Which your damned drugs, throw through the lingering world. Rox. Rend not your temper; see a general silence Confirms the bloody pleasure, which I sought; She dies. Alex. And darest thou, monster, think to escape? Stat. Life's on the wing,-my love, my lord, Come to my arms, and take the last adieu ! Here let me lie, and languish out my soul. Alex. Answer me, father, wilt thou take her from me? What, is the black, sad hour at last arrived, And shot me with a thousand thousand smiles? Stat. Farewel, my dear, my life, my most loved lord! I swear by Orosmades 'tis more pleasure, Alex. All, all, but speak, that I may execute Before I follow thee. Stat. Leave not the earth Before Heaven calls you; spare Roxana's life; [Dies. Alex. Close not thy eyes! To give them an account of life and death, That waked their sweets, has left them now for pieces, My dust shall be inspired with a ne Alex. Away! there's not a glance that flies from thee, But, like a basilisk, comes winged with death. Rox. O speak not such harsh words, my royal master! Look not so dreadful on your kneeling servant; faster! My knees are weary, and my force is spent: me. Alex. O thou hast touched my soul so tenderly, That I will raise thee, though thy hands are ruin. Rise, cruel woman, rise, and have a care, O do not hurt that unborn innocence, For whose dear sake I now forgive thee all. But haste, begone! fly, fly from these sad eyes, Fly with thy pardon, lest I call it back; Though I forgive thee, I must hate thee ever. Ror. I go, I fly for ever from thy sight. That has revenge in store for perjured love, young; Bolted with thunder let bim rush along, Pursue his spotted ghost, and shoot him as he flies! [Erit. Alex. O my fair star, I shall be shortly with thee; For I already feel the sad effects Cass. It will anon be still- [Aside R [Aside. Pol. I'll see the wished effect Great Sysigambis, hearing Statira's death, Her last words gave the princess to the brave Aler. How! dead? Hephestion dead? alas, the dear Unhappy youth!-But he sleeps happy, I must wake for ever:-This object, this, Will stretch my lids with vast, eternal tears- Alex. Fly, Meleager, hang him on a cross! But here lies my fate; Hephestion, Clytus, O when shall I be mad? Give order to The army, that they break their shields, swords, spears, Pound their bright armour into dust; away! Draw dry the Ganges, make the Indies poor; A bolt of ice runs hissing through my bowels: 'Tis sure the arm of death: give me a chair; Cover me, for I freeze, and my teeth chatter, And my knees knock together. Perd. Heaven bless the king! Alex. Ha! who talks of heaven? I am all hell; I burn, I burn again! The war grows wondrous hot; hey for the Tigris Bear me, Bucephalus, amongst the billows: O'tis a noble beast; I would not change him For the best horse the Sun has in his stable: For they are hot, their mangers full of coals, Their manes are flakes of lightning, curls of fire, And their red tails, like meteors, whisk about. Lys. Help all, Eumenes, help! I cannot hold him! Aler. Ha, ha, ha! I shall die with laughter. Parmenio, Clytus, dost thou see yon fellow, That ragged soldier, that poor tattered Greek? See how he puts to flight the gaudy Persians, With nothing but a rusty helmet on, throu which The grizzly bristles of his pushing beard Drive them like pikes-Ha, ha, ha! Lys. Yet warring in his wildness. Alex. Sound, sound, keep your ranks close; ay, now they come: O the brave din, the noble clank of arms! Charge, charge apace, and let the phalanx move; darius comes-ha! let me in, none Dare To cross my fury.-Philotas is unhorsed; ay, 'tis Darius; I see, I know him by the sparkling plumes, He tumbles! take him, snatch the imperial crown. They fly, they fly!--follow, follow!--Victoria! Victoria! Victoria!- -O let me sleep. Perd. Let's raise him softly, and bear him to his bed. Aler. Hold, the least motion gives me sudden My vital spirits are quite parched up, Shall set, it must be night with us for ever. Alex. Let me embrace you all before I die: Weep not, my dear companions; the good gods Shall send you, in my stead, a nobler prince, One that shall lead you forth with matchless conduct. EPILOGUE. WHATE'ER they mean, yet ought they to be curst, But when they're mellow, straight to you they fall; You watch them bare and squab, and let them rest, But with the first young down you snatch the nest. Pray leave those poaching tricks, if you are wise, There's not one lady will receive your court: But for the youth in petticoats run wild, sure meet: The woman in boy's clothes all boy shall be, And never raise your thoughts above the knee. Well, if our women knew how false you are, They would stay here, and this new trouble spare: Poor souls! they think all gospel you relate, To some vile canting conventicle chang'd; Green aprons, steeple-hats, and collar-bands, Dull sniv❜ling rogues that wring-not clap their | hands; Where for gay punks that drew the shining crowd, And misses that in vizards laugh'd aloud, They'll hear young sisters sigh, see matrons old To their chopp'd cheeks their pickled kerchers hold, Whose zeal too might persuade, in spite to you, 21 THEODOSIUS: OR, THE FORCE OF LOVE. BY NATHANIEL LEE. PROLOGUE. WIT long opprest, and fill'd at last with rage, Yet thrives: he and his crowd get what they please, Swarming all term-time through the Strand like bees, They buz at Westminster, and lie for fees. True rogues, their own, not god's elect, command. Let pigs then be prophane; but broth's allow'd, Possets and christian caudles may be good, Meat helps, to reinforce a brother's blood; Therefore each female saint he doth advise, With groans, and hums, and ha's, and goggling eyes, To rub him down, and make the spirit rise; Thy ink to gall, and in lampoons excel. |