Alm. No cause! Peace, peace; there is eternal cause, And misery eternal will succeed. Thou canst not tell-thou hast indeed no cause. Leon. Believe me, Madam, I lament Anselmo, And oft, at night, when all have been retir'd, 20 Have stol'n from bed, and to his prison crept; Leon. Love of my royal mistress gave me cause; My love of you begot my grief for him; His most industrious goodness could invent; 40 Proposing, by a match between Alphonso "Alm. Alphonso! O, Alphonso! "Thou too art quiet-long hast been at peace"Both, both-father and son are now no more. "Then why am I? Oh, when shall I have rest? "Why do I live to say you are no more? "Why are all these things thus ?-Is it of force? "Is there necessity I must be miserable? "Is it of moment to the peace of Heav'n, "That I should be afflicted thus ?—If not, "Why is it thus contriv'd? Why are things laid "By some unseen hand, so, as of sure consequence, “They must to me bring curses, grief of heart, "The last distress of life, and sure despair? 62 "Leon. Alas! you search too far, and think too deeply." Alm. Why was I carried to Anselmo's court? Or there, why was I us'd so tenderly ? Why not ill-treated, like an enemy? For so my father would have us'd his child. Oh, Alphonso, Alphonso! Devouring seas have wash'd thee from my sight. No time shall raze thee from my memory; No, I will live to be thy monument: The cruel ocean is no more thy tomb: But in my heart thou art interr'd; there, there, Thy dear resemblance is for ever fix'd; My love, my lord, my husband still, tho' lost. Leon. Husband! Oh, Heav'ns! Alm. Alas! what have I said? My grief has hurry'd me beyond all thought. 80 I would have kept that secret; though I know Thy love, and faith to me deserve all confidence. "But 'tis the wretch's comfort still to have "Some small reserve of near and inward woe, "Some unsuspected hoard of darling grief, "Which they unseen may wail, and weep, and mourn, "And, glutton-like, alone devour. Leon. Indeed, "I knew not this. "Alm. Oh, no, thou know'st not half, "Know'st nothing of my sorrows-if thou didst— "If I should tell thee, would'st thou pity me? "Tell me; I know thou would'st; thou art compassionate." "Indeed I do, for pitying thy sad mistress: "For 'tis, alas! the poor prerogative "Of greatness to be wretched, and unpitied— "But I did promise I would tell thee-What? "My miseries! Thou dost already know 'em: "And when I told thee thou didst nothing know, "It was because thou didst not know Alphonso: 100 "For to have known my loss, thou must have known "His worth, his truth, and tenderness of love." Leon. The memory of that brave prince stands fair In all report And I have heard imperfectly his loss; But, fearful to renew your troubles past, Alm. If for my swelling heart I can, I'll tell thee. And bulging 'gainst a rock, was dash'd in pieces; Alm. That day, that fatal day, our hands were join'd. For when my lord beheld the ship pursuing, And saw her rate so far exceeding ours, He came to me, and begg'd me by my love, I would consent the priest should make us one; I might be his, beyond the power of fate ; Alm. 'Twas as I have told thee For which I mourn, and will for ever mourn; While I have life, and thought of my Alphonso. 140 "Leon. Look down, good Heav'n, with pity on her sorrows, afflictions. "And grant that time may bring her some relief. "Alm. Oh, no! time gives increase to my "The circling hours, that gather all the woes "Which are diffus'd thro' the revolving year, "Come heavy laden with th' oppressing weight "To me; with me, successively, they leave "The sighs, the tears, the groans, the restless cares, "And all the damps of grief, that did retard their flight: "They shake their downy wings, and scatter all "The dire collected dews on my poor head : "Then fly with joy and swiftness from me." [Shouts at a distance. |