VASAVADUTTA    A dramatic romance     AUTHOR'S NOTE   The action of the romance takes place a century after the war of the Mahabharata; the capital has been changed to Cowsambie; the empire has been temporarily broken and the kingdoms of India are overshadowed by three powers, Maghadha in the East ruled by Pradyota, Avunthie in the West ruled by Chunda Mahasegn who has subdued also the southern kings, and Cowsambie in the Centre where Yougundharayan strives by arms and policy to maintain the house of Parikshit against the dominating power of Avunthie. Recently since the young Vuthsa has been invested with the regal power and appeared at Cowsambie, Chund

SCENE III     Antiochus' chamber. Antiochus, with a map before him. ANTIOCHUS Ecbatana, Susa, and Sogdiana,"" The Aryan country which the Indus bounds, Euphrates' stream and Tigris' golden sands, The Oxus and Jaxartes and these mountains Vague and enormous shouldering the moon With all their dim beyond of nations huge; This were an empire! What are Syria, Greece And the blue littoral to Gades ? They are Too narrow to contain my soul, too petty To satisfy its hunger and its vastness. O pale sweet Parthian face with liquid eyes Mid darkest masses and O gracious limbs Obscuring th

SCENE II     Vasavadutta's chamber. Vuthsa, Vasavadutta. VUTHSA Thy hands have yet no cunning with the strings. 'Tis not the touch alone but manner of the touch That calls the murmuring spirit forth, — as thus. VASAVADUTTA I cannot manage it; my hand rebels. VUTHSA I will compel it then. He takes her hand in his Thou dost not chide. VASAVADUTTA I am weary of chiding; and how rule a boy Who takes delight in being chidden? And then 'Twas only my hand. What dost thou?                                       Vuthsa takes her by the arms and                   

RODOGUNE PERSONS OF THE DRAMA     ANTIOCHUS, son of Cleopatra by her first husband Nicanor (dead). TIMOCLES, twin brother of Antiochus. PHAYLLUS, Chancellor of Syria. NICANOR, a prince of the house of Syria and father of Eunice. PHILOCTETES, companion of Antiochus. MELITUS, King's Chamberlain. CLEOPATRA, Queen of Syria, wife of King Antiochus of Syria. RODOGUNE, Parthian princess, daughter of King Phraates of Parthia, captive attendant of Cleopatra. EUNICE, daughter of prince Nicanor and cousin to the brothers Antiochus and Timocles and companion of Cleopatra. CLEONE, sister of Phayllus and companion of Cleopatra. MENTHO, Egyptian nurse of A

SCENE IV     Eric, Aslaug. ERIC They say the anarchy of love disturbs ' Gods even, shaken are the marble natures, The deathless¹ hearts are melted to the pang And rapture. Still, O Odin, I would be Monarch of a calm royalty within, My blood my subject. But I hear her come. (to Aslaug who enters) Art thou resolved and hast thou made thy choice ? ASLAUG I choose, if there is anything to choose, The truth. ERIC Who art thou? ASLAUG Aslaug, who am now A dancing-woman. ERIC And afterwards ? Hast thou Understood nothing?² ASLAUG

SCENE III     A room in Vasavadutta's apartment. Vasavadutta, Munjoolica, Umba. VASAVADUTTA Thou hast seen him? MUNJOOLICA Yes. VASAVADUTTA Then speak, thou perverse silence, Thou canst chatter when thou wilt. MUNJOOLICA What shall I say Except that thou art always fortunate Since first thy soft feet moved upon our earth,¹ O living Luxmie, beauty, wealth and joy Run overpacked into thy days, and grandeurs Unmeasured. Now the greatest king on earth Is given thy servant. VASAVADUTTA That's the greatest king's High fortune and not mine. For nothing now Can

SCENE III     Vasavadutta's apartment. Mahasegn, Ungarica, Umba bound, armed women. MAHASEGN She is not here. O treachery! If thou Wert privy to this, thou shalt die impaled Or cloven in many pieces. UMBA I am resigned. UNGARICA Thou'lt stain thy soul with a woman's murder, King? MAHASEGN 'Tis truth; she is too slight a thing to crush. Are not the gardens searched ? Who are these slaves Who dare to loiter? If he's seized, he dies. UNGARICA Wilt thou make ill much worse, — if this be ill? MAHASEGN How say'st thou? 'Tis not ill? My h

SCENE II     The same. Mahasegn, Ungarica, Gopalaca, Vuthsa. GOPALACA King of Avunthie, Chunda Mahasegn, Thy will I have performed. Thy dangerous foe, The boy who rivalled thy ripe victor years I lay, thy captive, at thy feet. MAHASEGN Gopalaca, Thou hast done well; thou art indeed my son. Vuthsa, — VUTHSA Hail, monarch of the West. We have met In equal battle; it has pleased me now to approach Thy greatness otherwise. MAHASEGN Pleased thee, vain youth! No, but thy fate indignant that thou strovest Against much prouder fortunes. VUTHSA Think it so. I

1 Act Five   SCENE I   The sea-shore. Andromeda chained to the cliff. ANDROMEDA O iron-throated vast unpitying sea, Whose borders touch my feet with their cold kisses As if they loved me !f yet from thee my death Will soon arise, and in some monstrous form To tear my heart with horror before my body. I am alone with thee on this wild beach Filled with the echo of thy roaring waters. My fellowmen have cast me out: they have bound me Upon thy rocks to die. These cruel chains Weary the arms they keep held stiffly out Against the rough cold jagged stones. My bosom Hardly contains its

SCENE II     Antiochus' chamber. Cleopatra, Antiochus, Eunice, Rodogune. CLEOPATRA Eunice, cruel, heartless, sweet Eunice, How could you leave me? EUNICE       Pardon me, dear lady. ANTIOCHUS Mine was the error, mother. CLEOPATRA     O my son, If you had said that "mother" to me then, All this had never happened. ANTIOCHUS     I have been hard To you my mother, you to me your son. We have both erred and it may be the gods Will punish our offences even yet. CLEOPATRA O, say not that, my child. We must be happy; I will have just a l