And oft enquir'd the occafion of her grief, 695 (Unanfwer'd but by fighs) and offer'd vain relief.

At length, her stock of tears already shed, She wip'd her eyes, the rais'd her drooping head,

700

And thus purfu'd: O ever faithful heart,
I have perform'd the ceremonial part,
The decencies of grief; it refts behind,
That, as our bodies were, our fouls be join'd;
To thy whate'er abode my fhade convey,
And as an elder ghoft, direct the way.

She faid; and bade the vial to be brought, 705 Where the before had brew'd the deadly draught:

First pouring out the med'cinable bane,

The heart, her tears had rins'd, the bath'd

again;

Then down her throat the death fecurely throws, And quaffs a long oblivion of her woes.

710

This done, the mounts the genial bed, and

there

(Her body first compos'd with honeft care) Attends the welcome reft; her hands yet hold Clofe to her heart the monumental gold; Nor farther word fhe fpoke, but clos'd her fight,

And quiet fought the covert of the night.

715

The damfels, who the while in filence mourn'd,
Not knowing, nor fufpecting death fuborn'd,
Yet, as their duty was, to Tancred fent ; 719
Who, confcious of the occafion, fear'd the event.
Alarm'd, and with prefaging heart, he came,
And drew the curtains, and expos'd the dame
To lothfome light: then with a late relief
Made vain efforts to mitigate her grief.
She, what he could, excluding day, her eyes
Kept firmly feal'd, and fternly thus replies: 726
Tancred, reftrain thy tears, unfought by me,
And forrow unavailing now to thee:
Did ever man before afflict his mind,

To fee the effect of what himself defign'd? 730
Yet, if thou haft remaining in thy heart
Some fenfe of love, fome unextinguifh'd part
Of former kindnefs, largely once profefs'd,
Let me by that adjure thy harden'd breast,
Not to deny thy daughter's laft requeft: 735,
The fecret love which I fo long enjoy'd,
And ftill conceal'd, to gratify thy pride,
Thou haft disjoin'd; but, with my dying-
breath,

Seek not, I beg thee, to disjoin our death;
Where'er his corpfe by thy command is laid, 740
Thither let mine in public be convey'd ;
Expos'd in open view, and fide by fide,
Acknowledg'd as a bridegroom and a bride.

The prince's anguish hinder'd his reply: And fhe, who felt her fate approaching nigh, 745 Seiz'd the cold heart, and heaving to her breast, Here, precious pledge, fhe faid, fecurely rest: Thefe accents were her laft; the creeping death Benumb'd her fenfes firft, then stopp'd her breath.

750

Thus the for difobedience juftly dy'd: The fire was justly punish'd for his pride: The youth, leaft guilty, fuffer'd for the offence, Of duty violated to his prince;

Who, late repenting of his cruel deed,

One common fepulchre for both decreed; 755
Intomb'd the wretched pair in royal state,
And on their monument infcrib'd their fate,

THEODORE AND HONORIA*.

OF all the cities in Romanian lands,

The chief, and moft renown'd, Ravenna ftands,
Adorn'd in ancient times with arms and arts,
And rich inhabitants, with generous hearts.
But Theodore the brave, above the reft,
With gifts of fortune and of nature blefs'd,
The foremost place for wealth and honour held,
And all in feats of chivalry excell'd.

5

10

This noble youth to madness lov'd a dame, Of high degree, Honoria was her name; Fair as the faireft, but of haughty mind, And fiercer than became fo soft a kind; Proud of her birth; (for equal she had none ;) The reft fhe fcorn'd; but hated him alone; His gifts, his conftant courtthip, nothing gain'd; For the, the more he lov'd, the more dif

dain'd.

He liv'd with all the pomp he could devife,
At tilts and tournaments obtain'd the prize;
But found no favour in his lady's eyes:

16

A drama, entitled Theodore and Honoria, was acted in the wood of Chiali, a word corrupted and altered from Claffis, the naval station, which, with the intermediate road or fuburb, conftituted the triple city of Ravenna. Dr. J. WARTON,