[Exeunt.
[333] Marston may here be alluding to a passage in Plutarch’s De Iside et Osiride:—“ἢρξαντο δὲ πίνειν ἀπὸ Ψαμμητίχου, πρότερον δ᾽ οὐκ ἔπινον οἶνον, οὐδὲ ἔσπενδον, ὡς φίλιον θεοῖς, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς αἷμα τῶν πολεμησάντων ποτὲ τοῖς θεοῖς, ἑξ ὧν οἴονται πεσόντων καὶ τῇ γῇ συμμιγέντων ἀμτέλους γενέσθαι· διὸ καὶ τὸ μεθύειν ἔκφρονας ποιεῖ καὶ παραπλῆγας ἅτε δη τῶν προγόνων τοῦ αἵματος ἐμπιπλαμένους.”
[334] So ed. 2.—Ed. 1. “Brode skorne oppen faind powers.”
ACT III.[335]
SCENE I.
The Palace of Syphax at Cirta.
Syphax, with his dagger twon[336] about her hair, drags in Sophonisba in her nightgown and petticoat; Zanthia and Vangue following.
Sy. Must we entreat? sue to such squeamish ears?
Know, Syphax has no knees, his eyes no tears;
Enragèd love is senseless of remorse.
Thou shalt, thou must: kings’ glory is their force.
Thou art in Cirta, in my palace, fool:
Dost think he pitieth tears that knows to rule?
For all thy scornful eyes, thy proud disdain,
And late contempt of us, now we’ll revenge,
Break stubborn silence. Look, I’ll tack thy head
To the low earth, whilst strength of two black knaves 10
Thy limbs all wide shall strain. Prayer fitteth slaves,
Our courtship be our force: rest calm as sleep,
Else at this quake; hark, hark, we cannot weep.
So. Can Sophonisba be enforc’d?
Sy. Can? see.