SCENE II   ASLAUG The world has changed for me within one night. O surely, surely all shall yet go well, Since Love is crowned. ERIC (entering)                                Aslaug, the hour arrives When I must leave thee. For the dawn looks pale Into our chamber and these first rare sounds Expect the arising sun, the daylight world. ASLAUG Eric, thou goest hence to war with Swegn, My brother ? ERIC                     What thinks thy heart? ASLAUG                                                         That Swegn shall live. ERIC Thou know'

  SCENE III     Eric, Aslaug. ERIC Come hither. ASLAUG Thou hast sent for me ? ERIC                                    Come hither. Who art thou? ASLAUG What thou knowest. ERIC                                    Do I know? ASLAUG (to herself) Does he suspect? (aloud) I am a dancing-girl, My name is Aslaug. That thou knowest. ERIC                                  Where Did Odin forge thy sweet imperious eyes, Thy noble stature and thy lofty look? Thou dancest, — yes; thou hast the art, and song, Th

Act Five SCENE I     A room in Vasavadutta's apartments. Vasavadutta, Munjoolica. VASAVADUTTA So thou hast dared to come. MUNJOOLICA I have. Thou, dare To look me in the eyes! Thou canst not. Then ? VASAVADUTTA Hast thou no fear of punishment at all ? MUNJOOLICA For shutting thee in with heaven ? none, none at all. VASAVADUTTA How didst thou dare? MUNJOOLICA How didst thou dare, proud girl, To make of kings and princesses thy slaves ? How dare to drag Sourashtra's daughter here, To keep her as thy servant and to load With gifts, caresses, chidings and

Act One   Antioch. The palace, a house by the sea.        SCENE I .   The palace in Antioch; Cleopatra's antechamber. Cleone is seated; to her enters Eunice. CLEONE Always he lives! EUNICE No, his disease; not he. For the divinity that sits in man From that afflicted body has withdrawn, — Its pride, its greatness, joy, command, the Power Unnameable that struggles with its world: The husk, the creature only lives. But that husk Has a heart, a mind and all accustomed wants, And having these must be, — O, it is pitiful, — Stripped of all real homage, forced to see That none but Death desires him

Act Three SCENE I   The women apartments of the Palace. Andromeda, Diomede. ANDROMEDA All's ready, let us go. DIOMEDE Andromeda, My little mistress whom I love, let me Beseech you by that love, do not attempt it. Oh, this is no such pretty wilfulness As all men love to smile at and to punish With tenderness and chidings. It is a crime Full of impiety, a deed of danger That venturous and iron spirits would be aghast To dream of. You think because you are a child, You will be pardoned, because you are a princess No hand will dare to punish you. You do not know Men's hearts. They will not pause to pity you, They wil

SCENE II     The same. Eunice, Rodogune. RODOGUNE   Heaven had a purpose in my servitude! I will believe it. EUNICE One sees not now such men. What a calm royalty his glances wield! We are their subjects. And he treads the earth As if it were already his. RODOGUNE All must be. I have lived a slave, yet always held myself A nobler spirit than my Grecian lords; But when he spoke, O when he looked at me, I felt indeed the touch of servitude And this time loved it. EUNICE O, you too, Rodogune! RODOGUNE I too! What do you mean ? Are you, Eunice —

Act Five   The palace in Antioch.      SCENE I     A hall in the palace. Phayllus., alone. PHAYLLUS My brain has loosened harder knots than this. Timocles gets by this his Rodogune; That's one thing gained. Tonight or else tomorrow I'll have her in his bed though I have to hale her Stumbling to it through her own husband's blood. For he must die. He is too great a man To be a subject: nor is that his intention Who hides some subtler purpose. Exile would free him For more stupendous mischief. Death! But how ? There is this Syrian people, there is Timocles Whose light unstable mind like a pale leaf Tre

Act Two The palace in Antioch. SCENE I   A hall in the palace. Cleone, Phayllus. PHAYLLUS Worry the conscience of the Queen to death Like the good bitch thou art. If this goes well, I may sit unobserved on Syria's throne. CLEONE Do not forget me. PHAYLLUS Do not forget thyself, Then how shall I forget thee ? CLEONE I shall remember. PHAYLLUS If for a game you are the queen, Cleone, And I your minister, how would you start Your play of reigning ? CLEONE I would have many perfect tortures made To hurt the Parthian with, for every nerve A

SCENE III   An orchard garden in Syria by a river-bank: the corner of a cottage in the background. Perseus, Cydone.  CYDONE (sings) O the sun in the reeds and willows! O the sun with the leaves at play! Who would waste the warm sunlight ? And for weeping there's the night. But now 'tis day. PERSEUS Yes, willows and the reeds! and the bright sun Stays with the ripples talking quietly. And there, Cydone, look! how the fish leap To catch at sunbeams. Sing yet again, Cydone. . CYDONE (sings) O what use have your foolish tears ? What will you do with your hopes and fear

SCENE V •     Cleopatra's chamber. Cleopatra, Cleone. CLEOPATRA I am resolved; but Mentho the Egyptian knows The true precedence of the twins. Send her to me.                               Cleone goes out. O you high-seated cold divinities, You sleep sometimes, they say you sleep. Sleep now! I only loosen what your careless wills Have tangled.                           Mentho enters. Mentho, sit by me, Mentho, You have not breathed our secret ? Keep it, Mentho, Dead in your bosom, buy a queen for slave. MENTHO Dead! Can truth die? C