University of Virginia Library

SCENE II.

A Chamber in Aurelia's House.
Two Arm Chairs.
Aurelia Sola.
Aur.
I wonder much at my Bassino's stay:
Oh! Love! how swiftly fly thy Hours away
When we are blest! How tedious are thy minutes
When cruel absence parts two longing Lovers!
Enter Florella.
Is my Bassino come? speak—

Flor.

No, Madam, A young stranger desires to speak with you:
He says you are not acquainted with his Name, but will soon with
his business, which is something of great import, that can be told to
none but your self.

Aur.

A Stranger business with me! I know of none I have with
strangers—Heaven! what's this?

I feel a sudden throbbing in my Heart,
As if 'twas conscious of some fatal News—
Aside.
Womanish Fears—Admit him— (Exit Florella)
it must be
One of Bassino's Friends, whom he intrusts
To be a witness of our Marriage Vows.

Enter Placentia in mans Cloaths.
Plac.
Madam, I was inform'd that Count Bassino
Was to be here—And having things t'impart
That much concern him, I made bold to come—

Aur.
Sir, I expect him straight—if you're his Friend
I will account you mine—Be pleas'd to sit.

Both sit.
Plac.
My Brother, Madam, is extreamly happy
In being favour'd by so fair a Lady—

Aur.
Your Brother, Sir! is then my Lord your Brother?

Plac.
Madam he is.

Aur.
Then I may call you Brother too:
For all the Solemn Vows of Love have past
Twixt him and me—And blissful Hymen waits
With lighted Torch to tie the Sacred Knot,
Which shall be done this Hour—

Plac.
This hour! say you? Oh! Madam, have a care:
You tread inchanted Ground, and e're you know
What Path you take, you're hurried to Destruction.

Aur.
Where lies the Danger?

Plac.
Oh! 'Tis a fatal Tale, yet you must hear it:
Therefore summon your Courage to your Aid,
For you will need it all, whilst I relate
The fatal story—

Aur.
Ah! how I tremble!
Say, is he dead? has any murderous Villain
Kill'd my Bassino?

Plac.
No—he is well in health: but his distemper'd mind
Is of a wild and feaverish Disposition,
Longing to taste, what tasted will undo him.

Aur.
Your speech is all a Riddle: Pray, speak plainer:
But yet, e're you proceed, if Count Bassino lives,
I care not what must follow, since he's mine.

Plac.
No, he's not yours—Nor ever must.

Aur.
'Tis false—There's not a Pow'r on Earth can part us:
Perhaps
You think my Blood too base to mix with yours—
But, Sir, your Brother loves me, and in Love
All Ranks are equal—

Plac.
No—I wish that were all:
But there's a greater obstacle—He—is—married—
Oh! Gods! Unfortunately married!

Aur.
Married!

Plac.
Yes—Married—to my Sister;
To my unfortunate, abandon'd Sister.
Oh! do not you conspire t'undo her quite;
It is enough, she's false Bassino's Wife.

Aur.
Gods! Married!
And is it possible! Oh! Faithless men!
Oh! Truth! Oh! Justice! Whither are you fled?
Now all my Fears and Horrors are explain'd.

Pla.
I'm glad I reach'd this place in time, to hinder
Those ills that must have waited on your Marriage,
Now it is in your power, both to be happy,
And, in some measure, make my Sister so.

Both rise.
Aur.
A Paradox in Nature—Bid Aurelia
Be happy, when you rob her of her Heaven!
Her dear Bassino!
Indeed your Sister may be counted happy,
If she's his Wife—Ha—Wife—By Heaven! 'tis false—
No, no—He has no other Wife but me—
He is not married, you bely him basely—
He cannot be so treacherous—

Pla.
Madam, I swear, whate're I said is truth—
Do but defer this marriage for a day,
And if I don't produce convincing Proofs,
May all the Plagues a Woman can invent
Fall on my perjur'd head—

Aur.
Defer our Marriage—No, by Heaven I will not.
I can't suspect him—Neither do I think
You durst maintain this story to his Face.

Pla.
Madam, I dare; Nay, which is more, I'll die,
Or vindicate my injur'd Sister's Honour—

Aur.
Bold Arrogance!
Oh! That he were but here to answer the Affront,
Perhaps he may have wrong'd your Family:
Debauch'd your Sister; for which you would force him
To marry her?—But, I must tell Thee, Boy,
He's mine already: nor would he forsake me
To hold Command o're all the Universe.

Plac.
Oh! Heaven! must I bear this!

Aur.
Nay, expect more, if he should find you here,
'Tis not your being Brother to his Mistress,
That will secure you from his just Revenge.

Pla.
Revenge! Nay, then away with all Disguise.
Pity, be gone—And in its room fell rage
Take place, that I may dash that haughty Insolence
That dares to treat me thus—Know, Madam,
I am his Wife—his lawful, wedded Wife.
With borrow'd Shape I came to try your Virtue,
Which I have found so light, that the least puff
Of wanton Love will blast it—Else my Visit
Had met a better welcome—Here with Sword in hand
I'll wait his coming,
Draws.
And as he enters pierce thy haughty Breast.
I know he loves Thee, and therefore 'tis brave
Revenge, to let him see thy dying Pangs:
Thy parting Sighs will rack him worse than Hell.

Aur.
His Wife! Oh! Insolence!
In vain you waste your breath, it moves not me:
So much I love him, so much I'm belov'd,
That should an Angel from yond Heaven descend,
To tell me he's marry'd, I'd not credit him.
Kill me if you dare—He will revenge my death:
That pleasing thought gives Courage to my Soul;
To live without him would be Death indeed!
No—he'll ne're leave me for a common thing,
For such I'm sure Thou art—

Plac.
Common! Proud wretch—by Heaven that word gives wings
To my Revenge—Vile Creature, dye—

Stabs her.
Aur.
Help,—Murder, murder—

Enter Bassino.
Bass.
Ha—That to thy heart— [kills Plac.]
Wer't thou a Demi-god
And durst attempt this Shrine, thus shouldst thou fall—

Plac.
falling.
Oh! Bassino! Oh!

Aur.
Oh! hold, my Lord, what has your rashness done?
I only should have dy'd—I'll not upbraid
Your Treachery—No, 'tis the hand of heaven
That guides the stroke that takes my guilty Life,
For being Faithless to Alonzo.

Bass.
Talk not of Death, my fair, my Dear Aurelia.
That very Sound does harrow up my Soul.
But who art thou whose sacrilegious hand
Durst to profane the Temple of my Love?

Plac.
I am your Wife—Your loving Wife Placentia.
Oh! Pardon this rash Deed; blame jealous Love—
And grace me with a sigh, that I may die contented.

Bass.
My VVife! And Kill'd by me!
Under what load of Miseries I stand!
Oh! horror! horror! Infinite of Guilt!
Hurl now your vengeful Bolts, Almighty Powers,
On my devoted Head!
Oh! I have wrong'd you both: Deceiv'd you basely:
Thus prostrate on the Ground, let me beg Pardon;
Throws himself on the ground.
I do not ask it with Design to live.

Aur.
Oh! Dear Bassino, live:
And try to save her, for she's innocent:
We only are in fault—
I urg'd my wretched Fate with impious Language,
For which I beg forgiveness: Generous Lady,
Let not my Soul depart with Guilt opprest.

Plac.
As I forgive you, so may Heaven me.

Bass.
Oh! Placentia! oh! my Wife!

Aur.
One thing more and I'm happy—
Were but Alonzo here, that I might ask
Forgiveness for my Falshood! But, alas!
My Spirits faint within my frozen Veins,
And every Thing seems double to my sight:
Oh! How I dread th'uncertain future State!

Bass.
Unhappy Maid! Oh! my once dear Aurelia!
Curst, Curst Bassino! Oh! my Wife! How dare
I stand the View of both these injur'd Women!
Oh! Heaven! Why name I Heaven! Heaven will not hear
A wretch like me—No, even Hell wants Torment
Proportion'd to my Guilt—Oh! my Placentia! oh!

Plac.
Oh! My dear Lord, I cannot see you thus:
Live, live, my Lord; be happy when I'm dead.
Nay, for your sake, I wish Aurelia too
May live to make you happy—

Bass.
Oh! hold!
Heap not more Curses on me by your kindness:
I wish that she might live, but not for me,
Only to clear me from her guilty blood—
Oh! Placentia!

Plac.
Rise, my Lord, rise: Do not indulge your Woe,
Your Sighs atone for all, and make e'en Death a Pleasure—
I see him coming, he will soon be here—

Bass.
No, I will never rise: ne're see the Day.
The Sun would blush to shine on such an impious wretch.
Here let me lye, and tear with these curst hands
Tears the ground in a distracted manner.
A passage thro the Earth, and hide my Face for ever.

Alon.
within.
Where, where's this Villain? Where's Bassino?

Aur.
'Tis Alonzo's Voice.
Oh! fly, my Lord, fly from his just Revenge.

Enter Alonzo hastily.
Bass.
Fly—
Where shall I fly from Justice? No, Heaven is kind
In sending him to help my Journey forward.

Alon.
Where's Bassino.

Bass.
rising.
Here, Sir, I stand.

Alon.
Then there stands a Villain—Ha—what
Do I see!—Aurelia murder'd!
Oh! treacherous Maid, thy Love hast cost thee dear.
Think on thy broken Vows, and call to Heaven for Mercy.
Thy death I will revenge, because I lov'd thee once.

Aur.
Oh! Alonzo, pardon me.

Alon.
to Bassino.
Now Villain, now what story, what pretence
Canst thou invent to avoid my just Revenge?
Oh! That I ne're had listned to thy Tongue!
Thy base, perfidious Tongue! Then all these Murders
Had been prevented, and thou curst in Hell—
Thou Monstrous Fiend—

Bass.
You talk too much—Let's see what you can do:
Thus I return your Villain—

Alon.
Take thy reward.

They fight, Bassino falls.
Enter Armando.
Arm.
Hold! hold: Oh! Gods! I'm come too late.
What has my fatal Friendship done!
Ha—Placentia too—curst Letter!

Bass.
My Friend Armando! Oh! I blush to see thee:
But let me have your Pardon—now I need it.

Arm.
Oh! first pardon me—
For I have been the cause of all this mischief.
Whilest my officious Friendship strives to save you,
I bring you all to this unhappy end.
Say, can you pardon me?

Bass.
I do—
And oh! my Friend! had Vertue been my Guide,
As it was thine, I still were truly happy.

Aur.
Where am I?
Why do I hover thus 'twixt Rest and Misery?
Oh! good Alonzo, say you pardon me,
And let me die in Peace, else full of Horror
My Guilty Soul must wander in the Shades
Of gloomy night, and never, never rest.

Alon.
Thou hast my Pardon, and with it this Promise
Never to love again—

Aur.
Oh! you're—too—kind—And I want—
Breath to thank—you—Farewel.

Dies.
Bass.
Oh! Placentia!
Embraces her.
Thus in thy Arms my Thread of Life shall break.

Plac.
My Lord, my Husband, Oh! come nearer yet,
That I may take a parting kiss, to smooth
My Passage to the Realms of endless night.
Kisses him.
So—Now—I dye—much happier than I lived.
Farewel—

Dies.
Bass.
Farewel, Fair Excellence! Thou best of Wives!
But I shall quickly follow—Yet before I go,
I beg, Alonzo, let my Death atone
For all the Injuries my Life has done you.
Oh! spare my Memory, when I'm no more.

Alon.
By Heaven!
I see such Vertue struggling in thy Breast,
As makes me wish I could prevent the Flight
Of thy departing Soul—

Bass.
No, no—I would not live:
Hadst thou not come, my Hand had set me free.
But now I fell more nobly, and less guilty.
My Friend, my Dear Armando,
Haste to inform my Prince Bassino rests:
But hide, if possible, my shame: And let
One Grave hold both this wretched Corps and mine.
Oh! my Placentia—

Dies.
Alon.
Unhappy Pair! But far more wretched me!
For I must live, and live without Aurelia!
Tho I'm convinc'd she lov'd me not, I can't
Banish her Image from my Love-sick mind.
Oh! that I ne're had seen the Charming Fair!

Arm.
The Gods are just in all their Punishments:
And by this single Act, we plainly see
That Vengeance always treads on Perjury.
And tho sometimes no Bolts be at us hurl'd,
Whilst we enjoy the Pleasures of this World;
Yet a day waits, a Day of general Doom,
When guilty Souls must to an Audit come;
Then that we may not tremble, blush or fear,
Let our Desires be Just: our Lives unsullied here.

Exeunt Omnes.