SCENE III    A room commanding the outer court of the palace. Nebassar, Praxilla.   PRAXILLA I have seen them from the roof; at least ten thousand March through the streets. Do you not hear their rumour, A horrid hum as of unnumbered hornets That slowly nears us ? NEBASSAR If they are so many, It will be hard to save the princess. PRAXILLA Save her! It is too late now to save anyone. NEBASSAR I fear so. PRAXILLA But never is too late to die As loyal servants for the lords whose bread We have eaten. At least we women of the household Will show the

SCENE V     On the Avunthian border. Roomunwath, Yougundharayan, Alurca, soldiers. ROOMUNWATH. The dawn with rose and crimson crowned the hills, There was no sign of Vuthsa's promised wheels. Another noon approaches. YOUGUNDHARAYAN Two days only Vasuntha's here. Yet is Udayan swift With the stroke he in a secret sloth prepares. ROOMUNWATH We learned that though too late. A secret rashness, A boy's wild venture with his life for stake And a kingdom! Dangerously dawns this reign, ALURCA See, see, a horseman over Avunthie's edge Rides to us. He quests forward wit

Act Two   SCENE I   A room in the palace at Cowsambie. Alurca, Vasuntha. ALURCA He'll rule Cowsambie in the end, I think. VASUNTHA Artist, be an observer too. His eyes Pursue young Vuthsa like a hunted prey And seem to measure possibility, But not for rule or for Cowsambie care. To reign's his nature, not his will. ALURCA This man Is like some high rock that was suddenly Transformed into a thinking creature. VASUNTHA There's His charm for Vuthsa who is soft as spring, Fair like a hunted moon in cloud-swept skies, Luxurious like a jasmine in its leaves. ALUR

Act One   Eric's palace.    SCENE I Eric, Aslaug, Hertha, Harold, Gunthar. ERIC Eric of Norway, first whom these cold fiords, Deep havens of disunion, from their jagged And fissured crevices at last obey, The monarch of a thousand Vikings! Yes, But only by the swiftness of his sword That monarchy's assured,¹ headlong, athirst, My iron hound pursues its panting prey.² And when the sword is broken ? or when death Proves swifter ? All this realm with labour built, Dissolving like a transitory cloud, Becomes the thing it was, cleft, parcelled out By discord. I have found the way to join, — The warrior's sword, builder of u

SCENE III     The tower-room by the terrace. Vuthsa asleep on a couch; Munjoolica. MUNJOOLICA He sleeps and now to lure my victim here. You! princess! Vasavadutta! VASAVADUTTA (approaching at the doorway) Didst thou call? MUNJOOLICA Yes, to come in from moonlight to the moon. Thou hast never seen him yet asleep. VASAVADUTTA He sleeps! MUNJOOLICA His curls are pillowed on one golden arm Like clouds upon the moon. Wilt thou not see? VASAVADUTTA I dare not. I will stand here and will see. MUNJOOLICA Thou shalt not. Either

Act Four   SCENE I   The countryside, high ground near the city of Cepheus.   A crowd of Syrians, men and women, running in terror, among them Chabrias, Megas, Baltis, Pasithea, Moms, Gardas, Syrax.   BALTIS (stopping and sinking down on her knees) Ah, whither can we run where the offended Poseidon shall not reach us. CHABRIAS Stop, countrymen; Let's all die here together. OTHERS Let's stop and die. MEGAS Run, run! Poseidon's monsters howl behind. PASITHEA O day of horror and of punishment! SYRAX Let us stay here; it is high ground

SCENE II     A hall in the palace. Rodogune, Eunice. RODOGUNE   God gave my heart and mind; they are not hers To force into this vile adultery. I am a Parthian princess, of a race Who choose one lord and cleave to him for ever Through death, through fire, through swords, in hell, in heaven. EUNICE The Queen's too broken. It was Phayllus said it. He has leaped into the saddle of affairs And is already master. What can we hope for, Left captive in such hands? Not Syria's throne Shall you ascend beside your chosen lord, But as a slave the bed of Timocles. RODOGUNE If we remain! But w

  Act Three   Avunthie; in the palace.   SCENE I   A room in the royal apartments. Mahasegn, Ungarica. MAHASEGN I conquer still though not with glorious arms. He's seized! the young victorious Vuthsa's mine, A prisoner in my hands. UNGARICA (laughing) Thou holdst the sun Under thy armpit as the tailed god did. What wilt thou do with it? MAHASEGN Make it my moon And shine by him upon the eastern night. UNGARICA Thou canst? MAHASEGN Loved sceptic of my house, I can. Have I not done all things I longed for yet Since out of thy dim world I dragged thee

SCENE V     The same. Philoctetes, Thoas, Leosthenes, Eunice. LEOSTHENES Surely this is the change that comes on men Who are to die. PHILOCTETES O me, it is, it is. THOAS Princess Eunice, what think you of it ? EUNICE Thoas, what matters what we think ? We follow Our king; it is his to choose our paths for us. Lead they to death ? Then we can die with him. THOAS That's nobly spoken. PHILOCTETES But too like a woman. Antiochus enters with Rodogune. ANTIOCHUS To Antioch! Is all ready for our march ? PHILOCTETES