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Show 5s O ED I PU s: Creon. H a ! T h o u haft given T h ' Alarm to Cruelty -, and never may Thefe Eyes be clos'd , till they behold xAdrafm Stretch'd at the Feet of falfe Eurydice. Enter Adraftus , Eurydice , attended. tjidr. Alas Eurydice, what fond rafh Man, What inconfiderate and ambitious Fool , That fhall hereafter read rhe Fate of Oedipus, Will dare, with his frail hand, to grafp a Scepter? Eur. 'Tis true , a Crown feems dreadful , and I wifh That you and I, more lowly plac'd, might pafs Our fofter Hours in humble Cells away. Not but 1 love you to that infinite height, I could ( O wondrous proof of fiercefl Love) Be greatly wretched in a Court with you. J/fdr. Take then this moft lov'd innocence away °, Fly from rumultuous Thebes , From Blood and Murder: Fly from the Author of all Villanies, Rapes, Death , and Treafon, from that Fury Creon; Vouchfafe that I, o'er-joy'd, may bear you hence, And at your Feet prefent the Crown of turgor. Crcon and ^Attendants come up to him. Creon. I have o'er-heard thy black defign, (Adraflm And therefore , as a Tray tor to this State, Death ought to be thy Lot : let it fuflicc That Thebes furveys thee as a Prince ; abufc not Her proffcr'd Mercy, but retire betimes, Left fhe repent and haften on thy Doom. tAdr. Think not, moft abject, moft abhorr'd of M e n , Adraftus will youchfafc to anfwer thee. Tbe. OEDIPUS. 89 Thebans, to you I juttifie m y Love. I have addrefs'd ray Prayers to this fait Princefs: But , if I evcr meant a violence, Or thought to Ravifh , as that Traytor did, "What humbleft Adorations could not win j Brand m e , you Gods, blot m e with foul dilhonour, And let M e n curfe m e by the name of Creon. Eur. Hear me , O Thebans , if you dread the Wrath O f her w h o m Fate ordain'd to be your Queen, Hear m e , and dare not, as you prize your Lives, T o take the parr of that Rebellious Traytor. By the Decree of Royal Oedipus, By Queen Jocafta s order, by what's more, M y own dear Vows of everlafting Love, I here refign to Prince tAdra\tus Arms All that the World can make me Miftrefs of. Creon. O perjur'd W o m a n ! Draw all; and when I give the word, fall on. Traytor, refign the Princefs, or this moment Expect, with all thofe moft unfortunate Wretches, Upon this fpot ftraight to be hewn in pieces. \Adr. N o , Villain , no-, With twice thofe odds of M e n, I doubt not in this Caufe to vanquilh thee. Captain, remember to your Care I give M y Love , Ten thoufand thoufand times more dear Than Life, or Liberty. Creon. F2II on, oleander ; Pyracmon , you and I muft wheel about For nobler G a m e , rhe Princefs. <Adr. A h , Traytor, doit thou thun m c ? Follow, follow , M Y brave Companions; fee , the Cowards fly, [Exit fighting : Creon'i Party beaten off by Adraftus. Enter |