And shun in the children
        To gaze on the features
        Once lov’d and still speaking
        Of their mighty sire. 
        Thus sternly the Fates sang
        Immur’d in his dungeon. 
        The banish’d one listens,
        The song of the Parcae,
        His children’s doom ponders,
        And boweth his head.

ACT THE FIFTH.

SCENE I.

THOAS.  ARKAS.

                   ARKAS. 

I own I am perplex’d, and scarcely know
’Gainst whom to point the shaft of my suspicion,
Whether the priestess aids the captives’ flight,
Or they themselves clandestinely contrive it. 
’Tis rumour’d that the ship which brought them here
Is lurking somewhere in a bay conceal’d. 
This stranger’s madness, these new lustral rites,
The specious pretext for delay, excite
Mistrust, and call aloud for vigilance.

                   THOAS. 

Summon the priestess to attend me here! 
Then go with speed, and strictly search the shore,
From yon projecting land to Dian’s grove: 
Forbear to violate its sacred depths;
A watchful ambush set, attack and seize,
According to your wont, whome’er ye find.

          
                                                                                      [Arkas retires.

SCENE II.

                   THOAS, alone. 

Fierce anger rages in my riven breast,
First against her, whom I esteem’d so pure;
Then ’gainst myself, whose foolish lenity
Hath fashion’d her for treason.  Man is soon
Inur’d to slavery, and quickly learns
Submission, when of freedom quite depriv’d. 
If she had fallen in the savage hands
Of my rude sires, and had their holy rage
Forborne to slay her, grateful for her life,
She would have recogniz’d her destiny. 
Have shed before the shrine the stranger’s blood,
And duty nam’d what was necessity. 
Now my forbearance in her breast allures
Audacious wishes.  Vainly I had hop’d
To bind her to me; rather she contrives
To shape an independent destiny. 
She won my heart through flattery; and now
That I oppose her, seeks to gain her ends
By fraud and cunning, and my kindness deems
A worthless and prescriptive property.

SCENE III.

IPHIGENIA.  THOAS.

IPHIGENIA. 
Me hast thou summon’d? wherefore art thou here?

THOAS. 
Wherefore delay the sacrifice? inform me.

IPHIGENIA. 
I have acquainted Arkas with the reasons.

THOAS. 
From thee I wish to hear them more at large.

IPHIGENIA. 
The goddess for reflection grants thee time.

THOAS. 
To thee this time seems also opportune.

                 IPHIGENIA. 

If to this cruel deed thy heart is steel’d,
Thou shouldst not come!  A king who meditates
A deed inhuman, may find slaves enow,
Willing for hire to bear one half the curse,
And leave the monarch’s presence undefil’d. 
Enwrapt in gloomy clouds he forges death,
Whose flaming arrow on his victim’s head
His hirelings hurl; while he above the storm
Remains untroubl’d, an impassive god.