The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1851-03-06
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From GrahGmS Magazine.
sfORIES FROM THE OLD DRAMATISTS---F0RD.
THE BROKEN HEART.
BY EMMA DuvAL.


.Oar scene is SPARTA. lie whose best Of art
asth drawn this piece, calls it The Broken
HEAxr.
What may be here thought FIcrIoN. when
Times youth .s
Wanted some ripper years " as known TRUrH:
In which, if words hath clothed the subject
right.
You may partake pity with delight"
ANYcLAs, king of Laconia, had but one
child, beautiful daughter, the Princess
Calantha, heiress of his kingdom; next to
this child, the young and brave Lord lth-
ocIes, sat nearest to his heart. This
Young nobleman merited the kings favor
we'll, for he was a mode of courage and
virtue. As his friend, Prophilus, said of
him, in the armament of honor in which
bis sovereign's love had placed him, he
stood like fixed star, not moved with
any thunder of popular applause, or sud-
den lightning of opinion.
A war broke out with the neighboring
state of Mesaene. and King Amyclas, was
threatened with the loss of his kingdom;
but Ithocles, at The head of the army, trod
under foot Messene's pride, and bowed
her neck TO Lacedemon's royalty. On
his return the king greeted him with out
stretched arms, calling him, delight of
Sparta! treasure OF his heart! his own
lthocIes; and the Princess Calantha
crowned him in open court with garland
wrought by her own royal hands. But
the young man received these greetings
with such graceful modesty, that not only
charmed his friends, but won the fair Ca.
lantha's heart
"Let me blush," he said, when the beau
1ful princess bestowed upon HIM the
chaplet, acknowledging how poorly
have served, what nothings have done,
compared with the horors heaped upon
me; moreover, it is the duty of subject
30 serve the state. But with him whom
Heaven is pleased TO style victorious, ap-
2lause runs maddening, like the drunken
priests in BaCchus' sacrifices, without rea-
son voiciug the leader as a demi-god;
while every common soldiers blood, is as
surrent coin in the hard purchase of VIC
tory, as his whose much more delicate
condition hath sucked the milk of ease
judgment 1t is true commands, but resolu-
ton executes. do not mean, when say
ing this before this royal presence, con-
tempt of such as can direct, but that all
praise should not be given to one mans
fortune, which has been strengthened by
many hands"
Whereupon he recommended his friend
Prophilus and other officers 10 the king's
favor. This noble generosity won all
hearts, and over lthOcles' future seemed
beamlng the bright sun rays of prosperity
But though lthocles merited SO well his
royal masters favor and the noble mai
den's love, already the retribution that fol-
lows evil was stalking fast behind him.
Few faults had the young Spartan, il was
IN the first flush of manhood commit q
grievous wrong. His father, Thrasus
had had a deadly feud for many years
with one of the kings counselIors, the old
Lord Crotolon. Just before old Thrasus'
death, this quarrel, at the kings request,
was adjusted, and in order TO render the
bond of friendship stronger, Thrasus' only
daughter, the young tender Penthea, was
betrothed to OrgiIus, the only son of Gro
tolon. Soon after this betrothal, Thrasus
dIed, and lthocles, proud of youth, and
sull Prouder OF his power with the king
cherishlng also memory of the old dis
content, broke of the marriage, and forced
his sister to wed with another. This had
resulted badly, and was secretly working
trouble for the rash young man, and at a
time, too, when calmed by maturity he
was bitterly repenting the past, and slri.
wing 10 make amends by every work and
thought of honorable good.
Bassanes, the husband of Penthea,
ioVed his wife with alteration, but knowing
thal her marriage with him had been one
OF constraint, and being moreover suspi-
cious by nature, became prev to the
hercest jealousy, which, though he vainly
endeaVored 10 hide, and bitterly repented
every ouibrust of passion, rendered his
poor broken-hearted wife's existence mis-.
cradle. Of Orgilus. her lover, he was
most especially jealous, though entirely
without reason. for Penthea was good and
pure, and though her innocent young love
mad been fairly given to young Orgilus,
alter her marriage with Bassanes, she
would have shrunk with horror at the
moughi of wronging him even by look
Orgilus, though driven almost TO mad
ness by his grievous disappointment, IN
order to secure peace for Penthea, had af
YER her marriage absented himself for
awhile from his home; but all in vain