and if all fail,
Since hell's broke loose, why should not you be mad?
Ravish, and leave her dead with her Adrastus.

_Cre._ Were the globe mine, I'd give a province hourly
For such another thought.--Lust and revenge!
To stab at once the only man I hate,
And to enjoy the woman whom I love!
I ask no more of my auspicious stars,
The rest as fortune please; so but this night
She play me fair, why, let her turn for ever.

_Enter_ HAEMON.

_Haem._ My lord, the troubled king is gone to rest;
Yet, ere he slept, commanded me to clear
The antichambers; none must dare be near him.

_Cre._ Haemon, you do your duty; [_Thunder._
And we obey.--The night grows yet more dreadful!
'Tis just that all retire to their devotions.
The gods are angry; but to-morrow's dawn,
If prophets do not lie, will make all clear.

_As they go off,_ OEDIPUS _enters, walking asleep in his shirt, with
a dagger in his right hand, and a taper in his left._

_OEdip._ O, my Jocasta! 'tis for this, the wet
Starved soldier lies on the cold ground;
For this, he bears the storms
Of winter camps, and freezes in his arms;
To be thus circled, to be thus embraced.
That I could hold thee ever!--Ha! where art thou?
What means this melancholy light, that seems
The gloom of glowing embers?
The curtain's drawn; and see she's here again!
Jocasta? Ha! what, fallen asleep so soon?
How fares my love? this taper will inform me.--
Ha! Lightning blast me, thunder
Rivet me ever to Prometheus' rock,
And vultures gnaw out my incestuous heart!--
By all the gods, my mother Merope!
My sword! a dagger! ha, who waits there? Slaves,
My sword!--What, Haemon, dar'st thou, villain, stop me?
With thy own poniard perish.--Ha! who's this?
Or is't a change of death? By all my honours,
New murder; thou hast slain old Polybus:
Incest and parricide,--thy father's murderer!
Out, thou infernal flame!--Now all is dark,
All blind and dismal, most triumphant mischief!
And now, while thus I stalk about the room,
I challenge Fate to find another wretch
Like OEdipus! [_Thunder,_ &c.

_Enter_ JOCASTA _attended, with Lights, in a Night-gown._

_OEdip._ Night, horror, death, confusion, hell, and furies!
Where am I?--O, Jocasta, let me hold thee,
Thus to my bosom! ages let me grasp thee!
All that the hardest-tempered weathered flesh,
With fiercest human spirit inspired, can dare,
Or do, I dare; but, oh you powers,