But all my poor, betrayed, unhappy friends, Have summons to prepare for Fate's black hour; And yet I live.

Bel. Then be the next my doom:

I see, thou hast passed my sentence in thy heart,
And I'll no longer weep, or plead against it,
But with the humblest, most obedient patience,
Meet thy dear hands, and kiss them when they
wound me.

Indeed I am willing, but I beg thee do it

Since the first pair met, as I have been.
Bel. Then sure you will not curse me?
Jaf. No, I'll bless thee.

I came on purpose, Belvidera, to bless thee!
'Tis now, I think, three years we have lived t-
gether.

Bel. And may no fatal minute ever part is, Till, reverend grown for age and love, we go Down to one grave, as our last bed, together; There sleep in peace, till an eternal morning. Jaf. When will that be?

Bel. I hope long ages hence.

[Sighing

blow,

View me with eyes of a relenting love,

And shew me pity, for 'twill sweeten justice.

Juf. Shew pity to thee!

Bel. Yes; and when thy hands,

Charged with my fate, come trembling to the

deed,

As thou hast done a thousand thousand times To this poor breast, when kinder rage hath brought thee,

When our stung hearts have leap'd to meet each

other,

And melting kisses sealed our lips together; When joys have left me gasping in thy armsSo let my death come now, and I'll not shrink from it.

Jaf. Nay, Belvidera, do not fear my cruelty,
Nor let the thoughts of death perplex thy fancy;
But answer me to what I shall demand,
With a firm temper and unshaken spirit.

Bel. I will, when I have done weeping-
Jaf. Fy, no more on't-

How long is it, since that miserable day
We wedded first?

Bel. Oh! Oh!

Jaf. Nay, keep in thy tears,

Lest they unman me too.

Bel. Heaven knows I cannot;

The words you utter sound so very sadly,

The streams will follow

Jaf. Come, I'll kiss them dry then.

Bel. But was't a miserable day?

Jaf. A cursed one.

Abating passion? have I ever wronged thee? Bel. No.

Jaf. Has my heart, or have my eyes, e'er wandered

To any other woman?

Bel. Never, never-I were the worst of false ones, should I accuse thee.

I own I have been too happy, blessed above
My sex's charter.

Jaf. Did I not say, I came to bless thee?
Bel, You did.

Jaf. Then hear me, bounteous Heaven!
Pour down your blessings on this beauteous head,
Where everlasting sweets are always springing,
With a continual giving hand; let peace,
Honour, and safety, always hover round her;
Feed her with plenty; let her eyes ne'er see
A sight of sorrow, nor her heart know mourn

ten sworn,

With never-ceasing vengeance; let despair,

Danger, and infamy, nay all, surround me; Starve me with wantings; let my eyes ne'er see A sight of comfort, nor my heart know peace: But dash my days with sorrow, nights with hor

rors,

Wild as my own thoughts now, and let loose fury,
To make me mad enough for what I lose,
If I must lose him! If I must? I will not.
Oh! turn and hear me !

Jaf. Now, hold heart, or never.

Bel. By all the tender days we have lived together,

By all our charming nights, and joys that crown'd 'em,

Pity my sad condition! speak, but speak!
Jaf. Oh! Oh!

Bel. By these arms, that now cling round thy neck,

By this dear kiss, and by ten thousand more,
By these poor streaming eyes

Jaf. Murder! unhold me:
By the immortal destiny, that doomed me
[Draws his dagger.
To this cursed minute, I'll not live one longer;
Resolve to let me go, or see me fall-

Bel. Hold, sir, be patient!

Jaf. Hark, the dismal bell [Passing bell tolls. Tolls out for death! I must attend its call too; For my poor friend, my dying Pierre, expects me; He sent a message to require I would see him Before he died, and take his last forgiveness. Farewell, for ever!

Bel. Leave thy dagger with me, Bequeath me something-Not one kiss at parting?

Oh! my poor heart, when wilt thou break!
[Going out, looks back at him.

Jaf. Yet stay:
We have a child, as yet a tender infant;
Be a kind mother to him, when I am gone;
Breed him in virtue, and the paths of honour,
But never let him know his father's story;

I charge thee, guard him from the wrongs my fate

May do his future fortune, or his name.
Now nearer yet- [Approaching each other.
Oh! that my arms were rivetted

Thus round thee ever! But my friend! my oath!
This, and no more.
[Kisses her.

Bel. Another, sure another,

For that poor little one you have ta'en such care of!

I will give it him truly.

Jaf. So now, farewell!
Bel. For ever?

Jaf. Heaven knows for ever; all good angels guard thee! [Exit. Bel. All ill ones sure had charge of me this

moment.

Cursed be my days, and doubly cursed my nights, Which I must now mourn out with widowed tears;

Blasted be every herb, and fruit, and tree;
Cursed be the rain, that falls upon the earth,

And may the general curse reach man and beast!
Oh! give me daggers, fire or water!
How I could bleed, how burn, how drown, the

waves

Huzzing and booming round my sinking head,
Till I descended to the peaceful bottom!
Oh! there's all quiet, here all rage and fury:
The air's too thin, and pierces my weak brain;
I long for thick substantial sleep: Hell! hell!
Burst from the centre, rage and roar aloud,
If thou art half so hot, so mad as I am.
Enter PRIULI and Servants.

Who's there?
[They raise her.
Pri. Run, seize, and bring her safely home:
Guard her as you would life! Alas, poor crea-

ture!

Bel. What, to my husband! then conduct me quickly;

Are all things ready? Shall we die most gloriously?

Say not a word of this to my old father: Murmuring streams, soft shades, and springing flowers!

Lutes, laurels, seas of milk, and ships of amber! [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

Opening, discovers a scaffold, and a wheel prepared for the execution of PIERRE; then enter Officer, PIERRE, and Guards, a Friar, Execu tioner, and a great rabble.

Offi. Room, room there-stand all by, mak❤ room for the prisoner.

Pier. My friend not come yet?
Fri. Why are you so obstinate?

Pier. Why you so troublesome, that a poor wretch can't die in peace,

But you, like ravens, will be croaking round him?

Fri. Yet Heaven

Pier. I tell thee, Heaven and I are friends:
I ne'er broke peace with it yet by cruel murders,
Rapine, or perjury, or vile deceiving,

But lived in moral justice towards all men;
Nor am a foe to the most strong believers,
Howe'er my own short-sighted faith confine me.
Fri. But an all-seeing Judge▬▬
Pier. You say my conscience

Must be my accuser; I have searched that conscience,

And find no records there of crimes, that scare me.

Fri. 'Tis strange, you should want faith.
Pier. You want to lead

My reason blindfold, like a hampered lion,
Check'd of its nobler vigour; then, when baited
Down to obedient tameness, make it couch,
And shew strange tricks, which you call signs of
faith:

So silly souls are gulled, and you get money.
Away; no more.-Captain, I'd have hereafter
This fellow write no lies of my conversion,
Because he has crept upon my troubled hours,

Enter JAFFIER.

Jaf. Hold: eyes, be dry; Heart, strengthen me to bear

This hideous sight, and humble me, to take The last forgiveness of a dying friend, Betrayed by my vile falsehood, to his ruin. Oh, Pierre!

Pier. Yet nearer.

Jaf. Crawling on my knees,

And prostrate on the earth, let me approach thee:
How shall I look up to thy injured face,
That always used to smile with friendship on me?
It darts an air of so much manly virtue,
That I, methinks, look little in thy sight,
And stripes are fitter for me, than embraces.
Pier. Dear to my arms, though thou'st undone
my fame,

I can't forget to love thee. Prithee, Jaffier,
Forgive that filthy blow my passion dealt thee;
I'm now preparing for the land of peace,
And fain would have the charitable wishes
Of all good men, like thee, to bless my journey.
Jaf. Good! I am the vilest creature, worse
than e'er

Suffer'd the shameful fate, thou'rt going to taste of.
Why was I sent for to be used thus kindly?
Call, call me villain, as I am! describe
The foul complexion of my hateful deeds:
Lead me to the rack, and stretch me in thy

stead!

Fought nations' quarrels, and been crowned with conquest,

Be exposed a common carcase on a wheel?
Jaf. Ha!

Pier. Speak! is it fitting?
Juf. Fitting!

Pier. Yes; is it fitting?
Jaf. What's to be done?

Pier. I'd have thee undertake
Something that's noble, to preserve my memory
From the disgrace that's ready to attaint it.
Offi. The day grows late, sir.

Pier. I'll make haste. Oh, Jaffier! Though thou'st betrayed me, do me some way justice.

Jaf. No more of that: thy wishes shall be satisfied;

I have a wife, and she shall bleed: my child,

Within your walls; let plagues and famine waste
Your generation—Oh, poor Belvidera!
Sir, I've a wife, bear this in safety to her,

A token, that with my dying breath I blessed her,

And the dear little infant left behind me.
I'm sick-I'm quiet.

[Dies.

Offi. Bear this news to the senate, And guard their bodies, till there's further orders. Heaven grant I die so well!

[Scene shuts upon them. SCENE IV.

Soft Music-Enter BELVIDERA distracted, led by two of her women, PRIULI and Servants. Pri. Strengthen her heart with patience, pitying Heaven!

Bel. Come, come,.come, come, come, nay, come to bed,

Prithee, my love! The winds; hark how they whistle;

And the rain beats: Oh! how the weather shrinks me!

You are angry now, who cares? Pish, no indeed, Chuse then; I say you shall not go, you shall not; Whip your ill-nature; get you gone then. Oh! Are you returned? See, father, here he's come again:

Am I to blame to love him? O, thou dear one, Why do you fly me? Are you angry still then? Jaffier, where art thou? father, why do you do thus?

Stand off, don't hide him from me. He's here somewhere.

Stand off, I say: What, gone? Remember it, ty

rant:

THE text is done, and now for application;
And when that's ended, pass your approbation.
Though the conspiracy's prevented here,
Methinks I see another hatching there;
And there's a certain faction fain would sway,
If they had strength enough, and damn this play:
But this the author bade me boldly say;
If any take this plainness in its part,
He's glad on't from the bottom of his heart;
Poets in honour of the truth should write,
With the same spirit brave men for it fight.

And though against him causeless hatreds rise,
And daily where he goes of late, he spies
The scowl of sullen and revengeful eyes,
'Tis what he knows, with much contempt to
bear,

And serves a cause too good to let him fear:
He fears no poison from an incens'd drab,
No ruffian's five-foot sword, nor rascal's stab;
Nor any other snares of mischief laid,
Not a Rose-alley-cudgel ambuscade,
From any private cause where malice reigns,

Or general pique all blockheads have to brains: Nothing shall daunt his pen when truth does call; No, not the picture-mangler at Guildhall.

The rebel tribe, of which that vermin's one, Have now set forward, and their course begun; And while that prince's figure they deface,

As they before had massacred his name, Durst their base fears but look him in the face, They'd use his person as they've us'd his fame:

A face in which such lineaments they read

Of that great martyr's, whose rich blood the shed,

That their rebellious hate they still retain,
And in his son would murder him again.
With indignation then, let each brave heart
Rouse, and unite to take his injur'd part;
Till royal love and goodness call him home,
And songs of triumph meet him as he come;
Till heaven his honour, and our peace re
store,

And villains never wrong his virtue more.