_Clean._ Wrench ope his mouth, While I infuse these sovereign drops, whose power Will soon recall his wandered sense-- [_He instills somewhat out of a Vial into his Mouth._ He stirs, And stretches now, and seems to essay his limbs. _Cleom._ Where am I? [_Standing a while; they support him._ _Clean._ In his arms, who died with you, And, now you live, revives. _Cleom._ Art thou Pantheus? _Panth._ Believe your eyes, I am. _Cleom._ Speak then, and truly, (for I trust not him,) Who brought me back to life? _Panth._ Who, but he, who was left single with you, Who caught you, falling, in his faithful arms; And, not alone sufficient to restore you, Called loud for my assistance. I found him, propping you with trembling hands; His eyes so hagard, I could scarce distinguish Who was the living friend, and who the dead. _Cleom._ All this, Cleanthes! This, what this Cleanthes? _Panth._ Yes, your Cleanthes. _Clean._ Your suspected friend, Much wronged, but ever faithful. _Cleom._ Art thou sure I live? Or am I in the regions of the dead, And hear the fables there, myself a fable? _Panth._ Go in, and see your chearful family Eating his bread, brought in their last distress; And, with a good mistaking piety, First blessing him, then heaven. _Cleom._ When I hear this, I have no need of food; I am restored without it. _Clean._ Then, now hear me; How I was forced into this seeming falsehood, To save myself, the only means remaining To save the man I love beyond myself, And gain a needful credit with Cassandra: And yet even then deceived, and sent far off For three long days, unknowing of your wants, Not thinking she, who loved, could use you thus. By famishment to---- _Cleom._ O, no more! no more! For now I understand, ere thou canst speak it half: To thee I owed the seizing of my sword, Lest I should fall by odds; my wife's return, All, all to thee; and thou art more than all. Canst thou forgive me? Canst thou, my Cleanthes? Can I deserve thus to grow here once more? [_Embracing him._ Let me embrace myself quite into thee. _Clean._ Come, come as fiercely as thou wilt, I meet thee; [_Embraces_ CLEOM. I close within thee, and am thou again. _Panth._ Why, this is as it should be. _Cleom._ I could not thus have taken to the death Another's falsehood, but thine, only thine; For infinitely, infinitely loving, 'Twas a wide gap thou mad'st within my bosom, And as my soul rent from me. _Clean._ But thy hunger! This violent transport of my reconcilement Makes me forget thy wants; when I embraced thee, Thy spungy body dwindled in my arms, And, like a ghost, fled from me.