Collected Works (Vol. III)

198 ORPHEUS —2 MEGAERA. The king Endures, and is not moved at anything, ALECTO. He will not now relent. TISIPHONE. He's ours for ever ! HADES. Ai! Ai! MEGARA. Hark ! ALECTO, Listen ! TISIPHONE. Now he yields—or never ! HADES, Release! Relent! ECHIDNA. Fair lover, let my embrace Still gladden thee to rapture! let my face Be like a garden of fresh flowers to cull, And all thy being and thy body full As mine of gentle love—then sink to sleep ! MEG-ERA. Ha! Ha! She mocks him! In the utter deep, Her house of evil, sleep is stranger there. ALECTO. She sings ! TISIPHONE. The final misery! Beware ! ECHIDNA. O tender lover ! My wings still cover Thy face, and my lips Are on thine, and my tresses Like Zephyr’s caresses When the twilight dips. IIADES. This passes all. Relent. Release! Depart ! I yield : my power is broken, and my heart Riven, and all my pride ruined, and me Compelled to earth to loose Eurydice. ORPHEUS. Depart ! ERINYES. Baffled! O misery! Bethink, Proud Hades, ere thy torture gar thee drink Humiliation’s utmost dregs ! HADEs. I spake. Depart ye ! lest my power regained awake, And smite ye with a terror more than ye. MEG-ERA. We are borne on bitter winds. ALECTO, We sink. TISIPHONE, We flee ! MEGARA, To the abyss ! ALECTO. Descend ! TISIPHONE, Nor hope in vain The ill-hearted one shall feel our fangs again. MEG-ERA. Murder and violation, deafened ear To suppliants, these our friends are.