University of Virginia Library

SCENE VII.

Castor
and Eliza.
Hail, fair Eliza, take my kind Salutes:
With Joy I see you wear a chearful Look,
And unconfin'd to Scenes of moping Woe.

Eliza.
The Rites of Friendship point my anxious Steps
To mourning Ariana: long the Links
Of gentle Fellowship have bound our Hearts.

Castor.
The World indeed is full of friendly Zeal:
Your Husband too is Ariana's Friend;
And runs before you in the tender part:
His gentle Offices I saw perform'd,
And they were wond'rous kind and full of Love!

Eliza.
He's such in all he does: so soft of Soul,
As never female Sweetness went beyond!
Officious always to oblige; his Care
Outstrips Desire, and ev'n prevents my Wishes.

Castor.
Oh! yes I see his Care for all the Sex:
And Ariana is no Stranger too,
How far, how very far its Bounds extend!

Eliza.
So much Affection do I bear that Maid,
And so deserving she of Love from all,
That Godrick owns a double Tye to serve.

Castor.
A treble say, and add the Number up
To double that, and twenty times as much!
You will not wrong his Passion for the Maid.

Eliza.
'Tis true indeed; sure Heav'n design'd his Soul
A Benefit to half of human kind.

Castor.
Why aye! for I have heard it said indeed,
Your Sex make up by far the largest half!
And he's a Friend to ev'ry She that breathes.

Eliza.
And where's the Man that Godrick makes a Foe?
Or where's the Man he e'er refus'd to serve?
Come, come, deprive him not of half his Praise,
For he's a Friend, an equal Friend to all.
O, Castor, take it as a Sister's Wish,
The kindest Wish my Heart could e'er conceive,
That you may meet, when you shall chance to wed,
A Heart like Godrick's, faithful, and as kind.

Castor.
Come, Sister, since you rouse the Brother's Flame,
I must not let your Kindness rest unpaid:
Observe me well; with Sorrow 'tis I say
You are impos'd upon: Your Husband's base.

Eliza.
And dare you urge such Falshood to my Face?
And do I tamely stand and hear his Name,
His sacred Character so vily us'd?

Castor.
Alas, Eliza, never trust Pretence:
The rankest Villain wears the smoothest Brow!
And foul Hypocrisy's so much the Mode,
There is no knowing Hearts from Words or Looks.
Thieves, Bawds and Panders wear the holy Leer;
Ev'n Ruffians cant, and undermining Knaves
Display a mimic Openness of Soul!
So Godrick, when he apes the warmest Love—

Eliza.
Away.—I will not hear him thus traduc'd:
What has he done to urge thy coward Heart
To these base Slanders on his taintless Fame;
This Murder on his Love and Peace in me?

Castor.
By Heav'n 'tis fond Affection for thy own,
That prompts me to reveal this odious Truth:
This Falsehood that my Eyes, my Eyes have seen.

Eliza.
Not Heav'n's own Evidence would I believe;
Should Saints and Angels witness to the Tale,
I would not, could not think my Godrick false.

Castor.
But what if yours should have the Demonstration:
Should you be witness to his guilty Flame!
Behold him fondly pleading to his Fair,
His Ariana;—could you trust your Eyes?

Eliza.
Hah! no, I could not, could not trust my own.
And Ariana false!—it cannot be:
O, where is Truth and Love in human Hearts,
If they are false to mine.

Castor.
Trust not pretence, I say again, Eliza;
Great Menelaus had a Trojan Friend!
And Agamemnon own'd a tender Wife!
I could recount thee many ancient Tales
To warn thee 'gainst too strong Credulity,
But there's no need; your Senses shall have Proof.

Eliza.
In what Perplexity hast thou involv'd
A Heart, 'till now estrang'd to Guilt or Fear:
O, Castor, can my Godrick prove unjust?
Can Falshood stain the Soul of Ariana?
It cannot be; and you are sure deceiv'd.

[Weeps.
Castor.
Hah! does the Metal bend? then let me drive,
I'll bring it to my Purpose ere I've done.
[Aside.
Will you believe a Brother insincere?
What ends can I propose from your Distress?
Behold these Tears a Tribute to those Woes,
Those Woes I know that injur'd Love must bring:
But off this Woman's Weakness:—rouse my Soul
To fierce Resentment for a Sister's Wrongs.
Nor thou, Eliza, thus indulge thy Grief;
Give Rage a full Possession of thy Mind;
And, as becomes thee, meditate Revenge.

Eliza.
O Castor, if thou dost abuse my Heart,
'Tis Cruelty unmatch'd by savage Fury:
For Heav'n alone can tell how strong my Love
For those perfidious Wretches, if they're such:
But they may still be wrong'd:—on that I rest.

Castor.
All I have urg'd your Eyes shall soon behold.

Eliza.
Why will you strip my Soul of ev'ry Hope,
And plunge it down below a Fiend's Despair?
Ah, wherefore did you tell me of their Guilt?
'Tis vain to know of Ills we can't prevent.
What tho' they wrong me; had I nothing heard,
In thought I should have been secure and blest:
The Guilt was theirs, not mine: O, dear Deceit!
When Truth is frightful, sure thy friendly Shade
Is then a real good. O Godrick, Oh!
When, when will my dear Peace of Mind return?

[Weeps.
Castor.
O heav'nly Dose! it works as I could wish.

[Aside.
Eliza.
My Soul can't long sustain this Rack of Doubt;
O quickly then confirm my Hopes or Fears:
Where are their Haunts? O lead me to behold
This Gorgon Sight, that I may turn to stone!
There mute and motionless forever stand,
Their Monument of Guilt, my own of Woe!
For Life already is a Burthen to me.

Castor.
Compose your Visage to prevent Distrust;
Then loiter here; about and in the House;
And soon I'll help you to so foul a Sight,
As shall avouch the worst I've said a Truth.

Eliza.
Then hear me, Heav'n! be witness to my Vow,
I will have Vengeance equal to their Crimes.
Yes, faithless Husband, and thou, perjur'd Friend,
Who oft hast sworn eternal Truth and Zeal,
If Guilt has stain'd you, both alike shall prove
There is no Fury like an injur'd Love.
Convinc'd of Wrongs, my Rage shall know no Bounds,
But pour like driving Floods from broken Mounds!
With sweepy Ruin to fell Conquest haste;
Lay Lives, Hopes, Honours, all one dreary Waste.