And spread its new divinity between us,

Should save a brother from a brother's fury. [Exit Per. Demetrius. How's this? The waves ne'er ran thus high before.

Resign thee! yes, Erixine, with life!

Thou in whose eye, so modest, and so bright,
Love ever wakes, and keeps a vestal fire,

Ne'er shall I wean my fond, fond heart from thee.
But Perseus warns me to rouse up all my powers.
As yet I float in dark uncertainty;

For, though she smiles, I sound not her designs :
I'll fly, fall, tremble, weep upon her feet,
And learn (O all ye gods!) my final doom!
My father! Ha! and on his brow deep thought,
And pale concern! Kind heav'n assuage his sorrows,
Which strike a damp thro' all my flames of love. [Exit.
Enter KING and ANTIGONUS.

King. Kings of their envy cheat a foolish world;
Fate gives us all in spite, that we alone

Might have the pain of knowing all is nothing;
The seeming means of bliss but heighten woe,
When impotent, to make their promise good:
Hence kings, at least, bid fairest to be wretched.

Antigonus. True, Sir; 'tis empty, or tormenting, all : The days of life are sisters; all alike;

None just the same; which serve to fool us on
Through blasted hopes, with change of fallacy;
While joy is, like to-morrow, still to come :
Nor ends the fruitless chace but in the grave.

King. Ay, there, Antigonus, this pain will cease, Which meets me at the banquet; haunts my pillow; Nor, by the din of arms, is frighted from me.

Conscience, what art thou? Thou tremendous power
Who dost inhabit us without our leave;
And art, within ourselves, another self;
A master self, that loves to domineer,

And treat the monarch frankly as the slave.

!

How dost thou light a torch to distant deeds?
Make the past, present; and the future, frown?
How, ever and anon, awake the soul,

As with a peal of thunder, to strange horrors,
In this long restless dream, which idiots hug,
Nay, wise men flatter with the name of life?
Antigonus. You think too much.

King. I do not think at all: The gods impose, the gods inflict, my thoughts; And paint my dreams with images of dread. Last night, in sleep, I saw the Thracian Queen, And her two murder'd sons. And pointed at their wounds. How throbb'd my heart? How shook my couch? And, when the morning came, The formidable picture still subsisted,

She frown'd upon me,

And slowly vanish'd from my waking eye..
I fear some heavy vengeance hangs in air,
And conscious deities infuse these thoughts,
To warn my soul of her approaching doom.
The gods are rigid when they weigh such deeds
As speak a ruthless heart; they measure blood
By drops, and bate not one in the repay.
Could infants hurt me? 'Twas not like a king.

Antigonus. My lord, I do confess the gods are with us;

Stand at our side in ev'ry act of life ;

And on our pillow watch each secret thought;

Nay, see it in its embryo, yet unborn.

But their wrath ceases on remorse for guilt;

And well I know your sorrows touch your sons;
Nor is it possible but time must quench

Their flaming spirits in a father's tears.

.

King. Vain comfort! I this moment overheard

My jarring sons with fury shake my walls.

Ah! why my curse from these, that ought to bless me?
The Queen of Thrace can answer that sad question :
She had two sons; but two: And so have I.

Misfortune stands with her bow ever bent

Over the world; and he who wounds another,
VOL. II.

8

Directs the goddess by that part he wounds,
Where to strike deep her arrows in himself.
Antigonus. I own, I think it time your sons receive
A father's awful council; or, while here,

Now weary nature calls for kind repose,

Your curtains will be shaken with their broils

;

And, when you die, sons' blood may stain your tomb.But other cares demand you now: The Romans.

King. O change of pain! The Romans? Perish Rome ! Thrice happy they, who sleep in humble life, Beneath the storm ambition blows. "Tis meet The Great should have the fame of happiness, The consolation of a little envy ;

'Tis all their pay for those superior cares,

Those pangs of heart, their vassals ne'er can feel.

Where are these strangers? First I'll hear their tale; Then talk in private with my sons.

Antigonus.

But how

Intends my lord to make his peace with Rome ?

King. Rome calls me fiery: Let her find me so ! Antigonus. O Sir, forbear! Too late you felt Rome's

power.

King. Yes, and that reason stings me more than ever, To curse, and hate, and hazard all against her.

Antigonus. Hate her too much to give her battle now; Nor to your godlike valour owe your ruin.

Greece, Thessaly, Illyrium, Rome has seized;

Your treasures wasted, and your phalanx thinn'd :
Should she proceed and strike at Macedon,

What would be left of empire?

King. Philip All.

I'll take my throne. Send in these foreigners.

SCENE draws, and discovers a magnificent throne, PERSEUS, DEMETRIUS, courtiers, &c. attending. POSTHUMIUS and CURTIUS,, the Roman ambassadors, enter. Trumpets sound. The King ascends the throne.

Posthumius. Philip of Macedon; To these complaints Our friends groan out, and you have heard at large,

Rome now expects an answer.
And will have right on earth.
King.

She sits judge,

Expects an answer!

I so shall answer, as becomes a king.

Posthumius. Or more, Sir; as becomes a friend of Rome.

King. Or Alexander's heir, to rise still higher.
But to the purpose. Thus a king to those

That would make kings, and puff them out at pleasure
Has Philip done amiss? 'Twas you provok'd him.
My cities, which deserted in my wars,

I thought it meet to punish: You deny'd me.
When I had shook the walls of Marena,

You pluckt me thence, and took the taken town:
Then you sent word I should retire from Greece,
A conquest at my door, by nature mine;

And said, Here end thy realm ;" as ye were gods!
And gods ye shall be, ere Rome humbles me.
All this is done; yet Philip is your friend!
If this buys friendship, where can you find foes?
In what regard will ftern Rome look upon me?
If as a friend, too precious let her hold
Her own esteem, to cast a stain on mine;
If as an enemy, let her proceed,

And do as she has done; she need no more.
Posthumius. The Romans do no wrong; yet still are

men:

And if to day an error thwarts their purpose,
To-morrow sets it right: If Philip loves
Dominion, and the pride that waits on kings,
(Of which, perhaps, his words too strongly savour)
Humility to Rome will lead him to it:

She can give more than common kings can govern.
King. Than common kings! Ambassador! remember
Canna-where first my sword was flusht with blood.
Demetrius.
[Aside to the king.]

My lord, forbear.

King.

And Hannibal still lives.

Posthumius. Because he fled at Capua.

King.

I was not with him.
Posthumius.

There, indeed,

Therefore he fled alone.-

Since thus you treat us,-hear another charge.
Why here detain you, prisoner of your power,
His daughter, who was once Rome's good ally,
The king of Thrace? Why is she not restor❜d?
For our next meeting you'll provide an answer.
What now has pass'd, for his sake we forgive.

[Pointing to Demetrius. But mark this well: There lies some little distance, Philip, between a Roman and a king. Exeunt Romans. King. How say'st, unscepter'd boaster! This to me! With Hannibal I cleft yon Alpine rocks;

With Hannibal choak'd Thrasymene with slaughter :
But, O the night of Canna's raging field!
When half the Roman senate lay in blood
Without our tent, and groan'd, as we carous'd!
Immortal gods for such another hour!
Then throw my carcase to the dogs of Rome.
Antigonus. Sir, you forget your sons.
King

Let all withdraw. [Exeunt all but the king and his sons.

Two passions only take up all my soul;
Hatred to Rome, and tenderness for them.
Draw near, my sons, and listen to my age.
By what has pass'd, you see the state of things:
Foreign alliance must a king secure ;

And insolence sustain to serve his power:
And if alliances with Rome are needful,
Much more among ourselves. If I must bear,
Unmov'd, an insult from a strangers brow,
Shall not a brother bear a brother's look
Without impatience? Whither all this tends,
I'm sorry that your conscious hearts can tell you:
Is it not most severe ? Two sons alone

Have crown'd my bed; and they two are not brothers.