SCENE II.

_Neighbourhood of Cirta._

_Enter two Pages, with targets and javelins_; LÆLIUS _and_ JUGURTH, _with halberds_; SCIPIO _and_ MASSINISSA _armed; cornets sounding a march_.

_Sci._ Stand!

_Mass._ Give the word--Stand!

_Sci._ Part the file!

_Mass._ Give way! Scipio, by thy great name, but greater virtue,-- By our eternal love, give me the chance Of this day's battle! Let not thy envied fame Vouchsafe t'oppose[374] the Roman legions Against one weakened Prince of Libya. This quarrel's mine--mine be the stroke of fight! Let us and Syphax hurl out well-forced darts Each unto other's breast. O (what should I say?) Thou beyond epithet, thou whom proud lords of fortune May even envy,--alas! my joy's so vast 11 Makes me seem lost,--let us thunder and lightning Strike from our brave arms! Look, look, seize that hill! Hark! he comes near. From thence discern us strike Fire worth Jove; mount up, and not repute Me very proud, though wondrous resolute. My cause, my cause is my bold heart'ning odds, That sevenfold shield; just arms should fright the gods.

_Sci._ Thy words are full of honour; take thy fate.

_Mass._ Which we do scorn to fear, to Scipio state 20 Worthy his heart. Now let the forcèd brass Sound on!

_Cornets sound a march._ SCIPIO _leads his train up to the mount_.

Jugurth, clasp sure our casque, Arm us with care; and Jugurth, if I fall Through this day's malice or our fathers' sins, If it in thy sword lie, break up my breast, And save my heart that never fell nor sued[375] To aught but Jove and Sophonisba. Sound, Stern heart'ners unto wounds and blood--sound loud, For we have namèd Sophonisba!

[_Cornets, a flourish._

So!

[_Cornets, a march far off._

Hark, hark, he comes! stand blood! Now multiply 31 Force more than fury. Sound high, sound high, we strike For Sophonisba!

_Enter_ SYPHAX, _arm'd, his Pages with shields and darts before; cornets sounding marches_.

_Sy._ For Sophonisba!

_Mass._ Syphax!

_Sy._ Massinissa!

_Mass._ Betwixt us two, Let single fight try all.

_Sy._ Well urged.

_Mass._ Well granted. Of you, my stars, as I am worthy you, I implore aid; and O, if angels wait Upon good hearts, my genius be as strong As I am just.

_Sy._ Kings' glory is their wrong. 40 He that may only do just acts 's a slave. My god's my arm;[376] my life my heaven; my grave To me all end.

_Mass._ Give day, gods,--life, not death,-- To him that only fears blaspheming breath. For Sophonisba!

_Sy._ For Sophonisba!

_Cornets sound a charge._ MASSINISSA _and_ SYPHAX _combat_. SYPHAX _falls_. MASSINISSA _unclasps_ SYPHAX' _casque, and is_[377] _about to kill him when_ SYPHAX _speaks_.

_Sy._ Unto thy fortune, not to thee, we yield.

_Mass._ Lives Sophonisba yet unstain'd, speak just-- Yet ours unforced?

_Sy._ Let my heart fall more low Than is my body, if only to thy glory 50 She lives not yet all thine.

_Mass._ Rise, rise! Cease strife! Hear a most deep revenge--from us take life!

_Cornets sound a march._ SCIPIO _and_ LÆLIUS _enter_. SCIPIO _passeth to his throne_. MASSINISSA _presents_ SYPHAX _to_ SCIPIO'S _feet, cornets sounding a flourish_.

To you all power of strength; and next to thee, Thou spirit of triumph, born for victory, I heave these hands. March we to Cirta straight, My Sophonisba with swift haste to win, In honour and in love all mean is sin.

[_Exeunt_ MASSINISSA _and_ JUGURTH.

_Sci._ As we are Rome's great general, thus we press Thy captive neck. But as still Scipio, And sensible of just humanity, 60 We weep thy bondage. Speak, thou ill-chanced man, What spirit took thee when thou wert our friend (Thy right hand given both to gods and us, With such most passionate vows and solemn faith), Thou fled'st with such most foul disloyalty To now weak Carthage? strengthening their bad arms, Who lately scorn'd thee with all loath'd abuse, Who never entertain for love but use?

_Sy._ Scipio, my fortune is captived, not I, Therefore I'll speak bold truth; nor once mistrust 70 What I shall say, for now, being wholly yours, I must not feign. Sophonisba, 'twas she, 'Twas Sophonisba that solicited My forced revolt; 'twas her resistless suit, Her love to her dear Carthage, 'ticed me break All faith with men; 'twas she made Syphax false; She that loves Carthage with such violence, And hath such moving graces to allure, That she will turn a man that once hath sworn Himself on's father's bones her Carthage foe, 80 To be that city's champion and high friend. Her hymeneal torch burnt down my house; Then was I captived, when her wanton arms Threw[378] moving clasps about my neck. O charms, Able to turn even Fate! But this, in my true grief, Is some just joy, that my love-sotted foe Shall seize that plague; that Massinissa's breast Her hands shall arm, and that ere long you'll try She can force him your foe as well as I.

_Sci._ Lælius, Lælius, take a choice troop of horse, 90 And spur to Cirta. To Massinissa thus: Syphax' palace, crown's spoil, city's sack, Be free to him. But if our new-leagued[379] friend Possess that woman of so moving art, Charge him with no less weight than his dear vow, Our love, all faith, that he resign her thee; As he shall answer Rome, will him[380] give up A Roman prisoner to the Senate's doom: She is a Carthaginian. Now our law's[381]-- Wise men prevent not actions, but ever cause. 100

_Sy._ Good Malice, so, as liberty so dear, Prove my revenge. What I cannot possess Another shall not--that's some happiness.

[_Exeunt, cornets flourishing._

[374] Ed. 1. "t'appose."

[375] Ed. 1. "that neuer fell nor's adue."

[376] So Mezentius in the _Æneid_, x. 772:--"Dextra mihi deus."

[377] Old eds. "_and as ready to kill him, speaks_ SYPHAX."

[378] Ed. 1. "Threw mouing claspt."--Ed. 2. "There mouing claspt."

[379] Old eds. "new laugh'd."

[380] "Will him," &c.,--order him to give up. Ed. 2. "will give him up."

[381] Perhaps we should read-- "She is a Carthaginian, 'neath our laws. Wise men," &c.