Nor did the bravest of his godlike race Tread with such early hopes the paths of honour. Thes. What can this mean? declare ambiguous Phædra, "Say, whence these shifting gusts of clashing rage? Canst thou not read it in my furious passions? Couldst thou not see it in the noble warmth Thes. Guiltless! O all ye gods! what can this mean? The maid's example, and the matron's theme, Of my own crimes accus'd the faultless youth, Thes. Is he then guiltless? Guiltless! then what art thou?-and oh, just Heav'n! What a detested parricide is Theseus ! Phad. What am I? what indeed, but one more black Than earth or hell e'er bore! "O horrid mixture "Of crimes and woes, of parricide and incest, "Perjury, murder,-to arm the erring father "Against the guiltless son." O impious Lycon, In what a hell of woes thy arts have plung'd me! Thes. Lycon!-Here, guards.-O most abandon'd villain ! Secure him, seize him, drag him piece-meal hither. Guards enter. Guard. Who has, my Lord, incurr'd your high displeasure? Thes. Who can it be, ye gods, but perjur'd Lycon ! Who can inspire such storms of rage, but Lycon ? Where has my sword left one so black, but Lycon ? Where, wretched Theseus! in thy bed and heart, The very darling of my soul and eyes. O beauteous fiend! But trust not to thy form. "You too, my son, was fair; your manly beauties "Charm'd ev'ry heart (O Heav'ns!) to your destruc tion; "You too were good, your virtuous soul abhorr'd "The crimes for which you died. O impious Phædra!” Incestuous fury! execrable murd'ress! Is there revenge on earthy, or pain in hell, Can art invent, or boiling rage suggest, Ev'n endless torture, which thou shalt not suffer ? 2 Phad. And is there aught on earth I would not suffer? Oh, were there vengeance equal to my crimes, Ev'n now a fatal draught works out my soul; LYCON brought in. Thes. Hast thou escap'd my wrath? Yet, impious Lycon, On thee I'll empty all my hoard of vengeance, And glut my boundless rage. Lyc. O mercy, mercy! Thes. Such thou shalt find as thy best deeds deserve; "Such as thy guilty soul can hope from Theseus ; “Such as thou shew'd'st to poor Hippolitus.” Lyc. "Oh! chain me; whip me; let me be the scorn "Of sordid rabbles, and insulting crowds ;" Give me but life, and make that life most wretched. "Phæd. Art thou so base, so spiritless a slave? Not so the lovely youth thy arts have ruin'd; Not so he bore the fate to which you doom'd him," Thes. “O abject villain!—Yet it gives me joy To see the fears that shake thy guilty soul, H "Enhance thy crimes, and antedate thy woes. Drag him to all the torments earth can furnish; Then let the mangled monster, fix'd on high, Grin o'er the shouting crowds, and glut their vengeance. Hence! away! [Lycon borne off. And is this all? and art thou now appeas'd? Will this atone for poor Hippolitus? O ungorg'd appetite! O rav'nous thirst Of a son's blood! what, not a day, a moment? Phaed. A day, a moment! oh, thou shouldst have staid Years, ages, all the round of circling time, Ere touch the life of that consummate youth. Her last words now falt'ring from her tongue, "And reach'd her feeble wand'ring hands to mine; "When her last breath now quiv'ring at her mouth," Implor'd my goodness to her lovely son, To her Hippolitus. He, alas! descends (O Heav'n and earth!) by Theseus doom'd, descends, Phaed. He's doom'd by Theseus, but accus'd by Phædra, By Phædra's madness, and by Lycon's hatred. Yet with my life I expiate my phrenzy, And die for thee my headlong rage destroy'd. "Thee I pursue, (O great ill-fated youth !) "Pursue thee still, but now with chaste desires; "Thee through the dismal waste of gloomy death, "Thee through the glimm'ring dawn, and purer day, "Through all th' Elysian plains -O righteous Minos! 'Elysian plains! There he and his Ismena "Shall sport for ever, shall for ever drink "Immortal love; while I far off shall howl "In lonely plains; while all the blackest ghosts "Shrink from the baleful sight of one more monstrous, "And more accurst than they." Thes. I too must die; I too must once more see the burning shore Whence no Alcides will release me now. Phaed. Then why this stay? come on, let's plunge together. See, Hell sets wide its adamantine gates; 1 "See, through the sable gates the black Cocytus |