Its high discoursing, hath attracted him."
It is his creed, that, in this flesh of ours,
Self ever entertains predominance;
And, to all friendship, he hath ever been
A persevering infidel. For this,
Belike, he tries a strange experiment.
What sayest thou? Will Damon come again?
Dam.-"Our love of life is in the very instinct
Of mere material action, when we do
Even so slight a thing, as wink an eye
Against the wind. Place me a soulless dog

Upon the bare edge of a height, and he

Shall shudder and shrink back, though none have proved To his capacity that the fall were dangerous."

I hold the thing impossible.

Proc.-He'll not!

Dam.-What, when he feels his pent-up soul abroad, His limbs unfettered, "and the mountain-breeze

Of liberty all around him, and his life

Or death upon his own free choice dependent?" 'Tis visionary!

Proc.-But is there no hope

Of Dionysius' mercy?

Dam.-He'll not give

A second's hundredth part to take a chance in.

"His indignation swells at such a rashness,

That, in its fling of proud philosophy,

Can make him feel so much out-soared and humbled.”

What a vast multitude upon the hills

Stretch their long blackening outline in the round

Of the blue heavens!

Proc. They wait the great event.

"Mute expectation spreads its anxious Âusà

Behold, upon the roof what thousands gaze
Toward the distant road that leads to Syracuse.
An hour ago a noise was heard afar,

Like to the pulses of the restless surge;
But as the time approaches, all grows still

As the wide dead of midnight!

[The gates of the prison are flung open, and PYTHIAS is discovered. He advances to the scaffold.

[To the Executioner.] There is no pang in thy

deep wedge of steel.

Nay, sir, you may spare

Yourself the pains to fit me for the block.—

Damon, I do forgive thee!-I but ask

Some tears unto my

ashes!

[A distant shout is heard.-Pythias leaps upon the scaffold.

By the gods

A horse and horseman!-Far upon the hill,
They wave their hats, and he returns it—yet

I know him not-his horse is at the stretch! [A shout.
Why should they shout as he comes on? It is―
No!-that was too unlike but there, now-there!
Oh, life, I scarcely dare to wish for thee;

And yet that jutting rock has hid him from me-
No!-let it not be Damon!-he has a wife
And child!-gods!-keep him back!-

Damon.-[Without.] Where is he!

[Shouts.

DAMON rushes in, and stands for a moment looking round Ha!

He is alive! untouched! Ha! ha! ha!

[Falls with an hysterical laugh upon the stageThree loud shouts without.

Pyth. The gods do know I could have died for him! And yet I dared to doubt!-I dared to breathe The half-uttered blasphemy!

He faints!-How thick

[Damon is raised up.

This wreath of burning moisture on his brow!
His face is black with toil, his swelling bulk

Heaves with swift pantings. Damon, my dear friend!
Damon.-Where am I? Have I fallen from my horse,
That I am stunned, and on my head I feel

A weight of thickening blood!-What has befallen met The horrible confusion of a dream

Is yet upon my sight. For mercy's sake,

Stay me not back-he is about to die!

Pythias, my friend! Unloose me, villains, or
You'll find the might of madness in mine arm!

[Sees Pythias.] Speak to me, let me hear thy voice!
Pyth. My friend!

Damon. It pierced my brain, and rushed into my heart!

There's lightning in it!-That's the scaffold-there

The block-the axe-the executioner!

And here he lives!-I have him in my soul! [Embraces Pythias.] Ha! ha! ha!

Pyth.-Damon!

Damon.-Ha! ha!

I can but laugh!—I cannot speak to thee!
I can but play the maniac, and laugh!

Thy hand!-Oh, let me grasp thy manly hand!~
It is an honest one, and so is mine!

They are fit to clasp each other! Ha! ha! ha!

Pyth.-Would that my death could have preserved

thee!

Damon-Pythias,

Even in the very crisis to have come,

To have hit the very forehead of old time!
By heavens! had I arrived an hour before,
I should not feel this agony of joy-

This triumph over Dionysius!

Ha! ha!-But did'st thou doubt me? Come, thou did'stOwn it, and I'll forgive thee.

Pyth. For a moment.

Damon.-Oh, that false slave-Pythias, he slew my horse,

In the base thought to save me! I would have killed

him,

And to a precipice was dragging him,

When, from the very brink of the abyss,
I did behold a traveler afar,

Bestriding a good steed-I rushed upon him,
Choking with desperation, and yet loud
In shrieking anguish, I commanded him
Down from his saddle: he denied me-but
Would I then be denied? as hungry tigers
Clutch their poor prey, I sprang upon his throat:
Thus, thus, I had him, Pythias! Come, your horse,
Your horse, your horse, I cried. Ha! ha! ha!
Dion.-[Advancing and speaking in a loud tone.]
Damon!

Damon.-[Jumping on the scaffold.] I am here upon the scaffold! look at me:

I am standing on my throne; as proud a one

As

yon illumined mountain, where the sun Makes his last stand; let him look on me too;

He never did behold a spectacle

More full of natural glory. Death is-[Shouts.] Ha! All Syracuse starts up upon her hills,

And lifts her hundred thousand hands. [Shouts.] She

shouts,

[Shouts

Hark, how she shouts! [Shouts.] O Dionysius!
When wert thou in thy life hailed with a peal
Of hearts and hands like that one? Shout again!

Again! [Shouts] until the mountains echo you,
And the great sea joins in that mighty voice,
And old Euceladus, the Son of Earth,

[Shouts.

Stirs in his mighty caverns. [Three shouts.] Tell me, slaves,

Where is your tyrant? Let me see him now;

Why stands he hence aloof? Where is your master1 What is become of Dionysius?

I would behold, and laugh at him!

[Dionysius advances between Damon and PythiasDamon being on the scaffold-and throws off his disguise. Dion.-Behold me.

Damon and Pyth.-How?

Dion.-Stay your admiration for awhile,
Till I have spoken my commandment here.
Go, Damocles, and bid a herald cry

Wide through the city, from the eastern gate
Unto the most remote extremity,

That Dionysius, tyrant as he is,

Gives back his life to Damon.

Pyth.-How, Dionysius? Speak that again!

Dion.-I pardon him.

[Exit Damocles.