Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub

1

To regions unexplor'd, fecure to share

She faid her brimful
:

Thy state; nor hell shall punishment appear;
And heav'n, is double heav'n, if thou art there.
eyes, that ready stood,
And only wanted will to keep a flood,
Releas'd their watry ftore, and pour'd amain,
Like clouds low hung, a fober show'r of rain;
Mute folemn forrow, free from female noife,
Such as the majesty of grief deftroys;
For, bending o'er the cup, the tears she shed
Seem'd by the posture to discharge her head,
O'er fill'd before; and (oft her mouth apply'd
To the cold heart,) she kiss'd at once, and cry'd.
Her maids, who ftood amaz'd, nor knew the caufe
Of her complaining, nor whofe heart it was ;
Yet all due measures of her mourning kept,
Did office at the dirge, and by infection wept;
And oft enquir'd th' occasion of her grief,
(Unanswer'd but by fighs) and offer'd vain relief.
At length, her stock of tears already shed,
She wip'd her eyes, the rais'd her drooping head,
And thus purfu'd: O ever faithful heart,
I have perform'd the ceremonial part,
The decencies of grief; it refts behind,

That as our bodies were, our fouls be join'd;

1

To thy whate'er abode, my fhade convey,
And as an elder ghost, direct the

way.

She faid; and bade the vial to be brought,
Where the before had brew'd the deadly draught:
First pouring out the med'cinable bane,

The heart, her tears had rins'd, fhe bath'd again;
Then down her throat the death fecurely throws,
And quaffs a long oblivion of her woes.

This done, the mounts the genial bed, and

there

(Her body first compos'd with honest care)
Attends the welcome reft; her hands yet hold
Close to her heart the monumental gold;
Nor farther word fhe fpoke, but clos'd her fight,
And quiet fought the covert of the night.
The damfels, who the while in filence mourn'd,
Not knowing, nor fufpecting death fuborn'd,
Yet, as their duty was, to Tancred fent;
Who, confcicus of th' occafion, fear'd th' event.
Alarm'd, and with prefaging heart, he came,
And drew the curtains, and expos'd the dame
To lothfome light: then with a late relief
Made vain efforts, to mitigate her grief.
She, what she could, excluding day, her eyes
Kept firmly feal'd, and fternly thus replies:

Tancred, restrain thy tears, unfought by me, And forrow unavailing now to thee: Did ever man before afflict his mind, To fee th' effect of what himself defign'd? Yet, if thou haft remaining in thy heart Some fenfe of love, fome unextinguish'd part Of former kindness, largely once profefs'd, Let me by that adjure thy harden'd breast, Not to deny thy daughter's last request: The fecret love which I fo long enjoy'd, And still conceal'd, to gratify thy pride, Thou haft disjoin'd; but, with my dying breath, Seek not, I beg thee, to disjoin our death; Where'er his corps by thy command is laid, Thither let mine in public be convey'd ; Expos'd in open view, and fide by fide, Acknowledg'd as a bridegroom and a bride.

The prince's anguish hinder'd his reply: And she, who felt her fate approaching nigh, Seiz'd the cold heart, and heaving to her breast, Here, precious pledge, fhe faid, fecurely reft: These accents were her laft; the creeping death Benumb'd her senses first, then stopp'd her breath. Thus the for disobedience justly dy'd:

The fire was justly punish'd for his pride:

The youth, least guilty, fuffer'd for th' offence,
Of duty violated to his prince;

Who late repenting of his cruel deed,
One common fepulchre for both decreed;
Intomb'd the wretched pair in royal state,
And on their monument infcrib'd their fate.

AND

HONORIA.

[ocr errors]

F all the cities in Romanian lands,

The chief, and moft renown'd, Ravenna
ftands,

Adorn'd in ancient times with arms and arts,
And rich inhabitants, with gen'rous hearts.
But Theodore the brave, above the rest,
With gifts of fortune and of nature blefs'd,
The foremost place for wealth and honor held,
And all in feats of chivalry excell'd.

This noble youth to madness lov'd a dame,
Of high degree, Honoria was her name;
Fair as the faireft, but of haughty mind,
And fiercer than became fo foft a kind,
Proud of her birth; (for equal fhe had none;)
The rest she scorn'd; but hated him alone,
His gifts, his constant courtship, nothing gain'd;
For the, the more he lov'd, the more difdain'd.
He liv'd with all the pomp he could devise,
At tilts and tournaments obtain'd the prize;
But found no favor in his lady's eyes:

}

« EdellinenJatka »