Fir'd with a ruffian's boldness, ftrike a Prince!
And can he find a pardon? Shame to thy heart,
Or give my glory the revenge it claims,

Or I will brand thee with a coward's marks,
And teach light boys to fcorn thee.

Athel. If it must be,

Spare me a moment's paufe-'twill foon be past,
And death will want no time to fate his purpofe.
What fhall I do?-to trust him with my foftnefs,
To tell him what, at my request, the King
Was won to grant him, were to feem afraid,
And fhrink from his revenge. -O fatal chain
Of long-depending woes, that guilt is bound to!
Conflicting paffions blaft the bad man's hopes,
And all his thoughts are whirlwind!

Leol. Come on.

Thy blow burns hot, and I will wait no longer. Athel. Hold-Leolyn! Be flow-The chance of conqueft

Is various and unknown-and, fhou'd I fall,

Thou wilt have caufe to grieve, thou didst not hear me. Leol. Never-till vengeance has been paid its full, Never will I grow tame, and hear thee more.

Athel. [Taking up the other fword.] Take thy own way
then. Let deftruction fall,

And find thee, without fhelter.-But fee, the King-
His coming in this place, prevents our purpose,
On, to th' appointed terras.- -Follow me.

[Exeunt together.

Re enter Edgar, with an Officer.

Edg. What Ofwald told me of a fecond quarrel, Renews my anger against Leolyn,

And wakes me into fear of fome new confequence,

From his enlargement.-Take a guard, and bring him, To answer this prefumption.-

[Exit Officer.

Enter

Enter Ofwald.

Osw. Oh, Sir! ———————Unhappy Ethelinda rests; Her forrows are no more.

Edg. What has Fate done?

Ofw. See, Sir! yon terras, which o'erhangs the fea!
Thence, falling fteep at once, the frighted eye

Akes, down a depth of rocks, to reach the furge,
That breaks, unheard, below!-There walking fwift,
With frantic action, in a long, loud fpeech,
The poor distress'd complainer talk'd, and wept
To the wild ocean, told the waves her woes;
And, lift'ning, earnest, oft, in dumb fufpence,
Paus'd for an anfwer:- 'Till at last, more fhrill,
She scream'd refentment to the distant deep.

-

-Thou art, fhe cry'd, as cold, and deaf, as Athelwold. Then, fudden, from her breast, in rash despair, Snatching a dagger

-fhe, with all the rage

Of a refolv'd deftruction, plung'd it, thrice,

In her distracted bofom.

Edg. Alas! for Athelwold!

How will he meet this fight?

Re-enter Officer, and guards, with Leolyn.

Edg. Anfwer me quickly,Where is Athelwold?

Leol. Immortal,

and at peace.

Edg. What!haft thou murder'd him?
Ungrateful, and detefted! murder'd him!

Him, who alone obtain'd thy freedom from me;
And, in the gen'rous anguifh of his guilt,
Pray'd, that his titles, and his forfeit lands,
Might all be thine! Whom, as he wrong'd in life,
He could not reft in death, to leave unhappy.
Leal. This had been daggers to my guilty foul,
Could he have fall'n, by me: But, like a God,
Who fmiles, and pardons, when provok'd by mortals,
He met my rage, with a ferene contempt,
Ee

VOL. I.

Master'd,

Master'd, a fecond time, my failing fword,

And gave me life in punishment.

Live, Leolyn!,

and know,

He cry'd, and fpoke it with an air unmov'd,
Superior, not infulting.

Live

That, had not confcious guilt a point, more strong Thanthine-no wound could reach the breast of Athelwold. Yet, tho' he will not be compell'd to die,

He chufes not to live;

for he has wrong'd thee.

Come, and fee juftice done thee.

At that inftant, The shock of Ethelinda's dreadful fate, Heard, as we pass'd, upon th' extended terras, Alarm'd his care too late. I saw him, Sir, Edg. Go on.

Leol. I faw him, Sir, as I drew near,

Raife his fall'n victim, from the bloody ground,
And, on his cheek, fupport her bending head;
But her weak joints foft finking from their truft,
She hung fuftain'd, and bled upon his bofom.
He 'd-look'd wild,-call'd loud upon her name,
And, for a moment, ftopt her flying foul.
Twice, at his voice, fhe ftretch'd her dying eyes,

And gasp'd—and struggled,-and wou'd fain have spoke;
But, failing- -in a fhort, convulsive sigh,
Breath'd out her foul,-and funk upon his bofom.
He!-standing near the downfall of the cliff,
Strain'd her, with rapture, in his circling arms,
O Leolyn! he cry'd, forgive me, now:
Tell the wrong'd King, I leave his Elfrid, free,
And, thus, too late, do right to Ethelinda.—
Then, fpringing furious, o'er the dreadful rock,
Leap'd, with the dead, to death!-Together, both
Fell, frightful, to the deep; which, closing o'er them,
Veils them, from fenfe of woe, in reft, for ever.

Edg. Great was his guilt, and greatly 'tis aton'd!
Nothing is fafe, but innocence Be it your care
To send out boats, that their recover'd bodies
May reft beneath one marble; over which,
I will erect a cloifter, and endow it,

For

For hourly prayers to Heaven, to reft their fouls. -Hafte, all! and watch th' afflicted Elfrid, near, Affift her,-guard her,-wait, at her apartment, And fave her from her forrow.

Oh! Leolyn, be obstinately just ; Indulge no paffion, and deceive no truft: Let never man be bold enough, to say, Thus, and no farther, fhall my paffion ftray: The firft crime, paft, compels us into more, And guilt grows fate, that was but choice, before.

End of the First Volume.