And when at Babylon we cut him off,
When fate o’ertook him in the poisoned bowl,
We mortals and the gods at once revenged.
cassander.
Although he had his faults, you still must own
He was a hero and our lawful king.
antigones.
A hero!—
cassander.
—Doubtless he deserves the name.
antigones.
It was our valor, ’twas our arms, our blood,
To which the ungrateful wretch his conquests owed.
cassander.
Ye tutelary gods!
Who could be more ungrateful than our sires?
All to that rank exalted strove to rise.
But wherefore were his wife and children slain?
Who can relate the horrors of that day?
antigones.
This late repentance fills me with surprise.
Jealous and quite suspicious of his friends
He had become a Persian, and espoused
A daughter of Darius; we were slaves.
Do you then wish that, furious for revenge,
Statira had his subjects roused to arms,
And to his shade had sacrificed us all?
She armed them all, Antipater himself
That day with difficulty escaped her rage.
A father’s life you saved—
cassander.
—’Tis true, but still
This hand the wife of Alexander slew.
antigones.
It is the fate of combats, our success
Should not be followed by regret and tears.
cassander.
After the fatal stroke I wept I own,
And, stained with that august but hapless blood,
Astonished at myself and mad with grief
For what my father forced me to commit,
I long have groaned in secret—
antigones.
—But declare
Wherefore to-day you feel these pangs of grief.
A friend should to a friend his heart disclose,
You still dissemble—
cassander.
Friend, what can I say?
Depend upon it there’s a time the heart
To virtue’s paths by instinct’s force returns;
And when the memory of former guilt
With terror harrows up the frighted soul—
antigones.
Of murders expiated think no more,
But let us to our interests still attend.
If your soul must be ruffled by remorse,
Repent that you’ve abandoned Asia’s plains
To insolent Antiochus’s sway.
May my brave warriors and your valiant Greeks
Again with terror shake Euphrates’ shores:
Of all these upstart kings, elate with pride,
Not one is worthy of the name, not one
Like us has served Darius’ conqueror.
Our chiefs are all cut off—
cassander.
—Perhaps the gods
Have sacrificed them to their monarch’s shade.
antigones.
We who still live should labor to restore
The few who have survived the general wreck.
The victor dying, to the worthiest left
His host, who saves it is the man he meant.
My fortune and your own at once secure,
The strongest all men must the worthiest own.
The fallen powers of Greece let’s raise again:
Let discord from our councils be removed,
Lest to these tyrants we should fall a prey;
They were not born to vie with men like us.
Say, will you second me?—
cassander.
—My friend, I swear
I’m ready to assert our common cause.
Unworthy hands have Asia’s sceptre seized,
Nile and the Euphrates both are tyrannized;
I’ll fight for you, for Greece and for myself.
antigones.
Interest your promise dictates; both I trust,
But much more in your friendship I confide,
That secret tie by which we both are bound.
But of your friendship I require a proof:
Do not refuse it.
cassander.
By your doubt I’m wronged.
If what you ask is in my power, your will
I as a sacred order shall obey.
antigones.
Perhaps you will consider with surprise
The trifle which in friendship’s name I ask;
’Tis but a slave—.
cassander.
—All mine you may command,
They’re prostrate at your feet, choose which you will.
antigones.
A foreign damsel, suffer me to ask,
In Babylon made captive by your sire.
She’s yours by lot, I claim her as the prize
Of labors which for you I’ve undergone.
Your father used her hardly I am told,
But in my court she’ll meet with due respect.
Her name’s Olympia—
cassander.
Olympia!
antigones.
That’s the fair one’s name.
cassander.
How unexpectedly he wounds my heart!
Must I resign Olympia?
antigones.
Hear me, friend,
I hope I shall Cassander grateful find;
In trifles a refusal may offend,
And sure you do not mean to injure me.
cassander.
No, you shall soon the youthful slave behold:
You shall yourself decide if ’twould be fit
That I should give her up at your request:
To this shrine none profane can find access.