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May hope to rob him. By his ruthless hand,
Already seized, the noble victim lay,
The heir of empire, in his glowing prime
And noon-day, struck:—Admetus, the re-ver'd,
The bless'd, the lov'd, by all who own'd his sway,
By his illustrious parents, by the realms
Surrounding his,—and oh! what need to add,
How much by his Alcestis?—Such was he,
Already in th' unsparing grasp of death,
Withering, a certain prey.—Apollo thence
Hath snatch'd him, and another in his stead,
Though not an equal,—(who can equal him?)
Must fall a voluntary sacrifice.
Another, of his lineage, or to him
By closest bonds united, must descend
To the dark realm of Orcus in his place,
Who thus alone is saved.

Phe. What do I hear?
Woe to us, woe!—what victim?—who shall be
Accepted in his stead?

Alc. The dread exchange
E'en now, O father! hath been made; the prey
Is ready, nor is wholly worthless him
For whom 'tis freely offered. Nor wilt thou,
O mighty goddess of th' infernal shades!
Whose image sanctifies this threshold floor,
Disdain the victim.

Phe. All prepar'd the prey!
And to our blood allied! O heaven!—and yet
Thou bad'st me weep no more!

Alc. Yes! thus I said,
And thus again I say, thou shalt not weep
Thy son's, nor I deplore my husband's doom.
Let him be saved, and other sounds of woe
Less deep, less mournful far, shall here be heard,
Than those his death had caus'd.—With some few tears,
But brief, and mingled with a gleam of joy,
E'en while the involuntary tribute lasts,
The victim shall be honour'd, who resign'd
Life for Admetus—Would'st thou know the prey,
The vow'd, the willing, the devoted one,
Offer'd and hallow'd to th' infernal gods,
Father! 'tis I.

Phe. What hast thou done? O heaven!
What hast thou done?—And think'st thou he is sav'd
By such a compact?—Think'st thou he can live
Bereft of thee?—Of thee, his light of life,
His very soul!—Of thee, belov'd far more