University of Virginia Library

SCENE VI.

Castor
Solus.
But Hell shall seize me ere you have him tho'!
And curse me Heav'n, if Godrick fails to meet
A just Return for all this Treach'ry to me.
—'Tis Self-defence;—'tis but a brave Revenge,
To blast his Peace who'd rob me of my own.
—But whither am I going? must my Hate
Affect an unoffending Sister's Ease?
Shall my mischievous Spleen ingender Strife
Where soft connubial Love so strongly reigns?
This is unjust and cruel—then I die!
O stop not here my Resolution, Thou,
Whose Course no Ties of Nature could withstand:
But down, beat down this last remaining Bar;
So let me reach the Haven of my Joys,
My Ariana! and my dear Revenge.
Eliza, Albert, Godrick, perish all!
And all the World to make my Bliss secure.
And babble on ye Priests; amuse Mankind
With idle Tales of Flames and tort'ring Fiends,
And starry Crowns for patient Suff'rings here.
Yes, gull the Croud, and gain their earthly Goods
For feign'd Reversions in a heav'nly State.
To me, who judge by Reason, vain's your Talk,
When you would urge our Maker gave us Passions,
Those forceful Biasses to human Souls,
For Opposition only, and Restraint.
As if that Being, whom you picture kind,
Should place us here, bound up by Tyrant Laws,
To act in contradiction to our selves!
Hah!—what the End of such Creations? say;
Unless by Miseries, to make him sport!
O self-destructive Suppositions all;
Fallacious Arguments.—If there's a God,
And good; he made us surely to be happy.
And where does Pleasure, where Enjoyment dwell?
—The wiser Brutes can tell, who prove them most.
Reason's an idle Vaunt; 'tis Rapture charms!
Our Senses are the Jackalls to our Souls,
To spring the noble Game on which they feed;
Fruition in Delight is all our Joy,
The only heav'nly Feast!—Why then, I'll on,
And bear down all that bar my way to bliss.
Hah!—here Eliza comes: O lucky Chance!
Now Heav'n, or Hell, or any Power, assist
To drive domestic Mischief to his Heart:
I'll spoil his medling, with officious Zeal,
In what destroys a Brother's darling Hopes.