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.