Bir. Grant me but life, good Heaven! and give the means To make this wondrous goodness some amends,

And let me then forget her, if I can!

O she deserves of me much more than I

Can lose for her, though I again could venture
A father, and his fortune, for her love!
You wretched fathers, blind as fortune all!
Not to perceive, that such a woman's worth
Weighs down the portions you provide your sons:
What is your trash, what all your heaps of gold,
Compared to this, my heart-felt happiness?-
What has she, in my absence, undergone!
I must not think of that; it drives me back
Upon myself, the fatal cause of all.

Enter ISABELLA.

Isa. I have obeyed your pleasure;

Every thing is ready for you.

All

Bir. I can want nothing here: possessing thee, my desires are carried to their aim

Of happiness there's no room for a wish,

:

But to continue still this blessing to me:

I know the way, my love. I shall sleep sound.
Isa. Shall I attend you?

Bir. By no means :

I've been so long a slave to others' pride,

To learn, at least, to wait upon myself;

You'll make haste after

Isa. I'll but say my prayers, and follow you

My prayers! no, I must never pray again. [Exit BIRON. Prayers have their blessings, to reward our hopes;

But I have nothing left to hope for more.

O Biron, hadst thou come but one day sooner! [Weeping.

-What's to be done—for something must be done.

Two husbands! yet not one! married to both,

And yet a wife to neither! Hold my brain-
Ha! a lucky thought

Works the right way to rid me of them all;
All the reproaches, infamies, and scorns,

That

every tongue and finger will find for me. Let the just horror of my apprehensions But keep me warm-no matter what can come. 'Tis but a blow-yet will I see him first— Have a last look, to heighten my despair, And then to rest forever..

BIRON meets her.

Bir. Despair and rest forever! Isabella,
These words are far from thy condition;
And be they ever so. I heard thy voice,

And could not bear thy absence; come, my love!
You have stayed long, there's nothing, nothing sure,
Now to despair of in succeeding fate.

Isa. I am contented to be miserable,

But not this way: I've been too long abused,

And can believe no more.

Let me sleep on, to be deceived no more.

Bir. Look up, my love, I never did deceive thee,

Nor ever can; believe thyself, thy eyes,

That first inflamed and lit me to my love,

Those stars, that still must guide me to my joys.

Isa. And me to my undoing: I look round,

And find no path but leading to the grave.
Bir. I cannot understand thee.

Isa. If marriages

Are made in heaven, they should be happie,
Why was I made this wretch?

Bir. Has marriage made thee wretched?

Isa. Miserable, beyond the reach of comfort.
Bir. Do I live to hear thee say so?

Isa. Why what did I say?

Bir. That I have made thee miserable.

Isa. No: you are my only earthly happiness:

And my

false tongue

If it said otherwise.

belied my honest heart,

Bir. And yet you said,

Your marriage made you miserable.

Isa. I know not what I said:

I've said too much, unless I could speak all.

Bir. Thy words are wild; my eyes, my ears, my heart, Were all so full of thee, so much employed

In wonder of thy charms, I could not find it;

Now I perceive it plain——

Isa. You'll tell nobody

Bir. Thou art not well.

Isa. Indeed I am not; I knew that before;

But where's the remedy?

Bir. Rest will relieve thy cares: come, come, no more;

I'll banish sorrow from thee.

Isa. Banish first the cause.

Bir. Heaven knows how willingly.

Isa. You are the only cause.

Bir. Am I the cause? the cause of thy misfortunes ?

Isa. The fatal innocent cause of all my woes.

Bir. Is this my welcome home? This the reward

Of all my miseries, long labours, pains,

And pining wants of wretched slavery,
Which I've outlived, only in hopes of thee?
Am I thus paid at last for deathless love,
And called the cause of thy misfortune now?

Isa. Inquire no more: 'twill be explained too soon.

Bir. What! canst thou leave me too?

Isa. Pray let me go:

For both our sakes, permit me

Bir. Rack me not with imaginations

[Going off.

Of things impossible--Thou canst not mean
What thou hast said-Yet something she must mean.
'Twas madness all-Compose thyself, my love;
The fit is past; all may be well again:

Let us to bed.

Isa. To bed! You've raised the storm

Will sever us forever.

The rugged hand of fate has got between

Our meeting hearts, and thrusts them from their joys.

Bir. Nothing shall ever part us.

Isa. Oh! there's a fatal story to be told;

Be deaf to that, as Heaven has been to me!

When thou shalt hear how much thou hast been wronged,

How wilt thou curse thy fond believing heart,

Tear me from the warm bosom of thy love,

And throw me like a poisonous weed away!

When I am dead, forgive and pity me.

[Exit.

Bir. What can she mean? These doubtings will distract me. Some hidden mischief soon will burst to light;

I cannot bear it-I must be satisfied

'Tis she, my wife, must clear this darkness to me. She shall-if the sad tale at last must come !

She is my fate, and best can speak my doom.

[Exit.

OROONOKO.

OROONOKO, an African Prince, is entrapped by Slave-dealers and carried to Surinam, then in possession of the English. He is sold to the Governor of the Island, and there he finds his Wife IMOINDA, also a Slave, exposed to the unlawful solicitations of the Governor. Instigated by the sense of his wrongs, he joins a Conspiracy of the Slaves on the Island, which has been organized by ABOAN, his Friend and Countryman. The Slaves rise, led on by OROONOKO and ABOAN, but are overpowered by the Authorities. OROONOKO and ABOAN are captured, and brutally punished. IMOINDA is secured by the Governor, when the following Scene ends the Tragedy.

OROONOKO.

Oro. To honour bound! and yet a slave to love!

I am distracted by their rival powers,

And both will be obeyed. O great Revenge!

Thou raiser and restorer of fall'n fame!

Let me not be unworthy of thy aid,
For stopping in thy course. I still am thine;
But can't forget I am Imoinda's too.
She calls me from my wrongs to rescue her.
No man condemn me, who has never felt
A woman's power, or tried the force of love;
To run his glorious race of light anew,
And carry on the world. Love, love will be
My first ambition, and my fame the next.

Enter ABOAN, bloody.

My eyes are turned against me, and combine

With my sworn enemies, to represent