Sappho Book

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: RHA1INES. This is no time for words. Go, go. Wake up the household, and then speed to rescue. EUCHARIS. What may this mean ? (Runs up the steps.) RHAMNES. I can no more. Ye traitors., Rejoice not thus. The ocean Deities Will sure avenge so horrible a deed! (Enter more and more slaves.) Speed to the valley ; wake the dwellers all; Oh, ask not wherefore: hence, and sound alarm! (Exeunt slaves.) Scene VIII. SAPPHO. What sound of terror through the still night rings,. Usurping griefs sleep-murd'ring office thus; Who here has reason to lament save I ? RHAMNES. J, oh ! my mistress,? Sappho. What! is Khamnes here ? And where is she ? RHAMNES. Melitta ? SAPPHO. RHAMNES. She's gone. SAPPHO. Gone! and yet thou here ? RHAMNES. She has fled, and with- SAPPHO. Stop! RHAMNES. Has fled with Phaon. Sappho. RHAMNES. Alas 1 she ha He overpowered my helpless weak old age, And in the very boat for me prepar'd, He bears away his captive o'er the waves. SAPPHO. Thou liest! RHAMNES. Oh ! that for once I did lie. Sappho. Where are your thunder-bolts, immortal gods ? Have you then griefs for Sappho's heart alone ? Is the right arm of vengeance weak and lame ? Oh, hurl your dread avenging light'nings down Upon the heads of this most guilty pair! Blast them, ye gods, as ye have blasted me ! In vain. No flash disturbs the quiet air; The winds are whisp'ring softly to the leaves, And on its broad smooth breast the sea upheaves The bark of love still farther from this shore. There is no help: then Sappho, help thyself! (The stage becomes gradually filled with slaves bearing torches, and citizens.) Ha ! these appear. I thank you, faithful hearts. Man will bestow, then, what the gods d...Read More