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Show 18 GUSTAFUSVASA Arvida owes his Freedom. Grift. How, m y Friend I Arv. Some Months are pafs'd lince in the Damjh Dungeon With Care emaciate, and anwholfome Damps Sick'ning I lay, chain'd to ray flinty Bed, And call'd on Death to cafe m e • • Strait a Light fhone roijpd, ai when the Miniftry of Hcav'n delcenda to kneeling Saints. But O ! the Form That ponr'd upon m y Sight Ye Angels fpeak ! tor ye alone are like her ; Or prefent fuch Vifions pictur'd to the nightly Eye Of Fancy trans'd in Blift. She then approach'd, The fofreft Pattern of embodied Meeknefs, For Pity had divinely touch'd her Kye, And harmoniz'd her Motions Ah, flic cry'd, unhappy Stranger, Art not thou the M a n whofe Virtues have endear'd thee to Guftavus? Guft. Guftavus did ihe fay ? Arv. Yes, yes, her Lips Breath'd forth that N a m e with a peculiar Sweetnefo. Loos'd from m y Bonds, I rofe, at her Command, When, fcarce rccov'ring Speech, I would have kneel'd, But hafte thee, hafte thee for thy Life, fhe cry'd i And O, if e'er thy envied Eyes behold T h y lov'd Guftavus; fay, a gentle Foe Has giv'n thee to his Friendship. Guft. You've much amaz'd m e ! Is her N a m e a Secret ? Arv. T o me it is but you perhaps may gueft. Guft. No, on m y Word. Arv. You too had your Deliv'rer. Guft. A kind, but not a fair one Wf11, *ny Friends ! Our Cafe is ripe, and calls us forth to A&ion. Tread ye not lighter ? Swells not ev'ry Breaft With ampler Scope to take your Country in, An 4 The Deliverer of his Cotntry. * 9 And breath thee Caufe of Virtue ? Rife, yc Swede*' Rife greatly equal to th s Hour's Importance. On us the Eves of future Ages wait, S d this Days'. Arm fMke. forth decifive Fate ; This Day, that ihall for ever fink or fave ; And make each Swede a Monarch---or a Slav* The End of th Firjl AH, ft % ACT |