Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

Pyth.-O gods!

You give his life to Damon?

Dion.-Life and freedom!

[Shouts, drums.-Damon staggers from the scaffold into the arms of Pythias.

CURTAIN FALLS.

JOHN BANIM.

SPEECHES OF ZENOBIA AND HER COUNCIL IN REFERENCE TO THE ANTICIPATED WAR WITH ROME.

Adapted.

CHARACTERS.-Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra; Gracchus, a Roman and the Queen's chief adviser and head of the Senate; Longinus, a Greek philosopher and a prominent member of the Senate; Otho, a Palmyrean nobleman and a Senator; Zabdas, an Egyptian and General-in-chief of the Queen's army; also present, the Princess Julia; Fausta, daughter of Gracchus, and Lucius Piso, a Roman nobleman; two young and beautiful female slaves in attendance, one with cushion for foot-rest, the other with large fan of peacock feathers, seated at the feet of the Queen, to do her service.

Scenery and costume will add greatly to the rendition of this scene, and if used, should be in adaptation to time, character, rank, and nationality.

Disposition of Characters.-Zenobia seated upon her throne, surrounded by her friends, some sitting, others standing without order about her.

Queen.-Good friends, I believe one thought fills every mind present here. Is it not better that we give it utterance? I need the sympathy and the counsel of those who love me. But I ask not only for the opinions of those who agree with me, but as sincerely for those of such as may differ from me. You know me well in this, that I refuse not to hearken to reasons, the strongest that can be devised, although they oppose my own settled judgment. Let us freely open our minds each to the other, and let no one fear to offend me but by withholding his full and free opinion.

Gracchus.-We, who know our Queen so well, hardly need these assurances. Were I as bitterly opposed to the measures proposed as I am decidedly in favor of them, I should none the less fearlessly and frankly declare the reasons of my dissent. I am sure that every one here experiences the freedom you enjoin. But who will need to use it? For are we not of one mind? I see, indeed, one or two who oppose the general sentiment. But for the rest, one spirit animates all, and, what is more, to the farthest limits of the kingdom am I persuaded the same spirit spreads, and possesses and fills every soul. The attempt of Aurelian to control us in our affairs, to dictate to us concerning the limits of our empire, so far removed, is felt to be a wanton freak of despotic power, which, if it be not withstood in its first encroachment, may proceed to other acts less tolerable still, and which may leave us scarcely our name as a distinct people and that covered with shame. Although a Roman by descent, I advocate not Roman intolerance. I can see and denounce injustice in Aurelian as well as in another. Palmyra is my country and Zenobia my Queen, and when I seek not their honor, may my own fall blasted and ruined. I stand ready to pledge for them in this emergency, what every other man of Palmyra holds it his privilege to offer, my property and my life, and if I have any possession dearer than these, I am ready to bring and lay it upon the same altar.

Longinus.-The gods weave the texture of our souls, not ourselves; and the web is too intensely wove and drenched in too deep a dye for us to undo or greatly change. The eagle cannot be tamed down to the softness of a dove, and no art of the husbandman can send to the gnarled and knotted oak the juices that shall

smooth and melt its stiffness into the yielding pliancy of the willow. I wage no war with the work of the gods. Besides, the demands of Rome have now grown to such a size that they swallow up our very existence as a free and sovereign State. They leave us but this single city and province out of an empire that now stretches from the Nile to the Bosphorus-an empire obtained by what cost of blood and treasure I need not say, any more than by what consummate skill in that art which boasts the loftiest minds of all ages. Palmyra not only owes a duty to herself in this matter, but to the whole East, and even to the world. For what part of the civilized world has not been trampled into dust by the despotism of almighty Rome? It is needful to the well-being of nations that some power shall boldly stand forth and check an insolence that suffers no city nor kingdom to rest in peace. No single people ought to obtain universal empire. A powerful nation is the more observant of the eternal principles of honor and justice for being watched by another, its equal. Individual character needs such supervision, and national as much. Palmyra is now an imposing object in the eye of the whole world. It is the second power. All I wish is, that for the sake of the world's peace it shall retain this position. I deprecate conquest. However another may aspire to victory over Aurelian, to new additions from the Roman territory, I have no such aspirations. On the other hand, I shall deplore any success beyond the maintenance of a just and honorable independence. This is our right by inheritance, and as much also by conquest, and for this I am ready, with the noble Gracchus, to offer to my sovereign my properties, my powers, and my life. If my poor life can prolong by a single year the reign of

one who, with virtues so eminent and a genius so vast, fills the throne of this fair kingdom, I would lay it at her feet with joy, and think it a service well done for our own and the world's happiness.

Otho.-My opinions are well known, and it may be needless that I should again, and especially here, declare them, seeing that they will jar so rudely with those entertained by you, my friends around me. But sure I am, that no one has advocated the cause and the sentiments which Zenobia cherishes so fondly with a truer, deeper affection for her, with a sincerer love of her glory, than I rise to oppose them with—

Queen (interrupting).-We know it! we know it! Otho.

Otho.-Thanks, noble Queen, for the fresh assurance of it. It is because I love, that I resist you. It is because I glory in your reign, in your renown, in your virtues, that I oppose an enterprise that I see with a prophet's vision will tarnish them all. Were I your enemy, I could not do better than to repeat the arguments that have just fallen from the lips of the head of our coun: cils, set off with every trick of eloquence that would send them with a yet more resistless power into the minds, not only of those who are assembled here, but of those, your subjects, wherever over these large dominions they are scattered. To press this war is to undermine the foundations of the fairest kingdom the sun shines upon, and unseat the most beloved ruler that ever swayed a sceptre over the hearts of a devoted people. It can have no other issue. And this is not, O noble Queen! to throw discredit upon former achievements, or to express a doubt of powers which have received the homage of the world; it is only with open eyes to

1

acknowledge what all but the blind must see and confess, the overwhelming superiority in power of every kind of the other party. We may gain a single victory -to that genius and courage are equal, and we possess them in more than even Roman measure-but that very victory may be our undoing, or but embitter the temper of the enemy, call forth a new display of unexhausted and unexhaustible resources, while our very good success itself will have nearly annihilated our armies. And what can happen then but ruin, absolute and complete? Roman magnanimity may spare our city and our name. But it is more likely that Roman vengeance may blot them both out from the map of the world, and leave us nought but the fame of our Queen and the crumbling ruins of this once flourishing city by which to be remembered by posterity. These are not the counsels of fear of a tame and cowardly spirit. The generous Zabdas will do me justice-nay, you all will-why am I apprehensive? Bear with me a moment

more

Queen and others.-Say on, say on, noble Otho.

Otho.-The great Longinus has said that it is needful that there be one empire at least in the world to stand between Rome and universal dominion. I believe it. And that Palmyra may be, or continue to be, that kingdom, I counsel peace-I counsel delay-temporary concessions-negotiations-anything but war. A Roman Emperor lives not forever; and let us once ward off the jealousy of Aurelian, by yielding to some of his demands, and resigning pretensions which are nothing in reality, but exist as names and shadows only, and long years of peace and prosperity may again arise, when our now infant kingdom may shoot up into the strong

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »