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Show 3-6 The SPARTAN DAME: Something extraordinary, as his Carriage was: He does not ufe to contradict m e : And, If I remember right, I heard him fpeak Something abreptly of Leonidas. There may be Danger near: I muft be gone: Thelamia takes m e for her Husband ftill: I wonnot undeceive her: that may ferve T o morrow Night, and I can ftay till t h e n -- Thelamia with a Light. A Light! She follows me. Thel. O ! D o not find A Trouble in m y Love, that thus attends In Duty now: Speak, and affure m y Fears, You are not angry with me. O m y Lord! I can forgive your ftealing from m y Bed, Your Silence there, but not this Silence now. What! turn away! nay, going from m e too! That muft not be: This Hand, m y Lord, is mine, Nor can I part with it without a Look • [He turns flowly to her, fhe drops his Hand, fbomher Surprize, by (landing fiupidly ftill a while without fpeaking,he offering tojpeak, fhe fnatches at his Sword, draws it half out ; failing in that, fhe throws her felf into a Chair, in the moft violent Eaffion of Grief. ' Thel. The Gods refufe m e their Afliftance too. Here let m e fall forgotten, Cleom. Let m e raife you. Thel. Touch m e not, Monfter j thou haft funk me down, And can'ft not raife m e - Cleom. T o m y Bed and Throne. Thel. Difhonour fill thy Bed, and Death thy Throne. Cleom. That's an unkind Return. Thel. Art thou not gone? Thou haft accomplished The fatal ends of thy Defign on m e : ^What wouldft thou more! Cleom. I would bring Comfort to you. Thel. O thou Deftroyer! fly, fly from my,Eyes! Thc fad remains of m y poor wretched Life 1 wou'd employ in Sorrow for m y Fate, In Penitence, and Mercy to the World: but while thou ftandft in View, I cannot weep: • ,MJ The SPARTAN D A M E . 397 My Eyes refufe the Comfort of their Tears To m y Misfortunes: All their Moifture feeds The Paffioni m m y Heart, which only can Be easd by Curies o n thee. Cleom. D o not curfe: °rJ/;y°^,mU^ thlnk whcre y°u foou'd begin. Thel O ! where begin, indeed! All, all deTerve A 1 w f r 0 I l m e ' t h e G o d s> and **te,Crites, and thou: Cleom The Gods, for making you thus heavenly fair; And I, for loving you. Thel. Both have been m y Curfe. Cleom. Crites and Fate were but m y Inftrumentsj Thofe you have curs'd in me. Thel. That Crites t O ! That Villain! damn'd insinuating Fiend! H o w was he trufted! h o w has he betray'd! But I m y felf a m guilty of m y Fall, By a fond, fatal Ignorance abus'd, And made th'Accomplice of m y Ruin too. Cleom. That fatal Ignorance then is your Excufe. Thel. O ! there is none in Nature, no Excufe For Crimes like mine: My Sifter's Husband's Oh! Cleom. Be patient, Madam, there's your Remedy : You have no other now. Thel. Yes, there is one, Revenge, that wonnot fail m e ; While I live, I muft folicit that of Gods and Men : And Earth or Heav'n will do m e Juftice, fure. Cleom. I'll do you the beft Juftice: be advis'd, And hear m e calmly: What is done is paft, Without your Crime: If it be any Sin, 'Tis fo in m e : But then 'tis fuch a Sin, , The purchafe of m y Peace, and fo belov'd, 1 never can repent. Thel. O hardncd Wretch! Cleom. 'Tis yet a Secret: While you keep it fo,' Your Husband is not wrong'd: or if he be, He w h o has done it, can maintain the Wrong, And then where's your Revenge ? Thel. Art thou fecure In Wickednefs? That Fool's Security Shall |
