With the faint glimmering of a doubtful hope:
Perhaps, when we have pafs'd thefe gloomy hours,
And weather'd out the ftorm that beats upon us—
LUCIA.

No, Portius, no! I fee thy fifter's tears,
Thy father's anguish, and thy brother's death,
In the purfuit of our ill-fated loves.

And, Portius, here I swear, to heaven I swear,
To heaven, and all the powers that judge mankind,
Never to mix my plighted hands with thine,
While fuch a cloud of mischiefs hangs about us:
But to forget our loves, and drive thee out
From all my thoughts, as far as I am able.

PORTIUS.

What haft thou faid! I'm thunder-ftruck !-Recall Thofe hafty words, or I am loft for ever.

LUCIA.

Has not the vow already pafs'd my lips?
The gods have heard it, and 'tis feal'd in heaven.
May all the vengeance, that was ever pour'd
On perjur'd heads, o'erwhelm me, if I break it!

PORTIU S.

[After a pause.

Fix'd in astonishinent, I gaze upon thee; Like one juft blasted by a stroke from heaven, Who pants for breath, and stiffens, yet alive, In dreadful looks: a monument of wrath!

LUCIA.

At length I 've acted my fevereft part; I feel the woman breaking in upon me,

And

And melt about my heart! my tears will flow.
But oh, I'll think no more! the hand of fate
Has torn thee from me, and I must forget thee.

PORTIU S.

Hard-hearted, cruel maid!

LUCIA.

Oh, ftop thofe founds,

Thofe killing founds! Why doft thou frown upon me?
My blood runs cold, my heart forgets to heave,
And life itself goes out at thy displeasure.
The gods forbid us to indulge our loves,

But, oh! I cannot bear thy hate, and live!

PORTIUS.

Talk not of love, thou never knew'ft its force.

I've been deluded, led into a dream

Of fancied blifs. O Lucia, cruel maid!

Thy dreadful vow, loaden with death, ftill founds
In my ftunn'd ears. What shall I fay or do?
Quick, let us part! perdition 's in thy presence,
And horror dwells about thee!-Ah, fhe faints!
Wretch that I am! what has my rashness done!
Lucia, thou injur'd innocence! thou best
And lovelieft of thy fex! awake, my Lucia,
Or Portius rufhes on his fword to join thee.
—Her imprecations reach not to the tomb,
They shut not out fociety in death.-

But, ah! she moves! life wanders up and down
Through all her face, and lights up every charm.

LUCIA.

O Portius, was this well !—to frown on her

That

That lives upon thy fmiles! to call in doubt
The faith of one expiring at thy feet,

That loves thee more than ever woman lov'd!
-What do I say? My half-recover'd sense
Forgets the vow in which my foul is bound.
Deftruction ftands betwixt us! we must part.

PORTIU S.

Name not the word, my frighted thoughts run back, And ftartle into madness at the found.

LUCIA.

What would't thou have me do? Confider well The train of ills our love would draw behind it. Think, Portius, think, thou feeft thy dying brother Stabb'd at his heart, and all befmear'd with blood, Storming at heaven and thee! thy awful fire Sternly demands the cause, th' accurfed cause, That robs him of his fon! poor Marcia trembles, Then tears her hair, and, frantic in her griefs, Calls out on Lucia! What could Lucia answer? Or how ftand up in fuch a fcene of forrow?

To my

PORTIU S.

confusion and eternal grief,

I must approve the fentence that destroys me.
The mift that hung about my mind clears up;
And now, athwart the terrors that thy vow
Has planted round thee, thou appear'st more fair,
More amiable, and risest in thy charms.
Lovelieft of women! heaven is in thy soul,
Beauty and virtue fhine for ever round thee,
Brightening each other 1 thou art all divine!

5

LUCIA.

LUCIA.

Portius, no more! thy words shoot through my heart, Melt my refolves, and turn me all to love.

Why are those tears of fondness in thy eyes?

Why heaves thy heart? Why fwells thy foul with forrow? It softens me too much.-Farewell, my Portius; Farewell, though death is in the word, for-ever!

PORTIUS.

Stay, Lucia, ftay! What doft thou fay? For-ever!

LUCIA.

Have I not fworn? If, Portius, thy fuccefs Must throw thy brother on his fate, farewell, Oh, how shall I repeat the word! for-ever!

PORTIU S.

Thus o'er the dying lamp th' unsteady flame Hangs quivering on a point, leaps off by fits, And falls again, as loth to quit its hold.

-Thou must not go, my soul still hovers o'er thee, And can't get loose.

LUCIA.

If the firm Portius fhake

To hear of parting, think what Lucia fuffers!

PORTIU S.

'Tis true; unruffled and ferene I 've met
The common accidents of life but here:
Such an unlook'd-for ftorm of ills falls on me,
It beats down all my ftrength. I cannot bear it.
We must not part.

LUCIA.

What dost thou say? Not part?

Haft thou forgot the vow that I have made?

Are there not heavens and gods and thunder o'er us!
But fee thy brother Marcus bends this way!
I ficken at the fight. Once more, farewell;

Farewell, and know thou wrong'ft me, if thou think'st
Ever was love, or ever grief, like mine.

Enter MARCUS.

MARCUS.

[Exit.

Portius, what hopes? How ftands fhe? Am I doom'd To life, or death?

PORTIUS.

What would'st thou have me say?

MARCU S.

What means this penfive posture? Thou appear st amaz'd and terrify'd.

Like one

PORTIU S.

I 've reafon.

MARCU S.

Thy down-caft looks, and thy disorder'd thoughts, Tell me my fate. I ask not the fuccefs

My caufe has found.

PORTIUS.

I'm griev'd I undertook it.

MARCU S.

What? Does the barbarous maid infult my heart,

My aching heart! and triumph in my pains?
That I could caft her from my thoughts for ever!

PORTIUS.

Away! you 're too fufpicious in your griefs;