Hannah More

“ True tenderness is less solicitous, Less prudent and more fond; the enamour'd heart, Conscious it loves, and blest in being lov'd, Reposes on the object it adores, And trusts the passion it inspires and feels.— Thou hast not learnt how terrible it is To feed a hopeless flame.—But hear, Elwina, Thou most obdurate, hear me.— Elw. Say, my lord, For your own lips shall vindicate my fame, Since at the altar I became your wife, Can malice charge me with an act, a word, I ought to blush at? Have I not still liv'd As open to the eye of observation, As fearless innocence should ever live? ”

“ Be calm; Douglas this very moment left the castle, With seeming peace. Elw. Ah, then, indeed there's danger! Birtha, whene'er Suspicion feigns to sleep, 'Tis but to make its careless prey secure. Bir. Should Percy once again entreat to see thee, 'Twere best admit him; from thy lips alone He will submit to hear his final doom Of everlasting exile. Elw. Birtha, no; If honour would allow the wife of Douglas To meet his rival, yet I durst not do it. Percy! too much this rebel heart is thine: Too deeply should I feel each pang I gave; I cannot hate—but I will banish—thee. ”

“ Enter Elwina.
Elw. Each avenue is so beset with guards, And lynx-ey'd Jealousy so broad awake, He cannot pass unseen. Protect him, heaven! Enter Birtha. My Birtha, is he safe? has he escap'd? Bir. I know not. I dispatch'd young Harcourt to him, To bid him quit the castle, as you order'd, Restore the scarf, and never see you more. But how the hard injunction was receiv'd, Or what has happen'd since, I'm yet to learn. Elw. O when shall I be eas'd of all my cares, And in the quiet bosom of the grave Lay down this weary head!—I'm sick at heart! Should Douglas intercept his flight! Bir. ”

“ Yet do not press me to disclose my grief, For when thou know'st it, I perhaps shall hate thee As much, my Edric, as I hate myself For my suspicions—I am ill at ease. Edr. How will the fair Elwina grieve to hear it! Dou. Hold, Edric, hold—thou hast touch'd the fatal string That wakes me into madness. Hear me then, But let the deadly secret be secur'd With bars of adamant in thy close breast. Think on the curse which waits on broken oaths; A knight is bound by more than vulgar ties, And perjury in thee were doubly damn'd. ”

“ Sir H. She may be chang'd, Spite of her tears, her fainting, and alarms. I know the sex, know them as nature made 'em, Not such as lovers wish and poets feign. Per. To doubt her virtue were suspecting Heaven, 'Twere little less than infidelity! And yet I tremble. Why does terror shake These firm-strung nerves? But 'twill be ever thus, When fate prepares us more than mortal bliss, And gives us only human strength to bear it. Sir H. What beam of brightness breaks through yonder gloom? Per. Hubert—she comes! by all my hopes, she comes! 'Tis she—the blissful vision is Elwina! ”

“ Imperious honour;—surely I may pity him. Yet, wherefore pity? no, I envy thee: For thou hast still the liberty to weep, In thee 'twill be no crime: thy tears are guiltless, For they infringe no duty, stain no honour, And blot no vow; but mine are criminal, Are drops of shame which wash the cheek of guilt, And every tear I shed dishonours Douglas. Per. I swear my jealous love e'en grudges thee Thy sad pre-eminence in wretchedness. Elw. Rouse, rouse, my slumb'ring virtue! Percy, hear me. Heaven, when it gives such high-wrought souls as thine, Still gives as great occasions to exert them. ”

“ If she laments him, he's my rival still, And not the grave can bury my resentment. Raby. The truly brave are still the truly gen'rous; Now, Douglas, is the time to prove thee both. If it be true that she did once love Percy, Thou hast no more to fear, since he is dead. Release young Harcourt, let him see Elwina, 'Twill serve a double purpose, 'twill at once Prove Percy's death, and thy unchang'd affection. Be gentle to my child, and win her heart By confidence and unreproaching love. ”

“ Sir H. I should not be believ'd in Percy's camp, If I should tell them that their gallant leader, The thunder of the war, the bold Northumberland, Renouncing Mars, dissolv'd in amorous wishes, Loiter'd in shades, and pin'd in rosy bowers, To catch a transient gleam of two bright eyes. Per. Enough of conquest, and enough of war! Ambition's cloy'd—the heart resumes its rights. When England's king, and England's good, requir'd, This arm not idly the keen falchion brandish'd: Enough—for vaunting misbecomes a soldier. ”

“ Percy—I cannot speak. Per. Those tears how eloquent! I would not change this motionless, mute, joy For the sweet strains of angels: I look down With pity on the rest of human kind, However great may be their fame of happiness, And think their niggard fate has given them nothing, Not giving thee; or, granting some small blessing, Denies them my capacity to feel it. Elw. Alas! what mean you? Per. Can I speak my meaning? 'Tis of such magnitude that words would wrong it; But surely my Elwina's faithful bosom Should beat in kind responses of delight, And feel, but never question, what I mean. ”

“ Raby. Did he? Did Percy? O gallant boy, then I'm thy foe no more; Who conquers for my country is my friend! His fame shall add new glories to a house, Where never maid was false, nor knight disloyal. Sir H. You do embalm him, lady, with your tears: They grace the grave of glory where he lies— He died the death of honour. ”

“ Come—I'll die at once; Thou Power supreme! take all the length of days, And all the blessings kept in store for me, And add to her account.—Yet turn once more, One little look, one last, short glimpse of day, And then a long dark night.—Hold, hold, my heart, O break not yet, while I behold her sweetness; For after this dear, mournful, tender moment, I shall have nothing more to do with life. Elw. I do conjure thee, go. Per. 'Tis terrible to nature! With pangs like these the soul and body part! ”

“ Can you resolve To hide those wond'rous beauties in the shade, Which rival kings would cheaply buy with empire? Can you renounce the pleasures of a court, Whose roofs resound with minstrelsy and mirth? Elw. My lord, retirement is a wife's best duty, And virtue's safest station is retreat. Dou. My soul's in transports! [aside] But can you forego What wins the soul of woman—admiration? A world, where charms inferior far to yours Only presume to shine when you are absent! Will you not long to meet the public gaze? Long to eclipse the fair, and charm the brave? ”

“ All selfish cares be for a moment banish'd; I've now no child, no kindred but my country. Elw. Weak heart, be still, for what hast thou to fear? Enter Sir Hubert. Raby. Welcome, thou gallant knight! Sir Hubert, welcome! Welcome to Raby Castle!—In one word, Is the king safe? Is Palestine subdu'd? Sir H. The king is safe, and Palestine subdu'd. Raby. Blest be the God of armies! ”

“ But Douglas. Raby. [puts his hand to his sword.] You?—O spare my age's weakness! You do not know what 'tis to be a father; You do not know, or you would pity me, The thousand tender throbs, the nameless feelings, The dread to ask, and yet the wish to know, When we adore and fear; but wherefore fear? Does not the blood of Raby fill her veins? Dou. Percy;—know'st thou that name? Raby. How? What of Percy? Dou. He loves Elwina, and, my curses on him! He is belov'd again. Raby. I'm on the rack! Dou. Not the two Theban brothers bore each other Such deep, such deadly hate as I and Percy. Raby. ”

“ Now, Sir Hubert, By all the saints, thou'rt a right noble knight! O why was I too old for this crusade! I think it would have made me young again, Could I, like thee, have seen the hated crescent Yield to the Christian cross.—How now, Elwina! What! cold at news which might awake the dead? If there's a drop in thy degenerate veins That glows not now, thou art not Raby's daughter. It is religion's cause, the cause of Heaven! Elw. When policy assumes religion's name, And wears the sanctimonious garb of faith Only to colour fraud, and license murder, War then is tenfold guilt. Raby. ”

“ By your own promise, by a father's promise, And by a tie more strong, more sacred still, Mine, by the fast firm bond of mutual love. Raby. Now, by my fears, thy husband told me truth. Elw. If he has told thee, that thy only child Was forc'd a helpless victim to the altar, Torn from his arms who had her virgin heart, And forc'd to make false vows to one she hated, Then I confess that he has told the truth. Raby. Her words are barbed arrows in my heart. But 'tis too late. [aside.] Thou hast appointed Harcourt To see thee here by stealth in Douglas' absence? ”

“ 'Tis fear, 'tis hate, 'tis terror, 'tis aversion, 'Tis the cold debt of ostentatious duty, Paid with insulting caution, to remind me How much you tremble to offend a tyrant So terrible as Douglas.—O, Elwina—— While duty measures the regard it owes With scrupulous precision and nice justice, Love never reasons, but profusely gives, Gives, like a thoughtless prodigal, its all, And trembles then, lest it has done too little. ”

“ And have I 'scap'd the Saracen's fell sword Only to perish by Elwina's guilt? I would have bared my bosom to the foe, I would have died, had I but known you wish'd it. Elw. Percy, I lov'd thee most when most I wrong'd thee; Yes, by these tears I did. Per. Married! just Heaven! Married! to whom? Yet wherefore should I know? It cannot add fresh horrors to thy crime, Or my destruction. Elw. Oh! 'twill add to both. How shall I tell? Prepare for something dreadful. Hast thou not heard of—Douglas? Per. Why 'tis well! Thou awful Power, why waste thy wrath on me? Why arm omnipotence to crush a worm? ”

“ Let me not hear the music of thy voice, Or I shall love thee still; I shall forget Thy fatal marriage and my savage wrongs. Elw. Dost thou not hate me, Percy? Per. Hate thee? Yes, As dying martyrs hate the righteous cause Of that bless'd power for whom they bleed—I hate thee. [they look at each other with silent agony.] Enter Harcourt. Har. Forgive, my lord, your faithful knight—— Per. Come, Harcourt, Come, and behold the wretch who once was Percy. Har. With grief I've learn'd the whole unhappy tale. Earl Douglas, whose suspicion never sleeps— Per. What, is the tyrant jealous? ”

“ I ne'er beheld Your gentle soul so ruffled, yet I've mark'd you, While others thought you happiest of the happy, Blest with whate'er the world calls great, or good, With all that nature, all that fortune gives, I've mark'd you bending with a weight of sorrow. ”

“ Now to conceal with care my bosom's anguish, And let her beauty chase away my sorrows! Yes, I would meet her with a face of smiles— But 'twill not be. Enter Elwina. Elw. Alas, 'tis ever thus! Thus ever clouded is his angry brow. ”

“ She who could never love, shall yet obey, thee, Weep thy hard fate, and die to prove her truth. Bir. O unexampled virtue! [a noise without. Elw. Heard you nothing? By all my fears the insulting conqueror comes. O save me, shield me! Enter Douglas. Heaven and earth, my husband! Dou. Yes—— To blast thee with the sight of him thou hat'st, Of him thou hast wrong'd, adultress, 'tis thy husband. Elw. [kneels.] Blest be the fountain of eternal mercy, This load of guilt is spar'd me! Douglas lives! Perhaps both live! [to Birtha.] ”

“ Why this is well! her sense of woe is strong! The sharp, keen tooth of gnawing grief devours her, Feeds on her heart, and pays me back my pangs. Since I must perish 'twill be glorious ruin: I fall not singly, but, like some proud tower, I'll crush surrounding objects in the wreck, And make the devastation wide and dreadful. Enter Raby. Raby. O whither shall a wretched father turn? Where fly for comfort? Douglas, art thou here? ”

“ There is a charm in poetry, which they who have never felt can never imagine; it touches with so gentle a sweetness, it kindles with so keen a fire, it animates with so thrilling a rapture, that its delights exceed the power of utterance, and can be expressed only by gestures or by tears. ”

“ Dou. Where, where, is she? My fond impatience brooks not her delay; Quick, let me find her, hush her anxious soul, And sooth her troubled spirit into peace. Enter Birtha. Bir. O horror, horror, horror! Dou. Ah! what mean'st thou? Bir. Elwina— Dou. Speak— Bir. Her grief wrought up to frenzy, She has, in her delirium, swallow'd poison! Raby. Frenzy and poison! Dou. Both a husband's gift; But thus I do her justice. As Douglas goes to stab himself, enter Elwina distracted,
her hair dishevelled, Percy's scarf in her hand. Elw. [goes up to Douglas.] What, blood again? We cannot kill him twice! ”

“ She's pure as spotless saints. Elw. I will not be excus'd by Percy's crime; So white my innocence, it does not ask The shade of others' faults to set it off; Nor shall he need to sully his fair fame To throw a brighter lustre round my virtue. Dou. Yet he can only die—but death for honour! Ye powers of hell, who take malignant joy In human bloodshed, give me some dire means, Wild as my hate, and desperate as my wrongs! Per. Enough of words. Thou know'st I hate thee, Douglas; 'Tis stedfast, fix'd, hereditary hate, As thine for me ”

“ And did my sighs, and did my sorrows, reach thee? And art thou come at last to dry my tears? How did'st thou 'scape the fury of the foe? Per. Thy guardian genius hover'd o'er the field, And turn'd the hostile spear from Percy's breast, Lest thy fair image should be wounded there. But Harcourt should have told thee all my fate, How I surviv'd—— Elw. Alas! I have not seen him. Oh! I have suffer'd much. Per. Of that no more; For every minute of our future lives Shall be so bless'd, that we will learn to wonder How we could ever think we were unhappy. ”

“ Twice did they meet to-day—my wife and Percy. Raby. I know it. Dou. Ha! thou knew'st of my dishonour? Thou wast a witness, an approving witness, At least a tame one! Raby. Percy came, 'tis true, A constant, tender, but a guiltless lover! Dou. I shall grow mad indeed; a guiltless lover! Percy, the guiltless lover of my wife! Raby. He knew not she was married. Dou. How? is't possible? Raby. Douglas, 'tis true; both, both were innocent; He of her marriage, she of his return. Bir. But now, when we believ'd thee dead, she vow'd Never to see thy rival. ”