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Show 4io The SPARTAN DAME. Cleom. Tis t h i s - A Daughter to prefent to you: Leo. M y Child! Euphemia ! Cleom Draw off your Men ; For the firft Violence to force the Gate, Shall fend her to you from the Battlements.1 Leo. I plac'd thee in Diana's facred Train, T o fhelter thee from m y tempeftuous Fate. Cleem. And I remov'd her, by the wife Advice O f honeft Crites, m y beft Counfellor, T o fhelter m e from this impending Storm. Leo O » what is all our Forefight, you juft Gods \ Cleom. 'Nay, no Expoftulations with the Gods; They have declar'd for us in thc Succefs: N o r will a thundring Tale of Sacrilege Beat d o w n thefe Walls, or gain an Outwork here. Therefore to cut off Time, you muft reforve T o give up all Advantages you've gain d> Difperfe your Faction, and withdraw your Friends, And you retire from Sparta inftantly, Or fee this Daughter of your Age, fo lov d, So innocent, firft ravifh'd by m y Slaves, And murder'd next, to clofe the guilty Scene, " x J o vou great Gods! determine for m e now. Cleom D o you determine, tor the Choice is yours: f f ' o m Great Father! 'twere Impiety Beyond S Crimes, to think the hca nly Powers r y f.vffcr what he only dares to name. P u " » t K d Ca Je, your juft Revenge, Nor M e a Moment in the Dread1 of me. & ^Slff t" Proud in'htown Strength. X e s a Hand unfeen, a Shield tome T Cleom. Many I have to execute m y Wul. S5SrSSS^ The SPARTAN DAME. 411 ive her m y Slaves, and drag her to her Fate. Leo. Hold, hold; the Gods difpofe of me, and mine. he Father gives his all to fave the Child: nftain'd reftore her to m y trembling Hand, nd I refign m y Pow'r, renounce m y Crown, isband m y Friends, or if you would have more, t fhall be done; See, they are going, Sir. m y kind Friends! a laft, a long Farewel. fford m e but Euphemia, that Support f m y declining Age, and I a m gone, ver, O ! never to fee Sparta more. [Shouts in the Temple. Crit. What Shouts are thofe? Cleom. In thy cold Fit again! Lyf. The Gods begin to thunder from their Shrines. \ A Meffenger above to Cleombrotus. Cleom. What is thy News? Ueff. The Temple is furpriz'd. Crit. Surpriz'd! Ckom. Impoffible! Ueff. Eurytion is at the Head of the bold Enterprize,' nd is already e n t e r ' d - Cleom. Enter'd too? Zen. Our brave Deliverer! [Below. Crit. What will become of me? Cleom. H o w got he Entrance? Ueff. Thro' Vaults, and fecret Paffes under Ground, fcover'd by the Priefts. Cleom. I a m betray'd. Ueff They fay you arc betray'd, ctray'd by Crites- Cleom. H o w ! Crit. Betray'd by m e? Ueff. For there are Orders given to fave his LifcJ Cleom. T o fave his Life ? Ueff. The Prieft, w h o docs prefide, of his Blood, and fhow'd your Foes the way, pon that Promife Clwm. Thus I make it good. [Seizing Crites by the Throat) S 1 Villain, |
