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LYCIDAS.

-Would that treacherous boy

Have forc'd thy virtue to his brutal joy?
What rouz'd his paffion to this bold advance?
Did e'er thy eyes confefs one willing glance?
I know, the faithlefs youth his trust betray'd;
And well the dagger hath my wrongs repaid.

DIONE. Raifing herself on her arm.

Breaks not Evander's voice along the glade?
Ha! is it he who holds the reeking blade!
There needed not or poifon, fword, or dart;
Thy faithlefs vows, alas! had broke my heart. [Afide.

PARTHENIA.

O tremble, fhepherd, for thy rafh offence,
The fword is dy'd with murder'd innocence !
His gentle foul no brutal paffion feiz'd,
Nor at my befom was the dagger rais'd'};
Self-murder was his aim; the youth I found
Whelm'd in defpair, and stay'd the falling wound.

DIONE

Into what mifchiefs is the lover led,

Who calls down vengeance on his perjur'd head!
O may he ne'er bewail this defperate deed,

And may, unknown, unwept, Dione bleed ! [Afidé.

LYCIDAS.

What horrors on the guilty mind attend!

His confcience had reveng'd an injur'd friend,
Hadft thou not held the ftroke. In death he fought
To lofe the heart-confuming pain of thought.

Did not the smooth-tongu'd boy perfidious prove,
Plead his own paffion, and betray my l

DIONE.

O let him ne'er this bleeding victim know;
Left his ra tranfport, to revenge the blow,
Should in his dearer heart the dagger stain !

That wound would pierce my foul with double pain.

PARTHENIA.

How did his faithful lips (now pale and cold)
With moving eloquence thy griefs unfold!

LYCIDAS.

Was he thus faithful? thus to friendship true?
Then I'm a wretch. All peace of mind, adieu!
If ebbing life yet beat within thy vein,

Alexis, fpeak; unclose those lids again.

[Afide

Flings himself on the ground near Dione, See at thy feet the barbarous villam kneel! 'Tis Lycidas who. grafps the bloody fteel, Thy once-lov'd friend.-Yet, ere I ceafe to live, Canft thou a wretched penitent forgive?

DIONE.

When low beneath the fable mould I reft,

May a fincerer friendship share thy breast!
Why are those heaving groans? (ah! cease to weep!),
May my loft name in dark oblivion sleep;
Let this fad tale no speaking stone declare,
From future eyes to draw a pitying tear.

Let

Let o'er my grave the leveling plough-share pass,
Mark not the fpot; forget that e'er I was.
Then mayft thou with Parthenia's love be bleft,
And not one thought on me thy joys moleft!
My fwimming eyes are over-power'd with light,
And darkening fhadows fleet before my fight:
May'st thou be happy! ah! my foul is free.

LYCIDAS.

[Dies.

O cruel fhepherdefs, for love of thee [To Parthenia. This fatal deed was done.

SCENE THE LAST.

LYCIDAS, PARTHENIA, LAURA.

LAURA.

-Alexis flain!

LYCIDAS.

Yes. 'Twas I did it. See this crimson stain!
My hands with blood of innocence are dy'd.
O may the moon her filver beauty hide
In rolling clouds! my foul abhors the light;
Shade, fhade the murderer in eternal night!
LAURA.

No rival fhepherd is before thee laid;
There bled the chafteft, the fincereft maid
That ever figh'd for love. On her pale face,
Cannot thy weeping eyes the feature trace

Of

Of thy once dear Dione? With wan care
Sunk are thofe eyes, and livid with despair!

Dione !

LYCIDAS.

LAURA.

-There pure conftancy lies dead!''

LYCIDAS.

May heaven shower vengeance on this perjur'd head 1~ As the dry branch that withers on the ground,

So, blafted be the hand that gave the wound!

Off; hold me not. This heart deferves the ftroke; 'Tis black with treachery. Yes: the vows are broke

[Stabs himself.

Which I fo often swore. Vain world, adieu I
Though I was false in life, in death I'm true.

LAURA.

To-morrow shall the funeral rites be paid,
And these Love-victims in one grave be laid...

PARTHENIA.

There shall the yew her fable branches spread,
And mournful cypress rear her fringed head.

LAURA.

[Dies.

From thence shall thyme and myrtle fend perfume,
And laurel ever-green o'erfhade the tomb.

PARTHENIA.

Come, Laura, let us leave this horrid wood,

Where streams the purple grafs with lovers' blood;

VOL. II.

U

Come

Come to my bower. And, as we forrowing go,
Let poor Dione's story feed my woe

With heart-relieving tears.—

LAURA.

[Pointing to Dione.

-Unhappy maid!

Hadft thou a parent's just command obey'd,
Thou yet hadft liv'd.-But who fhall Love advise?
Love fcorns command, and breaks all other ties.
Henceforth, ye fwains, be true to vows profest;
For certain vengeance ftrikes the perjur'd breast.

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