tion, join'd to thy damn'd crime,
Shall wind thee to the utmost height of frenzy.
In vain you grasp the dagger in your hand,
In vain you dress your brows in angry frowns,
In vain you raise your threatning arm in air,
Secure, Arsaces triumphs o'er your rage.
Guarded by fate, from thy accurs'd revenge,
Thou canst not touch his life; the Gods have giv'n
A softness to thy more than savage soul
Before unknown, to aid their grand designs.
Fate yet is lab'ring with some great event,
But what must follow I'm forbid to broach--
Think, think of me, I sink to rise again,
To play in blood before thy aching sight,
And shock thy guilty soul with hell-born horrors--
Think, think of Artabanus! and despair-- [_Sinks._

QUEEN.

Think of thee, and despair?--yes, I'll despair--
Yet stay,--oh! stay, thou messenger of fate!
Tell me--Ha! 'tis gone--and left me wretched--

ARSACES.

Your eyes seem fix'd upon some dreadful object,
Horror and anguish clothe your whiten'd face,
And your frame shakes with terror; I hear you speak
As seeming earnest in discourse, yet hear
No second voice.

QUEEN.

What! saw'st thou nothing?

ARSACES.

Nothing.

QUEEN.

Nor hear'd?--

ARSACES.

Nor Hear'd.

QUEEN.

Amazing spectacle!--
Cold moist'ning dews distil from ev'ry pore,
I tremble like to palsied age--Ye Gods!
Would I could leave this loath'd detested being!--
Oh! all my brain's on fire--I rave! I rave!-- [_Ghost rises again._
Ha! it comes again--see, it glides along--
See, see, what streams of blood flow from its wounds!
A crimson torrent--Shield me, oh! shield me, heav'n.--

ARSACES.

Great, and righteous Gods!--

QUEEN.

Ah! frown not on me--
Why dost thou shake thy horrid locks at me?
Can I give immortality?--'tis gone-- [_Ghost sinks._
It flies me, see, ah!--stop it, stop it, haste--

ARSACES.

Oh, piteous sight!--

QUEEN.

Hist! prithee, hist! oh death!
I'm all on fire--now freezing bolts of ice
Dart thro' my breast--Oh! burst ye cords of life--
Ha! who are ye?--Why do ye stare upon me?--
Oh!--defend me, from these bick'ring Furies!

ARSACES.

Alas! her sense is lost, distressful Queen!

QUEEN.

Help me, thou King of Gods! oh! help me! help!--
See! they envir'n me round--Vonones too,
The foremost leading on the dreadful troop--