And these poor soldiers who throng round you, and Will drain one draught in memory of many [SARDANAPALUS takes the cup, and after drinking and tinkling the reversed cup, as a drop falls, exclaims Is for the excellent Beleses. And this libation Why Dwells thy mind rather upon that man's name [The Soldiers and PANIA throng round him, kissing his hand and the hem of his robe. Sar. My best! my last friends! Let's not unman each other: part at once: All farewells should be sudden, when for ever, Else they make an eternity of moments, And clog the last sands of life with tears. Hence, and be happy: trust me, I am not Now to be pitied; or far more for what Is past than present;-for the future, 'tis In the hands of the deities, if such There be I shall know soon. Farewell-Farewell. Is master-mover of his warlike puppet: [Exeunt PANIA and Soldiers. But I dismiss them from my mind.-Yet pause, Myr. These men were honest: it is comfort still My Myrrha! dost thou truly follow me, That our last looks should be on loving faces. Freely and fearlessly? Myr. Sar. And lovely ones, my beautiful!-but hear me The brink, thou feel'st an inward shrinking from Shall I light Myr. ! Thou shalt see. [Exit MYRRHA. Sar. (solus.) She's firm. My fathers! whom I will rejoin, It may be, purified by death from some As ye bequeath'd it, this bright part of it, Its fiery working: and the light of this Not a mere pillow form'd of cloud and flame, And then a mount of ashes, but a light Sar. The one Is a mere soldier, a mere tool, a kind And dost thou think A Greek girl dare not do for love, that which We but await the signal. Myr. Then It is long Now, farewell; one last embrace. It is that no kind hand will gather MYRRHA returns with a lighted Torch in one hand, I satiated thee with peace and joys; and this and a Cup in the other. Myr. Lo! NOTES TO SARDANAPALUS. 1. And thou, my own Ionian Myrrha. worth a fillip.' Supposing this version nearly exact, (for Arrian says it was not quite so,) whether the Page 349, line 60. purpose has not been to invite to civil order a people disposed to turbulence, rather than to recom"THE Ionian name had been still more compre-mend immoderate luxury, may perhaps reasonably hensive, having included the Achaians and the be questioned. What, indeed, could be the object Baotians, who, together with those to whom it was of a king of Assyria in founding such towns in a afterwards confined, would make nearly the whole country so distant from his capital, and so divided of the Greek nation, and among the orientals it from it by an immense extent of sandy deserts and was always the general name for the Greeks."-lofty mountains, and, still more, how the inhabMilford's Greece, vol. 1. p. 199. 2. "Sardanapalus itants could be at once in circumstances to abandon themselves to the intemperate joys which their prince has been supposed to have recommended, is not obvious; but it may deserve observation that, in that line of coast, the southern of Lesser Asia, ruins of cities, evidently of an age after Alexander The king, and son of Anacyndaraxes, In one day built Anchialus and Tarsus. Eat, drink, and love; the rest's not worth a fillip." yet barely named in history, at this day astonish the adventurous traveller by their magnificence and Page 351, lines 103-106. elegance. Amid the desolation which, under a "For this expedition he took not only a small singularly barbarian government, has for so many chosen body of the phalanx, but all his light troops. centuries been daily spreading in the finest countries In the first day's march he reached Anchialus, a of the globe, whether more from soil and climate, town said to have been founded by the king of or from opportunities for commerce, extraordinary Assyria, Sardanapalus. The fortifications, in their means must have been found for communities to magnitude and extent, still in Arrian's time, bore flourish there, whence it may seem that the measthe character of greatness, which the Assyrians ures of Sardanapalus were directed by juster views appear singularly to have affected in works of the than have been commonly ascribed to him: but kind. A monument representing Sardanapalus that monarch having been the last of a dynasty, was found there, warranted by an inscription in ended by a revolution, obloquy on his memory would Assyrian characters, of course in the old Assyrian follow of course from the policy of his successors language, which the Greeks, whether well or ill, and their partisans. interpreted thus: Sardanapalus, son of Anacyn- "The inconsistency of traditions concerning Sardaraxes, in one day founded Anchialus and Tarsus. danapalus is striking in Diodorus's account of him." Eat, drink, play all other human joys are not-Mitford's Greece, vol ix. pp. 311, 312, and 313. 48 WERNER; OR, THE INHERITANCE: A TRAGEDY. ΤΟ THE ILLUSTRIOUS GOETHE, BY ONE OF HIS HUMBLEST ADMIRERS, THIS PREFACE. THE following Drama is taken entirely from the "German's Tale, Kruitzner," published many years ago in Lee's Canterbury Tales; written (I believe) by two sisters, of whom one furnished only this story and another, both of which are considered superior to the remainder of the collection. I have adopted the characters, plan, and even the language, of many parts of this story. Some of the characters are modified or altered, a few of the names changed, and one character (Ida of Stralenheim) added by myself; but in the rest the original is chiefly followed. When I was young, (about fourteen, I think,) I first read this tale, which made a deep impression upon me; and may, indeed, be said to contain the germ of much that I have since written. I am not sure that it ever was very popular; or, at any rate, its popularity has since been eclipsed by that of other great writers in the same department. But I have generally found that those who had read it, agreed with me in their estimate of the singular power of mind and conception which it developes. I should also add conception, rather than execution; for the story might, perhaps, have been developed with greater advantage. Among those whose opinions agreed with mine upon this story, I could mention some very high names; but it is not necessary, nor indeed of any use, for every one must judge according to his own feelings. I merely refer the reader to the original story, that he may see to what extent I have borrowed from it: and |1815, (the first I ever attempted, except one at thirteen years old, called "Ulric and Ilvina," which I had sense enough to burn,) and had nearly completed an act, when I was interrupted by circumstances. This is somewhere among my papers in England; but as it has not been found, I have rewritten the first, and added the subsequent acts. The whole is neither intended, nor in any shape adapted, for the stage. February, 1822. DRAMATIS PERSONE. Men.-WERNER. ULRIC. STRALENHEIM. GABOR. ARNHEIM. RODOLPH. LUDWIG. Women.-JOSEPHINE. am not unwilling that he should find much greater Scene-Partly on the Frontier of Silesia, and partly pleasure in perusing it than the drama which is founded upon its contents. I had begun a drama upon this tale so far back as in Siegendorf Castle, near Prague. Time-The Close of the Thirty Years' War. To me Jos. Yes, but not to thyself: thy pace is hurried, And no one walks a chamber like to ours With steps like thine when his heart is at rest. Were it a garden, I should deem thee happy, And stepping with the bee from flower to flower; But here! Wer. 'Tis chill; the tapestry lets through The wind to which it waves: my blood is frozen. Jos. Ah, no! Wer. (smiling.) Why! wouldst thou have it so? Jos. Have it a healthful current. I would Let it flow Wer. Until 'tis spilt or check'd-how soon, I care not. Jos. And am I nothing in thy heart? Wer. All-all. Jos. Then canst thou wish for that which must break mine? Wer. (approaching her slowly.) But for thee I had been-no matter what, But much of good and evil; what I am, [WERNER walks on abruptly, and then ap- The storm of the night, Perhaps, affects me; I'm a thing of feelings, And have of late been sickly, as, alas! Thou know'st by sufferings more than mine, my love! In watching me. To see thee happyWer. Wer. Something beyond our outward sufferings (though These were enough to gnaw into our souls) Jos. (abruptly.) My son-our son-our Ulric Twelve years! he was but eight then :-beautiful Wer. Jos. And I had not outlived thee; but pray take Comfort! We have struggled long; and they who strive With fortune win or weary her at last, power; Enjoy'd them, loved them, and, alas! abused them, Where hast thou seen such? And forfeited them by my father's wrath, But think Let me be wretched with the rest! Wer. And that's not the worst: who cares A beggar, and should know the thing thou talk'st of. Baffled the long pursuit of Stralenheim. Had such been my inheritance; but now, Wer. We should have done, but for this fatal sick- Chasten'd, subdued, out-worn, and taught to know ness, More fatal than a mortal malady, Because it takes not life, but life's sole solace; By the snares of this avaricious fiend ;- Our unexpected journey, and this change Even to our very hopes.-Ha! ha! Jos. Your father did not think so, though 'twas I asked for something better than your name, noble ; But had my birth been all my claim to match Has done in our behalf,-nothing. Iden. Better or worse, like matrimony: what How,-nothing? Or, if that seem'd too humble, tried by commerce, Jos. Whate'er thou mightst have been, to me thou art What no state high or low can ever change, My heart's first choice ;-which chose thee, knowing neither Thy birth, thy hopes, thy pride; nought, save thy sorrows: While they last, let me comfort or divide them; When they end, let mine end with them, or thee! Wer. My better angel! such I have ever found thee; This rashness, or this weakness of my temper, Ne'er raised a thought to injure thee or thine. Thou didst not mar my fortunes: my own nature In youth was such as to unmake an empire, Wer. My name is Werner. Iden. A goodly name, a very worthy name As e'er was gilt upon a trader's board: I have a cousin in the lazaretto Of Hamburgh, who has got a wife who bore The same. He is an officer of trust, Surgeon's assistant, (hoping to be surgeon,) And has done miracles i' the way of business. Perhaps you are related to my relative? Wer. To yours? We learn his purpose? Iden. Jos. Oh, yes; we are, but distantly. Cannot you humor the dull gossip till [Aside to WERNER. Well, I'm glad of that; I thought so long, such natural yearnings Play'd round my heart :-blood is not water, cousin, And so let's have some wine, and drink unto Our better acquaintance: relatives should be Friends. Wer. You appear to have drank enough already; And if you had not, I've no wine to offer, Else it were yours: but this you know, or should know; |