Near that dear clay extended, best becomes A soldier's courage, and a husband's love. [Exit. Enter ENOBARBUS, FLAMINIUS, and Romans. Our quick return to seize the secret pass ? Flam. If thou could'st add, that Dumnorix survived Enob. [Looking into the tent.] Thou seest the gods have otherwise decreed. Forbear to mingle vain regret with conquest. Flam. Then art thou fallen at last, thou migh ty tower, And more than Roman edifice of glory? VOL. I. 4 P XUTHUS, king of Athens. CREUSA, queen of Athens. ILYSSUS, an unknown youth, attendant on the PYTHIA, priestess of Apollo. temple at Delphi. ALETES, a Grecian sage. PHORBAS, an old Athenian. Priests of Apollo. LYCEA, and other women attending on the queen. Virgins belonging to the temple. Guards, &c. Citizens of Athens. Scene-The vestibule of the temple of Apollo at Delphi, and the laurel grove adjoining. SCENE I.-The Vestibule of the Temple. Enter ILYSSUS and Virgins. ACT I. Ilys. HASTE, haste, ye virgins; round the columns twine Your flowery chaplets; and with streams, fresh drawn Of Castaly, bedew the sacred porch Enter PHORBAS. Phor. Tell me, gentle maids, And thou, fair youth, who seem'st to lead the train, Is this the temple of the Delphic god? Ilys. It is; and on the middle point of earth Its firm foundation by immortal hands Stands fixed.-But break we off; the folded gates Unbar, and, lo! the priestess' self appears! [The Pythia speaks as she descends from the temple. Pyth. Hence, ye profane! nor with unhallowed step Pollute the threshold of the Delian king, Who slew the Python!-Say, from whence thon art, And what thy business, stranger. Phor. Sacred maid, From Athens am I come, the harbinger Phor. She does; And with her comes the partner of her bed, Æolian Xuthus: he, whose powerful arm Saved Athens from her fate; and, in return, From good Erectheus' bounteous hand received His daughter and his crown.-Would he had found Some other recompence! [Half aside. Pyth. [Overhearing him.] Would he had found! Old age is talkative, and I may learn Somewhat of moment from him.-Wherefore come they? Does famine threaten, or wide-wasting plague Infest the land? Phor. Thank Heaven, our crowded streets Have felt no dire disease; and plenty still Laughs in our blooming fields. Alas! I fear The childless goddess, who presides o'er Athens, Has found a surer method to declare How ill she brooks, that any stranger hand The vengeance come? Phor. I know not whence it comes; For still the royal pair in silence mourn, Ilyssus, haste, and bid the priests prepare Then hither all return.Myself, meanwhile, [Aside. Of whom you speak, Erectheus, did his people Esteem and love him as they ought? for fame Talked largely of his worth. He was a kingPhor. He was my good old master; such a king As Heaven but rarely sends. Did we esteem And love him, dost thou ask? Oh, we adored him; He was our father, not our king. These tears, At least, may speak my heart.-We must not hope, In these degenerate times, to see him equalled. And then he thought the public good required it; Pyth. What act? What unkind act? Phor. O maid, 'twere long to tell The whole unhappy story; yet, in part, Had made the lover of our present queen, Sure sign of murder, and as sure a sign Were loud and frantic. Time, at length, subdued Pyth. But that not long continued, for we find She married Xuthus. Phor. 'Twas a match of state; He saved her country, and she gave her hand, Her wedded lord! we had not wanted then The Athenian state; nor had we then been driven Pyth. Stop thy tongue, Or speak with reverence of the sacred shrine !- Phor. I am Athenian born, Pyth. The imperial Xuthus Is much renowned. To thee, and to thy shrine. Pyth. Thy zeal for Athens Is too intemperate. But the train returns, Enter ILYSSUS and Virgins. Pyth. By yon train, the queen An heaven-born impulse, and the seeds of truth Are labouring in my breast. Stranger, farewell. [The Pythia returns to the temple, and the gates shut. Enter CREUSA and Attendants. Cre. No farther need we conduct. Bid the guards Return, and wait the king. Phor. Does aught of moment Detain him on the road? Cre. He stops a while At great Trophonius' cave, that he may leave İlys. Please you, great queen, In yon pavilion to repose, and taste Cre. Ha! Lycea, Phorbas, What youth is this? There's something in his eyes, His shape, his voice-What may we call thee, youth? Ilys. The servant of the god, who guards this fane. Cre. Bear'st thou no name? Ilys. Ilyssus, gracious queen, The priests and virgins calls me. That name's Athenian. Tell me, gentle youth, Art thou of Athens, then? Ilys. O great queen, Had those from whom I sprung been formed like thee; Had they e'er felt the secret pangs of nature, I am the child of lowliness and vice, Cre. No, stay. Thy sentiments at least bespeak Ilys. In that, great queen, I never wanted parents. The good priests things, Which my soul treasures as its dearest wealth, Cre. Aletes, saidst thou? For yet he lives, and guides me by his counsels Cre. What did he teach thee? Ilys. To adore high Heaven, And venerate on earth heaven's image, truth! To feel for others' woes, and bear my own With manly resignation. Yet I own Some things he taught me, which but ill agree With my condition here. Cre. What things were those? Ilys. They were for exercise, and to confirm My growing strength. And yet I often told hi The exercise he taught resembled much What I had heard of war. He was himself A warrior once. Cre. And did those sports delight thee? Whene'er I grasped the osier-platted shield, Cre. Did the good man observe, and blame thy ardour? Ilys. He only smiled at my too forward zeal; Nay seemed to think such sports were necessary To soften what he called more rigorous studies. Cre. Suppose, when I return to Athens, youth, Thou shouldst attend me thither! wouldst thou trust To me thy future fortunes? Ilys. O most gladly! But then to leave these shades, where I was nursed Ilys. [Aside.] How my heart beats! Aletes He dwells, I think, upon the mountain's brow. Thou wonderest at me; call it, if thou please, A woman's weakness; but obey me, Phorbas. Phor. You say I wonder; 'tis indeed to see My honoured queen employ her thoughts thus idly On griefs long past; when things of dear concern Thy crown, Erectheus' crown, the crown of A- Cre. The gods will fix it. Phor. The gods! Ah, great Creusa, may my fears Be vain and groundless; but I fear the gods we To Delphi now, but that the offended gods Cre. Why ill-judged? We asked but heirs. Phor. We did; for Xuthus' heirs, The race of Æolus. I know, great queen, They were to spring from thee; but Heaven per mits not The native pureness of the Athenian soil not More alien kings at Delphi. Cre. Think'st thou Xuthus Deceives us, then? His worth, his piety, |