_Cre._ O beauty! O illustrious, royal maid! To whom my vows were ever paid, till now; And with such modest, chaste, and pure affection, The coldest nymph might read'em without blushing; Art thou the murdress, then, of wretched Laius? And I, must I accuse thee! O my tears! Why will you fall in so abhorred a cause? But that thy beauteous, barbarous hand destroyed Thy father, (O monstrous act!) both gods And men at once take notice. _OEdip._ Eurydice! _Eur._ Traitor, go on; I scorn thy little malice; And knowing more my perfect innocence, Than gods and men, then how much more than thee, Who art their opposite, and formed a liar, I thus disdain thee! Thou once didst talk of love; Because I hate thy love, Thou dost accuse me. _Adr._ Villain, inglorious villain, And traitor, doubly damned, who durst blaspheme The spotless virtue of the brightest beauty; Thou diest: Nor shall the sacred majesty, [_Draws and wounds him._ That guards this place, preserve thee from my rage. _OEdip._ Disarm them both!--Prince, I shall make you know, That, I can tame you twice. Guards, seize him. _Adr._ Sir, I must acknowledge, in another cause Repentance might abash me; but I glory In this, and smile to see the traitor's blood. _OEdip._ Creon, you shall be satisfied at full. _Cre._ My hurt is nothing, sir; but I appeal To wise Tiresias, if my accusation Be not most true. The first of Laius' blood Gave him his death. Is there a prince before her? Then she is faultless, and I ask her pardon. And may this blood ne'er cease to drop, O Thebes, If pity of thy sufferings did not move me, To shew the cure which heaven itself prescribed. _Eur._ Yes, Thebans, I will die to save your lives. More willingly than you can wish my fate; But let this good, this wise, this holy man, Pronounce my sentence: For to fall by him, By the vile breath of that prodigious villain, Would sink my soul, though I should die a martyr. _Adr._ Unhand me, slaves.--O mightiest of kings, See at your feet a prince not used to kneel; Touch not Eurydice, by all the gods, As you would save your Thebes, but take my life: For should she perish, heaven would heap plagues on plagues, Rain sulphur down, hurl kindled bolts Upon your guilty heads. _Cre._ You turn to gallantry, what is but justice; Proof will be easy made. Adrastus was The robber, who bereft the unhappy king Of life; because he flatly had denied To make so poor a prince his son-in-law; Therefore 'twere fit that both should perish. _1 Theb._ Both, let both die. _All Theb._ Both, both; let them die. _OEdip._ Hence, you wild herd! For your ringleader here, He shall be made example. Haemon, take him. _1 Theb._ Mercy, O mercy! _OEdip._ Mutiny in my presence! Hence, let me see that busy face no more. _Tir._ Thebans, what madness makes you drunk with rage? Enough of guilty death's already acted: Fierce Creon has accused Eurydice, With prince Adrastus; which the god reproves By inward checks, and leaves their fates in doubt.