Sends me his delegate to offer terms, On which even foes may well accord; on which The fiercest nature, though it spurn at justice, May sympathize with his. Dion. Unfold thy mystery; Thou shalt be heard. Her. The gen'rous leader sees, With pity sees the wild, destructive havoc Dion. Your leader weeps! Then let the author of those ills thou speak'st of, The iron ranks of war, from which the shepherd Her. 'Tis not mine To plead Timoleon's cause; not mine the office An interval of peace, a pause of horror, Dion. Go tell your leader his pretexts are vain. Her. The hero, Sir, Wages no war with those who bravely die. Dion. Be it so; I grant thy suit: soon as to-morrow's dawn [Exit HERALD. Dion. Admit her to our presence. Rage and despair, a thousand warring passions, All rise by turns, and piecemeal rend my heart; Yet ev'ry means, all measures must be tried. To sweep the Grecian spoiler from the land, And fix the crown unshaken on my brow. Enter EUPHRASIA. Thy grief, thy tender duty to thy father, To soothe affliction, and extend his life, Euph. Vile dissembler ! Detested homicide! [Aside.] And has thy heart Felt for the wretched? Dion. Urgencies of state Abridg'd his liberty; but to his person Euph. The righteous gods Have mark'd thy ways, and will in time repay Just retribution. Dion. If to see thy father, If here to meet him in a fond embrace, Torments have wrung the truth. Thy husband, Euph. Oh! say, speak of my Phocion. Hath kindled up this war; with treach'rous arts Dion. With him invests our walls, and bids rebellion Erect her standard here. Euph. Oh! bless him, gods! Where'er my hero treads the paths of war, List on his side; against the hostile jav'lin Uprear his mighty buckler; to his sword Lend the fierce whirlwind's rage, that he may come With wreaths of triumph, and with conquests crown'd, And a whole nation's voice Applaud my hero with a love like mine! Dion. Ungrateful fair! Has not our sov'reign will ? Have I not vow'd protection to your boy? Euph. What sudden cause requires Euphrasia's On thy descendants fix'd Sicilia's crown presence? Euph. From thee the crown! From thee! Shall on a nobler basis found their rights, Euph. Ask of thee protection! Dion. Rush not on sure destruction; ere too Accept our proffer'd grace. The terms are these: Euph. Think'st thou then Enter EUPHRASIA. Euph. All hail, ye caves of horror-In this Divine content can dwell, the heartfelt tear, Re-enter PHOCION, from the Tomb. Pho. Heart-swelling transport! Art thou Euphrasia? 'tis thy Phocion, love; So meanly of my Phocion ?-Dost thou deem him Thy husband comes. Oh! thou dost little know him; know'st but little his last. Euph. Better for him to sink at once to rest, Of that fell malice and that black suspicion Dion. Obdurate woman! obstinate in ill! Euph. Thy doom, perhaps, May first be fix'd: the doom that ever waits Euph. Support me; reach thy hand. Pho. Once more I clasp thee in this fond em brace. Euph. What miracle has brought thee to me? Inspir'd my heart, and guided all my ways. Euph. Oh! thou dear wand'rer! But where fore here? 1 Why in this place of wo? My tender little one, Pho. Your boy is safe, Euphrasia; lives to reign And have they then-have the fell murd'rers Oh! [Faints, Pho. I've been too rash; revive, my love, revive! Re-enter MELANTION, with EVANDER. Pho. My Euphrasia, Thy father lives;-thou venerable man! Evan. Euphrasia! Phocion too! Yes, both are here: Oh! let me thus, thus, strain you to my heart. Why thus adventure forth? The strong alarm Evan. I went forth, my child, When all was dark, and awful silence round, And crave the care of heaven for thee and thine. Enter PHILOTAS. Phil. Inevitable ruin hovers o'er you: Evan. Lead me to him: His presence hath no terror for Evander. T Euph. Horror! it must not be. Phil. No; never, never: I'll perish rather. His policy has granted Becalms his looks, the rankling heart within Mountains hurl'd up in air, and moulten rocks, Mel. Now, Phocion, now on thee our hope de- Fly to Timoleon; 1 can grant a passport: Pho. Evander, thou; and thou, my best Eu- Both shall attend my flight. 'Th' attempt would hazard all. Euph. Together here We will remain, safe in the cave of death; And wait our freedom from thy conqu'ring arm. Evan. Oh! would the gods roll back the stream of time, And give this arm the sinew that it boasted guide The battle's rage, and, ere Evander die, Add still another laurel to my brow. Dion. The troops retir'd To gain recruited vigour from repose? Let each brave officer, of chosen valour, Euph. Enough of laurell'd victory your sword Before the dawn, 'tis fixed to storm their camp; Hath reap'd in earlier days. Evan. And shall my sword, When the great cause of liberty invites, Will show that victory has not forgot shame! It will not be: the momentary blaze Mel. And when th' assault begins, my faithful cohorts Shall form their ranks around this sacred dome. Pho. And my poor captive friends, my brave companions Taken in battle, wilt thou guard their lives? Phil. Trust to my care: no danger shall assail them. Pho. By heaven, the glorious expectation swells This panting bosom! Yes, Euphrasia, yes; Awhile I leave you to the care of heaven. Fell Dionysius, tremble! ere the dawn Timoleon thunders at your gates; rage, The pent-up rage, of twenty thousand Greeks, Shall burst at once; and the tumultuous roar Alarm the astonish'd world. the Eran. Yet, ere thou go'st, young man, Attend my words: though guilt may oft provoke, As now it does, just vengeance on its head, In mercy punish it. The rage of slaughter Gan add no trophy to the victor's triumph; not now A time to waste in the vain war of words. I meant to spare the stream of blood, that soon Euph. If yet there's wanting Dion. Woman, beware: Philotas is at hand, Euph. Ha!-What new event! And is Philotas false?-Has he betray'd him? Dion. What, ho! Philotas. Enter PHILOTAS. [Aside Euph. How my heart sinks within me ! Dion. Where's your pris'ner? Phil. Evander is no more. Dion. Ha!-Death has robb'd me Of half my great revenge, Phil. Worn out with anguish, I saw life ebb apace. With studied art Dion. Bring me his hoary head. Phil. You'll pardon, Sir, my over-hasty zeal. Dion. Now then thou feel'st my vengeance. Exult and triumph. Thy worst shaft is sped, Yet still the unconquer'd mind with scorn can view thee; With the calm sunshine of the breast can see This moment bear her hence; you know the rest; These tears attest th' emotions of my heart. Phil. Dispel thy fears; Phocion will bring relief; or, should the tyrant Assault their camp, he'll meet a marshall'd foe. Let me conduct thee to the silent tomb. Euph. Ah! there Evander, naked and disarm'd, Defenceless quite, may meet some ruffian stroke. Phil. Lo! here a weapon; bear this dagger to him. In the drear monument should hostile steps Euph. Ye pitying gods, protect my father [Exeunt. there! SCENE II-The Citadel. Enter DIONYSIUS, CALIPPUS, and several Officers. Dion. Ye brave associates, who so oft have shar'd Our toil and danger in the field of glory, Your wives, your children, your invaded rights, Cal. Lead to the onset; Greece shall find we bear Hearts prodigal of blood, when honour calls Dion. Thus I've resolv'd: when the declining moon Hath veil'd her orb, our silent march begins. Till brave Amyntor stretch along the vale. Ha! speak; unfold thy purpose. Offi. Instant arm; To arms, my liege; the foe breaks in upon us; The subterraneous path is theirs; that way Their band invades the city, sunk in sleep. Dion. Treason's at work; detested, treach❜rous villains! Is this their promis'd truce? Away, my friends, [Exeunt; warlike music. SCENE III-The inside of the Temple; a Monument in the middle. Enter EUPHRASIA, ERIXENE, and Female Attendants. Euph. Which way, Erixene, which way, my virgins, Shall we direct our steps? What sacred altar Clasp on our knees? Erix. Alas! the horrid tumult Spreads the destruction wide. On every side The victor's shouts, the groans of murder'd wretches, In wild confusion rise. Once more descend Eudocia's tomb; there thou may'st find a shelter. Euph. Anon, Erixene, I mean to visit, Perhaps for the last time, a mother's urn. This dagger there, this instrument of death, Should fortune prosper the fell tyrant's arms, This dagger then may free me from his power, And that drear vault entomb us all in peace. [Flourish. Erix. Hark! Euph. The din Of arms with clearer sound advances. Hark! Dion. Here will I mock their siege; here stand at bay, And brave 'em to the last. And mitigate your fate. Dion. Presumptuous slave! My rage up in arms; by heaven, she dies. Enter EVANDER from the Tomb. The gods behold thee, horrible assassin ! May the fiends seize Philotas! Treach'rous slave! som Open a passage; first on me, on me, The purple tide will gush to glad thy sight. [Exit, with Officers. We'll perish thus together. Dion. [Without.] Bar the gates; Close ev'ry passage, and repel their force. Lo! there the wonders of Euphrasia's arm! A spectacle for public view. Euphrasia! And with wonder there. The life I gave her, Pho. It has. Evan. Where is Timoleon? Pho. He guards the citadel; there gives his To calm the uproar, and recall from carnage Euph. Oh! once again, my father, Evander too will place thee near his throne; That virtue still shall meet its sure reward. Phil. I am rewarded; feelings such as mine Evan. And must I see thee bleed? Oh! for a If e'er Jistress like mine invade the land, sword! A parent to her people; stretch the ray That men may hear her unexampled virtue, |