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Charge him to say, Hermione's resentments,

Not those of Greece, have sentenc'd him to death.
Haste, my Cleone! My revenge is lost,

If Pyrrhus knows not that he dies by me!
Cleo. I shall obey your orders—But see
The king approach!-Who could expect him here.
Her. O fly! Cleone, fly! and bid Orestes
Not proceed a step before I see him.

Enter PYRRHUS.

[Exit Cleone.

Pyr. Madam, I ought to shun an injur'd princess: Your distant looks reproach me: and I come Not to defend, but to avow my guilt.

Pyrrhus will ne'er approve his own injustice; Nor form excuses, while his heart condemns him. "I might perhaps alledge, our warlike sires, "Unknown to us, engag'd us to each other. "And join'd our hearts by contract, not by love: "But I detest such cobweb arts, I own "My father's treaty, and allow its force. "I sent ambassadors to call you hither; "Receiv'd you as my queen; and hop'd my oaths "So oft renew'd might ripen into love. "The gods can witness, madam, how I fought "Against Andromache's too fatal charms! "And still I wish I had the power to leave "This Trojan beauty, and be just to you.' Discharge your anger on this perjur'd man! For I abhor my crime and should be pleas'd To hear you speak your wrongs aloud: no terms,

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No bitterness of wrath, nor keen reproach,

Will equal half the upbraidings of my heart.
Her. I find, sir, you can be sincere: you scorn
To act your crimes with fear, like other men.
A hero should be bold; above all laws;
Be bravely false; and laugh at solemn ties.
To be perfidious shews a daring mind!
And you have nobly triumph'd o'er a maid !
To court me; to reject me; to return;
Then to forsake me for a Phrygian slave:
To lay proud Troy in ashes; then to raise
The son of Hector, and renounce the Greeks,
Are actions worthy the great soul of Pyrrhus.
Pyr. Madam, go on: give your resentments birth;
And
pour forth all your indignation on me.

Her. 'Twould please your queen, should I upbraid your falsehood;

Call you perfidious, traitor, all the names
That injur'd virgins lavish on your sex;

I should oerflow with tears, and die with grief,
And furnish out a tale to soothe her pride.

, sir, I would not over-charge her joys:
If you would charm Andromache, recount
Your bloody battles, your exploits, your slaughters,
Your great achievements, in her father's palace.
She needs must love the man, who fought so bravely,
And in her sight slew half her royal kindred.

Pyr. With horror I look back on my past deeds! I punish'd Helen's wrongs too far; I shed Too much of blood: but madam, Helen's daughter

Should not object those ills the mother caus'd.
However I am pleas'd to find you hate me :
I was too forward to accuse myself:

The man who ne'er was lov'd, can ne'er be false.
Obedience to a father brought you hither;

And I stood bound by promise to receive you :
But our desires were different ways inclin'd;
And you, I own, were not oblig❜d to love me.

Her. Have I not lov'd you, then! perfidious man!
For you I slighted all the Grecian princes;
Forsook my father's house; conceal'd my wrongs,
When most provok'd: would not return to Sparta,
In hopes that time might fix your wavering heart,
I lov'd you when inconstant: and even now,
Inhuman king, that you pronounce my death,
My heart still doubts, if I should love or hate you:
But, oh, since you resolve to wed another,
Defer your cruel purpose till to-morrow!
That I may not be here to grace your triumph!
This is the last request I e'er shall make you--
See if the barbarous prince vouchsafes an answer!
Go, then, to the lov'd Phrygian! Hence! begone!
And bear to her those vows, that once were mine:
Go, in defiance to the avenging gods!

Begone! the priest expects you at the altar

But, tyrant, have a care I come not thither. [Ex. Her.

Enter PHOENIX.

Pha. Sir, did you mind her threats? Your life's in

danger!

F

There is no trifling with a woman's rage.

The Greeks that swarm about the court, all hate you;
Will treat you as their country's enemy,
And join in her revenge: besides, Orestes
Still loves her to distraction: sir, I beg—

Pyr. How, Phoenix, should I fear a woman's threats?
A nobler passion takes up all my thought:
I must prepare to meet Andromache.

Do thou place all my guards about her son:
If he be safe, Pyrrhus is free from fear.

PHOENIX, alone.

[Ex. Pyr.

Oh, Pyrrhus! oh, what pity 'tis, the gods,
Who fill'd thy soul with every kingly virtue,
Form'd thee for empire and consummate greatness,
Should leave thee so expos'd to wild desires,
That hurry thee beyond the bounds of reason!

[A flourish of trumpets.

"Such was Achilles; generous, fierce, and brave: "Open and undesigning: but impatient, "Undisciplin'd, and not to be control'd: "I fear this whirl of passion, this career, "That overbears reflection and cool thought; "I tremble for the event !"-But see, the queen, Magnificent in royal pride, appears.

I must obey, and guard her son from danger.

[Exit Phoenix.

Enter ANDROMACHE and CEPHISA.

Ceph. Madam, once more you look and move a

queen!

Your sorrows are dispers'd, your charms revive,
And every faded beauty blooms anew.

Andr. Yet all is not as I could wish, Cephisa.

Ceph. You see the king is watchful o'er your son; Decks him with princely robes, with guards surrounds him.

Astyanax begins to reign already.

Andr. Pyrrhus is nobly minded: and I fain Would live to thank him for Astyanax :

'Tis a vain thought-However, since my child Has such a friend, I ought not to repine.

Ceph. "These dark unfoldings of your soul perplex me.

"What meant those floods of tears, those warm embraces,

"As if you bid your son adieu for ever?"

For Heav'n's sake, madam, let me know your griefs! you mistrust my faith

If

Andr. That were to wrong thee.

Oh, my Cephisa! this gay, borrow'd air,"
This blaze of jewels, and this bridal dress,

Are but mock trappings to conceal my woe :

My heart still mourns; I still am Hector's widow. Ceph. Will you then break the promise giv'n to Pyrrhus;

Blow up his rage afresh, and blast your hopes ?

Andr. I thought, Cephisa, thou hadst known thy

mistress.

Could'st thou believe I would be false to Hector?
Fall off from such a husband! break his rest,

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