A king of feasts, and flowers, and wine, and | And wilt thou not now tarry for a day, revel, And love,and mirth, was never king of glory. Tis for some small addition to the temple. Myrrha. Look to the annals of thine empire's founders. Sard. They are so blotted o'er with blood, I cannot. But what wouldst have? the empire has been founded. I cannot go on multiplying empires. It seems unto the stars which are above us Sard. No, like sovereigns, The shepherd-kings of patriarchal times, Who knew no brighter gems than summerwreaths, And none but tearless triumphs. Let us on. Pania. May the king live for ever! Longer than he can love. How my soul hates This language, which makes life itself a lie, Flattering dust with eternity. Well, Pania! Be brief. Pania. I am charged by Salemenes to Reiterate his prayer unto the king, That for this day, at least, he will not quit The palace: when the general returns, He will adduce such reasons as will warrant His daring, and perhaps obtain the pardon Of his presumption. Sard. What! am I then coop'd? Already captive? can I not even breathe The breath of heaven? Tell prince Salemenes, Were all Assyria raging round the walls In mutinous myriads, I would still go forth. Pania. I must obey, and yetMyrrha. Oh, monarch, listen! How many a day and moon thou hast reclined Within thesepalace-walls in silken dalliance, And never shown thee to thy people's longing; Leaving thy subjects' eyes ungratified, The satraps uncontroll'd, the gods unwor shipp'd, And all things in the anarchy of sloth, Till all, save evil, slumber'd through the realm! Of all thy faithful subjects, who will rally Round thee and thine. Sard. These are mere phantasies; Sard. Business to-morrow. Why, let it come, then, unexpectedly, 'Midst joy and gentleness,and mirth and love; So let me fall like the pluck'd rose! - far better Thus than be wither'd. Myrrha. Then thou wilt not yield, Even for the sake of all that ever stirr'd A monarch into action, to forego A trifling revel? Sard. No. Myrrha. Then yield for mine; Sard. Thine, my Myrrha ? Boon which I e'er ask'd Assyria's king. dom, must be granted. Well, for thy sake, I yield me. Pania, hence! Pania. And obey. [Exit Pania. What is thy motive, Myrrha, thus to urge me? Myrrha. Thy safety; and the certainty that nought Could urge the prince, thy kinsman, to require Thus much from thee, but some impending danger. Sard. And if I do not dread it, why shouldst thou? Myrrha. Because thou dost not fear, I fear for thee. Sard. To-morrow thou wilt smile at these vain fancies. Myrrha. If the worst come, I shall be Myrrha. Where? Sard. With Baal, Nimrod and Semiramis, But either that or nothing must I be: ACT II SCENE I.-The Portal of the same Hall of the Palace. Beleses. (solus) The sun goes down: methinks he sets more slowly, Taking his last look of Assyria's empire. Thus always, none would ever dare degrade How red he glares amongst those deepening thee. Sard. And who will do so now? Sard. Suspect! - that's a spy's office. Oh! Ten thousand precious moments in vain words, And vainer fears. Within there! Ye slaves, deck The hall of Nimrod for the evening-revel: border, there! Here we are still unmenaced. Ho! within Love none but heroes. But I have no country! And that's the heaviest link of the long chain To love whom we esteem not. Than to have stabb'd him on his throne Would have been noble in creed; my country's I was not made for either. Could I save him, I should not love him better, but myself; And I have need of the last, for I have fallen In my own thoughts, by loving this soft stranger: And yet methinks I love him more, That he is hated of his own barbarians, Could I but wake a single thought like those Which even the Phrygians felt, when bat tling long Twixt Ilion and the sea, within his heart, He would tread down the barbarous crowds, and triumph. He loves me, and I love him; the slave loves If not, I have a means of freedom still, Hour of Assyria's years. And yet how calm! A summer's sun discloses it. Yon disk, Thy lore unto calamity? Why not I am thy worshipper, thy priest, thy servant – Is gone-and leaves his beauty, not his To the delighted west, which revels in Enter ARBACES, by an inner door. Arbaces. And is a weak one 'tis worn And therefore need a soldier to command out-we'll mend it. Beleses. Art sure of that? Arbaces. Its founder was a hunter I am a soldier-what is there to fear? Arbaces. And the priest, it may be; but If you thought thus, or think, why not retain Your king of concubines? why stir me up? Beleses. Look to the sky? Beleses. What seest thou? you have more To make a rebel out of? A fool reigning, Arbaces. A fair summer's twilight, and Why, it is his revenge we work for. The gathering of the stars. Beleses. And midst them, mark Yon earliest, and the brightest, which so quivers, As it would quit its place in the blue ether. Arbaces. Well? Beleses. 'Tis thy natal ruler-thy birthplanet. Arbaces (touching his scabbard). My star is in this scabbard: when it shines, It shall out-dazzle comets. Let us think Of what is to be done to justify Thy planets and their portents. When we conquer, They shall have temples—ay, and priests— and thou Shalt be the pontiff of what gods thou wilt; Seen me turn back from battle. Arbaces. No; I own thee As firm in fight as Babylonia's captain, Beleses. Why not both? And yet it almost shames me, we shall have Beleses. Could Arbaees. I like not this same sudden We have the privilege to approach the Beleses. Doth he not change a thousand Sloth is of all things the most fanciful- To leave their foe at fault.—Why dost thou Arbaces. He loved that gay pavilionit was ever His summer-dotage. Beleses. And he loved his queen- Arbaces. Still-I like it not. Sal. (continuing) Satraps, Beleses. (delivering his) My Lord, behold Arbaces. (drawing his sword) Take mine. Arbaces. But in your heart the blade- Sal. (drawing) How! dost thou brave me? "Tis well-this saves a trial and false mercy. If he has changed-why so must we: the Soldiers, hew down the rebel! attack Were easy in the isolated bower, Beset with drowsy guards and drunken courtiers; But in the Hall of Nimrod Beleses. Is it so? Methought the haughty soldier fear'd to mount A throne too easily; does it disappoint thee Arbaces. When the hour comes, But here is more upon the die-a kingdom. Then on, and prosper. Arbaces. Now, were I a soothsayer, Enter SALEMENES, Sal. Satraps! Beleses. My prince! Sal. Well niet-I sought ye both, But elsewhere than the palace. Arbaces. Wherefore so? Sal. 'Tis not the hour. Arbaces. The hour-what hour? Beleses. Midnight, my lord! Thus to forget a sovereign's invitation? Arbaces. Soldiers! Ay Alone you dare not. Sal. Alone! foolish slave What is there in thee that a prince should shrink from Of open force? We dread thy treason, not Thy strength: thy tooth is nought without its venom The serpent's, not the lion's. Cut him down. Beleses (interposing). Arbaces! are you mad? Have I not render'd My sword? Then trust like me our sovereign's justice. Arbaces. No I will sooner trust the stars thou prat'st of And this slight arm, and die a king at least Sal. (to the Guards) You hear him,and me. [The Guards attack Arbaces, who defends himself valiantly and dexterously till they waver. Sal. Is it even so; and must I do the hangman's office? Recreants! see How you should fell a traitor. [Salemenes attacks Arbaces. Enter SARDANAPALUS and Train. Sard. Hold your hands— Upon your lives, I say. What, deaf or drunken? My sword! Oh fool, I wear no sword: here, fellow, Give me thy weapon. [To`a Guard. [Sardanapalus snatches a sword from one of the soldiers, and makes between the combatants-they separate. Sard. In my very palace! What hinders me from cleaving you in twain, Beleses. Sire, your justice. Your weakness. Hirelings, who live by lies on good men's lives. You must have been deceived, my brother. Sal. First Let him deliver up his weapon, and Proclaim himself your subject by that duty, And I will answer all. Sard. Why, if I thought so The scimitar to me he never yielded Sard. No, retain it; But use it with more moderation. I used it for your honour, and restore Ħ Sard. So I should: He never ask'd it. Sal. Doubt not, he will have it Without that hollow semblance of respect. Beleses. I know not what hath prejudiced the prince So strongly 'gainst two subjects, than whom Sal. My Lord! Sard. To school me in the worship of Assyria's idols! Let him be released— Give him his sword. Sal. My lord, and king, and brother, I pray ye pause. Sard. Yes, and be sermonized, And dinn'd, and deafen'd with dead men and Baal, And all Chaldea's starry mysteries. But no, it cannot be; the Mede Arbaces- captain Of all who discipline our nations—No, As the light breeze of midnight crisps the broad And rolling water,sighing through the sedges |