The Citadel.
Enter Calippus, and several Officers: Dionysius meeting them.
Dio. Ye brave associates, who so oft have shar'd
Our toil and danger in the field of glory,
My fellow warriors, what no god could promise,
Fortune hath giv'n us. In his dark embrace
Lo! sleep envelops the whole Grecian camp.
Against a foe, the outcasts of their country,
Freebooters, roving in pursuit of prey,
Success by war or covert stratagem
Alike is glorious. Then, my gallant friends,
What need of words? The gen'rous call of freedom,
Your wives, your children, your invaded rights,
All that can steel the patriot breast with valour,
Expands and rouses in the swelling heart.
Follow th'impulsive ardour; follow me,
Your king, your leader: in the friendly gloom
Of night, assault their camp; your country's love,
And fame eternal, shall attend the men
Who march'd through blood and horror, to redeem,
From the invader's pow'r, their native land.
Cal. Lead to the onset; Greece shall find we bear
Hearts prodigal of blood, when honour calls,
Resolv'd to conquer or to die in freedom.
Dio. Thus I've resolv'd: When the declining moon
Hath veil'd her orb, our silent march begins.
The order thus:—Calippus thou lead forth
Iberia's sons with the Numidian bands,
And line the shore.—Perdiccas, be it thine
To march thy cohorts to the mountain's foot,
Where the wood skirts the valley; there make halt
Till brave Amyntor stretch along the vale.
Ourself with the embodied cavalry
Clad in their mail'd cuirass, will circle round
To where their camp extends its furthest line;
Unnumber'd torches there shall blaze at once,
The signal of the charge; then, oh, my friends!
On every side let the wild uproar loose,
Bid massacre and carnage stalk around,
Unsparing, unrelenting; drench your swords
In hostile blood, and riot in destruction.
Away, my friends!
Rouse all the war! fly to your sev'ral posts,
And instant bring all Syracuse in arms!
[Exeunt.—Warlike music.
The Inside of the Temple.
A Monument in the Middle.
Euphrasia, Erixene, and Female Attendants.
Eup. Which way, Erixene, which way, my virgins,
Shall we direct our steps? What sacred altar
Clasp on our knees?
Erix. Alas, the horrid tumult
Spreads the destruction wide. On ev'ry side
The victor's shouts, the groans of murder'd wretches,
In wild confusion rise. Once more descend
Eudocia's tomb; there thou may'st find a shelter.
Eup. Anon, Erixene, I mean to visit,
Perhaps for the last time, a mother's urn.
This dagger there, this instrument of death,
Should fortune prosper the fell tyrant's arms,
This dagger then may free me from his pow'r,
And that drear vault intomb us all in peace.
[Puts up the Dagger.
The din
Of arms with clearer sound advances. Hark!
That sudden burst!—Again!—They rush upon us!
The portal opens; lo!—see there!—behold,
War, horrid war, invades the sacred fane!
No altar gives a sanctuary now.
[Warlike Music.
Enter Dionysius and Calippus, with several Soldiers.
Dio. Here will I mock their siege; here stand at bay,
And brave them to the last.
Cal. Our weary foes
Desist from the pursuit.
Dio. Tho' all betray me,
Tho' ev'ry god conspire, I will not yield.
If I must fall, the temple's pond'rous roof,
The mansion of the gods combin'd against me,
Shall first be crush'd, and lie in ruin with me.
Euphrasia here! Detested, treach'rous woman!
For my revenge preserv'd!—By Heaven, 'tis well;
Vengeance awaits thy guilt, and this good sword
Thus sends thee to atone the bleeding victims
This night has massacred.
Cal. [Holding Dionysius's Arm.] My liege, forbear;
Her life preserv'd may plead your cause with Greece,
And mitigate your fate.
Dio. Presumptuous slave!
My rage is up in arms;—by Heav'n, she dies.
Enter Evander, from the Tomb.
Eva. Horror! forbear!—Thou murd'rer, hold thy hand!
The gods behold thee, horrible assassin!
Restrain the blow; it were a stab to Heav'n;
All nature shudders at it!—Will no friend
Arm in a cause like this a father's hand?
Strike at this bosom rather. Lo! Evander
Prostrate and groveling on the earth before thee!
He begs to die:—exhaust the scanty drops
That lag about his heart;—but spare my child.
Dio. Evander!—--Do my eyes once more behold him?—
May the fiends seize Philotas! Treach'rous slave!
'Tis well thou liv'st; thy death were poor revenge
From any hand but mine.
[Offers to strike.
Eup. No, tyrant no;
[Rushing before Evander.
I have provok'd your vengeance; through this bosom
Open a passage; first on me, on me
Exhaust your fury. Ev'ry pow'r above
Commands thee to respect that aged head:
His wither'd frame wants blood to glut thy rage:
Strike here; these veins are full; here's blood enough;
The purple tide will gush to glad thy sight.
Dio. Amazement blasts and freezes ev'ry pow'r!
Ha! the fierce tide of war
[A flourish of Trumpets.
This way comes rushing on.
[Goes to the Top of the Stage.
Eup. [Embracing Evander.] Oh! thus, my father,
We'll perish thus together.
Dio. Bar the gates;
Close ev'ry passage, and repel their force.
Eva. And must I see thee bleed? Oh, for a sword!
Bring, bring me daggers!
Eup. Ha!
Dio. Guards, seize the slave,
And give him to my rage.
Eva. [Seized by the Guards.] Oh!
Inhuman villains!
Eup. Now, one glorious effort!—
Dio. Let me despatch; thou traitor, thus my arm—
Eup. A daughter's arm, fell monster, strikes the blow.
[Stabs Dionysius.
Yes, first she strikes; an injur'd daughter's arm
Sends thee devoted to th' infernal gods.
[He falls.
Dio. May curses blast thy arm! May Ætna's fires
Convulse the land; to its foundation shake
The groaning isle! May civil discord bear
Her flaming brand through all the realms of Greece;
And the whole race expire in pangs like mine!
[Dies.
Eup. Behold, all Sicily behold!—The point
Glows with the tyrant's blood. Ye slaves, [To the Guards.] look there;
Kneel to your rightful king: the blow for freedom
Gives you the rights of men! And, oh, my father,
My ever honour'd sire, it gives thee life!
Eva. My child—my daughter—sav'd again by thee!
[He embraces her.
A Flourish of Trumpets. Enter Phocion, Melanthon, Philotas, &c.
Phoc. Now let the monster yield.—My best Euphrasia!
Eup. My lord!—my Phocion!—welcome to my heart.—
Lo! there the wonders of Euphrasia's arm!
Phoc. And is the proud one fall'n! The dawn shall see him
A spectacle for public view. Euphrasia!
Evander too!—Thus to behold you both——
Eva. To her direct thy looks; there fix thy praise,
And gaze with wonder there. The life I gave her,
Oh, she has us'd it for the noblest ends!
To fill each duty; make her father feel
The purest joy, the heart-dissolving bliss
To have a grateful child.—But has the rage
Of slaughter ceas'd?
Phoc. It has.
Eva. Where is Timoleon?
Phoc. He guards the citadel; there gives his orders
To calm the uproar, and recal from carnage
His conqu'ring troops.
Eup. Oh! once again, my father,
Thy sway shall bless the land. Not for himself
Timoleon conquers; to redress the wrongs
Of bleeding Sicily, the hero comes.
Thee, good Melanthon, thee, thou gen'rous man,
His justice shall reward. Thee too, Philotas,
Whose sympathizing heart could feel the touch
Of soft humanity, the hero's bounty,
His brightest honours, shall be lavish'd on thee.
Evander, too, will place you near his throne;
And show mankind, ev'n on this shore of being,
That virtue still shall meet its sure reward.
Phil. I am rewarded: feelings, such as mine,
Are worth all dignities; my heart repays me.
Eva. Come, let us seek Timoleon; to his care
I will commend ye both: for now, alas!
Thrones and dominions now no more for me.
To thee I give my crown: yes, thou, Euphrasia;
Shalt reign in Sicily. And, oh! ye Pow'rs,
In that bright eminence of care and peril,
Watch over all her ways; conduct and guide
The goodness you inspir'd; that she may prove,
If e'er distress like mine invade the land,
A parent to her people; stretch the ray
Of filial piety to times unborn,
That men may hear her unexampled virtue,
And learn to emulate "The Grecian Daughter."
THE END.
[Transcriber's Note: The following typographical errors in the original edition have been corrected. "Dia." has been changed to "Dio." in the speech beginning "Perdiccas, ere the morn's revolving light"; "Enp." has been changed to "Eup." in the speech beginning "Give me my father; here you hold him fetter'd;"; "Couduct me forward" has been changed to "Conduct me forward"; and a missing bracket has been added before the stage direction "To the Guards.".]
