Sif. Oh, let it burst On this grey head, devoted to thy service! Thou then must hear-nay more, I know thou wilt- Yes, thou must, In calmer hours divest thee of thy love, Tan. Yes, I will be a king, but not a slave; Shall learn to judge how I will guard their rights, But have I, say, been treated like a king? A soil abhorr'd of virtue; should belie Sif. Behold, my prince, thy poor old servant, Tan. There is, and thou hast touched it. Rise, rise, Siffredi -Oh, thou hast undone me! Unkind old man!. -Oh, ill-entreated Tancred! Which way soe'er I turn, dishonour rears Start not, my lord-This must and shall be done! Sif. I should indeed deserve the name of traitor, And even a traitor's fate, had I so slightly, From principles so weak, done what I did, As e'er to disavow it Tan. Ha! Sif. My liege, Expect not thisThough practised long in courts, I have not so far learn'd their subtle trade, To veer obedient with each gust of passion. I honour thee, I venerate thy orders, But honour more my duty. Tan. You will not then? Sif. I cannot. Tan. Away! begone! Oh, my Rodolpho, come, And save me from this traitor !-Hence, I say. No reply! away! Enter RODOLPHO. [Exit SIFFREDdi. Rod. What can incense my prince so highly Against his friend Siffredi ? Tan. Friend! Rodolpho? When I have told thee what this friend has done, How play'd me like a boy, a base-born wretch, C Who had nor heart, nor spirit, thou wilt stand But this, my friend, this black, unheard-of outrage, Be disabused, my breast is tumult all. Come, then, my friend, and by the hand of Laura, Oh, let me steal a letter to her bosom, And this evening Secure an interview-I would not bear This rack another day, not for my kingdom. Thought drives on thought, on passions passions roll; Her smiles alone can calm my raging soul. [Exeunt. ACT THE THIRD. SCENE I. A Chamber. SIGISMUNDA alone, sitting in a disconsolate Posture. Sig. Ah, tyrant prince! ah, more than faithless Tancred! Ungenerous and inhuman in thy falsehood! Hadst thou this morning, when my hopeless heart, Submissive to my fortune and my duty, Ah! hadst thou then Confess'd the sad necessity thy state Since we must part at last, our parting soften'd ; Is there, kind Heaven, no constancy in man? me, Are tainted with his vows My father comes--How, sunk in this disorder, Enter SIFFREDI. Sif. Sigismunda, My dearest child! I grieve to find thee thus Come, Awake to reason from this dream of love, And show the world thou art Siffredi's daughter. Sif. Thou art indeed to blame; thou hast too rashly I to my warmest confidence again Will take thee, and esteem thee more my daughter. To bend my soul to your supreme commands, A sentiment of tenderness, a source Sif. Come to my arms, thou comfort of my age, Come, let me take thee to a parent's heart; There, with the dew of these paternal tears, Sig. Hopes I have none !-Those by this fatal day Once my delight, now even in anguish charming, Is more, alas! my lord, than I can promise. Sif. Absence, and time, the softener of our passions, Will conquer this. Mean time, I hope from thee A generous great effort. Rouse thee, for shame! Nor sink unequal to the glorious lesson, This day thy lover gave thee from his throne. That been his aim, I yield to what you say. A virgin's breast, here vow to Heaven and you, Sif. Yes, one thing more-thy father then is This world from thee, my honour and thy own, |