You know my heart, I’ve told you that I love;
By this confession and my weakness judge
If my heart’s yours, if love for you prevails
Over that love which has subdued my senses.
Consider not my sex or tender age,
Courage from my great parents I derive.
I might offend them, I cannot betray;
You’ll know Olympia, when you see her die.
statira.
Dear, but inhuman daughter, can you die,
And yet not hate the assassin of your sire!
olympia.
Tear out my heart, examine it, you’ll find,
Though dear, my husband reigned not there like you.
The blood which animates it then you’ll know;
Your daughter sacrifice.—
statira.
—I know your heart.
I pity you, my child, and don’t condemn.
Your courage and your duty give me hope,
I pity even the love that injures me.
You tear my heart, yet you affect it too.
Console your mother whilst you cause her death.
Alas! I am wretched, but you’re not to blame.
olympia.
Which bears, oh heavens, of woe the greatest weight!
Which has most reason, to complain, of fate!
End of the third Act.
ACT IV.
SCENE I.
antigones, hermas.
In the porch.
hermas.
You warned me well; the holy place profaned,
Will soon of strife and slaughter be the scene.
Your soldiers guard our passage near the shrine,
Cassander mad with love, with grief, and rage,
Daring the gods whom he before invoked,
Advances towards you by another path.
The signal’s given, but in this enterprise
The people doubt whose cause they should espouse.
[Going out.
antigones.
I’ll soon unite them.
SCENE II.
antigones, hermas, cassander, sosthenes.
cassander.
[Stopping Antigones.
—Stay unworthy friend,
False ally, and detested enemy,
How durst thou claim what heaven bestows on me?
antigones.
I do—should that in thee excite surprise?
The conqueror’s daughter has sufficient right
To make the sons of Asia rise in arms,
And haughty tyrants tremble on their thrones.
Her portion’s Babylon, but she may claim
The empire’s wide extent in right of birth.
I, to possess them both, aspire, and know
Thy tears, thy expiations and thy grief,
The piercing eyes of nations cannot blind.
Think not Olympia’s love still prone to doubt,
If thou art guilty of her father’s death.
In her opinion you are now condemned.
Your heart, enslaved and tyrannized by love,
Seduced Olympia, and you hid her birth.
You thought to bury in oblivion’s night
The fatal secret which to me is known.
Her love you owe to baseness and deceit.
But time at length her eyes has opened, and now
Cassander his pretensions must forego.
What, were thy hopes presumptuous? Didst thou think
By her right, to become the king of kings? . . .
By arms I may defend Statira’s cause,
But would you our alliance still preserve?
In your new kingdom would you reign in peace,
Regain my friendship, on my arm depend?
cassander.
Proceed.—
antigones.
Olympia yield, and we are friends:
For you I’ll spill my blood; if you refuse
I’ll henceforth be the greatest of your foes.
Maturely weigh your interests, and choose.
cassander.
My choice is easy, and I hither came
To make to you an offer that may please.
You know nor law nor pity, nor remorse;
Friendship to violate, to you is sport.
The gods I feared, you heavenly justice mock;
The fruit of all your crimes you now enjoy;
You shall not long.—
antigones.
—What mean these swelling words?
cassander.
If your fierce soul of virtue is not void,
Let us not to our soldiers have recourse
Our rage to second, and our anger serve.
Our people should not in our quarrels bleed,
They should not in our contests be involved.
You, if you’re bold enough, alone should brave
My courage, and my single arm oppose:
I was not to the commerce of the gods
Admitted in their sight to slay my friend;
’Tis an unheard-of crime prepared by you:
Come, we were born to act this bloody part.
Come on, decide both of my fate and yours,
Pour out your blood, or glut yourself with mine.
antigones.
With joy the combat I accept; be sure
Olympia weds the man by whom thou art slain.
[They draw.
SCENE III.
The Hierophants come precipitately from the temple with the priests and the initiated,