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The same.
Eunice, Rodogune.
RODOGUNE
Heaven had a purpose in my servitude!
I will believe it.
EUNICE
One sees not now such men.
What a calm royalty his glances wield!
We are their subjects. And he treads the earth
As if it were already his.
RODOGUNE
All must be.
I have lived a slave, yet always held myself
A nobler spirit than my Grecian lords;
But when he spoke, O when he looked at me,
I felt indeed the touch of servitude
And this time loved it.
EUNICE
O, you too, Rodogune!
RODOGUNE
I too! What do you mean ? Are you, Eunice —
EUNICE
I mean our thorny rose Cleone too
Has fallen in love with pretty Timocles.
RODOGUNE
You slanderer! But I thought a nearer thing
That ran like terror through my heart.
Page – 371
EUNICE
And so
You love him?
RODOGUNE
What have I said, Eunice ? What have I said ?
I did not say it.
EUNICE
You did not say it, no!
You lovely fool, hide love with blushes then
And lower over your liquid love-filled eyes
Their frightened lashes! Quake, my antelope!
I’ll have revenge at least. O sweet, sweet heart,
My delicate Parthian! I shall never have
Another love but only Rodogune,
My beautiful barbarian Rodogune
With the tall dainty grace and the large eyes
And vague faint pallor just like twilit ivory.
RODOGUNE
My own Eunice!
They embrace. Phayllus enters.
PHAYLLUS
(stroking his chin)
I always hated waste.
EUNICE
Your steps too steal, Phayllus ?
PHAYLLUS
I have a message.
EUNICE
I do not like the envoy. Find another
And I will hear it.
Page – 372
PHAYLLUS
Come, you put me out.
EUNICE
Of your accounts ? They say there is too much
You have put out already for your credit..
PHAYLLUS
You’re called. The Queen’s in haste, Cleone said.
Eunice goes.
Parthian, will you be Syria’s queen or no ?
I startle you. The royal Timocles
By your beauty strives ensnared. Don not your mask
Of modesty, keep that for Timocles.
I offer you a treaty. By my help
You can advance your foot to Syria’s throne:
His bed’s the staircase and you shall ascend,
Nor will I rest till you are seated there.
Come, have I helped you ? Shall we be allies ?
RODOGUNE
You speak a language that I will not hear.
PHAYLLUS
Oh, language! you’re for language, all of you.
Are you not Parthia’s daughter? Do you not wish
To sit upon a throne ?
RODOGUNE
Not by your help,
Nor as the bride of Syrian Timocles.
What are these things you speak ?
PHAYLLUS
Weigh not my speech,
But only my sincerity. I have a tongue
Displeasing to all women. Heed not that!
Page – 373
My heart is good, my meaning better still.
RODOGUNE
Perhaps! But know I yearn not for a throne.
And if I did, Antiochus is king
And not this younger radiance.
PHAYLLUS
That’s your reason ?
You are deceived. Besides he loves you not
Nor ever will put on a female yoke.
Prefer this woman’s clay, this Timocles
And by my help you shall have empire, joy,
All the heart needs, the pleasures bodies use.
RODOGUNE
I need no empire save my high-throned heart,
I seek no power save that of sceptred love,
I ask no help beyond what Ormuzd gives.
Enough. I thank you.
PHAYLLUS
You’re subtler than these Greeks.
Must he then pine ? Shall he not plead his cause ?
RODOGUNE
I would not have him waste his heart in pain
If what you say is true. Let him then know
This cannot be.
PHAYLLUS
He will not take from me
An answer you yourself alone can give.
I think you parry to be more attacked.
RODOGUNE
Think what you will, but leave me.
Page – 374
PHAYLLUS
If you mean that,
The way to show it is to let him come.
You feign and do not mean this, or else you would
Deny him to his face.
RODOGUNE
{flushing angrily)
I will, tell him to come.
PHAYLLUS
I thought so. Come he shall. Remember me.
He goes out.
RODOGUNE
I did not well to bid him come to me.
It is some passing fancy of the blood.
I do not hear that he was ever hurt
But danced a radiant and inconstant moth
Above the Egyptian blossoms.
Timocles enters hastily, hesitates, then rushes and
throws himself at the feet of Rodogune.
TIMOCLES
Rodogune!
I love thee, princess; thou hast made me mad.
I know not what I do nor what I speak.
What dreadful god has seized upon my heart ?
I am not Timocles and not my own,
But am a fire and am a raging wind
To seize on thee and am a driven leaf.
O Rodogune, turn not away from me.
Forgive me, O forgive me. I cannot help it
If thou hast made me love thee. Tremble not,
Nor grow so pale and look with panic glances
As if a fire had clutched thee by the robe.
I am thy menial, thy poor trembling slave
And thou canst slay me with a passing frown.
Page – 375
RODOGUNE
Touch not my hand! ’tis sacred from thy touch!
TIMOCLES
It is most sacred; even the roseate nail
Of thee, O thou pale goddess, is a mystery
And a strange holiness. Scorched be his hand
Who dares with lightest sacrilegeous touch
Profane thee, O deep-hearted miracle,
Unless thy glorious eyes condone the fault
By growing tender. O thou wondrous Parthian,
Fear not my love; it grows a cloistered worship.
See, I can leave thee! see, I can retire.
Look once on me, one look is food enough
For many twelve months.
Eunice returns.
EUNICE
You wrong your mother, cousin.
Her moments linger when you are not there;
Always she asks for you.
TIMOCLES
My mother! you gods,
Forbid it, lest I weary of her love.
He goes.
EUNICE
What was this ? Speak.
RODOGUNE
Was Fate not satisfied
With my captivity ? Waits worse behind ?
It was a grey and clouded sky before
And bleak enough but quiet. Now I see
Fresh clouds come stored with thunder toiling up
From a black-piled horizon.
Page – 376
EUNICE
Tell me all.
What said Phayllus to you, the dire knave
Who speaks to poison?
RODOGUNE
He spoke of love and thrones and Timocles;
He spoke as selfish cunning men may speak
Who mean some evil they call good.
EUNICE
And how
Came Timocles behind him?
RODOGUNE
Called by him,
With such wild passion burning under his lids
I never thought to see in human eyes.
What are these movements ?
EUNICE
We move as we must,
Not as we choose, whatever we may think.
Your beauty is a torch you needs must carry
About the world with you. You cannot help it
If it burns kingdoms.
RODOGUNE
I pray it may not. God who only rulest,
Let not the evil spirit use my love
To bring misfortune on Antiochus.
Mentho enters.
MENTHO
Which is the Parthian?
Page – 377
EUNICE
She.
MENTHO
Antiochus
Desires you in his chamber with a bowl
Of Lesbian vintage.
EUNICE
Does he desire ? The gods then choose their hour
For intervention. Move, you Parthian piece.
RODOGUNE
Send someone else. I cannot go.
EUNICE
I think
You have forgotten that you are a slave.
You are my piece and I will have you move.
Move quickly.
RODOGUNE
Surely he did not speak my name?
MENTHO
Why do you fear, my child ? He’s good and noble
And kind in speech and gentle to his servants.
RODOGUNE
(low, to herself)
It is not him I fear, it is myself.
EUNICE
Fear me instead. You shall be cruelly whipped
Unless you move this instant.
RODOGUNE
Oh, Eunice!
Page – 378
EUNICE
Whipped savagely! I’ll sacrifice so much
For a shy pawn who will not move ? Go, go,
And come not back unkissed if you are wise.
She pushes Rodogune to the door and
she goes followed by Mentho.
His heart’s not free, nor hers, or else I’ld try
My hand at reigning. As the gods choose through her,
I may rule Syria.
Page – 379
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