Truft to my

Enter AULETES, and servants.

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

MYRON.
Betray'd! Curst forceress; 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 conduct, and

you

still are safe. They all are mask'd: I have my vizor too; But time is short: for once confide in me. You, Sir, for safety, fly to your apartment;

[To the prince. You bear Mandane to her closeYou [To fervants. Speed to the southern gate, and burst it open, [As the servants feize Mandane, she gives the signal. She is borne off Enter Rameses and conspirators, mask'd.

RAMESES. The villain fled? Perdition intercept him! Disperse; fly several ways; let each man bear A steady point, well levell’d at his heart: If he escapes us now, success attend him; May he for ever triumph ! [As they pass the stage in confufion, AULETES enters

mask'd among them.

AULETES, Ha! Why halt you !

Pursue,

Parlue, pursue; e'en now I saw the monster,
The villain Myron, with these eyes I saw him,
Bearing his prize swift to the western gate :
There, there, it burst.

[ A voile without. ALL.

Away; pursue !
Auletes. [Without. ]

'Tis done ;

Advance the massy 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 swords are pointed at my life! 'Tis well!
But I will give them an excuse for murder ;
Such, such a cause-Off love, and soft compassion;
Harden each sinew of my heart to steel:
I'll do, what done will shock myself, and those
Whom time sets farthest from this dreadful hour.

Enter MANDANE, forc'd in by AULETES.

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

MYRON.
Why then your champions here in arms ? 'Tis false.

MANDANE.
Ah ! let my

life fuffice you
You charge upon me! O my royal master!
My safety from all ill! my great defender!
Or did my father but insult my tears,
And give me to your care to suffer wrong ;

Kill me, but not your friend, but not my father;
He loves us both, and my severe distress
Will scarce more deeply wound him than your guilt.

[Myron walks passionately 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 clasp your feet, and grow into the earth
O cut me, hew memgive to ev'ry limb
A separate death—but spare my spotless virtue ;
But spare my fame-You wound to diftant 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 expresses sudden passion and furprize : Stands awhile fix'd in astonifoment; then speaks.

MYRON.
As
many

accidents concur to work
My passions up to this unheard-of crime,
As if the gods design'd it—be it then
Their fault, not mine.--Memnon! Said she not Memnon?,
My heart began to stagger ; but 'tis over-
Heav'n blaft me, if I thought it poflible
I could be still more curst-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 passion, 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 so rich a flame
I plunge triumphant my devoted head,
And doat on death in that luxurious bed.

3

VOL. I.

U

Аст

А с

T

IV.

S CE N E

I,

H

Enter Myron in the utmost disorder, bare-headed, without
light, &c. Walks disturbedly before he speaks.

MYRON.
TENCEFORTH let no man trust the first false step

Of guilt ; it hangs upon a precipice,
Whose steep descent in last perdition ends.
How far am I plung'd down beyond all thought
Which I this evening fram’d! But be it fo:
Consummate horror ! guilt beyond a name !
Dare not, my soul, repent; in thee repentance
Were second guilt, and thou blasphem' it just heav'n,
By hoping mercy. Ah! my pain will cease
When gods want pow'r to punif--Ha! the dawn
Rise 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:
Auletes.
My lord ?

MYRON.

Auletes ?
AULetes.

Gaard your life.
The house is rouz'd; the servants all alarm’d;
The gilded tapers dart from room to room;

Solemn