University of Virginia Library

SCENE VII.

DORIS, PHAON.
Dor.
Rather fear, and torture;
For these alone possess the heart of Doris.

Pha.
What? when I meet thee? when thy Phaon's lips
Print on this hand, this fervent seal of love?

Dor.
Forego the hand, that never must be thine:
A father's frowns—

Pha.
Weigh'd with his daughter's smiles
Are light as air to Phaon: such to thee
Should be those frowns, when weigh'd with Phaon's love,

Dor.
If Phaon lov'd me with a worthy passion,
He would not counsel thus.

Pha.
When filial duty
Contends, as now it seems, with faithful Love,
One must be scorn'd.

Dor.
But Doris has a heart,
(And hence arises all her misery)
That can scorn neither.

Pha.
Then the love of Phaon
Has not that force, that interest in thy bosom,
He once had cause to hope.

Dor.
Cruel! it has;
Thou know'st it has; thou hear'st it in my sighs;
Thou see'st it in my tears; my voice declares it.
Go with the pleas'd conviction, that thy charms
Have made poor Doris wretched: place her name
The last, the lowliest in the suff'ring list,
Thy beauty has enslav'd: let Lesbian Sappho
Hold, as she ought, the highest.

Pha.
Jealousy,
Not duty, there prompted the cold reproof.

Dor.

[Exit Doris.