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Show 54 The FAIR PENITENT. But oh! behold m y proud, difdainful Heart, Bends to the gentler Virtue; yes, I own, Such is thy Truth, thy Tendernefs, and Love, Such are the Graces that adorn thy Youth, That were I not abandon'd to Deftru&ion, With thee I might have liv'd, for Ages bleft, And dy'd in Peace within thy faithful Arms. Alt. Then Happinefs is ftill within our reich; Here let Remembrance lofe her paft Misfortunes, Tear all Records that hold the fatal Story; Here let our Joys begin, from hence go on In long fucccftive Order Cal. What! in Death ? Alt. T h e n art thou fix'd to die But be it fo, We'll go together, m y advent'rous Love Shall follow thee to thofe uncertain Beings; Whether our lifelefs Shades are doom'd to wander In gloomy Groves, with difcontented Ghofts; Or whether thro' the upper Air w e fleet, And tread the Fields of Light, ftill I'll purfue thee, 'Till Fate ordains that w e fhall part no more. Cal. O h n/)! Heav'n has fome better Lot in ftore T o crown thee with ; live, and be happy long; Live for fome Maid that fhall deferve thy Goodnefs, Some kind unpracTis'd Heart, that never yet Has liften'd to the falfe ones of thy Sex, N o r known the Arts of ours; fhe fhall rewai d thee, Meet thee with Virtues equal to thy own, Charm thee with Sweetnefs, Beauty, and with Truth, Be blefLm thee alone, and thou in her. Enter Horatio. Hor. N o w mourn indeed, ye mferable Pair, For now the Meafure of your Woes is full. Alt. W h a t doft thchi mean, Horatio7. Hor. O h ! 'tis dreadful ! T h e great, the good Sciolto dies this Moment. Cal. M y Father! Alt. That's a deadly Stroke indeed. Hor. Not long ago he privately went forth, Attended but by few, and thofe unbidden; And Tk FAIR PENITENT 55 ;, , v,h W » T he took, and ftraight purfo d him, I heard wh eti W »!» , Lotharil>-$ Faftion, For I am all Contagion, Death and Ruin, And Nature fickemat rne> reft, thou World, This Paricide fhall be thy Plague no more* Thus, thus 1 fet thee free. [***' herJelI' Hor. Oh! fatal Rafhnefs! Alt. Thou doft inftrud m e well; to lengthen Lite, Is but a Trifle now. [Altamont offers to kiU himjelf; Horatio frevents him and wrejls his Sword from htm. Hor. Ha! what means The frantick Altamont ? Some Foe to M a n Flas breath'd on ev'ry Breaft contagious Fury, And Epidemick Madnefs. Enter Sciolto, pale and bloody, fupported l>y Servants. Cal. O h my Heart! Well may'ft thou fail, for fee the Spring that fed Thy vital Stream is wafted, and runs low. My Father! will you now at laft forgive me, If after all my Crimes, and all your SufPrings, I call you once again by that dear N a m e ? Will you forget my Shame, and thofe wide Wounds, Lift up your Hand, and blefs me ere I go Down to my dirk Abodes•* JH. Alas! my Daughter! Thou haft rafhly ventur'd in a ftormy Sea, Where Life, Fame, Virtue, all were wreck'd and loft $ But fure thou haft borne thy Part in all the Anguifh, And fmarted with the Pain; then reft in Peace, Let Silence and Oblivion hide thy N a m e, And lave the from tthhee MMaalliiccee ooff PPonfftetr^ittvy,; An& / |