Selected Poems (128 page)

MYRRHA
: These men sought to be so.

SARDANAPALUS
: Myrrha, this is too feminine, and springs

585

From fear

MYRRHA
:For you.

SARDANAPALUS
:No matter, still ’tis fear.

I have observed your sex, once roused to wrath,

Are timidly vindictive to a pitch

Of perseverance, which I would not copy.

I thought you were exempt from this, as from

590

The childish helplessness of Asian women.

MYRRHA
: My lord, I am no boaster of my love,

Nor of my attributes; I have shared your splendour

And will partake your fortunes. You may live

To find one slave more true than subject myriads:

595

But this the gods avert! I am content

To be beloved on trust for what I feel,

Rather than prove it to you in your griefs,

Which might not yield to any cares of mine

SARDANAPALUS
: Grief cannot come where perfect love exists,

600

Except to heighten it, and vanish from

That which it could not scare away. Let’s in –

The hour approaches, and we must prepare

To meet the invited guests who grace our feast.

[
Exeunt
.]

Act III

SCENE
I

The Hall of the Palace illuminated
–
SARDANAPALUS
and his Guests at Table. – A Storm without, and Thunder occasionally heard during the Banquet.

SARDANAPALUS
: Fill full! why this is as it should be: here

Is my true realm, amidst bright eyes and faces

Happy as fair! Here sorrow cannot reach.

ZAMES
: Nor elsewhere – where the king is, pleasure sparkles.

5

SARDANAPALUS
: Is not this better now than Nimrod’s huntings,

Or my wild grandam’s chase in search of kingdoms

She could not keep when conquer’d?

ALTADA
:Mighty though

They were, as all thy royal line have been,

Yet none of those who went before have reach’d

10

The acmé of Sardanapalus, who

Has placed his joy in peace – the sole true glory.

SARDANAPALUS
: And pleasure, good Altada, to which glory

Is but the path. What is it that we seek?

Enjoyment! We have cut the way short to it,

15

And not gone tracking it through human ashes,

Making a grave with every footstep.

ZAMES
:No;

All hearts are happy, and all voices bless

The king of peace, who holds a world in jubilee.

SARDANAPALUS
: Art sure of that? I have heard otherwise;

20

Some say that there be traitors.

ZAMES
: Traitors they

Who dare to say so! – ’Tis impossible.

What cause?

SARDANAPALUS
: What cause? true, – fill the goblet up;

We will not think of them: there are none such,

Or if there be, they are gone.

ALTADA
:Guests, to my pledge!

25

Down on your knees, and drink a measure to

The safety of the king – the monarch, say I?

The god Sardanapalus!

[
ZAMES
and the Guests kneel and exclaim
—]

Mightier than

His father Baal, the god Sardanapalus!

[
It thunders as they kneel; some start up in confusion
.]

ZAMES
: Why do you rise, my friends? in that strong peal

30

His father gods consented.

MYRRHA
:Menaced, rather.

King, wilt thou bear this mad impiety?

SARDANAPALUS
: Impiety! – nay, if the sires who reign’d

Before me can be gods, I’ll not disgrace

Their lineage. But arise, my pious friends;

35

Hoard your devotion for the thunderer there:

I seek but to be loved, not worshipp’d.

ALTADA
: Both –

Both you must ever be by all true subjects.

SARDANAPALUS
: Methinks the thunders still increase: it is

An awful night.

MYRRHA
:Oh yes, for those who have

40

No palace to protect their worshippers.

SARDANAPALUS
: That’s true, my Myrrha; and could I convert

My realm to one wide shelter for the wretched,

I’d do it.

MYRRHA
: Thou’rt no god, then, not to be

Able to work a will so good and general,

45

As thy wish would imply.

SARDANAPALUS
:And your gods, then, Who can, and do not?

MYRRHA
:Do not speak of that,

Lest we provoke them.

SARDANAPALUS
:True, they love not censure

Better than mortals. Friends, a thought has struck me:

Were there no temples, would there, think ye, be

50

Air worshippers? that is, when it is angry,

And pelting as even now.

MYRRHA
:The Persian prays

Upon his mountain.

SARDANAPALUS
:Yes, when the sun shines.

MYRRHA
: And I would ask if this your palace were

Unroof’d and desolate, how many flatterers

55

Would lick the dust in which the king lay low?

ALTADA
: The fair Ionian is too sarcastic

Upon a nation whom she knows not well;

The Assyrians know no pleasure but their king’s,

And homage is their pride.

SARDANAPALUS
:Nay, pardon, guests,

60

The fair Greek’s readiness of speech.

ALTADA
:
Pardon!
sire:

We honour her of all things next to thee.

Hark! what was that?

ZAMES
:That! nothing but the jar

Of distant portals shaken by the wind.

ALTADA
: It sounded like the clash of – hark again!

65

ZAMES
: The big rain pattering on the roof.

SARDANAPALUS
: No more.

Myrrha, my love, hast thou thy shell in order?

Sing me a song of Sappho, her, thou know’st,

Who in thy country threw —

[
Enter
PANIA
,
with his sword and garments bloody, and disordered. The Guests rise in confusion.
]

PANIA
[
to the Guards
]:Look to the portals;

And with your best speed to the walls without.

70

Your arms! To arms! The king’s in danger. Monarch!

Excuse this haste, – ’tis faith.

SARDANAPALUS
:Speak on.

PANIA
:It is

As Salemenes fear’d; the faithless satraps —

SARDANAPALUS
: You are wounded – give some wine. Take

breath, good Pania.

PANIA
: ’Tis nothing – a mere flesh wound. I am worn

75

More with my speed to warn my sovereign,

Than hurt in his defence.

MYRRHA
: Well, sir, the rebels?

PANIA
: Soon as Arbaces and Beleses reach’d

Their stations in the city, they refused

To march; and on my attempt to use the power

80

Which I was delegated with, they call’d

Upon their troops, who rose in fierce defiance.

MYRRHA
: All?

PANIA
:Too many.

SARDANAPALUS
:Spare not of thy free speech,

To spare mine ears the truth.

PANIA
:My own slight guard

Were faithful, and what’s left of it is still so.

MYRRHA
: And are these all the force still faithful?

85

PANIA
: No –

The Bactrians, now led on by Salemenes,

Who even then was on his way, still urged

By strong suspicion of the Median chiefs,

Are numerous, and make strong head against

90

The rebels, fighting inch by inch, and forming

An orb around the palace, where they mean

To centre all their force, and save the king.

[
He hesitates
.]

I am charged to—

MYRRHA
:’Tis no time for hesitation.

PANIA
: Prince Salemenes doth implore the king

95

To arm himself, although but for a moment,

And show himself unto the soldiers: his

Sole presence in this instant might do more

Than hosts can do in his behalf.

SARDANAPALUS
:What, ho!

My armour there.

MYRRHA
:And wilt thou?

SARDANAPALUS
:Will I not?

100

Ho, there! – but seek not for the buckler: ’tis

Too heavy: – a light cuirass and my sword.

Where are the rebels?

PANIA
: Scarce a furlong’s length

From the outward wall the fiercest conflict rages.

SARDANAPALUS
: Then I may charge on horseback. Sfero, ho!

105

Order my horse out. – There is space enough

Even in our courts, and by the outer gate,

To marshal half the horsemen of Arabia.

[
Exit
SFERO
for the armour
.]

MYRRHA
: How I do love thee!

SARDANAPALUS
:I ne’er doubted it.

MYRRHA
: But now I know thee.

SARDANAPALUS
[
to his Attendant
]: Bring down my spear

too.-

110

Where’s Salemenes?

PANIA
:Where a soldier should be, In the thick of the fight.

SARDANAPALUS
:Then hasten to him — Is