Yes. 'Tis Parthenia's voice, I know the found.
Some fylvan ravisher would force the maid,
And Laura fent me to her virtue's aid.
Die, villain, die; and feek the fhades below.

[Lycidas fnatches the dagger from Dione, and fabs ker.

DIONE.

Whoe'er thou art, I blefs thee for the blow.

LYCIDAS.

Since Heaven ordain'd this arm thy life should guard, O hear my vows! be love the just reward.

PARTHENIA.

Rather let vengeance, with her swiftest speed,
O'ertake thy flight, and recompence the deed!
Why ftays the thunder in the upper sky?
Gather, ye clouds; ye forky lightnings, fly:
On thee may all the wrath of Heaven descend,
Whose barbarous hand hath flain a faithful friend.
Behold Alexis !

LYCIDAS,

LYCIDAS.

-Would that treacherous boy

Have forc'd thy virtue to his brutal joy?
What rouz'd his paffion to this bold advance ?
Did e'er thy eyes confefs one willing glance ?
I know, the faithlefs youth his truft betray'd;
And well the dagger hath my wrongs repaid.

DIONE. [Raifing herself on her arm.

Breaks not Evander's voice along the glade ?
Ha! is it he who holds the reeking blade!
There needed not or poifon, fword, or dart;
Thy faithlefs vows, alas! had broke my heart. [Afide.

PARTHENIA.

O tremble, fhepherd, for thy rath offence,
The fword is dy'd with murder'd innocence !
His gentle foul no brutal paffion feiz'd,
Nor at my bofom was the dagger rais'd;
Self-murder was his aim; the youth I found
Whelm'd in defpair, and ftay'd the falling wound.

DIONE.

Into what mifchiefs is the lover led,

Who calls down vengeance on his perjur'd head!

0

may he ne'er bewail this defperate deed,

And may, unknown, unwept, Dione bleed! [Afide.

LYCIDAS.

What horrors on the guilty mind attend!

His confcience had reveng'd an injur'd friend,
Hadft thou not held the ftroke. In death he fought
To lofe the heart-confuming pain of thought.

Did not the fmooth-tongu'd boy perfidious prove,
Plead his own paffion, and betray my love?

DIONE.

O let him ne'er this bleeding victim know;
Left his rash transport, to revenge the blow,
Should in his dearer heart the dagger stain !

That wound would pierce my foul with double pain.

PARTHENIA.

How did his faithful lips (now pale and cold)
With moving eloquence thy griefs unfold!

LYCIDAS.

Was he thus faithful? thus, to friendship true?
Then I'm a wretch. All peace of mind, adieu!
If ebbing life yet beat within thy vein,
Alexis, fpeak; unclofe thofe lids again.

[Afide.

Flings himself on the ground near Dione. See at thy feet the barbarous villain kneel! "Tis Lycidas who grafps the bloody fteel, Thy once-lov'd friend.-Yet, ere I ceafe to live, Canft thou a wretched penitent forgive?

DIONE.

When low beneath the fable mould I reft,

May a fincerer friendship fhare thy breast!

Why are thofe heaving groans? (ah! ceafe to weep!)
May my loft name in dark oblivion fleep;
Let this fad tale no fpeaking ftone declare,
From future eyes to draw a pitying tear.

Let

Let o'er my grave the leveling plough-fhare pass,
Mark not the spot; forget that e'er I was.
Then mayft thou with Parthenia's love be bleft,
And not one thought on me thy joys moleft!
My fwimming eyes are over-power'd with light,
And darkening shadows fet before my fight :
May'ft thou be happy! ah! my foul is free.

LYCIDAS.

O cruel fhepherdefs, for love of thee
This fatal deed was done.

[Dies.

[To Parthenia.

SCENE THE LAST.

LYCIDAS, PARTHENIA, LAURA.

LAURA.

-Alexis flain!

LYCIDAS.

Yes. 'Twas I did it. See this crimson ftain!
My hands with blood of innocence are dy'd.
O may the moon her filver beauty hide
In rolling clouds! my foul abhors the light;
Shade, fhade the murderer in eternal night!

LAURA.

No rival fhepherd is before thee laid;
There bled the chafteft, the fincereft maid
That ever figh'd for love. On her pale face,
Cannot thy weeping eyes the feature trace

Of thy once dear Dione? With wan care
Sunk are those eyes, and livid with despair!

May heaven shower vengeance on this perjur'd head I` As the dry branch that withers on the ground,

So, blafted be the hand that gave the wound!

Off; hold me not.

This heart deferves the ftroke;

'Tis black with treachery. Yes: the vows are broke

[Stabs himself.

Which I fo often swore. Vain world, adieu !

Though I was false in life, in death I'm true. [Dies.

LAURA.

To-morrow fhall the funeral rites be paid,
And these Love-victims in one grave be laid.

PARTHENIA.

There fhall the yew her fable branches fpread,
And mournful cypress rear her fringed head.

LAURA.

From thence fhall thyme and myrtle fend perfume,
And laurel ever-green o'erfhade the tomb.

PARTHENIA.

Come, Laura, let us leave this horrid wood,,

Where ftreams the purple grafs with lovers' blood;

VOL. II.

U

Come