Adr. Traitor, no; Better that thou, and I, and all mankind, Should be no more.

Cre. Then cast thy sword away, And yield thee to my mercy, or I strike.

Adr. Hold thy raised arm; give me a moment’s pause. 
My father, when he blest me, gave me this: 
My son, said he, let this be thy last refuge;
If thou forego’st it, misery attends thee.—­
Yet love now charms it from me; which in all
The hazards of my life I never lost. 
’Tis thine, my faithful sword; my only trust;
Though my heart tells me that the gift is fatal. [Gives it.

Cre. Fatal! yes, foolish love-sick prince, it shall: 
Thy arrogance, thy scorn, my wound’s remembrance. 
Turn all at once the fatal point upon thee.—­
Pyracmon to the palace; dispatch
The king; hang Haemon up, for he is loyal,
And will oppose me.—­Come, sir, are you ready?

Adr. Yes, villain, for whatever thou canst dare.

Eur. Hold, Creon, or through me, through me you wound.

Adr. Off, madam, or we perish both; behold I’m not unarmed, my poniard’s in my hand; Therefore, away.

Eur. I’ll guard your life with mine.

Cre. Die both, then; there is now no time for dallying.
          
                                          [Kills EURYDICE.

Eur. Ah, prince, farewell! farewell, my dear Adrastus! [Dies.

Adr. Unheard-of monster! eldest-born of hell!  Down, to thy primitive flame. [Stabs CREON.

Cre. Help, soldiers, help; Revenge me.

Adr. More; yet more; a thousand wounds! 
I’ll stamp thee still, thus, to the gaping furies.
                            [ADRASTUS falls, killed by the soldiers.

Enter HAEMON, Guards, with ALCANDER and PYRACMON bound; the
Assassins are driven off.

O Haemon, I am slain; nor need I name
The inhuman author of all villainies;
There he lies gasping.

Cre. If I must plunge in flames,
Burn first my arm; base instrument, unfit
To act the dictates of my daring mind;
Burn, burn for ever, O weak substitute
Of that, the god, ambition. [Dies.

Adr. She’s gone;—­O deadly marksman, in the heart! 
Yet in the pangs of death she grasps my hand;
Her lips too tremble, as if she would speak
Her last farewell.—­O, OEdipus, thy fall
Is great; and nobly now thou goest attended! 
They talk of heroes, and celestial beauties,
And wondrous pleasures in the other world;
Let me but find her there, I ask no more. [Dies.

  Enter a Captain to HAEMON; with TERESIAS and MANTO.

Cap. O, sir, the queen Jocasta, swift and wild,
As a robbed tygress bounding o’er the woods,
Has acted murders that amaze mankind;
In twisted gold I saw her daughters hang
On the bed-royal, and her little sons
Stabbed through the breasts upon the bloody pillows.