OCR Text |
Show 4o OEDIPUS. T p ftab at once the only M a n I hate, And to enjoy the W o m a n w h o m I love 1 I ask no more of m y aufpicious Stars , The reft as Fortune pleafe -, fo but this Night She play m c fait, w h y let her turn for ever. Enter Hxmon. Hxmon. My Lord , the ttoubled King is o0n. ro reft -, Yet , e'er he flept , commanded m e to dear The Anti-chambers : none muft dare be near him Creon. Hamon , you do your Duty • .-» [Thunder. And we obey. - The Nighr grows yet more dreadful ! 'Tis juft that all retire to their Devotions • The Gods arc angry : but to Morrow's dawn If Prophets do not lye, will make all clear. [zAs they g0 ^ Oedipus Enters , walking afleep in hit Shirt 'With a Dagger in his right Hand , and a Taper in his left. Oed. O, my Jocafta ! 'tis for this the wet Starv'd Soldier lies all night on the cold Ground- For this he bears the Storms O f Winter Camps, and freezes on his Arms: T o be thus circled , to be thus embrae'd; That I could hold thec ever 1 - Ha! Where art thou ? "What means this melancholly Light, that feemj The gloom of glowing Embers ? The Curtain's drawn -, and fee fhe's here again.' Jocafta t H a / W h a t , fall'n afleep fo foon ? H o w fares m y Love ? This Taper will inform me, Ha.' OEDIPUS. 4r Hal Lightning blaft m e , Thunder Rivet m e ever ro Prometheus Rock , And Vultures gnaw out m y Inceftuous Heart By all the Gods 1 m y Mother Mirope ! M y Sword, a Dagger; H a / w h o wans .here 'Slaves, M y Sword: what, Htemon , dar'ft thou , Villain! flop me? With thy o w n Ponyard perifh. H a ! who's this? Or is't a Change ot Death ? By all m y Horrours, New Murder , thou haft flain old Polybus: Inceft and Parricide, thy Father's Murderer I Out thou infernal Flame : N o w all is dark , All blind and difmal: Moft triumphant Mifchicf! And now, while thus I ftalk about rhe Room, I challenge Fate to find another Wretch Like Oedipus. [Thunder , &c. Enter Jocafta, attended with Lights, in a Night-Gown. Oed. Night, Horror, Death , Confufion, Hell and Furies/ Where a m 1 ? O Jocafta, let m e hold thee, Thus to m y Bofom, Ages ; let m c graft thee! All that the hardeft temper'd wcather'd Ficlh, With fierceft Humane Spirit infpir'd can dare, Or do, I dare: But, O you Pow'rs, this was By infinite degrees roo much for Man. Methinks m y deafen'd Ears Are burft; m y Eyes, as if they had beeriknock'd By fome tempeftuous Hand, fhoot flailing Fire. That Sleep fhould do this 1 Joe. Then m y Fears were true. Mcthought I heard a Voice, acd yet I doubted, N o w roaring like the Ocean, when the Winds Fight with the Waves -, now in a ftill fmall tone Your dying Accents fell, as racking Ships, c S Af- |