The Prince of Parthia. Godfrey Thomas

hides Nature in her darkness,

      Veil'd in the gloom we'll steal into their prison.

      But, oh! perhaps e'en now my aged Sire

      May 'mongst the slain lie welt'ring on the field,

      Pierc'd like a riddle through with num'rous wounds,

      While parting life is quiv'ring on his lips,

      He may perhaps be calling on his Evanthe.

      Yes, ye great Pow'rs who boast the name of mercy,

      Ye have deny'd me to his latest moments,

      To all the offices of filial duty,

      To bind his wounds, and wash them with my tears,

      Is this, is this your mercy?

Cleone

      Blame not heav'n,

      For heav'n is just and kind; dear Lady, drive

      These black ideas from your gentle breast;

      Fancy delights to torture the distress'd,

      And fill the gloomy scene with shadowy ills,

      Summon your reason, and you'll soon have comfort.

Evanthe

      Dost thou name comfort to me, my Cleone,

      Thou who know'st all my sorrows? plead no more,

      'Tis reason tells me I am doubly wretched.

Cleone

      But hark, the music strikes, the rites begin,

      And, see, the doors are op'ning.

Evanthe

      Let's retire;

      My heart is now too full to meet him here,

      Fly swift ye hours, till in his arms I'm prest,

      And each intruding care is hush'd to rest.

      Scene V

      The Scene draws and discovers, in the inner part of the Temple, a large image of the Sun, with an altar before it. Around Priests and Attendants.

King, Arsaces, Vardanes, Gotarzes, Phraates, Lysias, with Bethas in chainsHymn

      Parent of Light, to thee belong

      Our grateful tributary songs;

      Each thankful voice to thee shall rise,

      And chearful pierce the azure skies;

      While in thy praise all earth combines,

      And Echo in the Chorus joins.

      All the gay pride of blooming May,

      The Lily fair and blushing Rose,

      To thee their early honours pay,

      And all their heav'nly sweets disclose.

      The feather'd Choir on ev'ry tree

      To hail thy glorious dawn repair,

      While the sweet sons of harmony

      With Hallelujahs fill the air.

      'Tis thou hast brac'd the Hero's arm,

      And giv'n the Love of praise to warm

      His bosom, as he onward flies,

      And for his Country bravely dies.

      Thine's victory, and from thee springs

      Ambition's fire, which glows in Kings.

King [coming forward]

      Thus, to the Gods our tributary songs,

      And now, oh! let me welcome once again

      My blooming victor to his Father's arms;

      And let me thank thee for our safety: Parthia

      Shall thank thee too, and give her grateful praise

      To her Deliverer.

Omnes

      All hail! Arsaces!

King

      Thanks to my loyal friends.

Vardanes [aside]

      Curse, curse the sound,

      E'en Echo gives it back with int'rest,

      1

      A notice appeared in the Pennsylvania Gazette, December 19, 1749. See Scharf and Westcott's "History of Philadelphia" for references to Godfrey, Sr. Therein is given a picture of his house in Germantown, Pa. Barlow mentions him in his "Colum

1

A notice appeared in the Pennsylvania Gazette, December 19, 1749. See Scharf and Westcott's "History of Philadelphia" for references to Godfrey, Sr. Therein is given a picture of his house in Germantown, Pa. Barlow mentions him in his "Columbiad." A monument to his memory was erected in Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, 1843. Note that David Rittenhouse, an American dramatist who translated, from the German, "Lucy Sampson; or, The Unhappy Heiress" (1789), was likewise a mathematical genius.

2

Accounts of Dr. Smith are to be found in Henry Simpson's "Eminent Philadelphians"; Scharf & Westcott's "History of Philadelphia," ii, 1126. Dr. Smith's "Life and Correspondence," by Horace Wemyss Smith, was issued in 2 vols., 1879.

3

Visitors to Wilmington, N.C., will be taken to Old St. James's Church-yard, where Godfrey lies buried.

4

Juvenile Poems/on/Various Subjects./With the/Prince of Parthia,/A/Tragedy,/By the Late/Mr. Thomas Godfrey, Junr./of Philadelphia./To which is prefixed,/Some Account of the Author and his Writings./Poeta nascitur non fit. Hor./Philadelphia,/Printed by Henry Miller, in Second-Street./M DCC LXV.

5

The Tigris.