SCENE I.
Bed-chamber in the palace of Syphax.
Syphax draws the curtains, and discovers Erictho lying with him.
Eri. Ha! ha! ha!
Sy. Light, light!
Eri. Ha! ha!
Sy. Thou rotten scum of hell!
O my abhorrèd heat! O loath’d delusion!
[They leap out of the bed; Syphax takes him to his sword.
Eri. Why! fool of kings, could thy weak soul imagine
That ’tis within the grasp of heaven or hell
To enforce love? Why, know love dotes the fates,
Jove groans beneath his weight: mere[369] ignorant thing,
Know we, Erictho, with a thirsty womb, 10
Have coveted full threescore suns for blood of kings.
We that can make enraged Neptune toss
His huge curl’d locks without one breath of wind;
We that can make heaven slide from Atlas’ shoulder;
We, in the pride and height of covetous lust,
Have wish’d with woman’s greediness to fill
Our longing arms with Syphax’ well-strung limbs:
And dost thou think, if philters or hell-charms
Could have enforced thy use, we would have deigned[370]
Brain sleights? No, no. Now are we full 20
Of our dear wishes. Thy proud heat, well wasted,
Hath made our limbs grow young! Our love, farewell!
Know he that would force love, thus seeks his hell.