Rin. What, was Inophilus idle all this while?
Mes. I only heard the prince wish, just as he
Spurred his horse against the valiant Argo,
He had fewer by a thousand men:
So he had Inophilus.
Rin. O traitorous boy!
Mess. The prince and Argo met; and like
Two mighty tides encountered. Here death
Put on her sable livery, and the two gallants,
Whose valour animated each army, bandied a long time
With equal force, till at last
Great Argo fell.
And, on a sudden, multitudes of men
Accompani'd him, so that the wing
Went presently to rout and execution.
Zopiro also and Evarnes, having slain
Their opposite leaders, breath'd death and destruction
To their reeling foes. Thus flush'd
With victory and blood, th' Iberians revell'd
Th[o]rough the flying field, till there came on
The enemy's reserve of twenty thousand men,
Who, fresh and lusty, grinded their teeth for anger
At their fellows' overthrow, and pouring on
Our weary soldiers, turn'd the stream of victory.
But the prince's valour and good fortune soon
O'ercame this opposition, and having rallied
His broken troops, went to relieve his friends,
Who had far'd worse; when presently he saw
Evarnes, who had pil'd up enemies about him,
As an obelisk of his own death and victory,
Fall bleeding at his foot, and having kiss'd it
With his dying lips, entreated him to save
Himself for a more happy day, and died.
'Twas not long after the gallant Zenon
Who had perform'd that day deeds of eternal fame,
And with his few, spite of opposition, thrice charg'd
And routed some thousands of the enemy,
Expir'd; which when the prince beheld,
Weeping for anger, he flew amongst his enemies,
Sustain'd only by the greatness of his courage,
For blood and strength had both forsook him;
He spent that spark of life was left in him,
In slaughter and revenge, when leaning on
His weapon's point, that dropp'd with blood as fast
As he, he then conjur'd me with all speed
Only to tell the king I saw him
Die worthy of his father and himself.
[A horn without. A shout.
Eph. O heaven! what mean these acclamations? What, do
[A shout again.
The Iberians welcome their bloody conquerors
With so much joy?
SCENE VII.
Enter Plangus, Inophilus, and Zopiro, Captains.