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Show i4 OEDIPUS. I bad you cait your Eyes on other Men , Now caft 'cm on your felf: think what you are. Creon. A Man. Euryd. A Man I Creon. W h y doubt you ? I'm a Man (you, Euryd. *Tis well you tell me to; I lhould nuitake For any other part o'th' whole Creation, Rather than think you Man: hence from my fight, Thou Poyfon to m y Eyes. (methinks Creon. Twas you firft poyfon'd mine; and yet M y Face and Perfon fhou'd not make you fport. Euryd. You force m e , by your importunities, To fhew you what you are. Cteon. A Prince , who loves you: And fince your Pride provokes me, worth your Love, Ev'n at its highcit value. Euryd. Love from thee? W h y love renoune'd thee e're rhou faw'ft the light: Nature her felf ftart back when thou wcrt borii, And cry'd the Work's not mine-- The Midwife flood agaft; and when flic faw Thy Mountain Back, and thy diftorted Legs, Thy Face it felf, Half minted with the Royal itamp of Man, And half o'ercome with Beaft, flood doubting long, Whofe right in thee were more: And knew not if to burn thee in the flames, Were not the holier work. Creon. A m I to blame, if Nature threw my Body In Co perverfe a Mold? yet when fhe cait Her envious Hand upon my fupple Joints, Unable ro refifl, and rumpled 'em On heaps in their dark lodging to revenge Her bungled work, fhe itampt m y Mind more fair, And as from Chaos , huddled and deform'd , The Gods itruck fire, and lighted up the Lamps That bcautifie the Sky; fo flic inform'd This OEDIPUS. '? This ill-fhap'd Body with a daring Soul : And making lefs than Man, flic made mc more. Euryd. No, yiou art all one Error , Soul and Body; The firft young rryal of fome unskill'd Pow'r, Rude in the making Art , and Ape of Jove. Thy crooked Mind within , hunch'd out thy back, And wandcr'd in thy Limbs: to thy own kind Make love, if thou canft find it in the World; And feek not from our Sex to raifcanOff-fpring, Which • mingled with the reft, would tempt the To cut offHuman Kind. (Gods Creon. No,- let 'em leave The lAroian Prince for you: that Enemy Of Thebes has made you falfc, and break the Vows You made to mc. Euryd. They were my Mother's Vows, Made when I was at Nurfc. Creon. But hear m e , Maid; This Blot of Nature, this deform'd loath'd Creon, Is matter of a Sword , to reach the Blood Of your young Minion , fpoii the Gods fine work , And ftab you in his Heart. Euryd. This when thou docit , Then may'ft thou ftill he curft with loving m c: And , as thou arr, be ftill unpitied, loath'd. And let his Ghoft - • N o , let his Ghoft have reft j But let the greateft, fierccft, foulelt Fury, Let Creon haunt himfelf. [Exit Eurydice. Crrcw. 'Tis true, I am What fhe has told me , an offence to fight: M y Body opens inward to m y Soul, Aud lets in Day to make my Vices feen , By all difcerning Eyes , but the blind vulgar. I muft make hafte e're Oedipus return, To fnatch the Crown and her,- for I ftill love ; But love with Malice; as an angry Cur Snarls while he feeds 5 fo will I fcizc and ftanch The |