Ponteach Part 26

Or is it Juggling, Fascination all?

TENESCO.

'Tis most surprising! What to judge I know not.

I'll lead him hence; perhaps he's still confus'd.

TORAX.

I gladly will go hence for some Relief, But shall not change, from what I've now aver'd.

TENESCO.

Then this sad Storm of Ruin 's but begun. [_Aside._ Philip must fly, or next it lights on him.

[_Exeunt TENESCO and TORAX led by him._

CHEKITAN.

And can this be--Can Philip be so false?

Dwells there such Baseness in a Brother's Heart?

So much Dissimulation in the Earth?

Is there such Perfidy among Mankind?

It shocks my Faith--But yet it must be so-- Yes, it was he, Monelia, shed thy Blood.

This made him forward to commence our Friend, And with unusual Warmth engage to help us; It was for this so cheerful he resign'd To me the Honour of Command in War; The English Troops would never come so near; The Wounds were not inflicted by their Arms.

All, all confirms the Guilt on Philip's Head.

You died, Monelia, by my Brother's Hand; A Brother too intrusted with our Love.

I'm stupify'd and senseless at the Thought; My Head, my very Heart is petrify'd.

This adds a Mountain to my Weight of Woe.

It now is swell'd too high to be lamented; Complaints, and Sighs, and Tears are thrown away, Revenge is all the Remedy that's left; But what Revenge is equal to the Crime?

His Life for her's! An Atom for the Earth-- A Single Fly--a Mite for the Creation: Turn where I will I find myself confounded: But I must seek and study out new Means.

Help me, ye Powers of Vengeance! grant your Aid, Ye that delight in Blood, and Death, and Pain!

Teach me the Arts of Cruelty and Wrath, Till I have Vengeance equal to my Love, And my Monelia's Shade is satisfied. [_Exit._

SCENE IV.

PHILIP [_solus_].

His Grief no Doubt will rise into a Rage, To see his Charmer rolling in her Blood, I choose to see him not till my Return; By then the Fierceness of the Flame may cease; Nay, he'll grow cool, and quite forget his Love, When I report her Father's kindled Wrath, And all the Vengeance he intends to take. [_CHEKITAN comes in sight._ But this is he, I cannot now avoid him; How shall I soothe his Grief--He looks distracted-- I'm such a Stranger grown to Tears and Pity, I fear he will not think I sympathize.

_Enter CHEKITAN._

CHEKITAN.

Have I then found thee, thou false hearted Traitor?

Thou Tyger, Viper, Snake, thou worse than Christian; Bloodthirsty Butcher, more than Murderer!

Thou every Thing but what Men ought to love!

Do you still live to breathe and see the Sun?

And face me with your savage guilty Eye?

PHILIP.

I fear'd, alas, you would run mad and rave.

Why do you blame me that I am not dead?

I risk'd my Life, was wounded for your Sake, Did all I could for your Monelia's Safety, And to revenge you on her Murderers.

Your Grief distracts you, or you'd thank me for 't.

CHEKITAN.

Would you still tempt my Rage, and fire my Soul, Already bent to spill your treacherous Blood?

You base Dissembler! know you are detected, Torax still lives, and has discover'd all.

[_PHILIP starts and trembles._

PHILIP.

Torax alive!--It cannot--must not be. [_Aside._

CHEKITAN.

Well may you shake--You cannot mend your Blow.

He lived to see, what none but you could think of, The b.l.o.o.d.y Knife drawn from Monelia's Breast.

Had you a thousand Lives, they'd be too few; Had you a Sea of Blood, 't would be too small To wash away your deep-dy'd Stain of Guilt.

Now you shall die; and Oh, if there be Powers That after Death take Vengeance on such Crimes, May they pursue you with their Flames of Wrath, Till all their Magazines of Pain are spent.

[_He attacks PHILIP with his hatchet._

PHILIP.

I must defend myself [_Drawing his hatchet_], the Case is desperate.

[_Fights; PHILIP falls._ Fate is too hard; and I'm oblig'd to yield.

'Twas well begun--but has a wretched End-- Yet I'm reveng'd--She cannot live again.

You cannot boast to 've shed more Blood than I-- Oh, had I--had I--struck but one Blow more! [_Dies._

CHEKITAN.

What have I done! this is my Brother's Blood!

A guilty Murderer's Blood! He was no Brother.

All Nature's Laws and Ties are hence dissolv'd; There is no Kindred, Friends.h.i.+p, Faith, or Love Among Mankind--Monelia's dead--The World Is all unhing'd--There's universal War-- She was the Tie, the Centre of the Whole; And she remov'd, all is one general Jar.

Where next, Monelia, shall I bend my Arm To heal this Discord, this Disorder still, And bring the Chaos Universe to Form?

Blood still must flow and float the scatter'd Limbs Till thy much injur'd love in Peace subsides.

Then every jarring Discord once will cease, And a new World from these rude Ruins rise. [_Pauses._ Here then I point the Edge, from hence shall flow [_Pointing his knife to his heart._ The raging crimson Flood, this is the Fountain Whose swift Day's Stream shall waft me to thy Arms, Lest Philip's Ghost should injure thy Repose. [_Stabs himself._ I come, I come--Monelia, now I come-- Philip--away--She's mine in spite of Death. [_Dies._

_Enter TENESCO._

TENESCO.

Oh! I'm too late, the fatal Work is done.

Unhappy Princes; this your wretched End; Your Country's Hopes and your fond Father's Joy; Are you no more? Slain by each other's Hands, Or what is worse; or by the Air you breath'd?

For all is Murder, Death, and Blood about us: Nothing safe; it is contagious all: The Earth, and Air, and Skies are full of Treason!

The Evil Genius rules the Universe, And on Mankind rains Tempests of Destruction.

Where will the Slaughter of the Species end?