Panth. He's here that can resolve you. [Exit PANTHEUS. Enter CLEANTHES, wieh a Sword in his Hand. Cleom. How darest thou come again within my sight? Thou art, but 'tis no matter what thou art. I'll not consider thee so far to think Thee worth reproach.-Away, away, Egyptian! Clean. Such I appear indeed. Cleom. Why then for once, that which thou seem'st, thou art. Begone! Clean. Oh I have been too long away! Cleom. Too soon thou art returned, Clean. Forgive me, that I seemed your foe. Cleom. Forgive me, heaven, for thinking thee my friend. No more; 'tis loss of time to talk. Clean. Indeed it is, When hunger calls so loud for sustenance. But whether friend or foe, 'tis food I bring. Cleom. "Tis poison; and my mother, and my wife, And my poor famished boy, are eating death. Thou would'st not have me think, that thou repent'st? Clean. Heaven knows, I do not ! day of his fast, he found himself entirely freed of his complaint, but refused taking sustenance. He said, the most disagreeable part of the voyage was past; and he should be a cursed fool indeed, to put about ship, when he was just entering the harbour. In these sentiments he persisted, without any marks of affectation; and thus finished his course with such ease and serenity, as would have done honour to the firmest Stoic of antiquity."---Note upon. the Expedition of Humphrey Clinker. Cleom. Well said, man! Go on; and be not bashful, To own the merits of thy wickedness. Clean. What need has innocence of a repentance? Cleom. Shuffling again! Pr'ythee, be of a piece. A little steadiness becomes a villain. Clean. Oh, friend!-for yet I dare to call you so; Which, if I were a villain, sure I durst not,~ Hear me, or kill me! Cleom. So, by heaven, I would, For thy profaning friendship's holy name; Clean. Without more evidence than bare surmise; Cleom. Traitor, no more! 'tis fulsome. Clean. Take the sword. [Throws it to him. Cleom. I thank thee; draw thy own. [Takes it up. Clean. No; take that too. [Draws his, and offers it. Cleom. Fool! would'st thou die without defence? Clean. I would not: But you forbade me to defend myself, Then, when you would not hear me. Cleom. Can falsehood have a better argument, Than force for its defence? Trust to that topic, And bear thee like a man. Clean. I think, I do. Cleom. What kind of man is that, who dares not fight? Clean. The man, who dares not when his honour calls, Is what you mean, but what I never was; Where words and reason want, appeal to might. Cleom. Come, come; thou dar'st not fight. But first my honour must be justified, If you dare be my judge; For, in this crude and indigested quarrel, If I should fall unheard, you kill your friend, To quit myself before you reached the shades, Cleom. Then I must hear; but swear, swear first, That, when I have pronounced, thou wilt no more. I hear my words far off:-stand, stand, thou traitor, [Puts the Point upon the Ground, once or twice; leans on it, and staggers. And I fall unrevenged. [Offers to run at him, and is falling. Clean. What ho, Pantheus! [Runs to him, and takes him in his arms. The best of men is dying in my arms, And I want power to save him. Enter PANTHEUS. Panth. O heavens! what means this direful ob ject? Clean. Ask not, with unassisting pity; bow him forward, Rub his numbed temples, while I wipe the sweat From his cold clammy face. Panth. His mounting heart Bounces against my hands, as if it would Clean. Wrench ope his mouth, While I infuse these sovereign drops, whose power [He instills somewhat out of a Vial into his Mouth. He stirs, And stretches now, and seems to essay his limbs. Cleom. Where am I? [Standing awhile; they support him. Clean. In his arms, who died with you, And, now you live, revives. Cleom. Art thou Pantheus? Panth. Believe your eyes, I am. Cleom. Speak then, and truly, (for I trust not him,) Who brought me back to life? Panth. Who, but he, who was left single with you, I found him, propping you with trembling hands; Panth. Yes, your Cleanthes. Clean. Your suspected friend, Much wronged, but ever faithful. Cleom. Art thou sure I live? Or am I in the regions of the dead, Panth. Go in, and see your chearful family And, with a good mistaking piety, Cleom. When I hear this, I have no need of food; I am restored without it. Clean. Then, now hear me; How I was forced into this seeming falsehood, Cleom. O, no more! no more! For now I understand, ere thou canst speak it half: [Embracing him.. Let me embrace myself quite into thee. Cleon. Come, come as fiercely as thou wilt, I meet thee; [Embraces CLEOM. I close within thee, and am thou again. Panth. Why, this is as it should be. Cleom. I could not thus have taken to the death Another's falsehood, but thine, only thine; For infinitely, infinitely loving, Twas a wide gap thou mad'st within And as my soul rent from me. Clean. But thy hunger! my bosom, This violent transport of my reconcilement Makes me forget thy wants; when I embraced thee, Thy spungy body dwindled in my arms, And, like a ghost, fled from me, Cleom. I could eat [Going in. |