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Enter AULETES, and fervants.

AULETES.

My lord, your life's befet; the room beneath
Is throng'd with ruffians, which but wait the fignal,
To rush and sheath their daggers in your heart.

MYRON.

Betray'd! Curft forcerefs; it was a plot,
Concerted by them all, to take my life,
And this the bait to tempt me to the toil.
She dies

AULETES.

No; firft enjoy, then murder her

Trust to my conduct, and you still are safe.
They all are mask'd: I have my vizor too;
But time is fhort: for once confide in me.
You, Sir, for fafety, fly to your apartment;

You bear Mandane to her closet-You

Speed to the fouthern gate, and burst it open.

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[To the prince. [To fervants.

[As the fervants feize Mandane, she gives the fignal. She is borne off.

Enter RAMESES and confpirators, mask'd.

RAMESES.

The villain fled? Perdition intercept him!
Difperfe; fly feveral ways; let each man bear
A fteady point, well levell'd at his heart:

If he escapes us now, fuccefs attend him;
May he for ever triumph!

[As they pass the stage in confufion, AULETES enters

mask'd among them.

Ha! Why halt you!

AULETES.

Purfue,

Parfue, parfue; e'en now I faw the monfter,
The villain Myron, with these eyes I faw him,
Bearing his prize swift to the western gate:

There, there, it burst.

[A noife without.

ALL.

Away; pursue !

'Tis done;

AULETES. [Without.]

Advance the maffy bar, and all is fafe:

Stand here, and with your lives defend the pass.

Enter MYRON.

MYRON.

I shall at least have time for vengeance on her.
And then I care not if I die. Barbarians!

Their fwords are pointed at my life! "Tis well!
But I will give them an excufe for murder;
Such, such a cause-Off love, and soft compassion;
Harden each finew of my heart to steel:

I'll do, what done will fhock myself, and those
Whom time fets fartheft from this dreadful hour.

Enter MANDANE, forc'd in by AULETES.
MANDANE.

By all the pow'rs that can revenge a falihood,
I'm innocent from any thoughts of blood.

MYRON.

Why then your champions here in arms? 'Tis falfe,

Ah! let my life fuffice

MANDANE.

you for the wrong
You charge upon me! O my royal master !
My fafety from all ill! my great defender!
Or did my father but insult my tears,
And give me to your care to fuffer

wrong;

Kill me,

but not your

friend, but not my father;

He loves us both, and my fevere diftrefs

Will scarce more deeply wound him than your guilt. [Myron walks paffionately at a distance.

MYRON.

Slaves, are you sworn against me? Stop her voice,
And bear her to my chamber.

MANDANE.

O Sir! O Myron !

Behold my tears-Here will I fix for ever-
I'll clafp your feet, and grow into the earth-
O cut me, hew me-give to ev'ry limb

A feparate death-but spare my spotless virtue ;-
But fpare my fame-You wound to distant ages-
And thro' all time my memory will bleed.

MYRON. [As fervants force in Mandane.]
Distraction! All the pains of hell are on me!
MANDANE. [She is borne off]

O Memnon! O my lord !-my life! where art thou ?
[Myron expreffes fudden paffion and furprize: Stands
awhile fix'd in astonishment; then speaks.

As

MYRON.

many accidents concur to work

My paffions up to this unheard-of crime,

As if the gods design'd it—be it then

Their fault, not mine-Memnon! Said fhe not Memnon?
My heart began to stagger; but 'tis over➡
Heav'n blast me, if I thought it poffible
I could be still more curft-That hated dog,
Her lord, her life!I thank her for my cure
Of all remorse and pity; this has left me
Without a check, and thrown the loosen'd reins

On

On my wild paffion, to run headlong on,
And in her ruin quench a double fire;
The blended rage of vengeance and of love.
Destruction full of transport! Lo, I come,
Swift on the wing, to meet my certain doom:
I know the danger, and I know the shame ;
But, like our Phoenix, in fo rich a flame
I plunge triumphant my devoted head,
And doat on death in that luxurious bed.

VOL. I.

U

ACT

A C T

IV.

SCENE I.

Enter MYRON in the utmost diforder, bare-headed, withou light, &c. Walks disturbedly before he speaks.

MYRON.

ENCEFORTH let no man truft the firft false step

Hof guilt; it hange upon a precipice,

Whose steep descent in laft perdition ends.
How far am I plung'd down beyond all thought.
Which I this evening fram'd !-But be it fo:
Confummate horror! guilt beyond a name !
Dare not, my foul, repent; in thee repentance
Were fecond guilt, and thou blafphem'it juft heav'n,
By hoping mercy. Ah! my pain will cease
When gods want pow'r to punish-Ha! the dawn-
Rife never more, O fun! let night prevail;
Eternal darkness close the world's wide scene,
And hide me from Nicanor and myself!
Who's there?

[Enter Auletes

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Solemn

The house is rouz'd; the fervants all alarm'd;

The gilded tapers dart from room to room;

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