Dramatis Personae.

Men.

THESEUS, King of Crete,

Mr. Barry.

HIPPOLITUS, his Son, in love with Ismena, Mr. Lewis.

PHEDRA AND HIPPOLITUS.

ACT I. SCENE I.

CRATANDER and LYCON enter.

Lycon.

'Tis strange, Cratander, that the royal Phædra

Should still continue resolute in grief,

And obstinately wretched:

That one so gay, so beautiful and young,

Of godlike virtue and imperial power,

Should fly inviting joys, and court destruction.

Crat. Is there not cause, when lately join`d in mar

riage,

To have the king her husband call'd to war ?

Then for three tedious moons to mourn his absence, Nor know his fate?

Lyc. The king may cause her sorrow,

But not by absence: oft I've seen him hang
With greedy eyes and languish o'er her beauties,

She from his wide, deceiv'd, desiring arms

Flew tasteless, loathing; whilst dejected Theseus,
With mournful loving eyes pursu'd her flight,

And dropt a silent tear.

Crat. Ha! this is hatred,

This is aversion, horror, detestation:

Why did the queen, who might have cull'd mankind, Why did she give her person and her throne

To one she loath'd?

Lyc. Perhaps she thought it just

That he should wear the crown his valour sav'd.

Crat. Could she not glut his hopes with wealth and honour,

Reward his valour, yet reject his love?

Why, when a happy mother, queen and widow,
Why did she wed old Theseus? while his son,
The brave Hippolitus, with equal youth
And equal beauty might have fill'd her arms.
Lyc. Hippolitus (in distant Scythia born,
The warlike Amazon, Camilla's son)

'Till our queen's marriage, was unknown to Crete:
And sure the queen could wish him still unknown:
She loaths, detests him, flies his hated presence,
And shrinks and trembles at his very name.

Crat. Well may she hate the prince she needs must

fear;

He may dispute the crown with Phædra's son.
He's brave, he's fiery, youthful, and belov'd;

His

courage charms the men, his form the women; His very sports are war.

Lyc. Oh! he's all hero, scorns th' inglorious ease Of lazy Crete, delights to shine in arms,

To wield the sword, and launch the pointed spear; To tame the gen'rous horse, that nobly wild Neighs on the hills, and dares the angry lion ; "To join the struggling coursers to his chariot, "To make their stubborn necks the rein obey, "To turn, or stop, or stretch along the plain." Now the queen's sick, there's danger in his courage.— "He must be watch'd.

Be ready with your guards.-I fear Hippolitus.

[Exit Crat. Fear him for what? poor silly virtuous wretch ! Affecting glory, and contemning power: Warm without pride, without ambition brave; A senseless hero, fit to be a tool

To those whose godlike souls are turn'd for empire.
An open honest fool, that loves and hates,

And yet more fool to own it. He hates flatterers,
He hates me too; weak boy, to make a foe
Where he might have a slave. I hate him too,
But cringe, and flatter, fawn, adore, yet hate him.
Let the queen live or die, the prince must fall.

ISMENA enters.

What, still attending on the queen, Ismena ?
O charming virgin! O exalted virtue!

Can still your goodness conquer all your wrongs?
Are you not robb'd of your Athenian crown?
Was not your royal father Pallas slain ?