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Queen Zenobia
Queen Zenobia
A
Play
in
Four Acts
by
Cleveland
1908
Copyright 1908 by
CAST OF CHARACTERS.
AURELIAN
Lucius
The Emperor
His
of
Rome.
First General.
Longinus
Counsellor to Zenobia.
First
MARIO
Cornelius
General of Palmyra.
WALLBALATH
Zenobia
Zenobia
Son.
Queen
of Palmyra.
Salammbo
DOMITIA
t^
\
GWENYFAR
!
Dancing
l_j
Girls of Aurelian.
Soldiers of
ACT
Scene
I.
/.
(The
The
bodies of
they are heaped with flowers and candles are burning at the head
and
feet.
is
It
is
which
Far
off
Two
mail-clad
GWENYFAR.
He
As
seems to sleep.
if th'
He
lies
as straight
all
and calm
been planned,
and
fall in his
own blood
silent fortitude.
DOMITIA.
There was no
cry,
dead body
fell.
GWENYFAR.
Aye,
like the
of spring
lies.
DOMITIA.
Nor wept
Still
warm dews
that
and
life
"My
Mother! Oh,
my Mother!"
was
all.
GWENYFAR.
Jove guard the noble lady.
None may
them
all.
say
A word of pity.
As
tho' a jewel
and
defies
DOMITIA.
Her
But
oldest son
When home
softly
tell
And And
Said,
"Take him
to the chapel.
You may
go."
And
Hath
and
left
GWENYFAR.
she a heart?
{Enter Zenobia)
ZENOBIA.
You
DOMITIA.
Cannot
ZENOBIA.
Is
naught to do.
When
tolls
May
to look
upon your
lord.
My My
master, oh,
son, oh,
why hast thou left thy wife? why couldst thou no longer stay thy mother, who doth love thee so?
trust
upon
my
head.
I shall
have revenge.
I
Thou
hast
my
child
left
and
me
so alone,
come back
the
A
I'll
little,
little,
put them
To pay
thy death!
sword
kingdom's wealth,
little
all the
thou,
my
son,
be
great,
it
unto thee?
Thou
am
dead.
How
To
I
can
I,
dead,
fulfill
the
heavy
trust
live
up
do not wish
Head
but a head,
all.
Mind
Slept in
But when
Break
my heart, the pride of all the kings; my heart is dead, how can that pride,
tomb of death?
forced to drink
lips,
That thou
art dead,
and
am
holds to
is
my
unwilling
To
The
mock
My
And
me!
Laugh
and
When
say to thee?
So
still!
That thou
And And
thou,
smile,
my
me
(Enter Mario)
MARIO.
Your Majesty.
ZENOBIA.
My
lord?
MARIO.
The
The
priests
would come,
ZENOBIA.
in.
(Exit Mario)
Oh, thou
desolate dead,
The pride of all the kingdom laid so low, Where now the gold and pow'r? Oh, Herod mine
A mother ought to
(Enter
white,
priests, nobles,
in
who
scatter flowers
on the corpses.
Zenobia ascends
the children
to the
chair of state
and
priests
chant.)
First Chant.
And And
Olympian
fields
him
feast, forever,
welcome of thy
is
hearts.
come a man
To
feast in thine
is
immortal company,
Who
Then
But
let
us
loss
Our
last
Second Chant.
And
to you,
Venus, goddess of
all love,
We
To To
Thou,
thee,
sun-lit song,
thee,
He
is
as fair as thine
own Ganymede,
his heart.
left.
Thine be the
(Exit
joy,
we have
but sorrow
to live!
Dead
march.
Mara
MARA.
Will you not look upon the funeral pyre?
ZENOBIA.
My
Oh,
heart
is
sick
and
Paralysis
get
is
on
my
!
very soul.
I
you gone
come.
They
shall not
go
Until
my
fire's light.
(Exit
Is this the
Mara)
way
that
shall
always be
this voiceless
deep despair?
the queen.
My My
resolutions
hot,
Forged on the
That
makes
life
(Slowly, step by
step, she
Now
of
and stands
out)
be
free!
Oh, how
And how
By
borne
This
little fire
Oh, thou
that wast
is
The
bird
enough,
both
it is
alight
down
draws
Scene 2.
(Waiting room of
Domitia.,)
the
queen
private apartments.
Mario and
MARIO.
I
to
make
all haste.
DOMITIA.
The queen
is
at devotions, I
have
said,
And
hath
left
MARIO.
My
Of
business
is
it is
see her,
now.
DOMITIA.
When
I'll tell
MARIO.
There's utmost danger
in
DOMITIA.
Then
to
me.
MARIO.
Must
Break
my way
inward with
my
naked hands?
DOMITIA.
is
armed.
Such
insolence!
MARIO.
but
I
DOMITIA.
mistress' friend,
a high regard,
And
sure
may
Without the
(Enter Zenobia)
ZENOBIA.
Fie,
my
lord!
Quarrel with
my
waiting maid!
MARIO.
Your majesty, I 've business of import That with all haste I must impart to you. With impudence, my entrance she refused.
10
ZENOBIA.
I
is
low.
instead,
She hoped
By knowing
If she's
Forgive, fidelity
we wrangle
over
little
things.
Domitia, go.
(Exit Domitia)
lord.
My
queen,
am
the bearer of
ill
news.
ZENOBIA.
Then speak
it
quick that
we have naught
MARIO.
to fear.
Your
majesty,
think
we 've found
the
man
Who
And
ZENOBIA.
you
call this
ill
MARIO.
I
have but
late received
from the
frontier,
The news
Aurelian marches on us
twelve thousand
now
cavalry,
With some
men and
Had been performed by an assassin's hand And that the heir apparent was cut off By his untimely killing, so the land Had no one but a little child to rule,
Who could
Nor
Moreover,
army of
the world.
11
still
did live
army ready for the raid But held aloof and waited for some word Which hath been sent him and now with all speed
had
the
He
He
Oh,
ZENOBIA.
truly he
To come and war upon a little child! But, my lord, we are not all children here And my young son has not begun to rule
Therefore,
Into
I
my
hands and
world
on
shall see
my word!
MARIO.
we
will all
do our
best
To
ZENOBIA.
Your hand, my
lord!
And now
And
have
't
proclaimed thro'
all the
How
Shout
my
lord!
To
Remind
the
Arabs of
Of
And
Laud
Tell
every
all
Palmyra
Their troops to
battle,
with them,
fall
or die.
Oh,
make
12
MARIO.
All
will I do, liege lady,
and
shall
be
Your
ZENOBIA.
Go! Tell our husband's cousin he Our second general as thou art the
Let every dirge that wails Palmyra
shall
first;
be
thro'
Turn on
And
But
naked sword
13
ACT
Scene
II.
I.
Enter Zenobia.)
ZENOBIA.
The
good
friend, the
Sun,
Hath
Mara! The lazy child, perchance she sleeps While all the world is listening for my voice.
(Enter Mara, yawning)
MARA.
Entreat your pardon, madame,
I
did sleep.
ZENOBIA.
that this
day
starts
a war
MARA.
Your
majesty,
I tried to
keep awake,
To
The
war and
clash of
armed men,
fell
my
tired
head
I
back,
call.
then
heard
madame
ZENOBIA.
This morn
If
I
it
seems that
we do
Mario awaits
prithee
my
presence not
in all haste.
(Exit
Mara)
And
this bright
I
host.
Oft have
Roman
king,
When peace and plenty smiled upon the land And show him the proud city of my heart. Oh, my Palmyra, from thy highest tower
14
have looked
into thy
busy
streets
Unto a land
was
as rich as his
And
Hath drowned
Could
Still
I
it
in the
red blood of
his
my
still
lord,
but
kill
him with
hands
warm
What
mattered
all the
gardens
rise,
and smoke
My
By
any base
serf's
My body
Had
who
success.
crown
Yet would
Forget
I
that I
had known
am
my
life.
Oh,
let
my
course
To
pity him,
who
(Enter Mario)
MARIO.
I
my
queen.
ZENOBIA.
Haste, noble warrior,
we
tarry long.
To
think the sun should rouse us to a war That means all joy or sorrow to our land We march with all the army to the front But leave around the town a barricade,
And
whom we
play
Hid by Or that
guard
defeat
sits
15
And
Thinking
by
He And
But
I
'11
ready to defend
the arts of forts.
that Palmyrians
know
I
think
precautions take,
defeat.
dream an
own
Oh, I am so secure of victory, We'll o'ercome them by very force of will And wreak a heartless vengeance for our lord. Begone, and give the orders I have said.
The
details
more
(Exit Mario. Enter
Withhold
this
Salammbo)
ZENOBIA.
Salammbo, mine, dost know
I feel as tho' I
'tis
time to march?
did approach a
fete,
Fain would
I fling
And
clothe
me
in
my
me
have forgot.
I,
do
know,
The
Alone do
am now
life
On
The
Oh,
smell of
let
me sing the mad joy of the fight, Give me the poetry of the golden god,
To
laud
this
wondrous pastime
to the skies!
is slight.
The
me
to this earth
my
is
immortality,
My
To
Oh, when
war
over
I shall
go
my
soul,
light,
Gold-crowned with
victory,
on wings of
16
Shall
Build
me
That sooner may I come to him who waits! What, do I weep? My silver dream all gone?
This proves
I
am
And
only that
I
woman
after all
Save what
there.
How
Your
looks the
SALAMMBO.
majesty,
'tis
Of
flashing
boon of death.
is
On
every soldier's
tells
brow
there
a wreath
That
E'en
tho'
At
all the
open windows
gardens
women
set
stand
And
in the tiny
on high,
With tear-wet faces, in their gayest garb. They laugh and weep and kiss their hands and toss The message down to those from whom they part And now and then do faintly raise a cheer
Full leaden with the sadness of their hearts
And
that the
men below
three-fold reply
to the battle-fields
And
It is
in the rush
(And
then
much)
the helpless
smile,
women
pitiful
I
And
most
they smile!
My heart
I
And
they think
it is
fete.
long farewell!
Ye
gods, they
do not know.
(Weeps)
17
ZENOBIA.
This shows you
my
responsibility.
These men, to those they love must I return. Yet I am the high priestess of the land
And
The
on
its
mighty altar
must lay
broken hearts
And
men
that in this
war must
gods'.
die.
a sword,
divide the
women from
the
men
And lead them to the battle-ground of Fate. And shall I shrink? The immortality Of him who hath gone past shall crown me still
I
know he
"All Haste!"
(Enter Mario)
MARIO.
Your
majesty,
it is
ZENOBIA.
All
hail to thee!
sacrifices are
figure, red,
The
of
bright hour
is
at hand.
The The
already
made?
out
its
war holds
its
arms
And
welcomes us
Farewell
to
blood-stained embrace.
Farewell!
To
death or victory!
(Exit Zenobia and Mario.
Curtain)
Scene 2.
(The queen
later.
ZENOBIA.
So we went
forth
and thus do we
return,
As
18
My
I
lady, take
the
it
not so
do await
I
Who
Sir,
ZENOBIA.
do you speak of our most royal
son,
sire,
My
who
Or he, that thus besieges hard our gates, The emperor of Rome, with whom we war?
I
know
not
that
word "king."
My
Are
all subjects,
who
CORNELIUS.
My
Nor dream
war!
ZENOBIA.
"This sorry war?" Forsooth!
Sits the defeat so
And
wherefore sad?
Or do the sluggards sleep beside their fires, Warmed with the thought of mercy from iW Rome? Or do they howl again upon their pay? Oh, speak you not to me of cursed gold!
They have no
Within
hearts,
'tis
more,
To
Talk not of gold, for what do I not know? The first defeat that met our men was light, As 't was, we lost but Romans at the worst. Then rose this fiendish howling of the dogs, For pay! Their pay! They not fight lacking
Palmyra's beggared with the heavy debts,
gold.
Of
old that
Rome
My
last coin
lay upon
my
battle-horse,
19
Where
Now
Now,
Roman
king,
And
Doth
Upon
of this
war depend.
they must fight;
They must be roused to hatred; They needs must take the places
That That
traitors to us
of the
men Rome.
Where
they
lie,
The
heralds crying
Awake them
Arouse
Yet,
let
drum and
fife.
with
all
the noise of
war
Bow
ZENOBIA.
well-thought plan,
my
lord, but
much
too late.
We
What heralds can escape this wretched town? What man can walk, unscathed, thro' Rome's It is too late, my lord, it cannot be.
LONGINUS.
It is
wide camp?
now
remains
And
Alas,
therefore
we must
how can
find a
way
to
it.
ZENOBIA.
my
lord,
it
ever be?
20
Did these men hold such honor in That they would do this thing for
their hearts,
their
poor land,
Walk
Did
camp and
in the night,
On Arab steeds, across the desert fly To far-off Persia, think, when they were
Could they arouse those people,
to
there
a war,
Waged
here, with
Rome
to
command
'fill
Would
That
is
fight or die to
word?
here.
a hero,
sir,
No
them
LONGINUS.
Then must a
That
my
queen.
ZENOBIA.
I
still,
And
very grave,
my
it
lord,
all.
As we
we
!
lose
Oh, my people Good, my The women and the little children wait
people
Inside the walls, I must decide for them.
My
lord
its
icy hand,
Upon my
I
heart that
was
so strong so long!
cannot leave
my
And
It
and
it
decision of their
own
yet
if I
do stay
Swiftly or singly, be
It is
sword or
thirst.)
decided
I,
my
CORNELIUS.
Your
MARIO.
My
21
ZENOBIA.
Aye, me.
And
prithee,
wherefore should
I stay,
To shun the danger where I send my men, To stay behind in fear for my good self, To lack the very courage of a queen, To hold my tongue when it were best I speak, As speak I must, my lords, with words of fire, To send a man to bring my soldiers here, As one would parley with an angry child, To lie and wait the messenger of ill,
If
ill it is
that
To
I prithee, tell
me
wherefore should
stay?
CORNELIUS.
Dear
It
ill
monarch of us
all,
ZENOBIA.
It
ill
Besieged as
It is
am now
let
on every side!
And
go but
me
Before
leave
you
for
May I not take my little son with me? He will be quiet in the Roman camp, He will not make the peril worse to me
Nor
And,
chances of detection, any more,
oh, I cannot, cannot leave
Forgive
my
him here!
grief sits
newly on
my
heart.
me go
forth, give
your farewell,
Good
MARIO.
We can do nothing,
have
it
as thou wilt.
22
ZENOBIA.
If I
am
Again Aurelian
I
beg you
to
defend
A hopeless
So do not
failure
and
beg ye
see
no harm.
come
to flames.
Protect
The
weak
And
That
be well ware of
are sore
tinder.
As
so small
Lay
The
Save every
Upon
I
might rain
lords.
lay
my
my
We
And
are far
ye have been
blessing to ye
lets
my
and
friends
and
My
my
grace
Adieu.
servitors.
(Slowly, she
23
ACT
Scene
III.
/.
fcing
is
(The
tent of Aurelian.
On
on a
raised dias, beside which two pretty girls, dressed as flower maid'
ens, stand.
There
is
carousing noisily.
There
is
much
silver tying
fantastically) dressed
It is
about midnight
and
as the curtain rises, one hears the far-off cry of the sentry.
Aurelian turns
thunder
to
one of the
girls
and demands
in
a voice of
AURELIAN.
Well, wilt thou sing or wilt thou gape
all
night?
LEONA.
(With an
Song.
Long am I held here, oh, my beloved Kept far from thee Yet do I always hear thy voice calling,
On land and sea. And when I waken, tears From my dear dreams
Still
on
my
lashes,
do
Where
I live in
AURELIAN.
mournful face!
away
{Turning
to the other girl)
HEBE.
(Pulling herself together and beating time lightly on her
tambourine.)
24
Song.
there.
it
in in
it
Oh, my lady
fair?
See the blossom growing there, 'Tis my heart, oh lady fair, Wilt thou wear it any where, Oh, my lady fair?
rare,
Oh, my lady
fair.
Many
Me
Oh, my lady
fair?
Were
and care
fair.
Were
I
A GENERAL.
A
I
Without a glance
'Till I
my
side,
SEVERAL MEN.
Hear, hear our love-sick general talk of
faith!
Do
in
black
and guarded by
txoo soldiers.)
25
AURELIAN.
Who
GUARD.
comes here?
A prisoner
AURELIAN.
woman, well
unveil her.
steps
(Zenobia
veil.)
ALL.
Even
the queen!
foes,
all,
Besieged by
Her Her
Oh,
own
cause,
you wage!
First,
murder you
leaders of a land,
it,
Then
buy
spies,
Of
the queen
vile
camp,
and song,
not thro' you
Would dull your ears. It did. 'Tis I am here taken captive, mine own
Poor
men,
Think they have sold their queen to buy them bread. Yet give me not your pity, Roman king, For rather would I stand as I do now,
All helpless with
my
little,
helpless child,
And
Than sit like you your mistress at your side, With song and flowers and all the charms of gold
An
soul.
know
it
now
26
And
think
all
you drown
it
in the
pleasant drink.
is
We
tho' yours
as base
As any blood-mad
There
is
beast that
When
all that
doth remain of
it
little
once called a
man
Must go
And
Will
waters dark
and
you
stretch the
Of
those
killed
still
with
life
Around your neck, across your eyes, upon Your parted lips that try to gasp a prayer, Long since forgot, and they will draw and draw You, slowly, down and down, into the dark,
Into a crimson sea, of clotting blood
And
The
dead
AURELIAN.
Silence, I say!
ZENOBIA.
You
And
I
murder of
my
kinsfolk, I
Have prayed
upon your
face.
by
my
men,
And
'Till
with
my
lips,
into
you could
feel
your
blood turn
to ice,
And
I
thought
That
My
deadly curse,
27
Was
split
atwain and
all the
radiant gods,
Would
my
words with
fear.
So long upon my overburdened heart Hath lain the prophecy of this, my hate, That now, beneath the pity of the gods, Do I raise my right hand and thus declare, Thro' ages may your body rot away,
Forever
may you be
in
Hades, damned.
of all your crimes,
list
May
The
For
you forever
afflict
That did
the people,
who
did love
May And
may
they turn
into hate.
Oh, may
All
there be a
shalt
be
or succor in distress
And
every
you
fair,
AURELIAN.
Were
it
And
I
'd signal to
my men and
they
would lay
lips
And
Too Too
I say,
nay.
made
to kiss
gentler
Your
my
heavens shine on
me
28
ZENOBIA.
Far
rather
would
have your
curses, king,
Than
I
thus to be debased
by your
free praise.
sir, I
A serving maid
And
Did
they not
or mistress
know
These
by
the gods,
A treasure casket or a
To
hold a soul a very
I
charnel vault
little
while.
Since
am
daughter of a
line
of kings,
Mine
shall
AURELIAN.
Philosophy
sits
lightly
on your
lips
The The
rights
of passion that
in us all.
ZENOBIA.
My
Ah,
I
lord, I
AURELIAN.
well,
my
pretty lady,
be
is
it
so.
fancy that
this little
war
o'er,
we
shall
proceed to
Rome
march
soldiers all
of the town
Brought
bright
after
new
armor,
array
And
me
shall
come our
fairest prize
Bound
The lovely woman that was once a queen Come let us on and we'll besiege the town You may now go, my pretty queen goodnight.
(Curtain)
29
ACT
Scene
IV.
/.
(The
place
is
Rome, some
twelve years
later.
is
To
tall,
the left,
mountains there
cypress trees,
half hidden by
the
many
verandas.
Enter
Oh, but
the years
lie
On
She seems so
and yet
MARA.
Oh,
pity of the grandeur of her soul,
The
firmness of her life that would not break, That these few years have made her grow so So sternly, all the mercy in her heart
Is frozen
old,
underneath
this
deadly calm,
of
life
She
Can
It is
SALAMMBO. wound
little
Of
And
with
things,
Have
It
on
her, she
can
suffer
more,
throbs as fast
As when we watched
She
is
like
To
bear
all
(Enter Zenobia)
My
Salammbo,
I
good maid,
ah,
my
must not
fail to
recognize a friend.
30
tell
me where my
SALAMMBO.
The king doth treat him kindly and he hath Gone to the palace on some great affair.
ZENOBIA.
Gone
I
to the
palace? Oh,
would not
the king
so.
Not
my
know
What
he and
MARA.
Dear lady, if he does not understand His youth doth sit so warm upon his heart, That he is pleased that he doth please the king,
As Or Or
if
in this spring-time
world.
life,
life,
ZENOBIA.
His
life is
He He
that to die.
MARA.
My
And
It is
lady,
and he
is
up
ZENOBIA.
long done, decided, long ago
When
an
ill
fate fell
With never hope of succor from distress It was well known that all our folk should die, When, the gods let them, issueless and lone. MARA.
But
31
ZENOBIA.
Sometime,
in the
Our tombs
by
foreign hands
And
From
our
first
me
Who
The
failed
and
all
honor of
my
husband
SALAMMBO.
And
my
queen.
(Enter Wallbalath)
WALLBALATH.
Oh,
See
dearest lady mother, give you joy.
how
Say you
ZENOBIA.
Well and
impatient, for
my
WALLBALATH.
Send them away
for I
have much to
tell.
(Exit
I
I
went
and he said
That he had looked with favor on me late, That he would make a governor of me! Of me! Of me! But listen, mother, where, Over your own Palmyra, I shall rule
you and
I shall there,
together, go,
to
due
Rome,
ZENOBIA.
Oh, ye
is
much!
What
have
done that
Thee
so
That Thou
me
unto this?
WALLBALATH.
What, madame, and you
will not like
it
well?
32
ZENOBIA.
You
That
you would
not go?
WALLBALATH.
Not go! My lady, we can ne'er regain Our father's country any way but this.
You do
But nowhere
I
else.
It grieves
bring
my
first-won
let
it
And
that
you
For memories of
things
ZENOBIA.
My
The royal crown that thy ancestors wore. Thou shouldst have ruled thy people as their
For
centuries thy fathers ruled
king,
them
so.
Thou
Than
For
thee.
to the king
A hireling to
Returned
him who
Would'st thou
hands
And And
Of
live
upon the
thou, a king!
And
like the
To
comfort
very dog
in pity give
left,
To
you may
live in
and gold
wealth
33
glorious be
blood
thing!
Why
streets,
Needs must cry shame, for this outrageous Oh, I am old, but rather would I die,
Starved, without water, on the barren sands
Of
the
stretch
from sea to
air,
sea,
Where
Could pick
my
bones,
my body
live as
rot
away
I
now
do
And
Of
die in peace
value
infinite
In pity lifted by
my
victor's
hands!
forget
pride.
So do thou be
the
The
There
no treason
in true servitude,
But to turn traitor to the very blood, That beats within your heart, to sell your name Unto a court that heard that name with awe As carried by thy noble sire, the king!
Why,
He,
faithful to
sell his
its
lord.
now
rules
would
very soul
To
So
wear the
light yet
pretty thing
upon
his
head
heavy with
significance,
Of
I
am
me
Beg
of
Do
not!
be freely
giv'n.
the queen,
command
Son of thy
do not do
this thing!
WALLBALATH.
You And
speak,
my
bygone
things,
which often
is
the
way,
34
Of
memory can
stir
life
violent youth,
fantastic
dreams
And
ZENOBIA.
My
little
son, I
do not mean
it
so,
for me.
The world
Silent
is
commands
we
feel at
our births
Or Of
circumstances
we
cannot control
We
must accept
is
all things
it
The world
Until
it
as
is
and
changed.
Tho' thou
That hold thy soul from glory, will the stars Not shine the same and will the silver moon Not trail her evening robes across the sky?
The buds on all the boughs will, joyous, break, The sunshine be as bright, the south wind sigh, As it did always in thy happy days. Thou wilt have pity naught from earth or sky,
If
is
is
right
unto thee.
thing,
the hard
and noble
silent
law,
Of
Thou,
my
poor son
Must pay
the
heavy debt of
fallen kings
WALLBALATH.
My
The
mother,
That held my
years have
fit
am
a man,
Am
to judge.
35
For
I, in
grasp,
And, too, my lady, years have made thee weak With a long contemplation of thy life.
I
do
The
ZENOBIA.
Silence, conceited child!
Ye
little
know
be
could not do,
To
women
foolish
Compared with
all the
Wert
thou as old as
now? Oh,
Fought single-handed 'gainst the Roman host, Or paid the angry soldiers without gold, Or honored more the memory of the king Or loved thy helpless, suffring people more? Couldst have done all with nothing? Would thy mind
Man's Could
tho'
it
Without a
With all thy wisdom dost not understand? That thou shouldst be naught but a prating fool Thus raised in blood and glory, with thy bed Oh, weak am I Beside a martyred king's
!
But had
known
come
to this
To
I
would,
small
think
Have choked
life,
And
let
thy
blameless
body
lie
Now
should
curse thee
and should
turn
away,
36
Should
image from
my
heart,
The memories
And
all the
days
held at
my
breast,
Abhor as one doth fear a blasted thing, The dreaded nearness of an awful sin!
But thou
art all that there
is left
me?
to
me,
So one more
Wilt thou go
question will
give to thee,
WALLBALATH.
I
I
my
woman,
am
a man.
Flames
my
words,
Or
my
I offer
no obedience
fallen
A queen who's
no more a queen.
place,
son
to the
ocean.
Her
her eyes.
Her
voice
is
all
words.)
ZENOBIA.
Thy work
shall
shalt
be
There
be blood, destruction,
all
thy rule
Thou
hast no
WALLBALATH.
(To a
Pack my
belongings.
servant
who
enters)
(Curtain)
37
Scene 2.
(Room
in
Zenobia's
is
villa.
To
Aurelian and
his train.)
AURELIAN.
{To a
Bid her come
This
forth,
servant)
we '11
mine eye.
We
How
she
self.
came
A regal
I
tyrant,
her
thro'
eyes
Shot shafts of
fire,
me and
ye know
had a hundred beauties at my side. I never saw a woman nobler formed, Nor more contemptuous of her loveliness,
Which
Is
is
a fascination
in itself.
for pride
mark
(Enter Zenobia)
The
Our
dwelling of a
spirit
gone before?
ZENOBIA.
And
to you.
AURELIAN.
We
And And
do
we came
find
we
A royal
park and
ZENOBIA.
I
protest that I
made no
complaint.
38
AURELIAN.
It
women and
die, oh,
they said,
ZENOBIA.
I
do prefer
have
to die in solitude
And
Thou
my
death as
silent as
my
life.
AURELIAN.
speakest as of a prophesied event!
ZENOBIA.
I
do not mean
it
so.
AURELIAN.
Zenobia,
Of all the many prisoners I have had, Were none it seems unhappy as thou art,
Except a wild, young fawn
I
And
Thou
so
had put
to death.
see not
why
to
canst not
me.
Thy bondage is not new, thou art not young, Thy son's thy way deserted and gone mine, Thy fetters have been golden and long use
Should make them rather pleasant, thou dost see
On
every side,
still
my
splendor and
my
might,
Yet,
Upholding a
How
foolish this
ZENOBIA.
Leave exhortations
For
it
to the priests,
my
lord.
doth
ill
play
The paragon of virtues and to sing Thine own loud praises thro' another's woe. The reasons thou hast given unto me,
My
How my
That thou
me
39
Oppress
me
with
my
sorrows?
Thou
hast been
Why
I
me
here?
May
not go?
AURELIAN.
bring thee evil tidings, yet they
rebels, spies
show
die.
How
The Thy
It
and
traitors
always
mean,
who
Both
to another land.
He worked them well, increased the tax, they And lived in splendor representing Rome,
'Till the
He He
It
his
men;
town
afire,
when
'twas found,
was a
he
Had
those rash
And
The
sires.
A wealth
Half
In the east,
There hung a
All night, and
living
moon
to
in the
The The
it
grieveth
me
lie,
That all that beauty charred and black should Yet so, my lady, may all traitors die.
ZENOBIA.
Was
at all?
40
AURELIAN.
Thy
ZENOBIA.
I
son.
mean
do not mock.
My
people, oh,
my
people!
Oh, my land!
hast thou died.
fire
AURELIAN.
Thou
seest
how
ZENOBIA.
The gods
Sorrow hereafter
all.
AURELIAN.
Spirit that's charming,
From aged
lips
I feel
dizzy,
(Slowly, she
down on
little
prayer, I said,
When
Who
I
was very small, to the kind Gods, bless all happy children how I wish
I
They seemed
How
And
Must
my
pretty, pretty
happy people?
little
Oh, my town
oh, but I
land
hurry, I have
time to die!
Tell them
I starved,
in plenty,
without fear
And
I
died as did
befit
my
royal birth.
me
into rest
As my
when
was
tired, I
could
lie
41
Among the flowers and the butterflies. And she would come and lift me in her arms And carry me right homeward. She is dead
Oh, years and
years and yet
I
miss her
still
And
If I
used to be.
Out of
coming now
been
son,
My
My
By
love,
my
How
soon will
regain thee?
and my
lost so long!
son, that
all that I
is still
mine,
am
betrayed
loved dearest
Oh,
in this life.
the sea !
little
It clings
Thou who
My
I
blessing
and
my
gratitude
and love
it
runneth
little
so,
Kind Gods, of
Let
children.
me
rest
thy wisdom,
best
in thine
arms
My
husband!
Oh my
falls
son!
(She
back* dead.
Outside there
is
is
the
sound of
many
feet
and
the door
WALLBALATH.
I
MARA.
She
is
dead.
(Curtain)
THE END.
42
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