words, I fear, Thy heart with sharp compunction will reply.

[Sisabert, to Covilla.

Sis. Then I demand of thee, before thou reign, Answer me, while I fought against the Frank Who dared to sue thee? blazon’d in the court, Trailed not thro’ darkness, were our nuptial bands; No: Egilona join’d our hands herself, The peers applauded, and the king approved.

Jul. Hast thou yet seen that king since thy return?

Cov. Father! O father!

Sis. I will not implore Of him or thee what I have lost for ever, These were not, when we parted, thy alarms; Far other, and far worthier of thy heart Were they! which Sisabert could banish then! p. 31Fear me not, now, Covilla! thou hast changed, I am changed too—I lived but where thou livedst, My very life was portioned off from thine. Upon the surface of thy happiness Day after day, I gazed, I doated—there Was all I had, was all I coveted, So pure, serene, and boundless, it appear’d: Yet, for we told each other every thought, Thou knowest well, if thou rememberest, At times I fear’d; as tho’ some demon sent Suspicion without form into the world, To whisper unimaginable things; Then thy fond arguing banished all but hope, Each wish, and every feeling, was with thine, Till I partook thy nature, and became Credulous, and incredulous, like thee. We, who have met so alter’d, meet no more.

p. 31

[Takes her hand.

Mountains and seas! ye are not separation— Death! thou dividest, but unitest too, p. 32In everlasting peace and faith sincere. Confiding love! where is thy resting-place! Where is thy truth, Covilla! where? [32]—go, go, I should adore thee and believe thee still.

p. 32

[Sisabert goes.

Cov. O Heaven! support me, or desert me quite, And leave me lifeless this too trying hour! He thinks me faithless.

Jul. He must think thee so.

Cov. O tell him, tell him all, when I am dead— He will die, too, and we shall meet again. He will know all when these sad eyes are closed. Ah cannot he before! must I appear The vilest!—O just Heaven! can it be thus? I am—all earth resounds it—lost, despised, Anguish and shame unutterable seize me. ’Tis palpable—no phantom, no delusion, No dream that wakens with overwhelming horror; Spaniard 

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