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Show 118 The Difappomtment 5 or, I ^ M O T H E R in Fajhion. 119 S C E N E changes to AlphonfoV Htt& Erminia fitting. Enter Lorenzo and Clara* Lor. Your Lady not a-bed ? Clar. Alas, in Tears She has fpent the Night, rereov'd from Comfort And from all Eyes, fhe mourns the Hours away Lor. M y Vifit may difturb her more. Clar. She fays you are always Welcome. Lor. She rifes: I will venture on, and fpare Your farther Service. r^ H o w is it with you, Madam ? rjj, &, Erm. As with one, W h o , wandring over a wide, barren Wafte, Views the laft Circles of the finking Sun, Then gazing round, quite deftitute of Hope, Forfaken and forlorn, fits fighing down, T o mix with Night, and entertain Defpair: Y o u are that friendly Traveller, w h o m Chance Has this w a y brought, to guide m e fafely Home; O lend fome charitable Succour to me, And let m e ftray no farther from m y Joys! Lor. There's fuch an Angel Innocence appears, And pleads her Caufe i'th' Front of all her Crimes, That if i look upon her, I muft think That 'tis impoflible fhe fhould be damn'd. Erm. The Hand of Heav'n has reach'd myCrimesj w h y ! O h w h y fhou'd I complain ? Yet I muft own, W h e n I reflect upon Alphonfis Lofs ! O h when I think on that, m y poor Heart fwetts, Beats in m y Breaft, and rifes at its Wrongs, Bifputes the Juftice of the Courts above, And thinks m y Punifhment outweighs m y Crimes. Lor. She'll talk m e from the Credit of my Scale, If fhe goes on ! Erm, O h had wife Heav'n deHgn'd irove m y Virtue this w a y 5 I had flood i.as the Foot of Refolution, »weary'd out the Trval of a Saint! jftions of all kinds, the Lofs of Friends, Shame of Poverty, the Hand of Want, ifes, Infamy j all, all together e me far off the Comforts of this World * my Alphonfo ! O h I cannot think ,ife without him. Heav'n has made us one, fhall the Malice of our Fate divide us. . It was Alberto, for I was awake : '! I'll believe m y Eyes in fpight of Hell. „, Lorenzo -, you, nay you and Heav'n muft dd iftice here, and witnefs to m y Truth. What does fine drive at n o w ? •m. H o w I have ever liv'd, and always will, to' banifht from his Sight, and Bed for ever) truly loving and obedient Wife. or. Indeed a moft obedient, loving Wife I 'rm. Alas I Lorenzo ! I have loft in him that this World calls happy ; and may Peace ftill a Stranger to m y Thoughts, if I guefsa Caufe. )or. Indeed ! is't poftible ? Irm. Thus in this awful Pofture, I invoke v'n, Earth and Men to evidence m y Truth : y Comfort never find me, if my Heart r fcnt a Wifh to any other Man : when m y Eyes have wander'd, they have fixt any other Object of Defire. inwhy ? O h w h y am I thus hardly us'd ? V. In Tears! away ! [end Sorrow to the Grave f thefhle, dry-bon'd Matron wifh and weep Wrinkles full, at the fad Memory thofe dear Joys, that never muft return : think on that; there is the Wretchednefs at fadly Sighs, Youth is not always ours; ut Beauty that invites all Eyes, and n ow arms every Heart, in favour of your Caufe, lien Time fhall fink his Furrows on your Cheeks) I win |