 | Werter |  |
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ACT. IV.
SCENE ALBERT's Apartment,Enter CHARLOTTE and LAURA.
Charlotte.
If dreams are ominous, some dreadful woe
Is not far distant, Laura, from thy friend—
For even now opprest with heaviest care,
I sought for comfrot in a short repose;
And my wild brain was harrassed with a dream
So terrible ! that it will banish sleep
For ages from my soul.
Laura.
O, heed it not!
It can portend no harm.
Charlotte.
Hear then, and judge—
Methought! alone and in the dead of night,
Whilst light'ning fill'd each pause the thunder made,
And the pale moon in the blackest clouds was lost,
I wildly wander'd to that dreary vale—
That vale! where Werter first confess'd his love,
And oft in secret sigh'd!—But to my tale—
The light'ning's fire, and moon's few scatter'd rays,
Just shew'd the awful horror of the scene;
Loud roaring waves rush'd o'er the fertile fields,
And the whole valley seem'd a tossing sea.
Sad echo doubl'd every hollow sound,
And nature with complete disorder groan'd!
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How could your fancy form so wild a scene?
Indeed 'twas terrible!
Charlotte.
But mark the end,
The fork'd light'ning flashed a sudden glare;
And far, far off, a towering cliff appear'd!
Urg'd, at the moment, of a secret wish
To gain its summit—in the flood I plung'd!
And driven by the torrent, reach'd its foot—
Loud hollow'd the wind, the tempest still increas'd—
Trembling—sad omen! I began to climb—
And midway saw—oh, horrible to tell!—
An human being, on the highest verge,
With arms outstretch'd, propending o'er the deep—
I scream'd aloud—struck with the sudden noise;
He started—madening I flew to his relief,
And saw with eyes, as frantic as his own—
The lost, deserted Werter—O Laura!
I wak'd in terrors, and centuries of time
Can never wear the image from my mind
Enter ALBERT.
Albert.
And still will Charlotte fly her Albert's arms?
Still will she leave him to lament alone?
Oh! if my soul could find a secret charm,
That gently could attract thy heart to mine,
Or gain me but a share of that dear treasure!
High heaven itself would be a poor conceit
Of Albert's happiness!
Charlotte.
Nay, talk not thus—
It stings me to the soul, to hear thee chide.
Love's deepest wounds, affliction's sharpest pangs,
Would be indulgence to reproof from thee!
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Thou little know'st
How thou art rooted here!—in early youth,
Thy lovely form first planted in my soul;
There long it liv'd, and charm'd my wandering senses;
But nurs'd by time it grew into esteem—
And friendship budding blossom'd soon to love:
The fruit, alas! has not fulfill'd my hopes;
But, oh! the plant is firmly rooted here,
And here shall flourish 'till the stock decays!
How can'st thou wonder then that thy sad eye
Attracts unwilling frowns from mine!
Charlotte.
Oh, Albert!
E'er this thou should'st have known, 'tis Charlotte's fate,
To torture most, where most she means to please.
Albert.
Be what thou wilt.
Be pleas'd, be silent, be content or sad,
I will still love thee, and be blest to share
Thy pleasures or afflictions—but come, my life!
I came to tell thee that some sudden news
Compels me hence until to-morrow noon—
'Tis hard to part so long!
Charlotte.
Alas! my Lord,
What news so suddenly can force thee hence?
I hope no ill at Francfort!
Albert.
None, my fair;
I am compell'd to hasten to the court—
No common mandate forces me away:
But I have done—in this one fond embrace,
Let my farewell be known!—e'er noon to-morrow
I shall again my only joy behold!
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solus.
Farewell! and may the unrelenting heavens,
That show'r down curses on this wretched head,
Lavish their blessings on the generous Albert.
Oh! how my soul still struggles to forget
What most it meditates, what most it loves!
But ah! how vain! still 'midst the dying embers
Of smother'd passion, some decaying spark
Kindles the latent fire, and by the conflict fann'd.
Soon it expands o'er all the healed soul,
And blazes fierce again!—O, Werter, Werter!
Yes, I may blame thee, but never can forget thee;
A sacred sympathy attach'd me first.
Time since has stamp'd thine image on my heart,
And the impression is engrav'd for ever!
Should we e'er meet again;—deluding thought!
It thrills like light'ning through my trembling frame,
And penetrates my soul—ha!—Werter!
Enter WERTER.
Werter.
That very wretch!
Charlotte
(turning away.)
Some kind protecting angel guard me now!
O watch me at this awful moment!
Werter.
Heavens!
Is it possible?—can she abandon me?
She—who would smile if Werter was but pleas'd!
She—who would weep if Werter did but sigh!
Charlotte.
We must not be alone—
The scene is alter'd since we parted last—
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Am I so lost that I distrust myself?
So mean, so cowardly! must I be watch'd
Lest I prove false?—Hence, idle visions, hence!
I am alone protectress of myself,
And dare defy all love's seducing arts,
To shake one atom of my virtue!
Werter.
Oh!
It was not always thus!—the time has been
When Charlotte would have flown to sooth her Werter:
But now 'tis well!—he'll trouble her no more—
He came oppress'd with sorrow and despair—
Yes, almost broken with a weight of woes,
To seek for succour in his only hope.
Like one that's shipwreck'd in a dreadful storm,
Struggling he sought the last remaining plank
To save his sinking soul!—but that avoids him—
Even there his hopes are lost—then let the storm
Come on! it cannot injure now!
[Throws himself on the couch.
Charlotte
(looking sometimes at him and flying to him.)
O, Werter!
Why will you plunge in misery again?
Why will you leave the shelter of your friends
For this distracted scene?
Werter.
Charlotte, I came
To you alone! one gentle hour of love,
Snatched at a time so circumstanc'd as this,
Is better than an age of other life!
Charlotte.
Werter, no more—this is no time for love—
O let the torturer for ever sleep
In silent peace! for should he wake again,
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Once more I charge thee to subdue a passion
So vainly, madly form'd! a passion joined
To sure destruction!—why is it only me?
Me, that's another's?—alas! I much, much fear
The conscious thought—I can be never thine
Only encreases the enraged desire!
Werter.
Did Albert furnish thee with this reflection?
'Tis a profound one.
Charlotte.
Nay, think me not severe!
By heaven, e'en now my struggling heart recoils
While thus it chides! and could the trembler speak,
'Twould tell thee that it pants to sooth and share
Each pang that tortures thine—but as the cause
Of all thy sorrows; it should seem not harsh
That pity prompts me to invent a cure!
Werter.
And know'st thou of a cure?
Charlotte.
Return to Manheim—
Time may do much—absence, perhaps much more;
Another object too may change the scene—
One who deserves thy love, who'll hear thy tale,
And by dividing, dissipate thy woes:
And when past sorrows shall be quite forgot,
Bring her to Walheim, and with us enjoy
The purest pleasures perfect friendship yields.
Werter.
All will be well e'er long—all will be well!
Charlotte.
Do not oppose my wish—for well you know
Albert has been most kind—his generous love
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Than willingly torment him with a care!
Therefore, alas! I tremble as I speak!
We meet with prudence, or we meet no more!
[Here they both rise.
Werter.
'Tis well—'tis very well!
Charlotte.
Honour incites
The fix'd resolve!—heavens! relieve me now!
I scarce have power to speak—ha! thou art pale!
Werter.
Or meet no more!
Charlotte.
Why knawest thou so thy lip?
Werter.
Or meet no more!
Charlotte.
What wild mysterious words!
Some smother'd passion struggles in thy breast.
Speak—
Werter.
I dare not.
Charlotte.
O speak, in mercy speak.
'Tis death to see thee thus!
Werter.
Death!
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Ay, Werter, death!
Werter.
Death—ha! did'st thou say death!—Lo! where he stalks!
See how he shakes his bloody spear at me!
Hence, thou pale warrior, hence!
Thou can'st not hurt!
[Takes Charlotte by the hand.
You shall not, cannot part us!
Alas! where am I?—Ah, my brain is turned!
Pity me, Charlotte, pity me! I am
The veriest wretch alive!
Charlotte.
Alas! my Werter.
Werter.
Oh! forgive me; the raging tumult's o'er
And I'm again myself—'twas but a fancy
Of my too-troubl'd mind—Think on't no more
Some better subject may employ our thoughts.
Oft have we chac'd the heavy hour away
In reading Opian—May we not read again?—
Charlotte.
Here is your own translation of his songs.
[Here they seat themselves.
Werter.
O! Charlotte, what ravages hard time has made
Since last I read them—Of that no more—
Alas! the leaf's turn'd down
Where hopeless Armin mourns his murder'd child!
Werter
reads.
“Alone on the sea-beat rock my daughter was
heard to complain—frequent and loud were her
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I stood on the shore—I saw her by the faint beam
of the Moon, and before morning appear'd her voice
was weak—It died away, like the evening breeze
amongst the grass of the rocks—spent with grief
she expir'd and left thee, Armin—alone!—
[Here Werter throws down the book, seizes Charlotte's. hand and weeps over it—she leans on her other arm, holding her handkerchief to her eyes—they are both in the utmost agitation—In this unhappy story they feel their own misfortunes.—At length Charlotte says, “Go on.”
Werter
reads.
“Why dost thou awake me, O! gale!—It seems
to say I am cover'd with the drops of Heaven—
The time of my fading—is near, and the blast—
that shall scatter my leaves—to-morrow—shall
the traveller come—He that saw me in my beauty
—shall come—His eyes shall search the field
—But—they will not—find me!”
[These words fall like a stroke of thunder on the heart of the unfortunate Werter! In despair he throws himself at her feet, seizes her hand and puts it to his forehead. An apprehension of his fatal project, for the first time, struck Charlotte—she is distracted.
Charlotte
, starting from the couch.
Heavens! Suicide—am I to be so curst?
Is there no mercy to be found in Heaven?
Is virtue ever to be tortur'd thus?—
O Werter! Werter!
[Falling on him.
Werter.
I will not lose thee—
Thus let me ever clasp thee to my heart.
[Here they lose sight of every thing, and the whole world disappears before them.—He clasps her in his arms and strains her to his bosom.
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Werter!
(with a faint voice)
Werter!
(gently pushing
him away)
Werter!
(with the firm voice of virtue)
This is the last time!—we never—never—meet
again!—
[Exit.
Werter
, solus.
Now art thou satisfied indignant fate!
Is not thy vengeance glutted now?—Then look
And sate thy soul with triumph and revenge,
For I am curst beyond the reach of Hope!
Heavens! how the tempest rages in my brain!
'Tis all on fire!—O! Charlotte, Charlotte,
Once more come forth and soften me to calmness.
[Throws himself on the couch.
Enter ALBERT.
Albert.
The night and ceasless fury of the storm
Compell'd me to return—strange fancies too
Perplex my mind and agitate me much.
I know not what to think—How! Werter here!
This is most strange!—But Albert have a care,
Suspect not without cause, for when thou dost,
Then art thou damn'd indeed!—Of all calamities
Suspicion I have yet avoid'd most—
And ever will!—Welcome again to Walheim.
Werter
, not looking up.
Away—away—and leave me to my Sorrows.
Albert.
Still on affliction Werter—I hop'd e'er this
Thy friends had chac'd each dismal care away,
And quite restor'd thee to thy former peace.
O 'tis a weakness to be ever thus!
Look up my friend—'tis Albert speaks—
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Albert!
The last on earth I would intrude on thus:
Oh! Albert, do I merit this from thee?
Am I not most unworthy of thy friendship?
Albert.
Unworthy!—now by you, Heaven, I swear,
There's not an action (unallied to sin)
However dangerous, however painful,
But I would willingly attempt for Werter!
Werter
(taking Albert by the hand.)
Then, Albert, hear!—and O! ye powers above!
That ever blast the wishes of my soul,
For once be merciful, and grant my prayer!
Let anguish, sorrow, and despair combine,
To form in unison one perfect wretch!
And let that wretch be Werter!—but gracious heaven!
Let all the curses that are lavish'd here,
Be doubl'd in thy mercies blessings there.
Let purest pleasure, let perpetual peace,
Eternal happiness, and constant love,
Attend him even to the hour of fate!
But long avert that hour!—He deserves it all—
I can no more—my spirits weaken fast—
I prithee bear me hence.—
Albert.
Bear on my arm.
A little quiet will restore thy strength—
Thou shalt rest here to-night.
Werter.
I thank thee much—
But I have business that compels me hence:
Yes; I have that which cannot be postpon'd!
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Nay, sigh not Werter—you will be soon at peace.
Werter.
Yes, Albert! very soon!—I would be gone—
Albert.
I will conduct thee.
Werter.
How can I ever make thee a return!
Albert.
Nay, say no more—bear up my friend—bear up—
Time will restore you to your wonted peace.
[Exeunt,
END OF THE FOURTH ACT.
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