Amin. Thou wilt undo me with this Tenderness.
Come send me kindly from thee,
With Joys about my Heart that may preserve it;
Here rest till my Return; farewel, my Fair.
Ura. And if I never see thee more, farewel— [Amin. exit. Here I will lay me down, and never rise, Till thou return’st with Laurel, or with Cypress. [Sits down. Now I cou’d curse the Fortune of my Prince, Who quits a Father for an Enemy, To satisfy a Flame will ruin him. [A noise of Fighting. —The Fight increases; Oh ye Gods of Battel, In midst of all your Rage preserve my Love.
Enter Artabazes over the Stage, and goes out.
Art. My Nephew kill’d! and I dismounted too! oh curst Fate!
Ura. This Noise has comfort in’t, it sounds like Victory.
[A hollowing within amongst the noise of Fighting. Enter Amintas.
—Oh Gods! Amintas! what has Fortune done?
Amin. The undaunted Scythians never lost the Field;
Yet now at first ‘twas doubtful
To which side Fortune would incline her self
Ismenes kill’d where’er he turn’d his Sword,
And quite defeated our Agrippian Forces;
Yet was not satisfy’d, knowing the King
To be the Price of Cleomena’s Heart,
But sought him out on all sides,
Whom ‘twas not hard to find;
For he was hurrying now from Rank to Rank,
Distributing a Death to all Opposers.
But young Ismenes having pierc’d the Squadrons,
And knowing our great King by several Marks,
Boldly cry’d out,—Defend the Life I claim.
The King made no Reply, but at that Word
Prepar’d himself to fight.
Ura. Thou kill’st me, till thou bring’st him off again.
Amin. Disorder’d thus—the Dacian took Advantage,
And charg’d with so much Vigour—we gave Ground;
When on that side the single Combat was,
There appear’d a Body of two thousand Horse,
Led by a Man, whose Looks brought Victory,
And made the conquering Foe retire again:
But when he did perceive the King engag’d,
With unresisted Fury he made up,
And rushing in between them,
Gave the young Prince a blow upon his Head,
That struck him from his Horse.
After this Victory Thersander’s Name
Did fly from Mouth to Mouth,
Inspiring every Scythian with new Valour:
He kill’d Philemon, and forc’d Artabazes
To seek his Safety by his Horse’s Flight;
—But here’s the King—retire into this Wood.
[Ura. Ex.