Euan. Dost thou bestow the diadem of Sparta?

Where is thy lawful prince?

Amph. Leonidas?

Euan. Agis.

Amph. That Agis is no more a king:
A suppliant, surrounded by my troops,
In Juno's temple, with the priests he dwells.
Leonidas, by me restored to power,

Will gladly share with me divided empire.
Or, if I please to reign alone, I may.
Through dark conspiracy and open strife,
For thee I strove; thou wilt reward my love.
Beauty, like thine, pertains not to the vanquish'd,
But still triumphant reigns the victor's queen.

Euan. Think'st thou there is no truth in human

breasts,

No faithful loyalty, no constant love?

Soon shalt thou learn thine error. I begin

To teach thee first. Thee and thy love I scorn!
And may the gods reward thy base ambition
As I reward thy love.

Amph. O womankind!

How well your passions teach us to be just!
You love Lysander still; a little time

Will from your mind erase the memory

Of that vain-glorious, lost, and ruin'd man,
Who was my rival.

Euan. Was! whate'er he was

He is, and more. Thou and thy crimes contribute
To make him more illustrious, more beloved.

Thou givest him scope and vantage to his virtue.
Speak'st thou of crowns whilst royal Agis reigns?
Of power in Sparta whilst Lysander lives?
The short dominion of this day is thine;
But vengeance and Lysander come to-morrow.

Amph. Thou do'st instruct me. If my time is short, We should not part. I'll see thee safely placed Where I command.

Euan. I will not go with thee.

Amph. Yield to necessity; for on my call Compulsion waits. No other hand than mine Should touch Euanthe.

If

Euan. Help, Spartans, help!

[Seizes her hand.

any hear me who regard Lysander.

Enter LYSANDER with a dagger, and runs at AMPHARES, who retires.

Amph. Assist me, friends. Surround him-Tis

Lysander.

Take him alive.

[To his People who enter.

[Snatches a Sword from one of the Soldiers.

Now I am better arm'd.

Amph. Kill him, Euxus,

Unless he yield his sword.

Lysan. Come, brave Amphares!

Come to the front, and there direct my fate.
Amph. Kill him!

Eux. That would dishonour me for ever.Advance on all sides, and close in upon him. Lysan. Strangers, give way, and let the Spartan chiefs

Fight their own quarrels. I will give you all. The wealth of Sparta.

Amph. Ha! he grows upon them!

1

Throw down your weapons, or I'll pierce her heart! [Points his Sword to EUANTHE's breast.

Eux. Renown'd Lysander! give thy sword to Euxus.

Euan. Defend thy noble life! Regard not mine. [AMPHARES lifts his arm.

Lysan. Hold, hold.

Amph. Thou know'st me. Chuse.

Lysan. I cannot bear to see Euanthe die!

O Agis! O my prince!

[Throws down his Sword.

Amph. Victorious chief,

Statesman and soldier, learned Athens' boast,
Where are thy glories now?

Lysan. The strife of tonguès

I shun, as thou didst shun the strife of arms. Amph. Yet let thy haughtiness grant one request. Tell me what brought the great Lysander hither? Some stratagem profound; which none but he Could have contrived to hasten his destruction, And add disgrace and ridicule to ruin.

Lysan. Hadst thou not fled, thou coward, from my sword,

And shriek'd for help, this arm, this single arm, Had baffled all the craft of false Amphares.

Amph. This pride becomes thee, and thy lost condition.

Lysan. In this condition it becomes me best To brave Amphares. Had he been a captive, I should have pitied him.

Amph. Plead'st thou for pity?

Lysan. For none that thou canst give. Hear me, then judge,

If what I speak is meant to win thy favour.
I should have pitied thee by fate subdued:
Opprest with crimes, thy spirit would have shrunk
Under calamity, and guilt have marr'd

The noble vigour and the port of manhood.
Amidst thy triumph, does it not confound thee,
To think thou ow'st it to excess of baseness?
Thou hast prevail'd, because the generous Agis
Would not believe there could be such a traitor.
Amph. Oft have I heard, and often seen thy folly;
But now to rail is madness. With one word
I could impose on thee eternal silence.

Lysan. And would-I know thee if thou thought'st it wise.

Even then, as now, I should contemn thy power:
But know, I fear thee not. The king is safe,
And his victorious troops at break of day
Will thunder in thine ears: thou and thy band
Will ill sustain the shock of such an host.
My life is in thy hands, but yet beware,
Thy fate depends on mine. In Lacedæmon
A prince like Agis soon will find Lysanders.
Amph. Uncertain thy predictions of the future:
Small is thy prescience, witness thy condition.-
Euxus, conduct him to yon corner tower.