eyes,

All, all attract, that there each fond admirer
Could ever gaze, enamoured of her charms.

Meg. Alas! whate'er the symmetry of shape,
Whate'er the grace that revels in her features,
Glows in her bloom, or sparkles in her eye,
They all are transient beauties, soon to fade,
And leave inanimate that decent form.
Inward affliction saps the vital frame,
Incurable affliction fixed in woe
Her eyes for ever, motionless and dim,
Gaze on the fancied image of her husband.
Phar. Her husband!

Meg. Yes; a husband severed from her By fatal chance! him she for ever sees With fancy's gushing eye, and seeks him still In fond excursions of delusive thought, She pines each hour, and even in blooming dies; As drooping roses, while the worm, unseen, Preys on their fragrant sweets, still beauteous look,

And waste their aromatic lives in air.

Phar. The rose, transplanted to a warmer sky, Shall raise its languid head, and all be well.

Meg. Her husband still survives, and far remote He wanders in Armenia's realm

Phar. No more

To call her his! by all my promised joys,

Ter. And is it given

daughter,

My loveliest Ariana; in her ear

Breathe the mild accents of a father's voice,
And reconcile her heart to love and me.

Meg. Your pardon, sir; it were not fit my voice

Should teach her to betray her holy vows.
Phar. When Pharasmanes speaks—
Meg. My life is his,

And when he wills it, 'tis devoted to him-
But, sir, though poor, my honour still is mine;
Tis all that Heaven has given me, and that gift
The gods expect I never should resign.

Phar. And dost thou hesitate? what, when a

crown

Invites thy daughter to imperial splendour! Meg. Oh! not for me such splendour! I have lived

My humble days in virtuous poverty.

To tend my flock, to watch each rising flower, Each herb, each plant that drinks the morning dew,

And lift my praise to the just gods on high-
These were my habits, these my only cares;
These hands sufficed to answer my desires,
And having nought, yet nought was wanting to

me.

Phar. Away, thou slave! I would not quite despise thee

When my soul bleeds with anguish at the thought Of parting with thee? Ariana!

Thy elegance of mind, the various graces
That bloom around thee, and adorn the hero,
Nay, other ties there are which strongly plead,
And bid me tremble for thee.

And yet-sad recompense for all thy friendship,
To warn thee hence, to bid thee shun my ways,
Is all the gratitude I now can offer.
Ter. Thus must we part?

Zen. A rival is at hand,
Here in the camp-an unexpected rival,
Sent by the gods-the idol of my soul!

Ter. What say'st thou, Ariana? has anothe Usurped thy heart? Unkind, relentless maid! Since first thy beauty dawned upon my sight, How have I loved, repented, yet loved on! Even against you, against myself I struggled. Present I fled you—absent I adored—

I fled for refuge to the forest's gloom,
But in the forest's gloom thy image met me!
The shades of night, the lustre of the day,
All, all retraced my Ariana's form.
Thy form pursued me in the battle's rage,
'Midst shouts, and all the clangor of the war.
It stole me from myself!- my lonely tent
Re-echoes with my groans, and in the ranks
The wondering soldier hears my voice no more.
Zen. Yet leave me, Teribazus-generous yonth!
Remembrance oft shall dwell upon thy praise;
But, for my love, 'tis all another's claim.

Ter. Another's claim! why wilt thou torture
thus

A fond, despairing wretch ?-oh! not for me Those sorrows fall-they are another's tears ;-Another claims them from me-name this rival, That my swift fury-tell me, has Flamminius, Has the base Roman broke his promised faith? Will not the barbarous man afford you shelter? Zen. Why wilt thou force me speak? the fate of all,

Thine, Teribazus-mine--the fate of one, Whom, were he known-thy heart holds ever dear,

Is now concerned--Flamminius claims my love; Long since he won my heart

Ter. Vindictive gods!

Flamminius claims thy love! not Cæsar's self Shall dare to wrest thee from me--Ariana! Thus on my knees would I could perish here, That even in death I still might gaze upon thee, Till the last pang divide thee from my heart.

Enter RHADAMISTUS.

Rhad. It was the voice of anguish and despair! Why thus, illustrious prince

Ter. [Starting up.] Thou treacherous Roman! Who com'st to violate each sacred tie, The laws of honour, and the laws of love! Who com'st beneath the mask of public faith To do a robber's work!

Rhad. When to your camp

I bring a heart that longs to serve you, prince, Why this intemperate rage?

Ter. To do the work

Of perfidy and fraud! but first by rapine,
By violated maids, your city grew;
And do you come to emulate your sires,
Unwilling to degenerate in vice?

Rhad. Mistaken youth!--Oh! if you did but know me!

If you but knew the justice Rome intends----Ter. Justice and Rome! and dost thou dare to join

Two names so opposite ?--have we not heard
Of frugal consuls, and of stoic chiefs,

Who soon forgetting here their Sabine farms,
Made war a trade, and then returned to Rome,
Rich with the plunder of the rifled east?
Again some new Lucullus leads them on,
Fired with the love of rapine.

your camp,

Seek thou my brother; soothe his troubled spirit;
Explain these wonders; tell him Rhadamistus
Esteems and loves, and honours all his virtues.
Farewell, Zopiron !-in Armenia's court
Thy king shall thank thy goodness-my Zenobia,
Oh! let me guide thee from this place of danger,
To life, to love, to liberty and joy.

[Exit with Zenobia. Zop. Lo! the heavens smile with gentlest aspect on them!

This calm serene, that every planet sheds,
To light their steps-this glad ætherial mildness,
Is sure the token of encircling gods,
That hover anxious o'er the solemn scene!

Enter PHARASMANES, TIGRANES following.
Phar. Let Teribazus straight attend our pre-

In Roman blood, and yield Armenia to me.
Zop. Armenia, sir, still obstinately mourns
Lost Mithridates, father of his people.
Her hardy sons, with one consenting voice,
Demand a king from Rome; all leagued and

sworn

Never to crouch beneath the conqueror's yoke. Phar. But, when the Roman eagle bites the ground,

They'll shrink aghast, and own my sovereign.

sway.

Enter TERIBAZUS.

Phar. Thou base confederate with thy father's foes!

Ter. The accusation, sir, if proof support it, Gives you my forfeit life, and I resign it, Freely resign-if destitute of proof, It is a stab to honour, and the charge Should not be lightly urged,

Phar. This arrogance
That dictates to a father-
Ter. 'Tis the spirit

Of injured innocence-if Pharasmanes
Suspect my truth, send me where danger calls;
Bid me this moment carry death and slaughter
To rage in yonder camp; yes, then, your son
Shall mark his hatred of the Roman name.
Phar. Hast thou not dared to thwart my ten-
derest passion,

And to seduce my Ariana's love?

Ter. And, if this youthful heart, too prone to melt

At beauty's ray, received the gentle flame,
'Tis past-the charm is o'er-no longer now
I walk a captive in her haughty triumph!

SCENE I.

Enter PHARASMANES.

In vain she now may call forth all her graces, Instruct her eyes to roll with bidden fires, And practise all the wonders of her face. Ambition calls, and lights a nobler flame. Enter TIGRANES.

Tig. The ambassador of Rome, and that old traitor,

The false Megistus

Phar. Speak; unfold thy purpose.

Tig. Together left the camp, and in their train Bear Ariana with them

Ter. Ariana!

Have the slaves dared-detested treachery! Now, now, my father, now approve my zeal! Phar. Haste! fly! pursue her! bring the traitress back!

Ter. My rapid vengeance shall o'ertake their flight,

And bring the Roman plunderer bound in chains. [Erit

Phar. Do thou, Tigranes, with a chosen band Circle yon hills, and intercept their march. And thou, Zopiron, send my swiftest horse To range the wood, and sweep along the vale. [Exit Tigranes.

Zop. Ye guardian deities, now lend your aid! [Erit.

Phar. [Alone.] Has the perfidious, yet adored

deceiver,

Thus has she left me? from a monarch's smile,
Fled with a lawless ravager from Rome?
Oh! give me vengeance; give Flamminius to me,
That he may die in agony unheard of.
The traitress, then-spite of each winning art,
Spite of her guilt, she triumphs in my heart.

Phar. Not yet returned! I am tortured on the rack

By Heaven, to-morrow's dawn-distracting thought!

Ere that, the Roman ravager enjoys
Her heaven of bliss, and riots in delight.
My soul's on fire-this night I'll storm his camp,
And dash his promised joys; let loose my rage,
[A flourish of trumpets.
And bury all in ruin-ha! what means
This new alarm?

Enter TERIBAZUS, Soldiers, &c.

Ter. The treacherous slave is taken!

My speed outstripped him, and this arm,that seized, Hath well secured the traitor.

They made a feeble stand; but, hemmed around,
And close encircled by the sons of Asia,
They saw death threatening at each ́ javelin's
point.

I rushed upon Flamminius-much he courted
A secret parley, but my soul disdained
All further conference he and his complotter,
The base Megistus, with the fair deserter,
Remeasure back their steps, and clank their
chains

In bitterness of heart.

Phar. A father's thanks,

Shall well requite thee-lo! the traitors come.

Enter RHADAMISTUS, ZENOBIA, MEGISTUS, in chains.

Phar. Thou base perfidious! thou Italian plunderer!

Rhad. I do not mean to wage a war of words. Repent thee of this insult, of these chains On him, who represents a people here.

Yes, I exult, I glory in it-Think'st thou
I'll prove so meanly false to honour's cause,
As to apologize for being faithful?

Ter. I see Flamminius has already schooled her In Roman maxims―――

Rhad. Miserable prince!

I will not answer thee-too soon thy heart
For this last feat will bitterly reproach thee!

Ter. Away with thy delusive arts—if ever
I form alliance with that haughty people,
Those ravagers of earth, if e'er again

I hold communion with thee, may the gods-
May Pharsamanes-but it cannot be
My heart, high-beating in my country's cause,
Vows an eternal enmity with Rome.

[Exit. Rhad. Thee, Pharasmanes, thee my voice addresses

Thou know'st my title to her-Hymen's rites Long since united both-Then loose these chains;

Tis in the name of Rome I ask it———

Phar. Slave!

Thy title, by the rights of war, is now extinguished.

Captivity dissolves her former ties,

And now the laws of arms have made her mine. Zen. And are there laws to change the human heart?

To alter the affections of the soul?
Know that my heart is ruled by other laws,
The laws of truth, of honour, and of love.
This is my husband! source of all my comfort!
With him I'll live-with him will dare to die!
Phar. By Heaven, some mystery-thou treach-
erous fair!

Mark well my words-unfold thy birth and rank

My mind, uncertain, wanders in conjecture— Who, and what art thou? Vain is every guessResolve my doubts, or else the Roman's doom Shall be determined straight

Zen. And my resolve,

Tyrant, is fixed to share my husband's fate. That I unfold-that sentiment reveal

To Heaven and earth reveal it--for the rest, Guess if you can, determine if you dare.

Vows,

This instant make thee partner of my throne.

Zen. My faith, my love, my very life is hisMy child is his-oh! think thou see'st my infant Lifting his little hands

Phar. I'll hear no more;

Or yield this moment, or the traitor dies.
[Exit Pharasmanes.
Zen. [Alone.] Inhuman tyrant! madness seize
my brain!
Swallow me earth! here shall these desperate
hands

Strike on thy flinty bosom, here my voice
Pierce to thy centre, till, with pity touched,
Your caverns open wide to hide a wretch
From hated men, from misery like this.

Enter TERIBAZUS.

Ter. Afflicted mourner, raise thee from the earth.

Zen. What voice is that? I know thee wellthou art

That fiend accurst, the murderous Teribazus! Yes, thou art welcome! [Rising.] Thou delight'st

in blood

I am your willing victim; plunge your sword Deep in my heart; I'll thank thee for the stroke, Since thou hast murdered all my soul held dear. Ter. Assuage this storm of grief, nor blame a

lover That dotes, like me- -could I behold that form Snatched from my arms?

Zen. You know not what you've done— Your blameless brother

Ter. How!

Zen. You've murdered himYour brother Rhadamistus

Ter. Rhadamistus!

Zen. By thee he dies-that is your splendid deed