Encompass round. You may convey him thence Hannah More. PERCY. The Feads of the rival Houses of PERCY and DOUGLAS have furnished the materials for this Tragedy. ELWINA, the Daughter of EARL RABY, was betrothed to EARL PERCY. In consequence of her Father's Dependents having received an insult from the Followers of PERCY, the Match is broken off by EARL RABY, and PERCY joins the Crusaders in the Holy Land. During his absence, ELWINA is compelled to marry EARL DOUGLAS. Shortly after, PERCY returns, and seeks an Interview with ELWINA, being ignorant of her Marriage. PERCY is accompanied by his Friends, SIR HUBERT and Harcourt. SCENE L.-A Garden at Raby Castle, with a Bower. Enter PERCY. Per.... She comes! by all my hopes, she comes! "Tis she-the blissful vision is Elwina! But ah! what mean those tears?-She weeps for me! [PERCY goes into the bower. Enter ELWINA. Elw. Shall I not weep? and have I then no cause? If I could break the eternal bands of death, And wrench the sceptre from his iron grasp; [PERCY comes out of the bower. Per. Then cease, for Percy lives. Elw. Protect me, Heaven! Per. O joy unspeakable! My life, my love! End of my toils, and crown of all my cares! Kind as consenting peace, as conquest bright, Dearer than arms, and lovelier than renown! Elw. It is his voice-it is, it is my Percy! And dost thou live? Per. I never lived till now. Elw. And did my sighs, and did my sorrows reach thee? And art thou come at last to dry my tears? How didst thou 'scape the fury of the foe? Per. Thy guardian genius hovered o'er the field, Elw. Alas! I have not seen him. Oh! I have suffered much. Per. Of that no more; For every minute of our future lives Shall be so blessed, that we will learn to wonder Elw. Percy-1 cannot speak. Per. Those tears how eloquent! I would not change this motionless, mute joy, However great may be their fame of happiness, Elw. Alas! what mean you? Per. Can I speak my meaning? 'Tis of such magnitude that words would wrong it; But surely my Elwina's faithful bosom Should beat in kind responses of delight, And feel, but never question, what I mean. Elw. Hold, hold, my heart, thou hast much more to suffer! Per. Let the slow form, and tedious ceremony, Wait on the splendid victims of ambition. Love stays for none of these. Thy father's softened; Raby is brave, and I have served my country: I would not boast, it was for thee I conquered; Elw. Oh, never, never, never! Per. Am I awake? is that Elwina's voice? Elw. Percy, thou most adored, and most deceived! If ever fortitude sustained thy soul, When vulgar minds have sunk beneath the stroke, Let thy imperial spirit now support thee.— Do not, oh, do not curse me! but thou wilt, Per. Speak, say, what art thou? Elw. Married! Per. Oh! Elw. Percy, I think I begged thee not to curse me; Speak! ease thy bursting soul; reproach, upbraid, Per. Open, thou earth, and hide me from her sight; Didst thou not bid me curse thee? Elw. Mercy! mercy! Per. And have I 'scaped the Saracen's fell sword Only to perish by Elwina's guilt? I would have bared my bosom to the foe, I would have died, had I but known you wished it. Elw. Percy, I loved thee most when most I wronged thee; Yes, by these tears I did. Per. Married! just Heaven! Married! to whom? Yet wherefore should I know? It cannot add fresh horrors to thy crime, Elw. Oh! 'twill add to both. How shall I tell! Prepare for something dreadful. Hast thou not heard of-Douglas? Per. Why, 'tis well! Thou awful Power, why waste thy wrath on me? I could have fallen without this waste of ruin. Married to Douglas! by my wrongs, I like it; And filling up the measure of offence! Elw. Oh! 'twas my father's deed! he made his child An instrument of vengeance on thy head. He wept and threatened, soothed me, and commanded. Per. And you complied, most duteously complied! Elw. I could withstand his fury; but his tears, Ah, they undid me! Percy, dost thou know The cruel tyranny of tenderness? Hast thou e'er felt a father's warm embrace? Hast thou e'er seen a father's flowing tears, And known that thou couldst wipe those tears away? Or I shall love thee still; I shall forget Per. Hate thee? Yes, As dying martyrs hate the righteous cause Of that blest power for whom they bleed-I hate thee. [They look at each other with silent agony. Enter HARCourt. Har. Forgive, my lord, your faithful knight Per. Come, Harcourt, Come, and behold the wretch who once was Percy. Earl Douglas, whose suspicion never sleeps Per. What, is the tyrant jealous? Elw. Hear him, Percy. Per. I will command my rage. Har. Earl Douglas -Go on. Knew, by my arms and my accoutrements, |