Lyc. Hippolitus!

Phad. Who's he that names Hippolitus?

Ah! I'm betray'd, and all my guilt discover'd. "Oh! give me poison, swords, I'll not live, nor bear it ;

"I'll stop my breath.

"Ism. I'm lost, but what's that loss?

"Hippolitus is lost, or lost to me :

"Yet should her charms prevail upon his soul, "Should he be false, I would not wish him ill, "With my last parting breath I'd bless my lord: "Then in some lonely desart place expire, "Whence my unhapy death shall never reach him, "Lest it should wound his peace, or damp his joys."

[Aside. Lyc. Think still the secret in your royal breast; For by the awful majesty of Jove,

By the All-seeing Sun, by righteous Minos,
By all your kindred gods we swear, O Phædra,
Safe as our lives we'll keep the fatal secret.

« Ism, &c. We swear, all swear to keep it ever
secret."

Phad. Keepit! from whom? why it's already known, The tale, the whisper of the babbling vulgar :

Oh! can you keep it from yourselves, unknow it?
Or do you think I'm so far gone in guilt,

That I can see, can bear the looks, the eyes
Of one who knows my black detested crimes,
Of one who knows that Phædra loves her son?

Lyc. Unhappy queen! august, unhappy race!

Oh! why did Theseus touch this fatal shore ?
Why did he save us from Nicander's arms,
To bring worse ruin on us by his love?

Phad. His love indeed; for that unhappy hour In which the priests join'd Theseus' hand to mine, Shew'd the young Scythian to my dazzled eyes. Gods! how I shook! what boiling heat inflam'd My panting breast! how from the touch of Theseus My slack hand dropt, and all the idle pomp, Priests, altars, victims, swam before my sight! The god of Love, ev'n the whole god, possest me. Lyc. At once, at first possest you!

Phad. Yes, at first.

That fatal ev'ning we pursu'd the chace,

When from behind the wood, with rustling sound,
A monstrous boar rush'd forth: "his baleful eyes
"Shot glaring fire, and his stiff-pointed bristles
"Rose high upon his back:" at me he made,
Whetting his tusks, and churning hideous foam;
Then, then Hippolitus flew in to aid me :
Collecting all himself, and rising to the blow,

He launch'd the whistling spear; the well-aim'd jav'lin
Pierc'd his tough hide, and quiver'd in his heart;
The monster fell, “and gnashing with huge tusks,
**Plow'd up the crimson earth." But then Hippolitus?
Gods! how he mov'd and look'd when he approach'd

me!

"When hot and panting from the savage conquest, "Dreadful as Mars, and as his Venus lovely, "His crimson cheeks with purple beauties glow'd, "His lovely sparkling eyes shot martial fires.”

PHEDRA & HIPPOLYTUS
Then then Hypolitus flavin to aid me
Cottecting all himself & rising toy blow
He launched the whisthing spear

ActI

Heath re

rakam del.

London. Printed for G.Cawthorn, British Library, Strand, Aug. 6.1796.

O godlike form! O ecstacy and transport!

My breath grew short, my beating heart sprung upward, And leap'd and bounded in my heaving bosom.

Alas! I'm pleas'd; the horrid story charms me.— No more- -That night with fear and love I sicken'd. Oft I receiv'd his fatal charming visits;

Then would he talk with such an heav'nly grace, Look with such dear compassion on my pains, That I could wish to be so sick for ever. My ears, my greedy eyes, my thirsty soul, Drank gorging in the dear delicious poison, 'Till I was lost, quite lost in impious love. “And shall I drag an execrable life? "And shall I hoard up guilt, and treasure vengeance ? "Lyc. No; labour, strive, subdue that guilt, and live. "Phad. Did I not labour, strive, All-seeing Pow'rs! "Did I not weep and pray, implore your aid ? "Burn clouds of incense on your loaded altars? "Oh! I call'd heav'n and earth to my assistance, "All the ambitious thirst of fame and empire, "And all the honest pride of conscious virtue : "I struggled, rav'd; the new-born passion reign'd Almighty in its birth."

Lyc. Did you e'er try

To gain his love?

Phed. Avert such crimes, ye pow'rs!

"No; to avoid his love I sought his hatred:

"I wrong'd him, shun'd him, banish'd him from

Crete;

"I sent him, drove him from my longing sight: