Against the smooth delusion; but alas!

(Chide not my weakness, gentle maid, but pity me)
A woman's softness hangs about me still:
Then let me blush, and tell thee all my folly.
I swear I could not see the dear betrayer
Kneel at my feet, and sigh to be forgiven,
But my relenting heart would pardon all,

And quite forget 'twas he that had undone me. "Luc. Ye sacred pow'rs, whose gracious provi

dence

"Is watchful for our good, guard me from men, "From their deceitful tongues, their vows, and flat❝teries;

"Still let me pass neglected by their eyes,

"Let my bloom wither, and my form decay,

"That none may think it worth his while to ruin

66 me,

"And fatal love may never be my bane."

Cal. Ha, Altamont! Calista, now be wary,

[Exit.

And guard thy soul's accesses with dissembling: 82
Nor let this hostile husband's eyes explore

The warring passions, and tumultuous thoughts,
That rage within thee, and deform thy reason.

Enter ALTAMONT.

Alt. Begone, my cares, I give you to the winds, Far to be borne, far from the happy Altamont; "For from this sacred æra of my love,

"A better order of succeeding days

"Comes smiling forward, white and lucky all.' Calista is the mistress of the year;

She crowns the season with auspicious beauty,
And bids ev'n all my hours be good and joyful.
Cal. If I were ever mistress of such happiness,
Oh! wherefore did I play th' unthrifty fool,
And, wasting all on others, leave myself
Without one thought of joy to give me comfort?

Alt. Oh, mighty Love! Shall that fair face profane
This thy great festival with frowns and sadness!
I swear it shall not be, for I will woo thee

With sighs so moving, with so warm a transport, That thou shalt catch the gentle flame from me, roo And kindle into joy.

Cal. I tell thee, Altamont,

Such hearts as ours were never pair'd above:
Ill-suited to each other; join'd, not match'd;
Some sullen influence, a foe to both,
Has wrought this fatal marriage to undo us.
Mark but the frame and temper of our minds,
How very much we differ. Ev'n this day,
That fills thee with such ecstacy and transport,
To me brings nothing that should make me bless it,
Or think it better than the day before,

Or

any other in the course of time,

That duly took its turn, and was forgotten.

Alt. If to behold thee as my pledge of happiness, To know none fair, none excellent but thee; If still to love thee with unwearied constancy,

Through ev'ry season, ev'ry change of life,

"Thro' wrinkled age, thro' sickness and misfortune,"

Be worth the least return of grateful love,
Oh, then let my Calista bless this day,

And set it down for happy.

Cal. 'Tis the day

In which my father gave my hand to Altamont;
As such, I will remember it for ever.

Enter SCIOLTO, HORATIO, and LAVINIA.

120

Scio. Let mirth go on, let pleasure know no pause, But fill up ev'ry minute of this day..

'Tis yours, my children, sacred to your loves;
The glorious sun himself for you looks gay;
He shines for Altamont and for Calista.
Let there be music; let the master touch
The sprightly string, and softly-breathing flute,
'Till harmony rouse ev'ry gentle passion,
Teach the cold maid to lose her fears in love,
And the fierce youth to languish at her feet.
Begin ev'n age itself is chear'd with music;
It wakes a glad remembrance of our youth,
Calls back past joys, and warms us into transport.

"SONG,

"BY MR. CONGREVE.

[Music.

"Ah, stay! ah, turn! ah, whither would you fly,

"Too charming, too relentless maid?

"I follow not to conquer, but to die;
"You of the fearful are afraid.

140

"In vain I call; for she, like fleeting air,
"When press'd by some tempestuous wind,
"Flies swifter from the voice of my despair,
"Nor casts one pitying look behind.”

Sci. Take care my gates be open, bid all welcome ; All who rejoice with me to-day are friends:

Let each indulge his genius, each be glad,
Jocund and free, and swell the feast with mirth;
The sprightly bowl shall chearfully go round,
None shall be grave, nor too severely wise;
Losses and disappointments, cares and poverty,
The rich man's insolence, and great man's scorn,
In wine shall be forgotten all. To-morrow
Will be too soon to think, and to be wretched.
Oh, grant, ye pow'rs, that I may see these happy,
[Pointing to Alt. and Cal.
Completely blest, and I have life enough;
And leave the rest indifferently to fate.

[Exeunt.

Hor. What if, while all are here intent on revelling,

I privately went forth, and sought Lothario?
This letter may be forg'd; perhaps the wantonness
Of his vain youth, to stain a lady's fame;
Perhaps his malice to disturb my friend.
Oh, no my heart forebodes it must be true.
Methought, ev'n now, I mark'd the starts of guilt
That shook her soul; tho' damn'd dissimulation
Screen'd her dark thoughts, and set to public view
A specious face of innocence and beauty.

160

"Oh, false appearance! What is all our sovereignty,

"Our boasted pow'r? When they oppose their arts, "Still they prevail, and we are found their fools." With such smooth looks, and many a gentle word, The first fair she beguil'd her easy lord; Too blind with love and beauty to beware, He fell unthinking in the fatal snare;

Nor could believe that such a heav'nly face

Had bargain'd with the devil, to damn her wretched

race.

[Exit.

SCENE II.

The Street near SCIOLTO's Palace. Enter LOTHARIO and ROSSANO.

180

Loth. To tell thee then the purport of my thoughts; The loss of this fond paper would not give me A moment of disquiet, were it not My instrument of vengeance on this Altamont ; Therefore I mean to wait some opportunity Of speaking with the maid we saw this morning. Ros. I wish you, Sir, to think upon the danger Of being seen; to-day their friends are round 'em; And any eye that lights by chance on you,

Shall put your life and safety to the hazard.

Enter HORATIO.

[They confer aside.

Hor. Still I must doubt some mystery of mischief,

Some artifice beneath. Lothario's father!

I knew him well; he was sagacious, cunning,

I