1810.} 
And, toothing in his sleek and smooth-comb'd 
locks 
My clenched fingers, dash’d him on the 
ground, 
And made him lick and kiss the feet of 
Edward? 
The dastard, when he rose, with eager hand 
Sought not his weapon’s hilt: but told the 
prince, 
Who help’d his minion up, I was his brother: 
And so I left him. From thy throne, Al- 
father, ; 
Turn the red eye of wrath upon this man, 
And heap the measure of his curses full ! 
Yngratitude, with cold and marble hand, 
Wait ow his childless age; and may he 
vainl 
Sue for the faith which he has broke to 
ethers! 
Disease, and not the warrior’s thank, or song 
OF praising bard, pursus— —~ 
Edi. Stay, stay, my father ; 
For oft the wishes that we speak in anger, 
The gods fulfil to punish our presumption. 
T. What mildews from the venom floods 
below 
Could rack him with such loathsomeness of 
pain 
Astoavenge me? Has he not accepted 
The earldom given for my long services, 
Which Edward most unjustly took away ? 
Edi. The earldom—— 
H i Maid, that earldom was brave 
Siwird’s, 
The model whom my early eye was fix’d on, 
W hose equal after-ages shall not see. 
His ear, his wealth, his arm, belong’d to 
those 
Whom hard oppression’s gripe retain’d in 
thraldom. 
When his son fell in battle, he look’d up, 
And thank’d the gods that not a wound. 
appear’d 
But on the young man’s breast.—-O he was 
great! 
*T was his old age that from a crime-earn’d 
throne 
Down dash’d Macbeth the tyrant ; his weak 
age: an 
And when his limbs refus’d the toils of war, 
Re scorn’d to liveeehe brac’d his armour on, 
And stabb’d himself. (draws bis sword.) 
This is the blade he hallow’d. 
His earldom Edward to thy father gave, 
(Once he had not forgot that I have serv’d 
him 
And call’'d me the great Siward’s worthy 
pupil. 
*Twas.a proud word; I thrill’d as Edward 
spoke it. 
I priz’d the gift, and on the old earl’s sword 
Iswore to Manal would not defile it. 
And this is snatcl’d from me, 
snatch’d, 
Because I dar’d to say that lust is wicked. 
What dost thou think, Editha ? Is it wicked ? 
Edi. Q do not look so terribly upon me. 
unjustly 
Warold and Tosti, a Tragedy. 319 
JT. Yes, it was snatch’d from me, te be 
thy uncle’s. 
But I will yet have vengeance. (Harold 
enters below.) Here he comes 
Edi, O let us fly, my father, let us fly. 
T. Irresolution is the woman’s weakness. 
*Tis now too late. Be not dismay’d, my 
child : 
Thy father’s arrh shall still suffice to hew 
A bloody passage hence. Thou shalt be 
sav’d. 
I’ve station’d armed vassals in the wood, 
With means for thy retreat—they have my 
orders 
To seek me here in arms, in case I tarry. 
fdi. Wilt thou not hear my uncle, lest 
his soul 
Harbour just motives for his seeming guilt, 
And wrongfully thou take thy brother's 
Iife= 
T. I will not speak to him, for I despise 
him. 
Ghost of my father, frorn the beamy hall 
And feast of gods if thou can’st stoop to earthy 
Come on a louring storm-cloud. By his 
couch 
Stand in thy awful majesty of shape, 
And, from between thy venerable locks, 
Frown on this son unworthy of his sire: 
That if some lurking ember of remorse 
Still harbour there, his soul may wake to 
feeling, 
Tho? not to expiate, yet to repent. 
Then will he pour his heart’s blood from its 
source, 
An offering to thy justly anger’d spirit, 
That he is willing to pollute thy grand- 
child, 
And aid in the oppression of thy son. 
Edi, And hast thou dealt unfitly with us, 
uncle ? 
Harold. Much injurd tho? I be, these 
lifted arms 
Shall never push a brother from my breast. 
His heat mistakes me: be it mine to excuse it. 
That Edward loves thee, niece, I view with 
pleasure ; 
Soon he will love thee so as to repent 
Of his late contract with the Dane’s fair 
sister, 
Whom Harold then may wed without alarme 
ng 
The monarch’s pride; while Edward seats 
 Editha 
On the bright throne which she so weil 
deserves. 
JT, Fair-cas’d dissembling villain, thou 
-possessest 
The adder’s glistening belly, and his tooth. 
*T was not enough, it seems, to violate 
The bond of nature, to contrive seduction 
Against thy brother’s child, his only daugh- 
ter: 
All public dyty is alile despis’d. 
How shall the land be free, whose very 
nobles 
Conspire with its vile ruler to oppress, 
- Batten 
( 
