Page images
PDF
EPUB

Some keeping cardinal shall doat upon thee,
And barter his church treasure for thy freshness.
Luc. What shall I sell my innocence and youth,
For wealth or titles, to perfidious man!

To man, who makes his mirth of our undoing!
'The base, profest betrayer of our sex!
Let me grow old in all misfortunes else,

Rather than know the sorrows of Calista!

Loth. Does she send thee to chide in her behalf?

I swear thou dost it with so good a grace,

lines,

That I could almost love thee for thy frowning. 260 Luc. Read there, my lord, there, in her own sad [Giving a letter. Which best can tell the story of her woes, That grief of heart which your unkindness gives her. [Lothario reads. Your cruelty-Obedience to my father--Give my hand to

Altamont.

By Heav'n 'tis well! such ever be the gifts

With which I greet the man whom my soul hates.

[blocks in formation]

Women, I see, can change as well as men.

She writes me here, forsaken as I am,

That I should bind my brows with mournful willow,

For she has giv'n her hand to Altamont :

Yet, tell the fair inconstant

Luc. How, my lord!

Loth. Nay, no more angry words: say to Calista, The humblest of her slaves shall wait her pleasure; If she can leave her happy husband's arms,

To think upon so lost a thing as I am.

Luc. Alas! for pity, come with gentler looks: 280 Wound not her heart with this unmanly triumph; And, tho' you love her not, yet swear you do, So shall dissembling once be virtuous in you. Loth. Ha! who comes here ?

Luc. The bridegroom's friend, Horatio. He must not see us here. To-morrow early Be at the garden gate.

Loth. Bear to my love

My kindest thoughts, and swear I will not fail her. [Lothario putting up the letter hastily, drops it as he goes out.

[Exeunt Lothario and Rossano one way, Lucilla another.

Enter HORATIO.

Hor. Sure 'tis the very error of my eyes;
Waking I dream, or I beheld Lothario;
He seem'd conferring with Calista's woman:
At my approach they started, and retir'd.

What business could he have here, and with her?
I know he bears the noble Altamont

Profest and deadly hate-What paper's this?

[Taking up the letter.

Ha! To Lothario!-'s death! Calista's name!

Confusion and misfortunes!

[Opening it. [Reads.

Your cruelty has at length determined me, and I have resolv'd this morning to yield a perfect obedience to my father, and to give my hand to Alta. mont, in spite of my weakness for the false Lothario. I could almost wish I had that heart, and that honour to bestow with it, which you have robb'd ( of:

me

Damnation to the rest

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

[Reads again.

But, Oh! I fear, could I retrieve 'em, I should again be undone by the too faithless, yet too lovely Lothario. This is the last weakness of my pen, and to-morrow shall be the last in which I will indulge

my eyes. Lucilla shall conduct you, if you are kind enough to let me see you; it shall be the last trouble C you shall meet with from

The lost Calista.'

The lost, indeed! for thou art gone as far
As there can be perdition. Fire and sulphur!
Hell is the sole avenger of such crimes.
Oh, that the ruin were but all thy own!
Thou wilt even make thy father curse his age;
At sight of this black scroll, the gentle Altamont
(For, Oh! I know his heart is set upon thee)
Shall droop, and hang his discontented head,
Like merit scorn'd by insolent authority,
And never grace the public with his virtues.
"Perhaps even now he gazes fondly on her,
"And, thinking soul and body both alike,
"Blesses the perfect workmanship of Heav'n;

320

"Then sighing, to his ev'ry care speaks peace,
"And bids his heart be satisfied with happiness.

"6 Oh, wretched husband! while she hangs about thee
"With idle blandishments, and plays the fond one,
"Ev'n then her hot imagination wanders,

"Contriving riot, and loose 'scapes of love; "And while she clasps thee close, makes thee a moн

ster."

What if I give this paper to her father?

It follows that his justice dooms her dead,
And breaks his heart with sorrow; hard return
For all the good his hand has heap'd on us!
Hold, let me take a moment's thought-

Lav. My lord!

Enter LAVINIA.

Trust me, it joys my heart that I have found you.
Enquiring wherefore you had left the company, 341
Before my brother's nuptial rites were ended,
They told me you had felt some sudden illness.
Where are you sick? Is it your head? your heart?
Tell me, my love, and ease my anxious thoughts,
That I may take you gently in my arms,
Sooth you to rest, and soften all your pains.

Hor. It were unjust-No, let me spare my friend, the fatal secret in my breast,

Lock up

Nor tell him that which will undo his quiet,

Lav. What means my lord?

Hor. Ha! saidst thou, my Lavinia ?

Lav. Alas! you know not what you make me

suffer.

Why are you pale? Why did you start and tremble?
Whence is that sigh? and wherefore are your eyes
Severely rais'd to Heav'n? The sick man thus,
Acknowledging the summons of his fate,
Lifts up his feeble hands and eyes for mercy,
And with confusion thinks upon his exit.

Hor. Oh, no! thou hast mistook my sickness quite; These pangs are of the soul. Wou'd I had met 361 Sharpest convulsions, spotted pestilence,

Or any other deadly foe to life,

Rather than heave beneath this load of thought!

Lav. Alas! what is it?" Wherefore turn you from

me?

"Why did you falsely call me your Lavinia, "And swear I was Horatio's better half, "Since now you mourn unkindly by yourself, "And rob me of my partnership of sadness? "Witness, ye holy pow'rs, who know my truth, "There cannot be a chance in life so miserable, "Nothing so very hard but I could bear it, "Much rather than my love should treat me coldly, "And use me like a stranger to his heart."

Hor. Seek not to know what I would hide from all, But most from thee. I never knew a pleasure, Ought that was joyful, fortunate, or good, But straight I ran to bless thee with the tidings, And laid up all my happiness with thee:

But wherefore, wherefore should I give thee pain?

« EelmineJätka »