Ye who have to my falling fortunes clung
With gen'rous love, lefs to redeem their fall
Than on my waning fate by noble deeds
To fhed a ray of graceful dignity:
Ye gen'rous and devoted; ftill with you
I thought to fhare all dangers: go ye now,
And to the current of this fwelling tide

Set your brave breafts alone. (Waving them off with his hand, and then turning to her.)

Now, wife, where wouldst thou lead me?

VALERIA (pointing with great energy to the friends who are turning as if to go out).

There, there! O, there! thou haft no other way. (Brushing away her tears haftily, and then af fuming an air of dignity, fhe takes Conftantine by the hand, and leading him across the Stage, prefents him to his friends.)

Most valiant, honour'd men, receive your chief,
Worthy the graceful honours of your love,
And heaven's protecting angel go with you!

(Exeunt Conftantine and his friends, paying
obeisance to her as they retire, which he re-
turns with the profoundest refpect, continuing
to look after them till they are out of fight; then
returning to the front of the stage with a deep
figh, remains for fome time with her eyes fixed
on the ground.)

LUCIA.

My dear and royal miftrefs, be not thus! The people will their fov'reign lord respect.

VALERIA.

Will they? Where is my little Georgian maid, Whofe grandfire, tho' a brave and fov'reign prince, Was piece-meal torn by a ferocious mob?

LUCIA.

She told a wonderful furcharged tale, Perhaps to move your pity: heed it not.

VALERIA.

Ah! whereunto do all these turmoils tendThe wild contention of thefe fearful times? Each day comes bearing on its weight of ills, With a to-morrow fhadow'd at its back

More fearful than itfelf.A dark progreffionAnd the dark end of all, what will it be?

LUCIA.

Let not fuch gloomy thoughts your mind o'er

caft;

Our noble emperor has on his fide

The dark and potent powers.

VALERIA.

What is thy meaning?

LUCIA.

A rarely-gifted man, come from afar,

Who fees strange vifions rife before his fight
Of things to come, hath folemnly pronounc'd it,

That Paleologus has on his fide
The dark and potent powers.

VALERIA.

Alas! alas! are they the friends of virtue? Who told thee this?

LUCIA.

One unto whom he told fuch marv'llous things As did all natʼral knowledge far exceed. S

VALERIA.

Thou doft impress me with a strange defire,
As tho' it were upon my mind impress'd
By fecret fupernatural power. Methinks,
Were this dread night with all its dangers paft,
I too would fain

that?

Ha! hark! what noife is (Listening with great alarm.)

Hark, hark! it is the found of many founds,
Mingled and terrible, tho' heard afar.

LUCIA.

Shall I afcend the tower, and give you notice Whate'er I fee?

VALERIA (eagerly).

I'll go myself. (Exit in great alarm, followed by Lucia and ladies.

END OF THE FIRST ACT.

A C T II..

SCENE I. An open Street before the imperial palace. A crowd of men, women, and children dif covered, bearing in ther hands torches, with clubs, Sticks, &c. and the ftage entirely lighted by the red glare of their torches caft up against the walls of the building. The confufed noife and clamour of a great crowd is heard as the curtain draws up.

FIRST CROWD.

HOLLA! let them come forth who trouble us, And love they blood and beating they fhall have it.

SECOND CROWD.

Surrender! bread and wine, and peaceful days! Surrender, devils, or ye fhall pay the cost.

(All the Crowd call out clamourously, and brandifh their torches, &c. in a threatening manner against the palace.)

THIRD CROWD.

Muft we, men well inftructed, rear'd, and che

rish'd,

The chiefeft of all townsmen of the earth;

We, whom all nations know and look upon

With envious worship-must we from our meals.
And quiet couches, like your rude barbarians,
Be fcar'd and roused ftill with horrid bellowing
Of curft artillery? it is a fhame!

FIRST CROWD.

It is a crying, an infulting fhame.
Ev'n Mahomet regards our polish'd race
And rare acquirements; but for Conftantine

SECOND CROWD.

Ay, ay! let him come forth with his bafe crew Of favage ftrangers; and fhould they refuse us, Ev'n with good teeth and nails, fail other means, We will do vultures' work upon them all. (All of them calling out together, and brandishing their torches, &c. as before.)

Holla! holla! we fay to you again;

Emperor! Conftantine! come forth to us!

(A grand door of the palace opens, from which two flights of stairs defcend into the street, and Conftantine with his friends appear coming out upon the landing place. The Crowd raife a great noise upon seeing him, and he stretches out his hand as if he wished to speak, but they fill continue loud and clamorous.)

CONSTANTINE.

Audience, if that your fov'reign may command it.