ear
That lurks beneath thine eyelid, ere it flow
And weaken thy resolve; be firm and true--
True to thyself and me; the path of life
Will lead o'er hill and plain, o'er rough and smooth,
And all must feel the steepness of the way;
Though rugged be thy course, press boldly on.

[S']ARNGARAVA.

Venerable Sire! the sacred precept is:--'Accompany thy friend as
far as the margin of the first stream.' Here, then, we are
arrived at the border of a lake. It is time for you to give us
your final instructions and return.

KANWA.

Be it so; let us tarry for a moment under the shade of this
fig-tree[69].

[_They do so_.

KANWA [_Aside_.

I must think of some appropriate message to send to his Majesty
King Dushyanta.

[_Reflects_. .

[S']AKOONTALA. [_Aside to_ ANASUYA.

See, see, dear Anasuya, the poor female Chakravaka-bird[70], whom
cruel fate dooms to nightly separation from her mate, calls to
him in mournful notes from the other side of the stream, though
he is only hidden from her view by the spreading leaves of the
water-lily. Her cry is so piteous that I could almost fancy she
was lamenting her hard lot in intelligible words.

ANASUYA

Say not so, dearest:

Fond bird! though sorrow lengthen out her night
Of widowhood, yet with a cry of joy
She hails the morning light that brings her mate
Back to her side. The agony of parting
Would wound us like a sword, but that its edge
Is blunted by the hope of future meeting.

KANWA.

[S']arngarava! when you have introduced [S']akoontala into the
presence of the King, you must give him this message from me:--

[S']ARNGARAVA

Let me hear it, venerable father.

KANWA.

This is it:--

Most puissant prince! we here present before thee
One thou art bound to cherish and receive
As thine own wife; yea, even to enthrone
As thine own queen--worthy of equal love
With thine imperial consorts. So much, Sire,
We claim of thee as justice due to us,
In virtue of our holy character,
In virtue of thine honourable rank,
In virtue of the pure spontaneous love
That secretly grew up 'twixt thee and her,
Without consent or privity of us.
We ask no more--the rest we freely leave
To thy just feeling and to destiny.

[S']ARNGARAVA.

A most suitable message! I will take care to deliver it
correctly.

KANWA.

And, now, my child, a few words