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Subject Area: Literature
Debate: Cato and Caesar

ACT IV. - Voltaire, The Works of Voltaire, Vol. VIII The Dramatic Works Part 1 (Mérope, Olympia, The Orphan of China, Brutus) and Part II (Mahomet, Amelia, Oedipus, Mariamne, Socrates). [1901]

Edition used:

The Works of Voltaire. A Contemporary Version. A Critique and Biography by John Morley, notes by Tobias Smollett, trans. William F. Fleming (New York: E.R. DuMont, 1901). In 21 vols. Vol. VIII The Dramatic Works Part 1 (Mérope, Olympia, The Orphan of China, Brutus) and Part II (Mahomet, Amelia, Oedipus, Mariamne, Socrates).

Part of: The Works of Voltaire. A Contemporary Version, in 21 vols.

About Liberty Fund:

Liberty Fund, Inc. is a private, educational foundation established to encourage the study of the ideal of a society of free and responsible individuals.


ACT IV.

SCENE I.

poliphontes, erox.

poliphontes.

  • I almost thought she had discovered something
  • Touching her husband’s murder, for she frowned
  • Indignant on me; but I want her hand,
  • And not her heart; the crowd will have it so;
  • We must not disoblige them; by this marriage
  • I shall secure them both: I look on her
  • But as a slave that’s useful to my purpose,
  • Chained to my chariot wheels to grace my triumph,
  • And little heed her hatred or her love.
  • But thou hast talked to this young murderer,
  • What thinkest thou of him?

erox.

  • He’s immovable,
  • Simple in speech, but of undaunted courage,
  • He braves his fate: I little thought to find
  • In one of his low birth a soul so great;
  • I own, my lord, I cannot but admire him.

poliphontes.

  • Who is he?

erox.

  • That I know not; but most certain
  • He is not one of those whom we employed
  • To watch for Narbas.

poliphontes.

  • Art thou sure of that?
  • The leader of that band I have myself
  • Despatched, and prudent buried in his blood
  • The dangerous secret; but this young unknown
  • Alarms me: is it certain he destroyed
  • Ægisthus? has propitious fate, that still
  • Prevented all my wishes, been thus kind?

erox.

  • Mérope’s tears, her sorrow, and despair,
  • Are the best proofs; but all I see confirms
  • Thy happiness, and fortune hath done more
  • Than all our cares.

poliphontes.

  • Fortune doth often reach
  • What wisdom cannot: but I know too well
  • My danger, and the number of my foes,
  • To leave that fortune to decide my fate:
  • Whoe’er this stranger be, he must not live,
  • His death shall purchase me this haughty queen,
  • And make the crown sit firmer on my head.
  • The people then, subjected to my power,
  • Will think at last their prince is dead, and know
  • That I avenged him: but, inform me, who
  • Is this old man that shuns me thus? there seems
  • Some mystery in his conduct; Mérope,
  • Thou tellest me, would have slain the murderer,
  • But that this old man did prevent her; what
  • Could move him to it?

erox.

  • He’s the young man’s father,
  • And came to implore his pardon.

poliphontes.

  • Ha! his pardon!
  • I’ll see, and talk with him; but he avoids me,
  • And therefore I suspect him; but I’ll know
  • This secret: what could be the queen’s strange purpose,
  • In thus deferring what so ardently
  • She seemed to wish for? all her rage was changed
  • To tenderest pity: through her griefs methought
  • A ray of joy broke forth.

erox.

  • What is her joy,
  • Her pity, or her vengeance, now to thee?

poliphontes.

  • It doth concern me nearly; I have cause
  • For many fears; but she approaches:—bring
  • That stranger to me.

SCENE II.

poliphontes, erox, ægisthus, euricles, mérope, ismenia,Guards.

mérope.

  • Fulfil your word, sir, and avenge me; give
  • The victim to my hands, and mine alone.

poliphontes.

  • You see I mean to keep it: he’s before you:
  • Revenge yourself, and shed the traitor’s blood;
  • Then, madam, with your leave, we’ll to the altar.

mérope.

  • O gods!

ægisthus.

  • [To Poliphontes.
  • Am I then to be made the purchase
  • Of the queen’s favor? my poor life indeed
  • Is but of little moment, and I die
  • Contented; but I am a stranger here,
  • A helpless, innocent, unhappy stranger;
  • If heaven has made thee king, thou shouldst protect me:
  • I’ve slain a man, ’twas in my own defence;
  • The queen demands my life; she is a mother,
  • Therefore I pity her, and bless the hand
  • Raised to destroy me: I accuse none here
  • But thee, thou tyrant.

poliphontes.

  • Hence, abandoned villain;
  • Darest thou insult—

mérope.

  • O pardon his rash youth,
  • Brought up in solitude, and far removed
  • From courts, he knows not the respect that’s due
  • To majesty.

poliphontes.

  • Amazing! justified
  • By you!

mérope.

  • By me, my lord?

poliphontes.

  • Yes, madam, you.
  • Is this the murderer of your son?

mérope.

  • My child,
  • My son, the last of a long line of kings,
  • Beneath a vile assassin’s hand—

ismenia.

  • O heaven!
  • What wouldst thou do?

poliphontes.

  • Thine eyes are fixed upon him
  • With tenderness and joy; thy tears too flow,
  • Though thou wouldst hide them from me.

mérope.

  • No: ’tis false:
  • I would not, cannot hide them: well thou knowest
  • I’ve too much cause to weep.

poliphontes.

  • Dry up your tears;
  • He dies this moment: soldiers, do your office.

mérope.

  • [Coming forward.
  • O spare him, spare him.

ægisthus.

  • Ha! she pities me.

poliphontes.

  • Despatch him.

mérope.

  • O he is—

poliphontes.

  • Strike.

mérope.

  • Stay, barbarian,
  • He is—my son.

ægisthus.

  • Am I thy son?

mérope.

  • [Embracing him.
  • Thou art:
  • And heaven, that snatched thee from this wretched bosom,
  • Which now too late hath opened my longing eyes,
  • Restores thee to a weeping mother’s arms
  • But to destroy us both.

ægisthus.

  • What miracle
  • Is this, ye gods?

poliphontes.

  • A vile imposture: thou
  • His mother? thou, who didst demand his death?

ægisthus.

  • O if I die the son of Mérope
  • I die contented, and absolve my fate.

mérope.

  • I am thy mother, and my love of thee
  • Betrayed us both; we are undone, Ægisthus;
  • Yes, Poliphontes, the important secret
  • At length is thine; before thee stands my son,
  • Cresphontes’ heir; thy master, and thy king;
  • The offspring of the gods, thy captive now;
  • I have deceived thee, and I glory in it;
  • ’Twas for my child: but nature has no power
  • O’er tyrants’ hearts, that still rejoice in blood:
  • I tell thee, ’tis my son, ’tis my Ægisthus.

poliphontes.

  • Ha! can it be?

ægisthus.

  • It is; it must be so;
  • Her tears confirm it: yes, I am the son
  • Of Mérope, my heart assures me of it:
  • And, hadst thou not disarmed me, with this hand
  • I would chastise thee, traitor.

poliphontes.

  • ’Tis too much;
  • I’ll bear no more: away with him.

mérope.

  • [Falling on her knees.
  • Behold
  • Thus low on earth the wretched Mérope
  • Falls at your feet, and bathes them with her tears:
  • Doth not this humble posture speak my griefs,
  • And say I am a mother? O I tremble
  • When I look back on the dire precipice
  • I have escaped, the murder of my son;
  • Still I lament the involuntary crime
  • Didst thou not say thou wouldst protect his youth,
  • And be a father to him? and yet now
  • Thou wouldst destroy him: O have pity on him:
  • Some guilty hand bereaved him of a father;
  • O save the son, defend the royal race,
  • The seed of gods: defenceless and alone
  • He stands before thee: trample not on him,
  • Who is unable to resist thy power;
  • Let him but live, and I am satisfied;
  • Save but my child, and all shall be forgotten:
  • O he would make me happy even in woe;
  • My husband and my children all would live
  • Once more in my Ægisthus: O behold,
  • His royal ancestors with me implore thee
  • To spare the noble youth, and save thy king.

ægisthus.

  • Rise, madam, rise, or I shall never believe
  • Cresphontes was my father; ’tis beneath
  • His queen, beneath the mother of Ægisthus
  • To supplicate a tyrant; my fierce heart
  • Will never stoop so low: undaunted long
  • I braved the meanness of my former fortune,
  • Nor am I dazzled by the splendid lustre
  • Of these new honors; but I feel myself
  • Of royal blood, and know I am thy son.
  • Great Hercules, like me, began his days
  • In misery and sorrow; but the gods
  • Conducted him to immortality,
  • Because, like me, he rose superior to them:
  • To me his blood descends; O let me add
  • His courage, and his virtues; let me die
  • Worthy of thee; be that my heritage!
  • Cease then thy prayers, nor thus disgrace the blood
  • Of those immortal powers from whom I sprang.

poliphontes.

  • [To Mérope.
  • Trust me, I bear a part in your misfortunes,
  • Feel for your griefs, and pity your distress;
  • I love his courage, and esteem his virtue;
  • He seems well worthy of the royal birth
  • Which he assumes; but truths of such importance
  • Demand more ample proofs; I take him therefore
  • Beneath my care, and, if he is thy son,
  • I shall adopt him mine.

ægisthus.

  • Thou, thou adopt me?

mérope.

  • Alas! my child!

poliphontes.

  • His fate depends on thee:
  • It is not long since, to secure his death.
  • Thou didst consent to marry Poliphontes;
  • Now thou wouldst save him, shall not love do more
  • Than vengeance?

mérope.

  • Ha! barbarian!

poliphontes.

  • Madam, know
  • His life, or death, depends on thy resolve:
  • I know your love, your tenderness, too well,
  • To think you will expose to my just wrath
  • So dear an object by a harsh refusal.

mérope.

  • My lord, at least let me be free, and deign—

poliphontes.

  • He is your son, or he’s a traitor, madam;
  • I must be yours before I can protect him,
  • Or be revenged on both; a word from you
  • Decides his fate, or punishment, or pardon;
  • Or as his mother I shall look upon you
  • As his accomplice; therefore make your choice:
  • I will receive your answer at the temple
  • Before the attesting gods.
  • [To the soldiers.
  • Guard well your prisoner:
  • Come, follow me:
  • [Turning to Mérope.
  • I shall expect you, madam;
  • Be quick in your resolve; confirm his birth
  • By giving me your hand; your answer only
  • Saves or condemns him; and as you determine
  • He is my victim, madam, or—my son.

mérope.

  • O grant me but the pleasure to behold him;
  • Restore him to my love, to my despair.

poliphontes.

  • You’ll see him at the temple.

ægisthus.

  • [As the guards are carrying him off.
  • O great queen,
  • I dare not call thee by the sacred name
  • Of mother, do not, I beseech thee, aught
  • Unworthy of thyself, or of Ægisthus;
  • For, if I am thy son, thy son shall die
  • As a king ought.

SCENE III.

mérope.

  • [Alone.
  • Ye cruel spoilers, why
  • Will you thus tear him from me? O he’s gone,
  • I’ve lost him now forever; wherefore, heaven,
  • Didst thou restore him to a mother’s vows,
  • Or why preserve him in a foreign land,
  • To fall at last a wretched sacrifice,
  • A victim to the murderer of his father?
  • O save him, hide him in the desert’s gloom;
  • Direct his steps, and shield him from the tyrant!

SCENE IV.

mérope, narbas, euricles.

mérope.

  • O Narbas, knowest thou the unhappy fate
  • To which I am doomed?

narbas.

  • Well I know the king
  • Must die; I know Ægisthus is in chains.

mérope.

  • And I destroyed him.

narbas.

  • You?

mérope.

  • Discovered all:
  • But thinkest thou, Narbas, ever mother yet
  • Could see a child, as I did, and be silent?
  • But it is past: and now I must repair
  • My weakness with my crimes.

narbas.

  • What crimes?

SCENE V.

mérope, narbas, euricles, ismenia.

ismenia.

  • O madam,
  • Now call forth all the vigor of your soul,
  • The hour of trial comes: the fickle crowd,
  • Still fond of novelty, with ardent zeal,
  • Press forward to behold the expected nuptials;
  • Each circumstance conspires to serve the tyrant:
  • Already the bribed priest has made his god
  • Declare for Poliphontes: “He received
  • Your vows, Messene was a witness to them,
  • And heaven will see the contract is fulfilled:”
  • Thus spoke the holy seer; the people answered
  • With acclamations loud, and songs of joy;
  • They little know the grief that wrings thy heart;
  • But thank the gods for these detested nuptials,
  • And bless the tyrant for his cruelty.

mérope.

  • And are my sorrows made the public joy?

narbas.

  • O these are dreadful means to save thy son.

mérope.

  • They are indeed: thou shudderest at the thought:
  • It is a crime.

narbas.

  • But to destroy thy child
  • Were still more horrible.

mérope.

  • Away: despair
  • Has given me courage, and restored my virtue:
  • Let’s to the temple; there I’ll show the people
  • My dear Ægisthus; ’twixt myself and the altar
  • Will place my son; the gods will see him there;
  • They will defend him, for from them he sprang:
  • Too long already persecuting heaven
  • Hath scourged his helpless innocence; and now
  • It will avenge him: O I will set forth
  • His savage murderer in the blackest colors,
  • Till vengeance shall inspire each honest heart
  • With tenfold rage: now dread a mother’s cries,
  • Ye cruel tyrants, for they will be heard:
  • They come; alas! I tremble yet, despair
  • And horror seize me: hark, they call, my son
  • Is dying: see the cruel murderer plants
  • A dagger in his breast: a moment more
  • And he is lost: ye savage ministers
  • [Turning to the sacrificers.
  • Of the base tyrant, you must drag the victim
  • Up to the altar; can you, must you do it?
  • O vengeance, duty, tenderness, and love,
  • And thou great nature, what will ye ordain,
  • What will ye do with an unhappy queen,
  • Abandoned to despair?

End of the Fourth Act.