Dioc. We'll about it. [Exeunt ALC. Droc. and PYR, Enter EURYDICE. Cre. Hail, royal maid! thou bright Eurydice, A lavish planet reigned when thou wert born, And made thee of such kindred mould to heaven, Thou seem'st more heaven's than ours. Eur. Cast round your eyes, Where late the streets were so thick sown with men, Like Cadmus' brood, they jostled for the passage; Now look for those erected heads, and see them, Like pebbles, paving all our public ways; When you have thought on this, then answer me,- → If these be hours of courtship? Cre. Yes, they are; For when the gods destroy so fast, 'tis time We should renew the race. Eur. What, in the midst of horror? Cre. Why not then? There's the more need of comfort. Eur. Impious Creon! Cre. Unjust Eurydice! can you accuse me Of love, which is heaven's precept, and not fear That vengeance, which you say pursues our crimes, Should reach your perjuries? Eur. Still the old argument. I bade you cast your eyes on other men, Now cast them on yourself; think what you are. Cre. A man. Eur. A man! Cre. Why, doubt you I'm a man? Eur. 'Tis well you tell me so; I should mistake you For any other part o'the whole creation, Rather than think you man. Hence from my sight, Thou poison to my eyes! Cre. 'Twas you first poisoned mine; and yet, methinks, My face and person should not make you sport. Cre. A prince, who loves you; And, since your pride provokes me, worth your love, Even at its highest value. Eur. Love from thee! Why love renounced thee ere thou saw'st the light; The midwife stood aghast; and when she saw Half-minted with the royal stamp of man, And half o'ercome with beast, stood doubting long, And knew not, if to burn thee in the flames. Cre. Am I to blame, if nature threw my body On heaps in their dark lodging, to revenge And seek not from our sex to raise an offspring, Which, mingled with the rest, would tempt the gods To cut off human kind. Cre. No; let them leave The Argian prince for you. That enemy Of Thebes has made you false, and break the vows You made to me. Eur. They were my mother's vows, Made when I was at nurse. Cre. But hear me, maid: This blot of nature, this deformed, loathed Creon, Is master of a sword, to reach the blood Of your young minion, spoil the gods' fine work, And stab you in his heart. Eur. This when thou dost, Then mayst thou still be cursed with loving me; Cre. 'Tis true, I am [Exit EUR. What she has told me an offence to sight: Snarls while he feeds, so will I seize and stanch Enter TIRESIAS, leaning on a staff, and led by his What makes this blind prophetic fool abroad? For earth and me; I'll shun his walk, and seek [Exit CREON. Man. Under covert of a wall ; The most frequented once, and noisy part Of Thebes; now midnight silence reigns even here, That nods, and scarce holds up his drowzy head, [A Noise within. Fallow, follow, follow! A Hark! a tumultuous noise, and Creon's name Man. Fly, the tempest drives this way. Tir. Whither can age and blindness take theirflight? If I could fly, what could I suffer worse, Secure of greater ills? [Noise again, Creon, Creon, Creon! Enter CREON, DIOCLES, ALCANDER, PYRACMON; followed by the Crowd. Cre. I thank ye, countrymen; but must refuse The honours you intend me; they're too great, And I am too unworthy; think again, And make a better choice. 1 Cit. Think twice! Ine'er thought twice in all my life; That's double work. 2 Cit. My first word is always my second; and therefore I'll have no second word; and therefore, once again, I say, A Creon! All. A Creon, A Creon, A Creon! Cre. Yet hear me, fellow-citizens. Dioc. Fellow-citizens! there was a word of kind ness! Alc. When did Edipus salute you by that familiar name? 1 Cit. Never, never; he was too proud. Cre. Indeed he could not, for he was a stranger; But under him our Thebes is half destroyed. Forbid it, heaven, the residue should perish Under a Theban born! 'Tis true, the gods might send this plague among you, Because a stranger ruled; but what of that? Can I redress it now? 3 Cit. Yes, you or none. "Tis certain that the gods are angry with us, Because he reigns. Cre. Edipus may return; you may be ruined. 1 Cit. Nay, if that be the matter, we are ruined already. 2 Cit. Half of us, that are here present, were living men but yesterday; and we, that are absent, do but drop and drop, and no man knows whether he be dead or living. And therefore, while we are sound and well, let us satisfy our consciences, and make a new king. 3 Cit. Ha, if we were but worthy to see another coronation! and then, if we must die, we'll go merrily together. All. To the question, to the question. Dioc. Are you content, Creon should be your king? All. A Creon, A Creon, A Creon! Tir. Hear me, ye Thebans, and thou Creon, hear me, |