The ftrong, the brave, the virtuous, and the wife
Sink in the foft captivity together.

I would not urge thee to dismiss thy passion,
(I know 'twere vain) but to fupprefs its force,
Till better times may make it look more graceful.
MARCU S.

Alas; thou talk'st like one who never felt
Th' impatient throbs and longings of a soul,
That pants, and reaches after diftant good.
A lover does not live by vulgar time:
Believe me, Portius, in my Lucia's abfence
Life hangs upon me, and becomes a burthen;
And yet, when I behold the charming maid,

I'm ten times more undone; while hope and fear,
And grief, and rage, and love, rife up at once,
And with variety of pain diftract me.

PORTIUS.

What can thy Portius do to give thee help?
MARCU S.

Portius, thou oft enjoy ft the fair one's presence :
Then undertake my caufe, and plead it to her
With all the strength and heat of eloquence,
Fraternal love and friendship can inspire.
Tell her, thy brother languishes to death,
And fades away, and withers in his bloom;
That he forgets his fleep, and loaths his food,
That youth, and health, and war are joyless to him:

Describe

Describe his anxious, days, and reftless nights,
And all the torments that thou feeft me fuffer.

PORTIU S.

Marcus, I beg thee give me not an office,

That suits with me fo ill. Thou know'ft my temper.
MARCUS.

Wilt thou behold me finking in my woes?
And wilt thou not reach out a friendly arm,
To raise me from amidst this plunge of forrows?
PORTIU S.

Marcus, thou canst not ask what I'd refufe.

But here, believe me,

I've a thousand reafons

BOD

MARCU S.

I know thou'lt fay my paffion's out of season

That Cato's great example and misfortunes

Shou'd both confpire to drive it from my thoughts.
But what's all this to one who loves like me!
Oh Portius, Portius, from my foul I wish

Thou didst but know thyfelf what 'tis to love!/

Then wouldst thou pity and affift thy brother.

PORTIU S.

What should I do! if I disclose my paffion

Our friendship's at an end: if I conceal it,

The world will call me a falfe friend and brother.[Afide.

MARCU S.

But fee where Lucia, at her wonted hour,

Amid the cool of yon high marble arch,

Enjoys the noon-day breeze! obferve her, Portius! That face, that shape, those eyes, that heav'n of beauty

Obferve her well, and blame me if thou canst.

PORTIUS.

She fees us, and advances

I'll withdraw,

And leave

MARCU S.

you for a while. Remember, Portius! Thy brother's life depends upon thy tongue.

SCENE II.

LUCIA, PORTIUS.

LUCIA.

Did I not fee your brother Marcus here?

Why did he fly the place, and fhun my prefence?

PORTIU S.

Oh, Lucia, language is too faint to fhew
His rage of love; it preys upon his life;
He pines, he fickens, he defpairs, he dies:
His paffions and his virtues lie confused,
And mixt together in fo wild a tumult,

That the whole man is quite disfigur'd in him.
Heav'ns! would one think 'twere poffible for love
To make fuch ravage in a noble foul!

[Exit.

Oh, Lucia, I'm diftrefs'd! my heart bleeds for him;

Even now, while thus I stand bleft in thy presence,
A fecret damp of grief comes o'er my thoughts,
And I'm unhappy, tho' thou fmil'ft upon me.

LUCIA.

How wilt thou guard thy honour, in the fhock
Of love and friendship! think betimes, my Portius,
Think how the nuptial tie, that might enfure
Our mutual blifs, would raise to such a height
Thy brother's griefs, as might perhaps destroy him.
PORTIU S.

Alas, poor youth! what doft thou think, my Lucia? His generous, open, undefigning heart

Has begg'd his rival to folicit for him.
Then do not strike him dead with a denial,

But hold him up in life, and cheer his foul
With the faint glimmering of a doubtful hope:
Perhaps when we have pafs'd these gloomy hours,
And weather'd out the ftorm that beats upon us→

LUCIA.

No, Portius, no! I fee thy fifter's tears,

Thy father's anguish, and thy brother's death,
In the pursuit of our ill-fated loves.

And, Portius, here I fwear, to heav'n I fwear,

To heav'n, and all the powers that judge mankind,
Never to mix my plighted hands with thinę,
While fuch a cloud of mifchief hangs about us,
But to forget our loves, and drive thee out

From all my thoughts, as far-as I am able.

PORTIUS.

What haft thou faid! I'm thunder-ftruck

Those hafty words, or I am loft for ever.

LUCIA.

Has not the vow already pafs'd my lips?
The gods have heard it, and 'tis feal'd in heav'n.
May all the vengeance, that was ever pour'd
On perjur'd heads, o'erwhelm me, if I break it!
PORTIU S.

Fixt in astonishment, I gaze upon thee;
Like one juft blasted by a stroke from heav'n,
Who pants for breath, and stiffens, yet alive,
In dreadful looks: a monument of wrath!

LUCIA.

At length I've acted my fevereft part,
I feel the woman breaking in upon me,
And melt about my heart! my tears will flow.
But oh I'll think no more! the hand of fate

-recal

• Has torn thee from me, and I muft forget thee. PORTIU S.

• Hard-hearted, cruel maid!

LUCIA.

Oh ftop thofe founds,

Thofe killing founds! why doft theu frown upon me?

My blood runs cold, my heart forgets to heave,

• And life itself goes out at thy difpleasure.

The