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Article STRICTURES ON PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS. ← Page 4 of 6 →
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Strictures On Public Amusements.
The various scenes are thus conducted : ACT I . —SCENE I . THE CAMP OF ALEXANDER . The victorious Macedonians , dispirited by the prospect of the hardships which yet lie before them in their way through Asia , complain that Alexander allow j no respite to their labours , and unanimously resolve upon returning to enjoy at home the blessings of repose . —The whole army ; except the Grecian troop , is
infected with sedition , when Hephestion brings the command to march ; Ilia soldiers openly declare their determination to proceed no farther ; they answer the remonstrances of Hephestion by tumultuary clamours , and meet his threats with contempt . —Alexander enters surrounded by his guards ; being informed of the revolt , he ascends the tribunal in order to appease the commotion ; the two ' leaders of the mutiny furiously clash their shields and javelins in defiance of his authority ; he springs upon the foremost , and in an instant hurls him to the guardscommands the other to be seizedand delivers them to instant death . —
, , The rebels are disconcerted , and dismayed ; the king reproaches their effeminacy , tears away their standard , and disdainfully retires among the Greeks , whom he destines from henceforth to be the only partners of his glory . The Macedonians , struck with compunction and awe , and unable to support the disgrace they have incurred , rush towards the Grecian tents , where the king is seated , cast their weapons on the ground in token of repentance , and , throwing themselves on their knees , implore his forgiveness ; Alexander relents , restores their standard , and enters their ranks amidst shouts of univeral triumph ,
preparations are now joyfully making for the march against Darius , when an officer announces the arrival of Thalestris queen of the Amazons , who comes eagerly desirous of seeing a hero , whose renown has extended itself even to her remote dominions ; Hephestion is deputed to attend the queen ; she appears accompanied by a band of female warriors , avows the motives of her visit , requests the honour of partaking in the dangers of the expedition against Persia ; and presents her girdle to Alexander as the certain pledge of her faith ; the kingreceives his fair ally with transport , and leads her into the royal tent to vie . v the raising of the camp , as the army files off to form the siege of Gaza .
SCENE II . THE CITY OF GAZA . The walls of Gaza are surrounded by the troops of Alexander , who summons the city to surrender ; the Persian governor , faithful lo Darius his sovereign , refuses to yield the town but with his life ; the aitack commences ; the Macedonians are driven back ; thc scaling ladders are fixed ; tl \ e assailants are again repulsed ; Alexander enraged lants a ladder himself against the towers
p , and is mounting , when it breaks , and leaves him clinging to the walls ; he gains , the battlements , in spite of all opposition , and , regardless of the entreaties of his officers , desperately precipitates himself unattended into the midst . of the hostile garrison . Hephestion implores the Gods to protect the king . —Tlie battering rams are brought up , the fortifications are Icvellsd with the earth , and Alexander is seen sihgly engaged in the town with whole troops of the enemy ; at the moment the breach is made , the king , exhausted with fatigue , receives wound Thalestris
a dangerous ; , the generals , and soldiers , rush to his assistance ; the city is stormed , and Alexander is borne off by his disconsolate attendants . . . SCENE III . THE MACEDONIAN OUT-POSTS . Alexander , stretched upon a litter , and accompanied by Thalestris , Hepliestion , and all the officers , is met by Philip , his principal physician , who , having examined the
wound , encourages the dejected army , and promises to prepare a medicine whose virtues will infallibly restore the spirits and health of their beloved leader . —At this instant arrives a letter from Parmenio , accusing Philip of . being bribed by Darius to poison Hie king ; the attendants arc . struck with
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Strictures On Public Amusements.
The various scenes are thus conducted : ACT I . —SCENE I . THE CAMP OF ALEXANDER . The victorious Macedonians , dispirited by the prospect of the hardships which yet lie before them in their way through Asia , complain that Alexander allow j no respite to their labours , and unanimously resolve upon returning to enjoy at home the blessings of repose . —The whole army ; except the Grecian troop , is
infected with sedition , when Hephestion brings the command to march ; Ilia soldiers openly declare their determination to proceed no farther ; they answer the remonstrances of Hephestion by tumultuary clamours , and meet his threats with contempt . —Alexander enters surrounded by his guards ; being informed of the revolt , he ascends the tribunal in order to appease the commotion ; the two ' leaders of the mutiny furiously clash their shields and javelins in defiance of his authority ; he springs upon the foremost , and in an instant hurls him to the guardscommands the other to be seizedand delivers them to instant death . —
, , The rebels are disconcerted , and dismayed ; the king reproaches their effeminacy , tears away their standard , and disdainfully retires among the Greeks , whom he destines from henceforth to be the only partners of his glory . The Macedonians , struck with compunction and awe , and unable to support the disgrace they have incurred , rush towards the Grecian tents , where the king is seated , cast their weapons on the ground in token of repentance , and , throwing themselves on their knees , implore his forgiveness ; Alexander relents , restores their standard , and enters their ranks amidst shouts of univeral triumph ,
preparations are now joyfully making for the march against Darius , when an officer announces the arrival of Thalestris queen of the Amazons , who comes eagerly desirous of seeing a hero , whose renown has extended itself even to her remote dominions ; Hephestion is deputed to attend the queen ; she appears accompanied by a band of female warriors , avows the motives of her visit , requests the honour of partaking in the dangers of the expedition against Persia ; and presents her girdle to Alexander as the certain pledge of her faith ; the kingreceives his fair ally with transport , and leads her into the royal tent to vie . v the raising of the camp , as the army files off to form the siege of Gaza .
SCENE II . THE CITY OF GAZA . The walls of Gaza are surrounded by the troops of Alexander , who summons the city to surrender ; the Persian governor , faithful lo Darius his sovereign , refuses to yield the town but with his life ; the aitack commences ; the Macedonians are driven back ; thc scaling ladders are fixed ; tl \ e assailants are again repulsed ; Alexander enraged lants a ladder himself against the towers
p , and is mounting , when it breaks , and leaves him clinging to the walls ; he gains , the battlements , in spite of all opposition , and , regardless of the entreaties of his officers , desperately precipitates himself unattended into the midst . of the hostile garrison . Hephestion implores the Gods to protect the king . —Tlie battering rams are brought up , the fortifications are Icvellsd with the earth , and Alexander is seen sihgly engaged in the town with whole troops of the enemy ; at the moment the breach is made , the king , exhausted with fatigue , receives wound Thalestris
a dangerous ; , the generals , and soldiers , rush to his assistance ; the city is stormed , and Alexander is borne off by his disconsolate attendants . . . SCENE III . THE MACEDONIAN OUT-POSTS . Alexander , stretched upon a litter , and accompanied by Thalestris , Hepliestion , and all the officers , is met by Philip , his principal physician , who , having examined the
wound , encourages the dejected army , and promises to prepare a medicine whose virtues will infallibly restore the spirits and health of their beloved leader . —At this instant arrives a letter from Parmenio , accusing Philip of . being bribed by Darius to poison Hie king ; the attendants arc . struck with