Pol. Within thy arms
I triumph'd: rest had been my foe.
Mon, 'Tis done

[She faints.
Pol. She faints ! No help! who waits? A curse 460
Upon my vanity, that could not keep
The secret of my happiness in silence.
Confusion! we shall be surpris'd anon,
And consequently all must be betray'd.
Monimia! She breathes-Monimia-

Mon. Well
Let mischiefs multiply! Let ev'ry hour
Of my loath'd life yield me increase of horror!
Oh, let the sun to these unhappy eyes
Ne'er shine again, but be eclips'd for ever;
May every thing I look on seem a prodigy,
To fill my soul with terrors, till I quite.
Forget I ever had humanity,
And grow a curser of the works of nature!

Pol. What means all this?

Mon. Oh, Polydore, if all
The friendship e'er you vow'd to good Castalio
Be not a falsehood ; if you ever lov'd
Your brother, you've undone yourself and me.

Pol. Which way can ruin reach the man that's rich,
As I am, in possession of thy sweetness ?

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Mon. Oh! I'm his wife.
Pol. What says Monimia ! hah!
Speak that again."
Mon. I am Castalio's wife.
Pol. His marry'd, wedded wife?

my

Mon. Yesterday's sun Saw it perform’d.

Pol. And then, have I enjoy'd
My brother's wife ?

Mon. As surely as we both
Must taste of misery, that guilt is thine.

“ Pol. Must we be miserable then ?
" Mon. Oh!"
Pol. Oh! thou mayst yet be happy.

Mon. Couldst thou be
Happy, with such a weight upon thy soul ?

Pol. It may be yet a secret ; I'll go try
To reconcile and bring Castalio to thee;
Whilst from the world I take myself away, 500
And waste my life in penance for sin.
Mon. Then thou wouldst more undo me; heap a

load
Of added sins upon my wretched head.
Wouldst thou again have me betray thy brother,
And bring pollution to his arms? Curst thought !
Oh, when shall I be mad indeed !

“ Pol. Nay, then
“ Let us embrace, and from this very moment
“ Vow an eternal misery together.

“ Mon. And wilt thou be a very faithful wretch ? “ Never grow fond of cheerful peace again ? « Wilt thou with me study to be unhappy, “ And find out ways how to increase affliction?

“ Pol. We'll institute new arts unknown before, “ To vary plagues, and make 'em look like new ones.

[Ex. Mon.

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" First, if the fruit of our detested joy
" A child be born, it shall be murder'd

" Mon. No;
“ Sure that may live.
« Pol. Why?

520 " Mon. To become a thing “ More wretched than its parents, to be branded “ With all our infamy, and curse its birth.”

Pol. “ That's well contriv’d.” Then thus I'll go, Full of my guilt, distracted where to roam, “ Like the first wretched pair expell’d their Paradise," I'll find some place where adders nest in winter, Loathsome and venomous : where poisons hang Like gums against the walls : where witches meet by night, and feed upon some pamper'd imp, Fat with the blood of babes: There I'll inhabit, And live up to the height of desperation ; Desire shall languish like a withering flow'r, " And no distinction of the sex be thought of." Horrors shall freight me from those pleasing harms, And I'll no more be caught with beauty's charms, “ But when I'm dying take me in thy arms.” [Exeunt.

ACT V. SCENE 1.

A Garden. CASTALIO lying on the Ground. Soft Music.

W SONG.
COME, all ye youth's, whose hearts e'er bled

“ By cruel beauty's pride ;
“ Bring each a garland on his head,

“ Let nore his sorrows hide :
" But hand in hand around me move,

Singing the saddest tales of love ;
“ And see, when your complaints ye join,
“ If all your wrongs can equal mine.

“ The happiest mortal once was 1;

“ My heart no sorrows knew, “ Pity the pain with which I die ;

" But ask net whence it grew. “ Yet if a tempting fair you find, “ That's very lovely, very kind,

Though bright as heav'n, whose stamp she bears, “ Think of my fate, and shun her snares."

See where the deer trot after one another,
Male, female, father, daughter, mother, son,
Brother and sister, mingled all together.
No discontent they know; but in delightful
Wildness and freedom, pleasant springs, fresh her-

bage,

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Calm arbours, lusty health and innocence,
Enjoy their portion; if they see a man,
How will they turn together all, and gaze
Upon the monster-
Once in a season too they taste of love :
Only the beast of reason is its slave :
And in that foily drudges all the year.

Enter ACASTO.

Acast. Castalio! Castalio!

Cast. Who's there
So wretched but to name Castalio?

Acast. I hope my message may succeed!

Cast. My father! 'Tis joy to see you, though where sorrow's nourish’d. “ Acast. I'm come in beauty's cause ; you'll guess

66 the rest. “ Cast. A woman! If you love my peace of mind, “ Name not a woman to me; but to think “ Of woman, were enough to taint my brains “ 'Till they ferment to madness.

Oh, my father! “ Acust. What ails my boy?

“ Cast. A woman is the thing “I would forget, and blot from my remembrance.

“ Acast. Forget Monimia !

“ Cast. She, to choose : Monimial “ The very sound's ungrateful to my sense. “ Acast. This might seem strange, but you, I've

found, will hide

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