Godlike Liberty had fix'd before Where Liberty thrives most I most can soar Once more I thought t' inspire Athenian flights And once more towr to Sophoclean heights But oh she cry'd I feel a Ruder care And I have chang'd Ambition for Despair Here Song and Dance and ev'ry Trifle reigni And leaves no room for my exalted strains Those Arts now rule that soften'd foreign Brâ—â—es And sunk the Southern Nations into Slaves This said the Muse my Brittons against you Oh Supreme Jove And 〈…〉 It is so wanton are you 〈…〉 That my Degenerate Sons I have 〈…〉 Or what is worse ye 〈…〉 Oh what wou'd my 〈…〉 Or Edward's Soul returning 〈…〉 To see a Bearded more 〈…〉 Dissolv'd and dying by 〈…〉 To give you wholesoâ—◠〈…〉 With me the Tragick 〈…〉 To your soft neighbours 〈…〉 But listen you to â—â—â— great 〈…〉 'T is true the 〈…〉 But what can weaken our 〈…〉 Where cannot we exert our 〈…〉 Yet from his mortal voice 〈…〉 Whatever in the following Scen◠〈…〉 Whate're may from 〈…〉 That 's his from that 〈…〉 But to what 's ours 〈…〉 And ours is all that 's brave and 〈…〉 And which can raising 〈…〉 Friendship 's the virtue which we 〈…〉 He makes a Patriot too who makes a 〈…〉 Who freely for his Friend reâ—â—gns his 〈…〉 Would for his Country meet a glorious 〈◊〉 With silent awe my Brittons then attend View the great Action of a Grecian Friend And learn degenerate 〈◊〉 thoughts t' amend From Grecian fire let English hearts take flame And grow deserving of that noble name For not the boundless Main which I controul â—â—n so delight my Eyeâ— or charm my Soul As I am pleas'd when my brave Sons I see Worthy of Godlike Liberty and me He sinks to the same Symphony that he rose IPHIGENIA ACT I. Storm Iphigenia Euphrosine Iph. DEfend me great Diana Defend thy Iphigenia thou bright Goddess The wretched Servant of whose cruel rites Before thy Sacred Temple here I stand A Storm so dreadful my eyes ne're beheld Not ev'n in this accursed Scythian Climate O're which the furious God of War presiding The restless 〈…〉 and the outrageous elements All 〈…〉 War Euph. 〈…〉 something surely above Nature in it Iph. 〈…〉 Storm 's so terrible to us How must it look alas to those poor Souls With conqu'ring Death conflicting on the Main Look there Euphrosine's a fight will melt Thy pitying heart within thy tender bosom See in the mouth of this tempestuous Bay Upon the Sommet of whose horrid Cliffs This threatning Fabrick stands Yon goodly Vessel of a foreign make No Pilot to conduct it but the Tempest Before the foaming surges bounds along Euph. Bless me ye pow'rs what god can save them sinking Shou'd they scape foundring in the wild Abyss Anon they run amain upon the Rocks Of this inhospitable shore Iph. Or if by wondrous chance they avoid those Rocks Something more dangerous than the Rocks or Seas And rougher than the rudest of the Winds Attends them on the shore Euph. If they are caught on Scythian ground they dye And fall the Victims of these dreadful Altars Iph. They die but by whose hands Euphrosine Ah miserable me Tho in this place The men are more relentless than the Rocks Yet here are always Women to be found More savage than the cruelst of their men Enter Messenger Whence art thou And to whom Mess From you uncultivated Eastern Plain O're which our Roving Scythians drive Their wandring Habitations Our warlike Queen has sent me to demand If all things are prepar'd to solemnize Our great Diana's Annual Festival Iph. Tell her they are The Garlands are prepar'd the Victim's crown'd The Sacred Pomp of the Procession's ready And nothing but the Queen herself is wanting For now the night the fatal hour approaches Mess I fly to let her know it Exit Iph. Ah woe Euphrosine But yesterday This fatal office was conferr'd upon me Which to refuse had brought me certain Death And yet this night already I must Heav'ns My Blood runs chill within me at the thought Of executing this most horrid office Euph. Yes you 're to plunge your Knife in human Blood But 't is the Blood of Strangers Were you to offer up your darling Child Or to embrue your Hands in the dear Blood Of one who lov'd you and was belov'd by you How then wou'd your poor trembling Heart recoil At the bare thought of such a dreadful office Yet Iphigenia from a Race descends To which from Tantalus to Agamemnon Those dismal deeds have been but too familiar You sacrifice a Stranger to Diana Remember that your Father Agamemnon A Daughter wou'd have sacrific'd Iph. O dire Original of all my woe Why my Euphrosine wou'dst thou remind me of it To that intention of a cruel Father I owe a tedious twelve years misery I owe a tedious twelve years residence In this sad Clime where Heav'ns inclemency Frowns all the year upon the Horrid
restore it but on Terms Impossible to be perform'd by us Queen Why did you then approve them Phel I never knew them well till I had left you Queen A meer Pretence Is Grecian Faith so known Had not you giv'n that Faith to remain here Pil. But then that Faith was on Conditions giv'n Which soon I found you never cou'd perform Queen Wherefore Pil. Because the Gift you offer'd was no Gift Queen What was no Gift The Present which you priz'd so Pil. Had it been real it had been inestimable You only gave me Words and the vain Promise Of what the Gods had taken from your Pow'r Queen Surely thou ravest Is not Diana's Priestess in my Pow'r Pil. Her Body is but tho' it be a glorious One Without her Soul I wou'd refuse the Treasure But love alone can of her Soul dispose And without leave obtain'd of you The God had frankly done it Queen Ha! To whom Pil. How fain you wou'd extort this Secret from me Queen How fain I wou'd by Heav'n I will extort it Pil. You never shall I know I am to bleed And with me too the fatal Truth shall die Queen Then 't is no Truth and thou wilt die a Villain Die with the Brand of an ungrateful Traytor An odious Hypocrite Pil. To be reveng'd for these opprobrious Wrongs I need but tell you what you ask proud Princess Queen Do it then Pil. Will you persist to urge me Queen I will The Priestess Who has touch'd her Heart Pil. In your own Breast the fatal Secret's lodg'd Queen Lodg'd in my Breast Pil. Ask ask your self the Question who is he Who finds the way of touching Scythian Hearts Queen Ha! Gods That stings Aside Here Guards withdraw your Pris'ner And bring Diana's Priestess hither instantly Exeunt with Pil. By yon Bright Goddess He 's come off with Honour But Oh the exalted Virtue of his Friend Who freely for his Friend can Life resign And for his Mistress can contemn a Crown This Raises him still more in my Esteem It wou'd do had he made a better Choice And is the Priestess then preferr'd to me Have I who have had the Ambition to behold Admiting Monarchs at my Feet adoring Liâ—'d to reflect with mortifying Soul That I my self to one unknown have offer'd And been O Gods by one unknown refus'd And for Diana's Priestess too refus'd Refus'd Scorn'd loath'd Oh how that tears my Heart But if thou hast a Soul with treble Scorn Return it Suffer him to take this Priestess And let his despicable Choice revenge thee What! must he gain her by the odious Boast That he has sacrific'd me to my Creature And can I suffer it I cannot think of it Without Distraction But the Priestess comes Enter Iphigenia So From whence come you Ha! whence these Disorders What makes you tremble And what strikes you dumb Iph. To such a haughty and insulting Look I have not learnt to answer Queen I look as it becomes me on my Slave Iph. The sight of such a Slave shou'd make you humble By shewing you to what excess of Wretchedness The Daughter of a mighty King may fall Queen Say From whence come you I command you answer Iph. I have no Pow'r to speak Queen So hasty was your Flight Iph. Who must not fly from acting Cruelties At which Barbarity it self can melt Queen Oh how those meek and melting Words Become the soft and tender Race of Tantalus Iph. The Race of Tantalus has been revengeful But yet it ne'er was bloody unprovok'd What have these Grecians done to me Queen What hadst thou done t' assembled Greece at Aulis What hadst thou done to thy own Father there Who to thy Ruin unprovok'd consented Nay pressâ—d it urg'd it Iph. My Mother urg'd it not I from the Heroines of our Race have â—eâ—rnt To shew soft Pity Queen Thou from the Heroines of thy Race hast learnt Thou hast fond Maid to shew a guiltier Passion Oh how their kind Reception of their Guests Had made their Names throughout the World renown'd Iph. For an Example of such kind Reception Perhaps I need not fly to Greece Queen I understand thee well Plagu'd by the Terrors of impending Wrath Thou would'st provoke and hasten Death thou would'st And have him swifter that he may be gentler But know fond Maid thou shalt not die so early Think of thy Gratitude to thy Preserver And think what that deserves Iph. My preserver Queen Was ever such audacious insolence Who was it sav'd thee from immediate Death At thy Arrival on the Sâ—â—â—â— of Tauris Iph. Would I had been a Man at that Arrival For then my Blood had â—â—ain'd your cruel Altars Queen O wretch ingrateful to that black Degree As to disown the mighty Obligation By which thou liv'st to saâ—â— thou art not oblig'd Would'st thou insinuate that thy Sex preserv'd thee Iph. Men are the Victims that your Goddess claims Queen Not always Iph. Tradition says so and your bloody Rites Are founded on Tradition Queen When she her self declares her awful Will Tradition's of no force But not the feeble voice of faint Tradition No the loud call of the descending Goddess Claim'd thee at Aulis her devoted Victim At least so Calchas said Iph. The fraud of Calchas plainly she Detected By suffering me to evade th'inhuman Altar Queen 'T was Clytemnestra's Sacrilege preserv'd thee And not the Goddess Who wracking thee on this her sacred Shore Strongly appears to Redemand her Fugitive Iph. Before these Grecians came you had no such thoughts Queen No thy soft graceful look and seeming innocence Inclin'd me to suspect the crafty Calchas But thy black Guilt appearing with thy Ingratitude Makes me repent of my mistaken pity Iph. O fatal pity Rightly term d mistaken True pity would have suffered me to bleed Then I had been at rest in the Dark Grave With my unhappy Parents Not have convers'd with everlasting woe In you Dire Tabernacle of Despair For there no smiling Beam of Joy is seen No gladsom sound is ever heard But all is always rueful Lamentation Queen If thuo'rt so sensible of this Then know that there 's a punishment preparing for thee A punishment that 's worthy thy perfidiousness If 't is so terrible to see these Sights So woful but to hear these sounds of Sorrow What must it be to act the bloody Office What must it be to one who has a Soul As soft as thine as melting ev'n as Mercies Iph. Ah miserable me Queen To act it nay and act it on a Grecian One who himself has only tender thoughts Or only tender Thoughts at least towards thee One who perhaps could die for thee for whom Perhaps ev'n thou could'st die Iph. Ah Gods Queen See how her Soul declares its weakness And now unable to contain its grief Pours forth a Deluge of Impetuous Sorrow What must it be to think the Dreadful time Of doing this accursed Deed approaches That the next Moment thou must stain thy Hands By going to his
Heart a cursed way While thy Soul hears th'intolerable Sound Of his last dying Groans and sees his Eyes His Trembling dying Eyes that in Deaths cruel'st pangs Look kindly up as if they blest their Murtherer Go bring the Eldest of the Captives hither To some of the Guards who go out Priestess alone I leave thee with thy Lover But know thy Conference with him must be short And know that yet 't is in thy power to save him But let not pass the irrevocable Moment Think that the next comes hurrying on and then Unless thou first perswad'st him to abandon thee Thou shalt behold him to the Altar drag'd Where by thy Hand he dies and when that 's done Thou Thou shalt by the sacred Steel expire Thou the devoted Victim of the Goddess Guards On your Lives observe them at a distance Ex. with Train Iph. Inhuman Queen Must I not only lose him But must I urge him to forsake me No Alas thou need'st not urge him that assure thy self For what would'st thou perswade him to To avoid Death and to embrace a Crown A little argument will there prevail But the Queen says 〈…〉 is 〈…〉 No 't is the Vision of a 〈…〉 Woman But say it should be true forbid it Gods Oh should He love me 〈…〉 taste of misery Which ev'n in this 〈…〉 For I could die 〈…〉 he loâ—â— me How can I plead 〈…〉 my self successfully How can I e'er find 〈…〉 can perswade him To make another Happy 〈…〉 thought To make another Happy and me Miserable I cannot I can see him 〈…〉 first Perish By whom Ah wâ—tch Inhuman wretch And canst thou then at last resolve to Murder him Enter Orestes See where He comes and with a Look so sweet As might disarm ev'n Death ye Gods ye Gods Who have resolved that I must be a wretch Beyond whatever Mortal was before Take care that I prevail to my undoing And give me strength enough to court Despair Or. Madam I come to hear your last Commands Let them be what they will yet I with Joy am come But why upon this lovely Brow So black a clo%d of Sorrow Iph. Oh could you see my Heart and all the Horrour Which wildly rages there how would you pity me Or. Alas ev'n now I pity thee Iph. Do you Or. Yes from my very Soul you cannot think How much Compassion tears my tortur'd Heart Iph. Make hast then and prevent the cursed Blow That I 'm compell'd to strike Or. Had I a Dagger I would do it instantly Iph. There is an easier way at least to you Or. Name it Iph. I cannot Or. Why Iph. Grecians abhor That Virgins of Affairs like this should speak You have beheld 〈…〉 Or. O 〈…〉 Iph. Wherefore 〈…〉 Or. Too well 〈…〉 And would not 〈…〉 Which I can never 〈…〉 Iph. Then I am 〈…〉 But why should you 〈…〉 Or. Reason and Justice 〈…〉 I love another Iph. Ha! Then his fatal 〈…〉 What ground the Queen had for her strange suspicâ—on You love another Or. O more than Life you see I love another Iph. Whom Or. That let me Hide ev'n from 〈…〉 Iph. Ha! Why should you conceal it from her Or. Ask me no more Iph. I must and you must answer Or. She is my Mortal Enemy Iph. Can any Woman prove a Mortal Enemy To one who loves like you Your passion known perhaps had made her kind Or. 'T is to avoid her kindness â— conceal it Iph. T' avoid it Or. More than Ten Thousand Deaths I dread her kindneâ—â— Iph. You love your Enemy and drea her Kindness Or. She is by force and 〈…〉 Choice my Enemy She pities me ev'n from her 〈…〉 Yet my hard Fate compells her to be cruel to me But ye Gods How much I suffer from 〈…〉 Than from her Cruelty 〈…〉 Iph. O Heaven and Earth I tremble least the Queen Had but too just a ground for her suspicion Aside Or. Who can see her he Loves in Grief And bear an equal Mind How might my Passion known augment her Sorrow Iph. But what can force her since she is so tender T' appear your Mortal Enemy Or. Why should you ask Your questions but disturb me Iph. I ask to save you and I must be answer'd Speak what can force her since she is so tender T' appear your Mortal Enemy 〈…〉 Aside 〈…〉 〈…〉 Thoughts in me 〈…〉 l Deed. 〈…〉 〈…〉 Fury that thou dream'st not of 〈…〉 Or. Never Iph. Gods Am I 〈…〉 who loves me 〈…〉 these Convulsions 〈…〉 Suppose that you were forc'd 〈…〉 wou'd it not shake you 〈…〉 Murther 〈…〉 say 〈…〉 Heart 〈…〉 〈…〉 it 〈…〉 you 〈…〉 obey 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 Aside 〈…〉 like a Fury 〈…〉 〈…〉 Or. 〈◊〉 how that stings â—â— Aside Iph. Ha! what you 〈◊〉 and tremble and turn pale When the bare mention works on you so terribly Can I endure the thing Or. The Pow'r that you adore and that commands it Will calm and will support you Iph. What if one God commands the dreadful Deed Perhaps another mightier Pow'r forbids it And if I do it 〈…〉 Not to be born 〈…〉 Without Despair and 〈…〉 Which then shall I 〈…〉 Or. Which of 〈…〉 Iph. Thou ask'st 〈…〉 His awful Name 's 〈…〉 Or. When 〈…〉 Iph. Ev'n now 〈…〉 Or. Where Iph. Here 〈…〉 Or. Here Iph. Here look 〈…〉 Or. Ha! Iph. Is ' he not manifest 〈…〉 Or. Oh astonishment Iph. If thou art blind 〈…〉 Know that thou feel'st 〈…〉 And own'st his dreadful 〈…〉 Or. Amasement And canst thou be so infinitely 〈…〉 To love this Object of Divine Displeaâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 Oh this pathetick Silence how it 〈…〉 How this Disorder in thy 〈…〉 And quite destroys my 〈…〉 Iph. Cou'd you see all the 〈…〉 Cou'd you behold my Heart 〈…〉 Or. I have been shewn 〈…〉 And in that Sight I saw a 〈…〉 Iph. Think what 's to 〈…〉 Or. I do I do my Soul 's 〈…〉 Iph. Reflect upon my 〈…〉 Or. Damnation 〈…〉 And what must I endure Iph. Have Mercy then upon yourself and me Or. O for a Dagger That plunging it in my Heart's Blood I might to both shew Mercy Iph. That Thought 's a Dagger there 's another way Or. No! My Heart my Life my very Soul is yours My Honour and my Virtue are the Gods They are Depositums entrusted with me And I 'll untouch'd with my last Breath restore them 〈…〉 Grecian the Queen has sent â—s to inform thee That â—â—y Delay has mortally offended her And Death and Vengeance chase thee now in view Here you must to the Temple guard the Priestess To some of the Guards And you in Iron Bonds must bind the Pris'ner To others Then lead him where the Ministers expect him To bind his Temples and to veil his Eyes Or. Stay but one Moment when a Wretch requires it The only happy Moment I ere knew 1 Scyth We dare not for severely we 're forbidden The Grecians who were seen upon the Beach With their drawn Weapons 〈…〉 And if thou shouldst 〈…〉 The Queen has sworn 〈…〉 That