Volume Ii Part 41 (1/2)

_Sem_. Ah, Madam, what is't you intend to do?

_Cleo_. What shou'd I do but die--ah! do not weep, But haste to do as I command ye: Haste, haste, the Time and my Revenge require it.

_Sem_. For Heaven's sake, Madam, for your royal self, Do not pursue this cruel fatal Enterprize; Pity the Queen, your Servants, and all Mankind.

_Cleo_. Away, thou feeble thing, that never knew'st the real Joys of Love, Or ever heard of any Grief like mine; If thou wou'dst give me Proofs of thy Esteem, Forget all Words, all Language, but Revenge.

Let me not see so much of Woman in thee To shed one Tear, but dress thy Eyes with fierceness, And send me forth to meet my Love, as gay, As if intended for my nuptial Day.

That Soul that sighs in pity of my Fate, Shall meet returns of my extremes! Hate: Pity with my Revenge must find no room; I'll bury all but Rage within thy Tomb.

[_Exeunt_.

ACT IV.

SCENE I. _A Flat Wood_.

_Enter_ Cleomena _drest in_ Clemanthis's _Clothes_, Semiris _bearing the Cap and Feather_, Pimante _the Sword_.

_Cleo_. Come, my _Semiris_, you must a.s.sist a little, And you, _Pimante_, buckle on my Sword.

_Pim_. I never parted with a Sword so unwillingly in my Life.

_Cleo_. So--How dost thou like me now?

Might I not pa.s.s, thus habited, for _Clemanthis_?

_Pim_. Yes, Madam, till you come to the fighting part.

_Cleo_. Now go, and do as I have ordered you.

_Sem_. Ah, Madam, though I must not wait on you to fight, I will in Death, 'tis my first Act, and last of Disobedience.

[_Weeps_.

_Cleo_. Do not disturb me with thy Grief, _Semiris_: Go leave me to my self, and Thoughts of Vengeance: And thou, base Traitor-Prince, shalt buy thy Life At such a Rate shall ruin thee for ever; And if I fall--as I believe I shall-- The very Shame to know I am a Woman, Shall make thee curse thy Fortune and thy Arms, If thou hast any Sense of Manhood left, After the barbarous Murder thou hast done: But if my better Fortune guide my Arm, This Arm (whom Love direct) to meet thy Heart, Then I shall die with real Satisfaction.

The time draws on when I should try my Fate; a.s.sist me, mighty Love, in my Design, That I may prove no Pa.s.sion equals mine.

_Sem_. Madam, consider whom you must encounter.

_Cleo_. Consider thou who's dead, the brave _Clemanthis_!

[_Weeps_.

Oh, 'tis a Shame to weep, being thus attir'd; Let me once more survey my self-- And yet I need not borrow Resolution: _Clemanthis_, thou art murder'd, that's the Word, 'Tis that creates me Man, and valiant too, And all incensed Love can prompt me to.

Hark--hark--the joyful Summons to my Death.

[_Trumpets sound_.

Go, leave me to approach it solemnly-- Come, my dear Sword, from thee I must expect That Service which my Arm may fail to affect; And if thou ever did'st thy Master love, Be sure each Stroke thou mak'st may mortal prove.

[_Exeunt severally_.

SCENE II. _Between the two Camps_.

_After a Noise of Trumpets at some distance and fighting, the Scene draws, and discovers_ Cleomena _and_ Thersander _fighting_: Lysander. _On one side stands the_ King of Scythia _with his Party: on the other, the_ Queen of Dacia, Hon.