Page:The Revenge - Young (1721).djvu/76
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
58
The REVENGE.
Leon.Unhappy Man! Well may'st thou gaze and tremble;
But fix thy Terror and Amazement right.
Not on my Blood; but on thy own Distraction.
What hast thou done? Whom censur'd?———Leonora.
When thou hadst censur'd, thou would'st save her Life;
O Inconsistent! Should I live in Shame;
Or stoop to any other Means but This,
To assert my Virtue? No: she who disputes,
Admits it possible she might be guilty.
While ought but Truth could be my Inducement to it,
While it might look like an Excuse to thee,
I scorn'd to vindicate my Innocence;
But now, I let thy Rashness know, the Wound
Which least I feel, is that my Dagger made.
[Isabella leads out Leonora.
But fix thy Terror and Amazement right.
Not on my Blood; but on thy own Distraction.
What hast thou done? Whom censur'd?———Leonora.
When thou hadst censur'd, thou would'st save her Life;
O Inconsistent! Should I live in Shame;
Or stoop to any other Means but This,
To assert my Virtue? No: she who disputes,
Admits it possible she might be guilty.
While ought but Truth could be my Inducement to it,
While it might look like an Excuse to thee,
I scorn'd to vindicate my Innocence;
But now, I let thy Rashness know, the Wound
Which least I feel, is that my Dagger made.
[Isabella leads out Leonora.
Alon.Ha! Was this Woman guilty?—and if not—
How my Thought darkens that Way! Grant, kind Heaven,
That she prove guilty, or give Being End.
Is that my Hope then?—Sure the sacred Dust
Of her that bore me trembles in its Urn.
Is it in Man the sore Distress to bear,
When Hope it self, is blacken'd to Despair,
When all the Bliss I pant for, is to gain
In Hell a Refuge from severer Pain? [Ex. Alon.
How my Thought darkens that Way! Grant, kind Heaven,
That she prove guilty, or give Being End.
Is that my Hope then?—Sure the sacred Dust
Of her that bore me trembles in its Urn.
Is it in Man the sore Distress to bear,
When Hope it self, is blacken'd to Despair,
When all the Bliss I pant for, is to gain
In Hell a Refuge from severer Pain? [Ex. Alon.
Enter Zanga.
Zan.How stands the great Account 'twixt me and Vengeance?
Tho' much is paid, yet still it owes me much,
And I will not abate a single Groan.———
Ha! That were well—but That were Fatal too———
Why be it so———Revenge so truly Great
Would come too cheap, if bought with less than Life.
Come Death, come Hell then! 'tis resolv'd, 'tis done.
Tho' much is paid, yet still it owes me much,
And I will not abate a single Groan.———
Ha! That were well—but That were Fatal too———
Why be it so———Revenge so truly Great
Would come too cheap, if bought with less than Life.
Come Death, come Hell then! 'tis resolv'd, 'tis done.
Enter Isabella.
Isab.Ah! Zanga, see me tremble! has not yet
Thy cruel Heart its fill?———Poor Leonora———
Thy cruel Heart its fill?———Poor Leonora———
Zan.Welters in Blood, and gasps for her last Breath.
What then? We all must dye.
What then? We all must dye.
Isab.