And stoop to thee, thou moving piece of earth!
Hence from my sight, and never more presume
To meet my eyes; for mark me, if thou dar'st,
To Alexander I'll unfold thy treason,
Whose life, in spite of all his wrongs to me,
Shall still be sacred, and above thy malice.
Cas. By your own life, the greatest oath, I swear
Cassander's passion from this hour is dumb;
And as the best atonement I can make
Statira dies, the victim of your vengeance.
Rox. Cassander rise; 'tis ample expiation.
Yes, rival, yes—this night shall be thy last ;
This night I know is destin'd for thy triumph,
And gives my Alexander to thy arms.
Oh, murderous thought!

Poly. The bow'rs of great Semiramis are made The scene of love; Perdiccas holds the guard. Cas. Now is your time, while Alexander revels, And the whole court re-echoes with his riot, To end her, and with her to end your fears. Give me but half the Zogdian slaves that wait you And deem her dead; nor shall a soul escape That serves your rival to disperse the news.

Rox. By me they die, Perdiccas and Statira; Hence with thy aid, I neither ask nor want it, But will myself conduct the slaves to battle. Were she to fall by any arm but mine,

Well might she murmur and arraign her stars; 'Tis life well lost to die by my command.

Rival, rejoice, and pleas'd resign thy breath;
Roxana's vengeance grants thee noble death. [Exit.
Cas. All but herJove this Semele disdains.
We must be quick-she may perhaps betray
The great design, aud frustrate our revenge.
Poly. Has Philip got instructions how to act?
Cas. He has, my friend, and, faithful to our cause,
Resolves to execute the fatal order.

Bear him this vial-it contains a poison
Of that exalted force, that deadly nature,
Should Esculapius drink it, in five hours
(For then it works) the god himself were mortal:
I drew it from Nonacris' horrid spring;
Mix'd with his wine a single drop gives death,
And sends him howling to the shades below.

Poly. I know its power, for I have seen it try'd;
Pains of all sorts thro' ev'ry nerve and art'ry
At once it scatters-burns at once, and freezes,
Till by extremity of torture forc'd

The soul consents to leave her joyless home,

And seeks for ease in worlds unknown to this.

Cas. Now let us part: with Thessalus and Philip Haste to the banquet- At his second call

Let this be given him, and it crowns our hopes.
Now, Alexander, now, we'll soon be quits;
Death for a blow is interest indeed.

[Exeunt.

The Palace.

SCENE II.

ALEXANDER, PERDICCAS, CASSAN

DER, POLYPERCHON, EUMENES, discovered at a Banquet, &c. [A flourish of Trumpets.

Alex. To our immortal health and our fair queen's: All drink it deep; and while the bowl goes round Mars and Bellona join to make us music;

A thousand bulls be offer'd to the sun,

White as his beams; speak the big voice of war;
Beat all our drums, and sound our silver trumpets;
Provoke the gods to follow our example
In bowls of nectar and replying thunder.

[Flourish of Trumpets.

Enter CLYTUS, HEPHESTION, and LYSIMACHUS

bloody.

Clyt. Long live the king I long live great Alexander! And conquest crown his arms with deathless laurels, Propitious to his friends, and all he favours.

Alex. Did I not give command you should

Lysimachus?

Heph. Dread sir! you did.

Alex. What then

Portend these bloody marks?

Heph. Ere we arriv'd

Perdiccas had already plac'd the prince

In a lone court, all but his hands unarm'.

preserve

Clyt. On them were gauntlets; such was his desire,

In death to show the difference betwixt

The blood of Æacus and common men.
Forth issuing from his den amaz’d we saw
The horrid savage, with whose hideous roar
The palace shook: his angry eye-balls glaring
With triple fury menac'd death and ruin.

Heph. With unconcern the gallant prince advanc'd Now, Parisatis, be the glory thine,

But mine the danger, were his only words;
For as he spoke the furious beast descry'd him,
And rus'd outrageous to devour his prey.

Clyt. Agile and vigorous, he avoids the shock
With a slight wound, and as the lion turn'd
Thrust gauntlet, arm and all into his throat,
And with Herculean strength tears forth the tongue:
Foaming and bloody, the disabled savage

Sunk to the earth, and plough'd it with his teeth; While with an active bound your conq'ring soldier Leap'd on his back, and dash'd his scull in pieces.

alex By all my laurels 't was a godlike actļ
And 't is my glory as it shall be thine,
That Alexander could not pardon thee.

Oh, my brave soldier! think not all the prayers
And tears of the lamenting queens could move me
Like what thou hast perform'd: grow to my breast.
Lys. Thus, self condemn'd, and conscious of my

guilt,

How shall stand such unexampled goodness

Oh, pardon, sir, the transports of despair,

The trantic outrage of ungovern'd lovel

Ev'n when I show'd the greatest want of rev'rence I could have dy'd with rapture in your service.

Alex. Lysimachus, we both have been transported:
But from this hour be certain of my heart.
A lion be the impress of thy shield;

And that gold armour we from Porus won
Thy king presents thee—But thy wounds ask rest.
Lys. I have no wounds, dread sir! or if I had,
Where they all mortal they should stream unminded
When Alexander was the glorious health.

Alex. Thy hand, Hephestion: clasp him to thy heart,

And wear him ever near thee.

Parisatis

Shall now be his who serves me best in war.

Neither reply, but mark the charge I give;

Live, live as friends-you will, you must, you shall: 'Tis a god gives you life.

Clyt. Oh, monstrous vanity!

Alex. Ha! what says Clytus? who am I?

Clyt. The son of good King Philip.

Alex. By my kindred gods

'Tis false. Great Ammon gave me birth.

Clyt. I've done.

Alex. Clytus, what means that dress? Give him a

robe there.

Take it and wear it.

Clyt. Sir, the wine, the weather,

Has heated me: besides, you

Alex. Oh, 'tis not well! I'd rather perish, burn,

Than be so singular and froward.