BYRON’S WORKS.
524
Myr. Thou shalt see.
[Eait Myrrlia.
Sar. (solus.) She’s firm. My fathers. 1 whom Iwill rejoin,
It may he, purified by death from someOf the gross stains of too material being,
I would not leave your ancient first abodeTo the defilement of usurping bondmen;
If I have not kept your inheritanceAs ye bequeath’d it, this bright part of it,
Your treasure, your abode, your sacred relics,
Of arms and records, monuments, and spoils,
In which they would have revell’d, I bear withme ,
To you in that absorbing element,
Which most personifies the soul as leavingTiie least of matter unconsumed beforeIts fiery workings':—and the light of thisMost royal of funereal pyres shall beNot a mere pillar form’d of cloud and flame,
A beacon in the horizon for a day,
And then a mount of ashes, but a lightTo lesson ages, rebel nations, andVoluptuous princes. Time shall quench fullmany
A people’s records, and a hero’s acts ;
Sweep empire after empire, like this firstOf empires, into nothing; hut even thenShall spare this deed of mine, and hold it upA problem few dare imitate, and noneDespise—hut, it may be, avoid the lifeWhich led to such a consummation.
MYRRHA returns with a lighted torch in one hand,and a cup in the other.
Myr. Lo!
I’ve lit the lamp which lights us to the stars.
Sar. And the cup ?
. Myr. ’Tis my country’s custom to
Make a libation to the gods.
Sar. And mine
To make libations amongst men. I’ve notForgot the custom j and although alone,
Will drain one draught in memory of manyA joyous banquet past.
[SARDANAPALUS takes the cup, andafter drinking and tinkling the reversedcup, and as a drop falls, exclaims—And this libationIs for the excellent Beleses.
Myr. Why
Dwells thy mind rather upon that man’s nameThan on his mate’s in villany ?
Sar. The one
Is a mere soldier, a mere tool, a kindOf human sword in a friend’s hand; the otherIs master mover of his warlike puppet;
But I dismiss them from my mind.—Yet pause,My Myrrlia! dost thou truly follow me,
Freely and fearlessly ?
Myr. And dost thou think
A Greek girl dare not do for love, that whichAn Indian widow braves for custom ?
Sar. Then
We but await the signal.
Myr. It is long
In sounding.
Sar. Now, farewell; one last embrace
Myr. Embrace, but not the last; there is onemore.
Sar. True, the commingling fire will mix ourashes.
Myr. And pure as is my love to thee, shall they,Purged from the dross of earth, and earthly pas*sion,
Mix pale with thine. A single thought yet irksme-
Sar. Say it.
Myr. It is that no kind hand will gather
The dust of both into one urn.
Sar. The better:
Rather let them be borne abroad uponThe winds of heaven, and scatter’d into air,
Than be polluted more by human handsOf slaves and traitors. In this blazing palace,And its enormous walls of reeking ruin,
We leave a nobler monument than EgyptHath piled in her brick mountains, o’er deadkings,
Or bine, for none know whether those proud pilesBe for their monarch or their ox*god Apis :
So much for monuments that have forgottenTheir very record I
Myr. Then farewell, thou earth l
And loveliest spot of earth! farewell, Ionia IBe thou still free and beautiful, and farAloof from desolation! My last prayerWas for thee, my last thoughts, save one, wereof thee.
Sar. And that ?
Myr. Is yours.
[The trumpet of Pania sounds without .Sar . Hark »
Myr. Now!
I loved thee well, my own, toy fathers’ land,
And better as my country than my kingdom.
I sated thee with peace and joys; and thisIs my reward! and. now I owe thee nothing,
Not even a grave.
[He mounts the pyre.Now, Myrrlia!
Myr. Art thou ready ?
Sar. As the torch in thy grasp.
IMyrrha fires the pile.Myr. ’Tis fired! I come.
[As Myrrha springs/oncard to tkroio Iter .self into the fiames, the curtain falls.