-57_Rodogune-Act Five-Scene-1.htm

A hall in the palace.
Phayllus., alone.

PHAYLLUS

My brain has loosened harder knots than this.
Timocles gets by this his Rodogune;

That's one thing gained. Tonight or else tomorrow
I'll have her in his bed though I have to hale her
Stumbling to it through her own husband's blood.
For he must die. He is too great a man
To be a subject: nor is that his intention
Who hides some subtler purpose. Exile would free him
For more stupendous mischief. Death! But how ?
There is this Syrian people, there is Timocles
Whose light unstable mind like a pale leaf

Trembles, desires, resolves, renounces.

Timocles enters.

TIMOCLES

Phayllus,
It is the high gods bring about this good.
My great high brother, strong Antiochus
To come and kneel to me! No hatred more!
He is the brother whom I loved in Egypt.

PHAYLLUS

Oh, wilt thou always be, thou shapeless soul,
Clay for each passing circumstance to alter ?

TIMOCLES

Do you not think I have only now to ask

Page – 438

And he will give me Rodogune ? She's not his wife!
Cast always together in the lonely desert,
Long nearness must have wearied him of her;

For he was never a lover; O Phayllus,
When so much has been brought about, will you tell me
This will not happen too ? I am sure the gods
Intend this.

PHAYLLUS

So you think Antiochus comes
To lay his lofty head below your foot ?
You can believe it! Truly, if you think that,
There's nothing left that cannot be believed.
This soul that dreamed of conquests at its birth,
This strong overweening swift ambitious man
Whom victory disappoints, to whom continents
Seem narrow, will submit, you say, — to you ?
You'll keep him for your servant ?

TIMOCLES

What is it you hint?
Stroke not your chin! Speak plainly. Do you know,
I sometimes hate you!

PHAYLLUS

I care not, if you hear me
And let me guard you from your enemies.

TIMOCLES

I know you love me but your thoughts are evil
To every other and your ways are worse.
Yet speak; what is it you fear ?

PHAYLLUS

How should I know?

Page – 439

Yet this seems probable that having failed

By violent battle he is creeping in

To slay you silently. You smile at that?

It is the commonest rule of statesmanship

And History's strewn with instances. Believe it not;

Believe your Wishes, not mankind's, record;

Slumber till with the sword in you you wake
And he assumes your purple.

TIMOCLES (indifferently)

I hear, Phayllus. Let him give me Rodogune
And all's excused he has ever done to me.

PHAYLLUS

He will keep her and take all hearts besides
That ever loved you.

TIMOCLES (still indifferently)

I will see that first.

Cleopatra enters quickly.

CLEOPATRA

It is true, Timocles ? It is even true ?
Antiochus my son is coming to me,
Is coming to me!

TIMOCLES

Thus you love him still!

CLEOPATRA

He is my child, he has his father's face.

And I shall have my Parthian Rodogune

With her sweet voice and gentle touch, and her,

My darling, my clear-eyed delight, Eunice,

And I shall not be lonely any more.

I have not been so happy since you came

From Egypt. But, O heaven! what followed that?

Page – 440

Will now no stark calamity arise

With Gorgon head to turn us into stone

Venging this glimpse of joy? Torn by your scourges

I fear you, gods, too much to trust your smile.

Nicanor enters.

NICANOR

Antiochus comes.

TIMOCLES

Hail, thou victorious captain,
Syria's strong rescuer!

NICANOR

Syria's rescuer comes,
Thy brother Antiochus who makes himself
A sword to smite thy dangerous enemies.

PHAYLLUS

You used not once to praise him so, Nicanor.

NICANOR

Because I knew not then his nobleness
Who had only seen his might.

PHAYLLUS

Yet had you promised
That if he entered Antioch, it would be chained
And naked, travelling to the pit or sword,
Nicanor.

NICANOR

He comes not as a prisoner,
But royally disdaining to enslave
For private ends his country to the Parthian.

Page – 441

TIMOCLES

Comes my dear brother soon?

NICANOR

Even at this moment

He enters.

TIMOCLES

Summon our court. Let all men's eyes behold
This reconciliation. I shall see
Next moment Rodogune!

There enter from one side Callicrates, Melitus,
Cleone, courtiers; from the other Antiochus, Eunice,

Rodogune, Thoas, Leosthenes, Philoctetes.

O brother, in my arms! Let this firm clasp
Be sign of the recovered amity
That binds once more for joy Nicanor's sons.

ANTIOCHUS

This is like thee, my brother Timocles.
Let all vain strife be banished from our souls.
My sword is thine, and I am thine and all
I have and love is thine, O Syrian Timocles,
Devoted to thy throne for Syria.

TIMOCLES

All?
Brother! O clasp me once again, Antiochus.

ANTIOCHUS

The Syrian land once cleansed of perils, rescued
From these fierce perils, I shall have thy leave,
Brother, to voyage into distant lands;

But not till I have seen your Antioch joys
Of which they told us, I and my dear wife,

Page – 442

The Parthian princess Rodogune. See, brother,
How all things work out by a higher will.
Thou hast the Syrian kingdom, I have her
And my own soul for monarchy.

TIMOCLES

His wife!

MELITUS

The King is pale and gnaws his nether lip.

ANTIOCHUS

Mother, I kneel to you; raise me this time
And I will not be forward.

CLEOPATRA

My child! my child!

TIMOCLES

He will not give me Rodogune! And now he'll steal
My mother's heart. Captains, I welcome you:

You are my soldiers now.

LEOSTHENES

We thank thee. King.
We are thy brother's soldiers, therefore thine.

TIMOCLES

Yes! Philoctetes, old Egyptian friend,
You go not yet to Egypt?

PHILOCTETES

I know not where.
I have forgotten why I came from thence.
I hope that you will love your brother.

Page – 443

TIMOCLES

Him!

Oh yes, I'll love him.

ANTIOCHUS

Brother Timocles,
We have come far today; will you appoint us
Our chamber here ?

TIMOCLES

I'll take you to them, brother.

All leave the hall except Cleone and Phayllus.

CLEONE

Is this their peace ? But he'll have Rodogune
And I shall like a common flower be thrown
Into the dust-heap.

PHAYLLUS

Pooh!

CLEONE

I have eyes, I see.
Even then I knew I would be nothing to you
Once you were seated. I'll not be flung away!
Beware, Phayllus; for Antiochus lives.

PHAYLLUS

Make change of lovers then with Rodogune
While yet he lives.

CLEONE

I might even do that.
He has a beautiful body like a god's.
I will not have him slain.

Page – 444

PHAYLLUS

You may be his widow
If you make haste in marrying him; for soon
He will be carrion.

Timocles returns.

TIMOCLES

I'ld have a word with you,
Phayllus.

Cleone withdraws out of hearing.

Where will they put the Parthian Rodogune ?

PHAYLLUS

Put her?

TIMOCLES

To sleep, dull ruffian! Her chamber! Where ?

PHAYLLUS

Why, in one bed with Prince Antiochus.

TIMOCLES

Thou bitter traitor, dar'st thou say it too ?

Art thou too leagued to slay me ? Shall I bear it ?

In my own palace! In one bed! O God!

I will go now and stab him through the heart

And drag her, drag her —

CLEONE (running to him)

The foam is on his lips!

PHAYLLUS

Restrain thy passions, King! He is transformed.

This is that curious devil, jealousy.

As if it mattered! He will have her soon.

Page – 445

TIMOCLES

Cleone, I thank you. When I think of this,

Something revolts within to strangle me

And tears my life out of my bosom. Phayllus,

You spoke of plots; where are they ? Let me see them. 

PHAYLLUS

That's hard. Are they not hidden in his breast?

TIMOCLES

Can you not tear them out?

PHAYLLUS

Torture your brother!

TIMOCLES

Torture his generals; let them howl their love for him!
Torture Eunice. Let truth come out twixt shrieks!
Number her words with gouts of blood!

PHAYLLUS

You'll hurt yourself.
Be calmer. Torture! To what purpose that ?
It is not profitable.

TIMOCLES

I will have proofs.
Wilt thou thwart me, thou traitor, even thou?
Arrange his trial instantly, arrange
His exile.

PHAYLLUS

Exile! You might as well arrange
At once your ruin.

TIMOCLES

There shall be justice, justice.

Page – 446

Thou shalt be fairly judged, Antiochus.
I will not slay him. Exile! And Rodogune
With me in Antioch.

PHAYLLUS

Listen! the passing people sing his name. -

They'll rise to rescue him and slay us all

As dogs are killed in summer. Command his death:

No man will rise for a dead carcase. Death,
Not exile! He'll return with Ptolemy
Or great Phraates, take your Syria from you,
Take Rodogune.

TIMOCLES

I give my power to you.
Try him and sentence him. But execution,
Let it be execution. I will have
No murder done. Arrange it.

He goes out followed by Cleone.

PHAYLLUS

While he's in the mood,
It must be quickly done. But that's to venture
With no support in Syria when it's done
Except this brittle king. It matters not.
Fortune will bear me out; she's grown my slave girl.
What liberties have I not taken with her
Which she has suffered amorously, kinder grown
After each handling. Watch me, my only lover!
Sudden and swift shall be Phayllus' stroke.

Page – 447