The Prince Of Parthia Part 19

QUEEN.

Think of thee, and despair?--yes, I'll despair-- Yet stay,--oh! stay, thou messenger of fate!

Tell me--Ha! 'tis gone--and left me wretched--

ARSACES.

Your eyes seem fix'd upon some dreadful object, Horror and anguish clothe your whiten'd face, And your frame shakes with terror; I hear you speak As seeming earnest in discourse, yet hear No second voice.

QUEEN.

What! saw'st thou nothing?

ARSACES.

Nothing.

QUEEN.

Nor hear'd?--

ARSACES.

Nor Hear'd.

QUEEN.

Amazing spectacle!-- Cold moist'ning dews distil from ev'ry pore, I tremble like to palsied age--Ye G.o.ds!

Would I could leave this loath'd detested being!-- Oh! all my brain's on fire--I rave! I rave!-- [_Ghost rises again._ Ha! it comes again--see, it glides along-- See, see, what streams of blood flow from its wounds!

A crimson torrent--s.h.i.+eld me, oh! s.h.i.+eld me, heav'n.--

ARSACES.

Great, and righteous G.o.ds!--

QUEEN.

Ah! frown not on me-- Why dost thou shake thy horrid locks at me?

Can I give immortality?--'tis gone-- [_Ghost sinks._ It flies me, see, ah!--stop it, stop it, haste--

ARSACES.

Oh, piteous sight!--

QUEEN.

Hist! prithee, hist! oh death!

I'm all on fire--now freezing bolts of ice Dart thro' my breast--Oh! burst ye cords of life-- Ha! who are ye?--Why do ye stare upon me?-- Oh!--defend me, from these bick'ring Furies!

ARSACES.

Alas! her sense is lost, distressful Queen!

QUEEN.

Help me, thou King of G.o.ds! oh! help me! help!-- See! they envir'n me round--Vonones too, The foremost leading on the dreadful troop-- But there, Vardanes beck'ns me to shun Their h.e.l.lish rage--I come, I come!

Ah! they pursue me, with a scourge of fire.-- [_Runs out distracted._

SCENE VI.

ARSACES [_alone_].

Oh!--horror!--on the ground she breathless lies, Silent, in death's cold sleep; the wall besmear'd With brains and gore, the marks of her despair.

O guilt! how dreadful dost thou ever shew!

How lovely are the charms of innocence!

How beauteous tho' in sorrows and distress!-- Ha!--what noise?-- [_Clas.h.i.+ng of swords._

SCENE VII.

_ARSACES, BARZAPHERNES and GOTARZES._

BARZAPHERNES.

At length we've forc'd our entrance-- O my lov'd Prince! to see thee thus, indeed, Melts e'en me to a woman's softness; see My eyes o'erflow--Are these the ornaments For Royal hands? rude manacles! oh shameful!

Is this thy room of state, this gloomy goal?

Without attendance, and thy bed the pavement?

But, ah! how diff'rent was our parting last!

When flush'd with vict'ry, reeking from the slaughter, You saw Arabia's Sons scour o'er the plain In shameful flight, before your conqu'ring sword; Then shone you like the G.o.d of battle.

ARSACES.

Welcome!

Welcome, my loyal friends! Barzaphernes!

My good old soldier, to my bosom thus!

Gotarzes, my lov'd Brother! now I'm happy.-- But, say, my soldier, why these threatning arms?

Why am I thus releas'd by force? my Father, I should have said the King, had he relented, He'd not have us'd this method to enlarge me.

Alas! I fear, too forward in your love, You'll brand me with the rebel's hated name.

BARZAPHERNES.

I am by nature blunt--the soldier's manner.

Unus'd to the soft arts practis'd at courts.

Nor can I move the pa.s.sions, or disguise The sorr'wing tale to mitigate the smart.

Then seek it not: I would sound the alarm, Loud as the trumpet's clangour, in your ears; Nor win I hail you, as our Parthia's King, 'Til you've full reveng'd your Father's murther.

ARSACES.

Murther?--good heav'n!