Their province is to talk, 't is mine to act, Cas. All nations bow their heads with servile homage, And kiss the feet of this exalted man. The name, the shout, the blast, from ev'ry mouth The list'ning ear and drowns the voice of Heaven! With universal cry. Poly. I fawn or echo him! Cassander no; my soul disdains the thought! False to that honour which thro' fields of death Be scorn my portion, infamy my lot. Thes. The king may doom me to a thousand tortures, Ply me with fire, and rack me like Philotas, Ere I shall stoop to idolize his pride. Cas. Not Aristadner, had he rais'd all hell, Could more have shock'd my soul than thou hast done By the bare mention of Philotas' murder. Oh Polyperchon! how shall I describe it! Did not your eyes rain blood to see the hero? Did not your spirits burst with smother'd vengeance To see thy noble fellow-warrior tortur'd, Yet without groaning or a tear endure The torments of the damn'd? Oh! death to think it! Till all beheld where the great heart lay panting. As if the sight had froze us into marble, When with collected rage we should have flown In Persian robes; to Alexander's health Their idol god: hail, son of thund'ring Jove ! Poly. Thus when I mock'd the Persians that ador'd him He struck me on the face, And bid his guards chastise me like a slave: But if he 'scape my vengeance may he live Great as that god whose name he thus profanes, Cas. There spoke the spirit of Calisthenes. To give him death no thunders are required: A sword has pierc'd him and the blood has follow'd, Poly. Oh let us not delay the glorious bus'ness! Thes. As heaven or hell can make them. Poly. Take then my hand, and if you doubt my truth Rip up my breast and lay my heart upon it. Cas. While thus we join our hands and hearts to gether, Remember Hermolaus, and be hush'd. Poly. Hush'd as the eve before an hurricane, Poly. How bore Statira his revolted love t For if I err not ere the king espous'd her Thes. No words can paint the anguish it occasion'd; Ev'n Sysigambis wept, while the wrong'd queen, Struck to the heart, fell lifeless on the ground, And thus remain'd, spite of her care and cordials, For an hour. Cas. When the first tumult of her grief was laid I sought to fire her into wild revenge, And to that end with all the art I could She'll give him troubles that perhaps may end him, But see, she comes. Our plots begin to ripen ; Now change the vizor, ev'ry one disperse, And with a face of friendship meet the king. [Exeunt. Enter SYSIGAMBIS, STATIRA, and PARISATIS. Stat. Oh for a dagger, a draught of poison, flames! Swell heart! break, break, thou wretched stubborn thing! Now by the sacred fire I'll not be held ! Why do you wish my life, yet stifle me for Stat. Oh, he 's false I This glorious man, this wonder of the world, Is to his love and ev'ry god foresworn ! Oh! I have heard him breathe such ardent vows, And sigh and swear the list'ning stars away I Stat. Away, and let me die : 'Twas but my fondness, 't was my easy nature, Are not his falsehoods and Statira's wrongs Have 1 not kiss'd thy wounds with dying fondness, Par. If man can thus renounce the solemn ties Of sacred love who would regard his vows? Stat. Regard his vows! the monster, traitor! Oh! I will forsake the haunts of men, converse No more with aught that 's human, dwell with dark ness; For since the sight of him is now unwelcome, What has the world to give Statira joy |