Page:The lives of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland to the time of Dean Swift - Volume 4.djvu/180

170 to the queen, and the ſudden effect which it has upon him diſcovers the villainy.

The queen’s abſence from the feaſt proves a fatal circumſtance, and as managed by Sohemus, fixes the appearance of guilt upon her. While Herod was abſent at Rome, Sohemus made addreſſes to Arſinoe, a Roman lady, confidant to Mariamne; to whom in the ardour of his paſſion he revealed the ſecret entruſted to him by Herod, of putting Mariamne to death, in caſe ſhe by any calamitous accident ſhould loſe his life. Arſinoe from a motive of affection communicated this to Mariamne; as an inſtance of the violent paſſion which Herod had for her. This ſhe did immediately before her departure for Rome, with Flaminius the Roman envoy, who proved to be the lord of her wiſhes, whom ſhe imagined to have been killed in fighting againſt Mark Anthony. Mariamne thrown into this imminent danger, orders Arſinoe to be intercepted, whoſe return clears up her innocence, as ſhe declares that no correſpondence had ever been carried on between the queen and Sohemus, of whom he was now jealous, as Mariamne had upbraided him with his cruel reſolutions of putting her to death, entruſted to that miniſter. Herod is ſatisfied of her innocence, by the evidence of Arſinoe; but as he had before given the cruel orders for putting the queen to death, ſhe, to prevent the execution of ſuch barbarity, drank poiſon. The Queen is conducted in by the high prieſt in the agonies of death, which gives ſuch a ſhock to Herod, that not able to ſurvive her, he dies in the ſight of the audience.

Sohemus, who knew what tortures would be reſerved for him, kills himſelf, after having ſacrificed Sameas, by whoſe treachery the plot was diſcovered, and who in his falling ſtabs Salome to the heart, as the laſt effort of his revenge.

As the plan of this play is regular, ſimple, and intereſting, ſo are the ſentiment no leſs maſterly, and