"To rise with all his garrison-My friends "With brave impatience wait." The mine is laid, And only wants my kindling touch to spring.

SCENE II.

[Exit Osm.

SIGISMUNDA's Apartment. Enter SIGISMUNDA and

LAURA.

Laura. Heavens! 'tis a fearful night!

Sig. Ah! the black rage

[Thunder.

Of midnight tempest, or th' assuring smiles.
Of radiant morn, are equal all to me.
Nought now has charms or terrors to my breast,
The seat of stupid wo!—Leave me, my Laura.
Kind rest, perhaps, may hush my woes a little.
Oh, for that quiet sleep that knows no morning!
Laura. Madam, indeed I know not how to go.
Indulge my fondness-Let me watch a while
By your sad bed, 'till these dread hours shall pass.
Sig. Alas! what is the toil of elements, [Thunder.
This idle perturbation of the sky,

To what I feel within ?-Oh, that the fires
Of pitying heaven would point their fury here!
Good night, my dearest Laura.

Laura. Oh, I know not

What this oppression means-But 'tis with pain,

With tears, I can persuade myself to leave you

Well then-Good night, my dearest Sigismunda.

[Exit.

Sig. And am I then alone?—The most undone, Most wretched being now beneath the cope Of this affrighting gloom that wraps the worldI said I did not fear-Ah, me! I feel

A shivering horror run through all my powers! Oh, I am nought but tumult, fears and weakness! And yet how idle fear when hope is gone,

Gone, gone for ever!-Oh, thou gentle scene

[Looking towards her bed. Of sweet repose, where, by th' oblivious draught Of each sad toilsome day, to peace restor❜d, Unhappy mortals lose their woes awhile,

Thou hast no peace for me !-What shall I do? How pass this dreadful night, so big with terror ?— Here, with the midnight shades, here will I sit,

[Sitting down.

A prey to dire despair, and ceaseless weep
The hours away-Bless me-I heard a noise-

[Starting up.

No-I mistook-nothing but silence reigns

And awful midnight round-Again!-Oh, heavens! My lord the king!

Enter TANCRED.

Tan. Be not alarm'd, my love!

Sig. My royal lord, why at this midnight hour,

How came you hither?

Tan. By that secret way

My love contriv'd, when we, in happier days,
Us'd to devote these hours, so much in vain,
To vows of love, and everlasting friendship.
Sig. Why will you thus persist to add new stings
To her distress, who never can be thine?
Oh, fly me! fly! you know-

Tan. I know too much.

Oh, how I could reproach thee, Sigismunda!
Pour out my injur'd soul in just complaints!
But now the time permits not, these swift moments-
I told thee how thy father's artifice

Forc'd me to seem perfidious in thy eyes.

"Ah, fatal blindness! not to have observ'd

"The mingled pangs of rage and love that shook me: "When by my cruel public situation

"Compell'd, I only feign'd consent, to gain "A little time, and more secure thee mine."

E'er since-a dreadful interval of care!

My thoughts have been employ'd, not without hope, How to defeat Siffredi's barbarous purpose.

But thy credulity has ruin'd all,

Thy rash, thy wild-I know not what to name it-
Oh, it has prov'd the giddy hopes of man

To be delusion all, and sick’ning folly!

Sig. Ah, generous Tancred! ah, thy truth destroys me!

Yes, yes, 'tis I, 'tis I alone am false!

My hasty rage, join'd to my tame submission,
More than the most exalted filial duty

Could e'er demand, has dash'd our cup of fate

With bitterness unequal'd-But, alas!

What are thy woes to mine?-to mine! just Heaven!
Now is thy turn of vengeance-hate, renounce me!
Oh, leave me to the fate I well deserve,
To sink in hopeless misery!-at least,
Try to forget the worthless Sigismunda!

Tan. Forget thee! No! Thou art my soul itself! I have no thought, no hope, no wish but thee! "Even this repented injury, the fears,

"That rouse me all to madness, at the thought "Of losing thee, the whole collected pains

"Of my full heart, serve but to make thee dearer." Ah, how, forget thee !-Much must be forgot, Ere Tancred can forget his Sigismunda !

Sig. But you, my lord, must make that great effort. Tan. Can Sigismunda make it?

Sig. Ah, I know not

With what success-But all that feeble woman
And love-entangled reason can perform,

I, to the utmost, will exert to do it.

"Tan. Fear not 'Tis done !-If thou canst form the thought,

"Success is sure—I am forgot already.

"Sig. Ah, Tancred!-But, my lord, respect me

more.

?

"Think who I am- -What can you now propose "Tan. To claim the plighted vows which Heaven

has heard,

"To vindicate the rights of holy love

"By faith and honour bound, to which compar'd

"These empty forms, which have ensnar'd thy hand,
"Are impious guile, abuse, and profanation-
"Nay, as a king, whose high prerogative
"By this unlicens'd marriage is affronted,
"To bid the laws themselves pronounce it void.
"Sig. Honour, my lord, is much too proud to
catch

"At every slender twig of nice distinctions.
"These for th' unfeeling vulgar may do well:
"But those, whose souls are by the nicer rule
"Of virtuous delicacy nobly sway'd,

Stand at another bar than that of laws.
"Then cease to urge me-Since I am not born
"To that exalted fate to be your queen-
"Or, yet a dearer name-to be your wife!-
"I am the wife of an illustrious lord

"Of your own princely blood; and what I am, "I will with proper dignity remain.

"Retire, my royal lord.-There is no means "To cure the wounds this fatal day has given. "We meet no more!"

Tan. Oh, barbarous Sigismunda!

And canst thou talk thus steadily; thus treat me
With such unpitying, unrelenting rigour ?
Poor is the love, that rather than give up

A little pride, a little formal pride,

The breath of vanity, can bear to see

The man, whose heart was once so dear to thine,

By many a tender vow so mix'd together,

A prey to anguish, fury and distraction!