Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive in 2008 with funding from IVIicrosoft Corporation littp://www.arcliive.org/details/demetriusimpostoOOsumaricli DEMETRIUS, THE IMPOSTORi A TRAGEBY. soew*^* BY tRANSLATED FROM THE RUSSIAN. LONDON: Printed ly J, Nichols and Son, Rtd Lion Pajfage, Flesf Street) lOR J. BOOTH, 14, DUKE STREET, PORTLAND FiACE. I8O6. PG- ^3/? 111 ; ADVERTISEMENT. Alexander Soumarokovc, the Father of the Ruffian Theatre, and its firft Dra- matic Poet, was born at Mofcow in the year /1727; and died in 1777, at the age of 30. Hrfe was contemporary with the celebrated Lomonoffove, fojuftly ftyled " The Pindar of Ruffia.'* Thefe two rival fons of Apollo (the art of Poetry having been very little known before their time) were the firfl:, and are confidered the beil, of the Ruffian Poets. They formed, or rather created the lan- guage, and, with a power almoft magic, dlfplayed its wonderful energy, amazing ca* pability, grace-, and enchanting melody. The pathetic ilrains of the Tragic Mufe in the one, and the darins; flio-hts of the Heroic in the other, broke forth on a fuddsn, and aflo- niflied the age. Emerging as it were from the regions of ice, they fiione forth like two meteors, piercing through the native darknefs of the clime, and exnofing at once IV ADVERTISEMENT. the abfurdity of afcribing great talents to the influence of a climate. Soiimarokove melted the heart with the foftnefs of Racine ;iiomono(lbve fhook the foul with the thunder of Pindar. Such is the harmony of language, the fublimity of thought, the ever-flowing majefl:y of ftyle, the awfulnefs of imagery, and folemn energy of expreflion, in the latter, that, were it poflible to transfer them to another language, it w^ould appear, that Europe cannot boafl: of a Poet Vv'ho excelled him, and that there are fev\^ capable even of approaching him. The works of Soumarokove, which form at prefent feveral volumes, have been ho- noured with the mod flattering approbation of the public. Whether in Tragedy or in Comedy, his genius Hill led him to fame. As a dramatic writer, whatever may be the degree of his merit, when judged by impar- tial and difcerning pofterity ; and however he may be fuppofcd to owe, in fome meafure, his reputation to that indulgence, which is always fhewn in favour of a firfl; attempt; he certainly m.eritcd the title beftowed upon him, fmce the Ruflian Theatre owed to him its origin, and its exiftence. Ee ADVERTISEMENT. V Be this as it may, the Traiiflator, by the prefent undertaking, had in view, to fatisfy tlie curiofity of the Enghfh pubhc, and to afford it an opportunity of dccidirjg, in fome meafure, upon the deferts of an Author, hitherto known only by name and reputa- tion. He thinks, however, it is his duty to ftate, that the choice of the Tragedy prc- fcnted here, is owing more to chance than to any convi6lion of its being the Author's mafter-piece. Soumarokove was a ftricl obferver of the rules laid down by the Ancients, and a great lover of unity and hmplicity. He main- tained, with Racine (a poet whom he mofb admired, and endeavoured to imitate), that he, who, in one fingle event, important enough to become the fubje6f of a Tragedy, cannot find matter enough to fupply five acls, wants genius, and the power of in- vention. For it is much eafier to fill up the fpace of a drama, by a number and variety of far-fetched, or fupernatural incidents, no ways relating to the main plot, than by a fimple and uniform connection of one particular event, or tranfaclion, which muft be confined within certain limits of time. TVT ..a VI ADVERTISEMENT. Mofl of Soumarokove*s plays are founded upon the events of the Ruffian Hiftory -, and fuch is the Tragedy of Deiiietrius the Im- poftor. The hiftory of this bold adventurer, fuch as it is, or is fuppofed to be, is ex- prefled in the firft a6l, with great accuracy and precifion. In expofing the chara6ler of the tyrant, unnatural * and monftrous as it needs muft appear, Soumarokove has ftriclly adhered to hiftoric truth ; he has not availed himfelf of the privileges of a Poet, but has followed a great example, — - Not to extenuate ; Nor fet down aught in malice ! Shakspeare's 1 hello. To a generous People, celebrated for their benignity to Foreigners occafionally refiding amongft them, and for liberal indulgence to their own Dramatic Authors, the Tranf- * Mr. LcvcTque, in his Hiftory of Ruffia, in oppofition to all the Ruflian Hirtorians, affirms, that the rcip^n of Demetrius was the nioft humane and benevolent, and doubts even the fa£l of tlie Impoilure: bur, independent of different traditions, it is well known, that Soumarokolf had examined attentively, the records of the reign of Deme- trius in the archives of the empire, and undoubtedly formed his judgment upon the refult of his own enquiries. lator ADVERTISEMENT. Vll Jator fubmits the following fcenes ; in hum- ble expe^lation of public encouragement (even fliould they appear to have no higher merit), in confideration of its being the firft attempt to prefent to Britifh readers, a lite- rary novelty — a RufTian Tragedy, in a Bri- tilli drefs. DRAMATIS PERSONS. M EN. Demetrius, the Impoflor. Shcusky, a Ruffian Nobleman, Georgius, Prince of Galitz. Parmen, Confident of Demetrius. Captain of the Guards, Grandees, Soldiers, Sec, W O M EN. KscEKiA, Daughter to Shoufky. Attendants, &c. Scene — Kremle *, in the Royal PaUcc. * The Fortrefs of Mofcovv. ( 9 ) DEMETRIUS. ACT I SCENE J. Demetrius arid Parmen.- jVlY gracious liege ! Thirty days have thy aftoniflied rubje£ls beheld thee fad and dejeded, amidfl the fplendours of the throne j and io long has thy faithful Parmen been the filent obferver of thy inward ftruggles. Honoured with thy augull confidence, let him no longer be ignorant of that hidden fource, from whence thy brooding mind draws the fubtle venom of deep-fecreted anguiih, and imbibes thofe malignant vapours, which feem to blaft thy juft unfolded glory in its livelieft bloom. Surely fome fecrer, potent grief overwhelms thy mighty foul! What ails Demetrius? What for- rows poifon his felicity ? JDoes his fariated eye fur- vey no longer with delight, the dazzling charms of the diadem ; or is his prefent ftate embittered by the remembrance of the pad ? Mighty monarch I now, that lO DEMETRIUS; that thy new career of majefly has commenced ; that thy lawful inheritance, ufurped by the pcifidious Godunoff, has been reftored, and the bafe attempts of that traitor, to hurl thee prematurely into the grave, fruftrated ; — now that propitious F'ate has ref- cued thee from the grafp of Death, and, proclaim- ing thy right, placed thee on thy father's throne ; — what is there flill wanting to gratify thy wiflies ? Or, what new calamities, what frelli difafters ? Det}u Tormenting furies prey on my bleeding heart ! They gnaw my entrails ; they drain my vital blood ! All, all, is hell within ! Can inward agony be concealed, under the feigned fmile of calm ferenity } No ! The w'cked foul enjoys no peace. There is no relief, no tranquillity, for the confcious guilty ! Par. Alas ! tis true ; — thou haft indulged the utmoft excefles of cruelty : many of thy fubjedts ex- piring under tortures, and the whole Realm diftrafted by profcriptions, exile, and the perfecution of in- nocence; — laws, human and divine, trampled upon; — the mofi: facred duties, and the deareft interefts of mankind, fhamefully difregarded ; — dilhonour and difgrace heaped upon this unhappy country; — thefe are the trophies, the fanguinary omens, of an in- aufpicious reign. This city, once fo fair and beau- tiful, has now become a gloomy prifon, the difmal dungeon of the unfortunate, whofe only crimes were nobl« A TRACED-/. II noble dignity of foul, integriry, and confplcnous' virtue. The flower of R.Liffia, her nobleft progeny, : are excluded, difdainfully, from thy prefcnce ; while \ ftrangers fupplant them in their exalted and moft favourite offices-, while the proud oftentatious Poles are infultingly admitted the only guardians of thy throne. Deftruftion threatens the Church, and the whole Empire is on the verge of falling under the i oppreffive yoke of Rome. Oh ! if Nature rebels j within thee ; if thou art fwayed folely by the malig- ' nancy of thy evil genius ; roufe thy better fpirit, ■ fubdue thyfelf, and be a Father to thy People ! Dem, My folemn oath to Clement, the Sovereign Pontiff, binds me irrevocably to the Roman faith. I owe much, nay, everything, to the friendly fervices of Poland. RulTia, therefore, unlefs ihe fubmits to pay homage to the holy See, can have no claim to my favours. Far. Methinks, a man, at mofl, is but a man; nor can perverted doftrine make him more: a doc- trine, whofe fanftified impoflure feeds hypocrites, awes the credulous, and thrives with the fpoils of ignorance beguiled ; a do6lrine, which the Fathers of our Church have r.obiy difclaimed, and, in dif- claiming, have juOly gloried. Great Britain, Hol- land, half the German States, have (haken ofi' this yoke of ftupid credulity, and blind fuperflition. They have unravelled this web, this intricate maze, of 12 DEMETRIUS; of the defignlng priellhood j and the time is fafl ap* proaching, when all Europe, unfhackled from her fears, and reftored to religious freedom, will hurl the ambiuous Pontiff from his ufurped throne ; no longer the idol of mifguided worfhip ; no longer a God in the fphere of mortals; nor a felf-ereded Co- lolTus, foaring above mankind, and prefumptuoufly overleaping tne limits of humanity. Dent. Audacious man, forbear ! curb thy, licen- tious tongue ! He, whom thy infulting fpeech af- fails thus impioufly, is a facred luminary, whofe orb, refplendent with refulgent rays, even the mightieft of our earthly potentates behold with awful reverence. / Tar, Not all his difciples fubmit by choice to his government. Many are compelled to it by force. In the eye of reafon, he is but a Patriarch ; no God, no Judge, no Sovereign of the World. Thinks he, that men want judgment and underftanding to re- :^e6l on the true God ? Dem. In reafoning thus, thou doft but wafle thji words. There is no alternative between reafon and \ religion. To follow wifdom is to dray from hea- ven. It flatters, but it foon betrays to mifery. Tar. Can the Almighty be averfe to w-ifdom, of which he is the fountain-head? That wifdom, which, fird engendered in himfelf, planned the er.\nd A TRAGEDY. IJ grand creation of the world ; which to a (hapelefs mafs gave fymiiietry and matchlefs beauty ; endued with a living foul the cold and llfelefs clay ; and dif- played, in moft tranfccndent. order, this majeflic univerfe ! Can that wifdom be reprobated, which Ihines, fublimely confpicuous, in the works of the Supreme? Or mud we condemn in ourfelves, what in Him we cannot but love and adore ? Bern. To man, the wifdom of God is incomprc- ' henfible » ' Tar. Then it is equally fo to your Pontiff. Though the human mind is doomed to dwell in nar- row limits, yet it is not precluded from improving, by contemplating the features of divinity imprinted on the face of Nature. Guided by the unerring torch of Truth, and aided by mature reflection, it will foon arrive at that degree of knowledge, which the fpiritual monopoiift fain would wrcft from man- kind ; and fix, with all the pompous machinery of craft, in the oftentatious phantom of a Pope. Bern, Thy tongue profane, will lead thee to ever- lafting damnation. Par. I fear it not. I might, were I a tyrant. Dem. Hold ! no more I — And what if my heart delights in deeds of cruelty ? Tar. X4 DEMETRIUS; Far. Methinks^ thou iliouldll: forego the vicious courfe* Dem, Impoffible. Demetrius cannot, will not change himfelf, to pleafe the Have. The proflrate Realm Ihall kifs the holy Pontiffs feet ; elfe, (hall its name, its fplendour, and its high renown, be funk in dark oblivion. My hand (hall, by force, extort fub- miffion. So wills the monarch j and what he wills, who can, who dares oppofe ? ^^ Far. Thou ventureil, heedlefs, on a ftormy fea, i' where, whilft thou meditatefl 'he ruin of Mofkow's fons, thy vengeful fate flies on the wind, impels the fiil, and wafts thee, rapid, to thy own difaftrous end. Thy unfteady throne doth fliake, and the crown already totters on thy head. A'^-*^^ Bern, High-raifed, I fcorn the clamour of the ab- je£t populace; and, in defpite, I will perfilt in my defpotic rule. Avevlion and hatred are the fruits which this pernicious clime bears for me; averfion, then, and hatred, will I breed in turn. Can I be- ftow my affections, where I am detefted ? No. ; Let me, at lead, have the confolation of reigning, j to the terror and conllernation of the race I abhor. ' Till they are extirpated, or reduced to the moft ab- / jedt flavery ; till my extcnfive domains are lorded over by the Poles, ?sA peopled with ftrangersj till \ then, my impatient Ibul will languifli, diftafteful of the A TRAGEDY. I5 the comforts of the crown ; nor will it then, though^ fatiated, be at reft, unlefs It obtains its iaft, its fondell I wiih. For, be it known to thee, Parmen, that I | have doubly to fuffer. Befide the agonizing pangs I of confcience; I have to endure the torments of/ love, irrefiltible love, for Kfoenia. I Far. Kfcenia has a lover, and you a wife. Dc?n. Parmen ; thee have I chofen for my friend, the fole partner of my fecret thoughts. Mark mc, then. There are means j — there are fuch things as poifon, to rid me of the irkfome yoke. Par, I iliudder at the thought ! Dsm, It is becaufe thou art one of Nature's blun- ders. By miflake flie made a man, where fhe de- figned a woman. Par. My foul recoils with horror ! Dem. But mine is proof againft it. Set it to murder, to things e'er fo atrocious, and thou wilt never find it fhrink. It courteth fccnes of blood. It gro'.vs and lives on deeds of cruelty. Par. Confider thy confori's innocence and virtue. De?n. Truth mull be filent before a monarch. It Is not truth, bun I that govern iiere. My power is law, tS DEMETRIUS^ law, and my paffions are my laws. He is not i monarch, but a flave, who would renounce his plea- fares merely to gratify the vulgar notions of pro- priety and juftioe. Where is the privilege of a king, if he is to fubmit to rules, made only for flaves ? "What benefit could he reap from all his cares for the public welfare, were he reduced to a level with his fubjeds, to the fame cenfure, and harfli con- demnation ? Par> (aftde) Heavens ! let me be the inflrument of faving a royal, innocent life ! — (To Demetrius) This one deed will for ever exclude thee from the pre- fence of God ! yJDem, O Clement! if I may enter the kingdom of /jheaven, where is the man that fhall undergo thofe [( dreadful and endlefs torments, which fhake the very \ foul with horror ! SCENE U. Demetrius, Parmen, ^«i Captain of the Guards. Captain, Mighty fovereign ! the fpirit of revolt fpreads like a huge torrent through thy vaft do- mains. Tumultuous, like the foaming waves, the people rife in arms ; they rave, they threaten, and, with unreferved audacity, proclaim their traiterous deTigns, and their abhorrence of thy power. A TRAGEDY. 17 DlW. I fliall foon crudi the defpicablc herd of ilaves ! What is it their licentious tongue pre- fumes to utter ? Captain. I cannot ; I dare not repeat it. Dem. Proceed ; I know how to chaftife their infolence. Captain. They fay thou art not of royal defcent. Demetrius, the prince, vvhofe nan[ie and person, like an impoftor, thou had affumed, was , llain, and is buried in Ouliiz. They call thee ** OFfepieve," and thus relate thy hiftory : Thou haft been a monk; ihou haft fled from a convent ; taken refuge in Poland ; impofed there, on thy father-in-law and thy prefent confort, under the alTumed name of the deceafed prince ;• and ftlll continuing to impofe, thou haft at length obtained, through their aid, the royal dignity. They add, that the fafety of the ftate is endangered by tRy innovations and thy indul- gence to the treacherous Poles : that thou art t]^ proteclor of the Weftern church ; the abettor of herefy and impiety ; a foe to Mofkow ; an enemy to Ruflia, and a dreadful fcourge of thy Tubjecls. Dem. Pvcdouble the guard ; fummon my faithful Poles; place them on the w;uch. My foul burns v/ithin ; I cun no longer liflen to- the monftrous tale. B Where 1^ DfiMETRlUS; Where is ShoufKy ? bring him hither; conduct hinl and his daughter inftantly to my prefence. SCENE III. Demetrius and Parmen. Par. Since thou wert decreed by fate to reign, it is no longer birth, but adlions befitting the royal dignity, that can alone fupport the bails of thy throne. Were thy reign propitious and upright, the people, whether thou beeft the true Demetrius or not, would blefs — would adore thee ! Bern. Shoulky is at the bottom of this confpiracy. I fee — I read it in his countenance. If I fail to make this foe, my friend, this very day fhall be his laft. The grave which is open for him, Ihall alfo clofe upon his daughter ! Par. My blood freezes ! What ? her, for whom ^ou profefTeft unbounded love and admiration ? Bern. From love, which meets not a return, to revenge the paffage is rapid, in a mind unufed to controul. Should Kfcenia difregard this maxim, her blooming rofes (hall fade, Ihall drop unheeded into the grave, and yield their laft perfumes to mid- night ihades and all-devouring time. To oppofe my A tRAGEDY. I9 my will, is facrilegioufly to trample upon the high and facrcd prerogatives of a rightful fovereign. SCENE IV* Demetrius, Parm£.\;, Ghousky, ^WKscenia. Dem» The bold rebellion of the outrageous mob has reached my ears ; who are their fecret agents and inftigators has alfo co;r:e to my knowledge. They are the nobles of Mofl^ow. It is they who endanger the fafety of my throne. Shou. Nothing of moment can be apprehended from the murmurs of the rabble. Their clamour is but an empty found difperfed by the flighted breath of Heaven. It will foon vanilh, Dem. Hold ! Thy myfterious condudt is no longer proof againfl my penetration. It is clear ; I fee it plain ; thou afpireft to the pofleffion of my throne ! Shou. To reign in this glorious clime is a chi- mera too diftant from my thoughts — too diftant even from my dreams. Thou art our lawful fove^ reign, the legitimate offspring of the late beloved monarch. Thou art our illuftrious prince, crowned folemnly in the face of God and the people, and veiled with the fceptre by the unanimous fan^lion B 2 of 2-0 DEMETRIUS J of both. It is the perverfe Godunoff on whom the old and the young vent iheir eternal curfes. Thou art beloved. Thou art fevere, becaufe thou art juft ; yet not more fo than was thy royal father. None but the wicked complain of thee ; the virtu- ous adore thee; thy apparent cruelty is neceffity», which done away, thy mercy and benevolence will refume their ordinary channel I Dem, Mark me ! I am not to be duped by linooth and flattering fpeeches. Thy looks and thy words do but ill difguife thy thoughts. If thou wouldftbe a friend, prove thyfelf fuch ! Shou, I am thy faithful fervant. De?n. Parmen, leave us. SCENE V. Demetrius, Shousky, and KscenIa. Dem. I will have proofs — fpeedy and unequivocal proofs of thy attachment! Weigh my propofal attentively, and anfwer decifively. My heart burns fiercely with love ! My whole blood is chafed by its fubtle and penetrating flame ! Thou alone canfl: quench it ! In Kfcenia thou holdeft both my remedy and the pledge of thy fealty. Give me her hand 1 A TRAGEDY, 2£ Kftt, My hand ? Shou, Think of the Queen ». Bern, She is of the Roman faith ! A modeft vk.- gin of Ruffian birth, brought up in the religion of her country, will, with greater propriety and dignity, Ihare the throne of the Rufi'ian monarch. Kfix. My heart has been long united to another. Dem. Doft thou then refufe me ? Kf(z. The dazzling fpiendour of the crown ; the fovereignty of the world ; the poffeffion of ail that is mofl precious in human eilimation, cannot fvverve me from my faith, nor Ihake my confhancy^ The flame that glows within my bofom is chafle, and pure as Heaven's light. No power on earth can ever extinguilh it ! It warms my frame, it expands my foul, and it abforbs my fenfes. No one but Gcorgius fhall ever dwell in this faithful and devoted heart ! Dem. Reflecfl that death can inflantly, in both of you, annihilate this flame, Kfa;. Should it be fo, we mull forget each other. Till then, we will preferve our love and faith perfedl: and unfullied, Venu 2Jt . DEMETRIUS; Bern. Art thou confcious to whom thou repiiell } Has torture, anguifh, death, nothing to difmay thee? Kf(2. Nothing ! De7n. Weil then. *Tis done. I am refolved. Tremble at the fufferings that await thee ! Wel- come, if thou canft, thy dreadful fate ! Not a par- ticle — not an atom of thee fliall be fpared. I call Heaven to witnefs, my revenge is juft. Oh that I could but torment, and flill keep life within her ! I would rend Kfoenia's heart ! I would revel in her blood ! I would try her with perpetual agonies 1 I would conjure up from Heaven, Earth, land Hell, cverlafting torments for her foul ! Shou. Gracious liege, urge not fo haftily thy ven-t geance ! fufpend awhile thy dreadful indignation ! Difmifs thy anger, 1 befeech thee ; and, fmce her form is pleafing in thine eyes, let the father anfwer for the reft. The wayward fpirit of petulance has dwelt in her from her infancy. Commit her to my care ; I am beft acquainted with the temper of her mind; I know beft how to reafon with her, and doubt not of foothing her into compliance. Kfis. My honour I will preferve inviolable to the grave. Vain will be thy admonition — vain ! fince, forgetful ot a parent's duty, thou undcrtakeft to jTiake thy daughter faithlcfs! to flain her fpotlefs A TRAGEDY. 23 name with dishonour, and plunge her headlong into a gulph of defpair ! Shou, Truft me, my liege, I fliall keep my word, I {hall perfuade her inro reafon, and fubdue her ob- flinacy. Till then I iblicit thy forbearance. Denu Take her; and remember that I expe(fl every thing from the authority and influence of a father, Kfr. Imagine not I can ever be thine ! S C E N E VI. SiiousKY and Ks ; and thy words and adlions direfted foleiy by that nioit S4 DEMETRIUS; moft powerful of pafiions, have made thee blind to all the conOderations of caution and prudence. The /way to happinefs and the refined luxuries of the foul, is not, at all times, to be purfued by expofing the heart to open and unobftrufied view. Diflimulation and difguiTe are often indifpenfable. When we have to deal with a lawlefs and inexorable tyrant — a tyrant into whofe grafping and inflexible power we are \pitilefsly delivered up; then it is not the time for cpennefs and fincerity. One word of an unfeigned fentiment may prove fatal. Where Fraud and Im- poflure hold a fovereign fway. Truth, their eternal enemy, cannot fpeak without offence. To diffemble, or chain the tongue in filence, is the only fad alter- native lefc for her adoption. When the mafk is once taken off, the chains of tyranny loofened, and the people gathering breath and flfuggling againft oppreffion — then is the time for her to make a bold and decifive appeal ! — Merciful God ! fpeed this thrice-bleffed-time ! Bring us to the longed-for moment of deliverance, freedom, and peace ! Kfoe. The tyrant threatens my life, SIjozl Simulation, therefore, h thy fafefl courfe. Difguife thy fentiments as much as thou canft ; give him hopes ; invent delays and excufes ; foothe and lull his favage fpirit with the feigned voice of love ; ;ind let the fighs of a lover cool, from time to time. A TRAGEDY, 2^ his raging fury. The power of love is irrefiftlble. The moft obdurate outcafts of nature fubmit to its impulfe; the lion, the tiger, the fubtle ferpent, even thefe with eagernefs obey its imperious didtates. The mod infenfible among the favage race, tem- pered into mildnefs, and divefted of their native ferocity, yield to its inftincf^, and come to facrifice at its everlading (brine. Kfa;. Crocodiles, bafilifKS, even flones of flint, arc not half fo inflexible as this unfeeling tyrant. Shou. Banifli fuch thoughts! keep thy mind un- harralTed and free from fuch deftru£live apprehen- ilons.' Arm thyfelf againft defpair. Remember, the fafety of thy father, thy lover, and thy whole country, depends upon thy condu^. KJce. I know it, dear father. I am fully fenfible of this great truth ; yet I fear my weaknefs. I fear, alas ! the tafk is too great for my feeble fpirits. — Gracious Heaven, fave ns from peril! deliver our dear opprelFed country from the galling yoke of iibhorred tyranny. E^^D OF ACT I. ACT ^6 DEMETRIUS | ACT 11. SCENE I. Georgius ^nd Kscenia, Gsorgius, And am I come to this ? muft I belle myfelf, and utter what my thoughts difown ? Thus it is that an honeft man becomes a hypocrite, when violence fills the throne, and maddened fury fupsrfedes thci laws. Kfa. How unlike — how bleffed muft be that mo- narch, whofe commands are a6ts of kindnefs, and who delights in deeds of mercy ; whofe power extends not to deprive the mind of her genuine free- dom ; whofe virtues are an ornament to his throne ; Avhofe glory and greatnefs confifts in the welfare of Bis people ; and whofe julliy-exercifed authority is dreaded by none but the vicious and the guilty ! Geor. Poor deferted Kremle, the filent witnefs of perfecuted virtue, even thou fcemeft to mourn thy woeful and deplorable ftate! Thy mofly aged walls feem to ftiake with horror at the fad devafta- tion A TRAGEDY. 1^ tion around thee. Ho.v defolare a fcene ! Nature's bountiful riches, hitherto ga}'- and radiant on th^ plains of Mofkow, are withered and defpoiled. The fporting gambols of the heavenly rays, the emblem of mirth, content, and innocence, fecm now to fink in dark and endlefs nighr. Thick and unwieldy- clouds of fuddeniy-emerging vapours overhang, in ominous fufpence, this drooping city. Scarcely able to uphold her tottering head, (he fees her fquares forfel'.en.; her habitations deferted ; her children torn from her embraces, and led lawlefsly to execu- tion. The folemn bell, hitherto devotion's facred monitor, feems now to mimick the groans of her expiring victims, and to announce the approaching fall of her beloved church ; — fhc hears it, and her power fails her. In vain fne looks for fuccour; in vain Ihe pleads againfi the ufurpation of Rome; her tears avail not ; ihe trembles and finks into defpair. The cruel and relentlefs Clement has already devoted her to the wretched fate, deplorably wretched, of the new world. His pernicious tongue has already proclaimed Heaven's high reward, to all who will rife for her deftru61ion, who will imbrue their impious hands in her unfullied blood. O Father of Heaven ! avert thefe dreadful evils ! Save our unhappy coun- try- — fave it from being a prey to bigorry and the cruelty of religious enthufi.ifm ! Cut off that mon- fter of Popifh fuperftition, which, with the crofs in one band, and the dagger in the other, overran the vaft territories of the new world i drenched the earth in the aS DEMETRIUS; the blood of a guiltlefs race ; perpetrated the mofl horrid acts of ravage, torture^ and maffacre; and ftrewed with mangled bodies, the tracks of his bloody career. All-ruling Providence I let not Mofl«:ow be a fecond vi6lim to this deflruftive fiend, engendered in the felfiihnefs, the bafe artinces, and the fanguinary ambition of Rome ! Kfci\ Whatever befals us, Kfosnia's conf^ancy will ren#in ever unimpaifed. All the efforts of niallcin jDus power; all the horrors of provoked cruelty; Demetrius ! Clement ! — all that is moft dreadful to my thoughts, my love for thee will meet with un^' daunted fortitude. Since there is no redrefs — fincc the tyrant's will is his only law, let him do his word. The OuW'Orn Caucafus gave him birth; I^ircania's favage milk nouriihed his flinty heart^ Tutored by favage<^, call up fiom hell to fcourgp mankind, dill I will defy him. Let me only hope, thou Supreme and Merciful Being, that thou wilt preferve our dear country from the rapacious power of the iniidious and ai'piiing heretic ! O let not this ufurper of thy divine authority, with the flavifh arms qf his bigoted wretches, prevail over a people, hitherto guided by the genuine emanation of thy heavenly light! Permit not the profanation of thy facred altars by his iniquitous and facrilegious bands! Protect thy temples and thy patriarchs, who daily prefent thee the offerings of thy pious race ! Plurl ^JeLlriilion on the tyran^-, who. in league with P-.ome, rebels A TRAGEDY.. l-y rebels again ft thy facred will, and pours fliowcrs of mifery upon this dcfolated cli ne ! People ot Ruf-- fia! aiife — awake to the voice of vengeance ! Pluck the wreath of royalty from the ulurpcr's head! Wrench the fceptre from the barbarous hand thar opprefles }'0u ! Crufh the monger who exults in your fufferings, and give the crown to him who mod deferves, yet leaft defires it ; to him who would have his power fubjeiftcd to law and juftice, and nos govern by caprice and violence ; — to him whofe view- ?nd actions would folely tend to fix the happi- nefs of his people, and not to gratify his lawlefs wifhes. To him who, anointed and veiled with the diadem, would adt as behoves the facred and awful vicegerent of the King of Kings. Alas ! were we blefled with fuch a monarch, Kfoenia would not have been doomed to fuffer, and to be torn from alJ that is dear to her. She mig-ht SCENE II. t)EMETRiL's, Georgius, and KSCENIA. Bern. Rep:.Ls, crawling upon the earth in low obfcurity, b. -w to the will of }()ur monarch ! lie- fpect it ; it is the will of Heaven ! G^oi'mus, thou haft prefuaied t 'O much in thy views upon this Pi ;n- cefs;^ — (he is mme. It is her luperior deft in y to be fo. Hear me I 1 forbid ihec, under pain of death, to 30 DSrvIETRltTS; to tliinl: of her^ except with the refpe^fl due to the confort cf thy fovereign. Geo7\ I murmur nou— I obey 1 Kfii\ 1 Cubmit, my liege. Dem. To-morrow, then, \ {hall clafp thee in thefc arms. Kfa\ A mind long accuftomed to doat upon one objeft, is not fo eafily reconc!l"d to a fpeedy union* with another. Great as is the power of a monarch, that of love is no lefs fo. To relinquiili what has been rio dear, and pluck from the heai-t, at once, the deep- rooted paffion, is more than human ftrcngth can efFeft. Allow me, Sire, a time, in which the violence of paft affe£l:ion fubfiding, I may learn how to forget Georgius, and heal the ilill bleeding wounds, of my ! heart. What pleafure can it be to fee me at the altar in tears ; expiring perhaps at the very moment of pronouncing the folemn oath of eternal fidelity ? Dem. Stifle this degrading paflion ; — renounce It, or Georgius is no more ! His life is on a caft ; — he dies a vidim unworthy of a monarch's wrath. Can this worm — this inngnificant being (land in compe- tition with the crowned head of Demetrius ? Ceor. I have fubmitted too much. Kfa, A TRAGEDY; 3.t Kf(s. Reftrain tby indignation. Geor. I can bear it no longer. Kf^. My prince ! De?n. My vengeance is on the wing. Wretch, that dareft to abufe my clemency, tby doom is fixed. Death's devouring jaws already open for thee. Who wai:s there ? (Guards enter.) Seize that traitor ! Gecr. Prifspare thy tormenis, tyrant, I am ready to endure \'nem, fince it is my fate to fall into thy bar- barons hands. Since thy third of blood is not quenched yet with the torrent that flows inceflantly from the veins of this bleeding country — Villain ! Ufurper ! Murderer ! drink mine \ — drink it, till it burfl thy hideous trunk. Kill, deftroy, riot in wanton cruelty, till Heaven's jufl vengeance overtakes thee, and fmks thee ten thoufand fathoms deeper than the low and abjeci dtn of mifery, from Vvhich, like a vil- lain — like an Impodor, thou hafl fuddenly vaulted into the facred feat of majefly. Dem. Away with him to prifon. SCENE III. Demetrius and Kscenia. Kfa:. Rack me — torture me, barbarian ! fummon all thy ftrength of cruelty! walle on me all the (lores 33 DEMETRIUS J ftores of torments, hoarded in thy blood- thirfty mind ! i curfc thee ; I execrate thee ; I pray for thy deftruc- tion ! O God, that feeft the horrid atrocities of this inhuman monfler ; that heareft inceffantly the groans, the piercing cries extorted by his mercilefs fury ; that alone canft meafure the extent of my fufferings ; E deign to view them with pity ! behold my tears I shold my heart corroded with forrow ! Lend an car of companion to the fupplicating voice of mifery ! Strike the tyrant^ and fnatch my linking, foul from wretchednefs and defpair ! Dem, I Ihall foon grant thy praj^ers. Thou fhaU foon be better acquainted with Demetrius ! Geor- gius ihall be torn to pieces — to ten thoufand atoms* Thou (halt feaft thy eyes on his fcattered limbs, and read in them, the fate which my compaffion has in refer ve for thee, / K/i^. To dieonthe fcafFold by the fideof Georgius, [ is more gratifying, more honourable, than to live and j^ign with Demetrius. Dem, Thou flialt foon have that happinefs. Thef flame for Georgius will no longer confume thee ; — ^I will quench it with thy life. I will (land forth the ample avenger of infulted majefty. Kfa. I wait. Impatient, for death. Thcu fparefl neither rank, nor birth; neither age^ nor fex. To die. A TRAGEDY. 33 die, th:rcTorc, I am prepared. This only will I pro- phecy ro thy CQullernaiion : thy end is near ; dc- llru(5lion hovers over thee ; the daily appeal of the blood wantonly and barbaroully Ihed by thee is too powerful for Heaven to I'uffer thee long upon the throne. The melting touch of pity never warmed thy foul ! the dew of mercy never moiftened thy parched heart; the groans of the people, the echoes of the very walls that enclofe thee, are the infallible prognoftics of thy approaching ruin. Thou threat- ened me in vain ; thy tortures ftrike no fear into me. Virtue is above fear. I defpife them as much as I do the wretch that inflidts them. Lead me, tyrant, to execution ! — Why thus flow in thy bloody purpofe ? SCENE IV. Demetrius, Shousky, and Kscenia. Shou. Outrageous girl ! whence is this difobc- dience — this glaring defiance of thy fovereign's au- thority ? Dem. Unexatnpled audacity ! mod daring infult to a monarch ! • The Vvorld will Icarcely credit the offence. SIjqu* Is this the rcfult of the advice I gave thffs? C Kf€o 34 DEMETRIUS', Kfcs, Driven to defpair Shou. Worthlefs wretch, that darell to brave thy Monarch ! Away from my fight ! SCENE V. Demetrius and Shousky. Shou. My liege, before the Queen of Night dif- plays her filver orb in the fields of Heaven, my daughter fliall return to her duty and obedience. Bern. The fweet perfuafive voice of love pleads powerful in her behalf. Till now, I have not felt the full energy of my paffion. My foul hitherto panted for glory, nor could the fofter charms of love entice it to purfue them. It was enough that I imagined love to be the lot of vulgar and inferior fouls. I placed my delight in majefty and fplendor; my heart felt gratified when RufTia trembled at my nod ; when Mojkow brightened up at my fmile, and funk into dejedion at my frown ! My foul danced with joy to fee the rich, the nobles, the princes prof- trate at my feet with awful expedtation of my plea- fure. Yet this very foul, proud and afpiring, is at length fubdued. Love, in glorious triumph, has brought it to the common flandard, and placed it ^on the level with its fpecies. Bid thy daughter to throw A TRAGEDY. 35 throw herfelf at my feet ; and, ihould (he be vvIUingS with bccoaiing obscJience, to gr.'tify my vvifhes, prefent her this ring, which, if accepted, Ihall be- come a pledge of her affedions ; or if refufed, a fatal meifenger of her fpeedy death. Shou. To difobey thee is to incenfe Heaven. Thy refolve is jufl:, and Shoufky is all fubmiffion. Our wifhes and paffions were given to us only to be fub- fervient to the will of God, and to that of our Sovereign. SCENE VI. Demetrius, Parmex, and Shousky. Tarin. The ftorm of revolt gathers afrefh. The raging populace fwclls more and more. Puflitd on by a frefh provocation, like the heavy clouds impelled by a fuddcn northern blall, they threaten to buril over thy head, and overwhelm thee in a deluge of mighty devaftation. The imprifonment and condcmnarion'N •of Georgius, reviving in memory thy pa[l cruelties, ) has put the whole mafs of citizens in commotiun. It has roufed the dormant fpirit of redrefs; kindled the fpark of mutiny in the mind; and fpread thror:gh all ranks, the flames of fury and revenge. Thy peril is not lefs than thy greatnefsj dangers befiege thee^ and deflirudion- hems thee in, on every fide. c 2 Ic $6 DEMETRIUS; It is tKus thou reapeft, at length, the fruit of thy oppreffive reign. Hadfl: thou had the happinefs of thy people at heart, the very multitude that affiil ihy throne, would now range themlelves around it, and protedt it, at the hazard of their lives. Shou, I will prote(5l it ftill ; — I will ftem the tor- rent, and bring the incenfcd mob to the fenle of their duty. My liege, rely upcii Shoufky ! Bern. Mud I be reproached with cruelty, even while I endure Gcorgius living; while 1 behold rhe outrages of the populace, without bedewing the ftree.s nfivfh wiih their treacherous blood? Is it cruelty that I fhould hug the very ferpent that aims his venomous fting at my breaft ? Well — Be it io. Shorfky, repair to the mifcreants ; be it your talk to reflore them to reafon. Parmen, look to the watch ; — Itt the guard be augmented. SCENE VII. Demetrius folus. I can with (land no longer the boding fears of my foul. In vain would I conceal the danger from ,'myfelf. I feel my crown fits unfteady ; the hand of Juftice is ready to tear it from my head. Methinks fhe avenging Angel has armed all Nature to vent its curfcs A TRAGEDY.. 37 curfes and rcproache<; on Demetrius ! The towering Kremle frowns dreadful, and fcems as it its ponder- ous weight bcnr forward, ready to fall and crufli me, ji«> liire and mortal foe. The facred temples feem as if they would uplift mc to their fpiry tops, and da(h me on the hallov\ed Hones beneath, which my de- flroying hand fo often forced to bear its bleeding pal- pitating vi(5\ims. Each countenance, each feature I behold proclaims I -aiv a t) rant, who has undone, who has d.ftio^ed every fource of human happinefs. Within, without, and around MoHcow, where'er I look, where'er I bend my (Icps, abhorrence of Deme- trius univerfally prevails. All, all, confpire againft me ! I toticr on the verge of an abyfs — dark and fathomlefs ! The veil of mortality falls off, and the dreaded prorpe<51: of Hell breaks fuddenly on my fight. Methmks I behold the ghaftly fpedres grin! — I hear the dire yeil of dasuions innumerable exult- ing at the approach of their new vicflim. Ah, where to look — which way to turn to avoid the dilmal fcene ? fhall I lift my eyes to Heaven ! There, reft the fouls of good, of righteous and illuftrious icings. Enclofed in circlets bright of heavenly rays, they mix Vv'ich angels, drink ambrofia, and foar aloft, like them, on the wings of light, elaftic fpirit. 1 dare not, can- not look that way. Defpair and endlels anguifii is my hard-earned portion ! living and after death in- ceffant torments await me ! I am no crowned mo- narch, but a wretch, a wicked wretch, renounced by God, caft off by men. I perlfh — yet why fo late ? fooner : 38 DEMETRIUS; fooner ; how many thoufands had been faved 1 — ^but now — whac ? — I mull away — 1 muft fly from this deteiled fpot ! It is polluted by the prefence of a tyrant, of a murderer ! — There he is ! — Where ? I fee no one ; I am alone ! — Alas ! it is myfelf ; — I am that tyrant and murderer. I would revenge — I would ftrike the villain to the heart ! yet that vil- lain is myfelf. Shall I purfue myfelf with hatred ? No, 'tis impoffible ; — I love myfelf too well — 1 love myfelf, yet know not why. Even the earth I tread rifes up againft me. There is nothing living, nothing fuffering, but what appeals to Heaven for vengeance ! I f I live but for the mifery of mankind, and my death the only relief they are anxioufly imploring. The humbleft lot in Sfe to me is enviable : even they who are opprefled with various calamines, with flavery and with grievous poverty, are permitted to enjoy that peace, that tranquillity, from which, though monarch, I am forever excluded. Mud I then for ever fuffer ? muft I pine and perifli like a miferable wretch? — No; — fince fraud and impofture have raifed me to the throne, I will maintain them to the laft. Let mankind hate me i let them perfecute me ; I will retort their hatred, and perfecute in turn 1 I have lived, and I will die, a perlevering tyrant ! END OF ACT II. ACT A TRAGEDY. 39 ACT III. SCENE I. Shousky and Parmen. Farmen, 1 HAVE endeavoured to appeafe the tyrant, and prevent the repetition of farther cruelties. My argu- ments have forced convi^ion upon his diflraded mind, and Georgius is reftored to life and freedom. As a friend and confident, my whole life Ihould be devoted to his fervice, were he a better man, and a better king ! — but as he is Shou, Demetrius's birth has raifed him to the throne. Far, Birth is nothing, where there are none of^ thofe diftinguilhed talents which qualify one indi- vidual to govern a vafl empire. Let him be Ohrepieve, the monk ; ftill, were he a good and vyorthy fovercign, he would deferve his exalted ftation. Let him be the iffue of a Ruffian monarch ; yet, if his actions do not come up to the flandard of monarchical dignity, we cannot love him j — we cannot think of him as a father. 40 DEMETRIUS; father, and look up to him, as we onght, with filial affeftion. When a people find no relief from the throne ; when Innocence pines away, overwhelmed with delpair ; widows and orphans are bathed in tears ; and property, life, and honour are in danger— When bribery, flattery, corruption, and hypocrify block up every accefs to redrefs, and mingle virtue and undiflinguiflied merit in one loathfome groupe with vice and ignorance — When humanity fuffers, and villainy fleeps in profound fecurity, the glory of a monarch is a mere phantom — a mere illufion that vanifhes like a dream. Empty praife is no fooner born than it expires; — that fame which is not war- ranted by the happinefs of others, has no folidlry, and, at mofi, is but a creaiure of chance, and a fpurious offspring of fortune. Sbou, I am equally attached to the king and to the people. Farm. Beware, Shoufky ! while I can only pray to Heaven, thou mayefl: fave tiiy counrry. Remember that in doing {o, thou wilr fave thyfelf, Georgius, and thy only daughter. SCENE II. Shousky jrAus, DifTen^bUft thou or nor, Demetrius fh.^il perifh. He fhall tall to nfe no m^re ! I a ill die, \i fuch be the A TRAGF.DY. 4I the decree of Heaven ; ycr I will raife cigiinfc Deme- trius a florm, that, looncr or late:-, (hull overwhelm him. 1 will venture my life to fave my country; and if it fhould be loft, I fliall have another and better life in exchange — life immortal ! Great is the hero who has triumphed over a mighty foe; yet he who relcues his country from ihe heavy yokeof oppreffion is infinitely greater. It is fvvccL and praifeworthy to die for one's country. -J SCENE III. SnousKY, Georgil's, ^;;JKsn:NJiA, Shou. Once more, in hopes of forcing you to a reconciliation with your fate, the comn^.on dellroyer of our peace defircs a conference with you, Dil- gufting as are his propofals, you needs mufi; fcem to receive them with complacence. Above all, be careful that this advice may not a fu-cond time p:ove fruiilefs, through your inadvertency and imprudence. He that cannot temporize witli ncceffity, and yield to the urgency of thetin)es, is totally ignorant ot the manners and cufloms of focial life. Gcor, I am to blame. Youih and warmth of temper h.ivc betraved me. My honour could not brook, fo infulting a langnagf ; — a. keen fcnfe of injury, that penetrated my vvhule frame, broke through 4^ DEMETRIUS; through all the barriers of cautious prudence. Un- ufed to fo harfli a treatiiient, and born with a fpirit ill calculated to endure it, I was thunder-ftruck at the opprobrious terms difdainfully caft upon mfo It was what I never expelled, and was therefore lefs prepared to bear. Had not the dread of my Kfcenia^ being loft for ever bereft me of my reafon, I Ihould/ have plunged the dagger into the very heart of the cruel defpot. Be allured, however, that for her fake, I will bear the worft of injuries. In as much as the infolent upftart is ralh and infulting, Georgius fliall be cautious and patient. After this, Kfoenia, need I fay how much I love thee ? Kfcs. And I, my father, feeing Georgius con- demned to fuffer, could no longer diffemble with the tyrant. My patience fled, and my foul burft with agony ; my tongue no longer obeyed me. Life without him was not worth preferving. — My prince, my Georgius ! I live but in thee, and for thee alone. My joys, my treafures, and all earthly happinefs centre in thee. There is no mifery I would not endure — no fufTerings I would not call bleffings, if they purchafed me the poffeflion of thee; — there is no lot of life, however obfcure and comfortlefs, that I would not think a happinefs to fhare with thee. No tyrant — no torments can ever burft the chain that binds me to thee ; — no power, however mali- cious, fhall ever tear me from thy beloved arms. Shou, A TR«AGEDY. 43 Sbou. Supprefs thefe tranlpoits, and endeavour to ftlfle thy pallion in the prefcnce ot the tyrant. Gcor. Heavens ! fbould he tear her away from me ! — fhould he force her to the altar ! Such a Ughc would ftrike me with inftant death. My blood curdles at the thought. — Impoffible ! It would burlt a heart much firmer than mine. Kj'(r. Difmifs thy fears. Death Is the guardian \ of my fafety j — to him I would fly from the deteftable facrifice ! If not in this world, at lead in the grave we may hope to be united. Oh, my prince, it is my death that alarms thee, and not the tyrant's odious / love. Geor. O Kfcenia, let me die alone ! let me alone be the vidlim of cruelty and injudice! To behold thee expire — Heavens ! the thought is infuppoitable. Dear, beloved Kfcenia, any thing but that Georgius can bear. Live, dear object of my v/iflies ! Com- mit thy .chadity to Heaven, and be an angel on earth. The fpirit of our church is not yet fubdued, and ihy vows to God will flill prote(ft thee- from the tyrant. We have men — holy men, who, regardlefs of worldly danger, Vv^ill oppofe the heretic, and flruggling glorioully, ftill dare to refill his ufurping power. S/jcu. God Is merciful and jiiH:; — rcfign to hiiii your cares and your furrow.-, and r^iy firm:y upon Lis AX'^""^^ DEMETRIUS;- / I his kind providence. Mean while, arm yourfelf with fortitude, and adt as the advice I have given will dired: you. Kjce. Thy wifdom, my father, Ihall be our guide. SCENE IV. Georgius and Kscenia. Kf(2. Days of tears — days of forrovv, when will ye be over ? Geor, Days of woe, fly on ; pafs on fwiftly, and return no more ! Ahnighty love, ceafe to rage in my bofom ! — ceafe to burn in my veins ! — yield for a moment to dire neceffity, and hdc thy torch in the deepeft recefles of my heart ! Let not the emanation of thy flaming light betray once more the dear fecret of my foul. One ghmce, alas ! — one unguarded moment of the mutual interchange of tenderncfs, may prove our mifery and utter deftruc- tion. Kfae. Diffemble, my fond eyes ; — gaze not with rapture on Georgius ! — Forego your wonted felicity, and aid me to deceive the tyrant ! Moments of blifs — of happinefs, pad, yet dear — dear as the pre- feat mifery is infupportable, keep away from my memory, A TRAGEDY. 45 memory, and haunt not my imagination ! Let me not think of you, that my mind, unintruded by the remembrance of its pad felicity, may, with more fafcty, go through the dreadful tiial that awaits it I Gcor. O God, gracious God, deign to relieve fufferings ! my Kfce. Deign to enumerate my fighs and my gal- ling tears ! Geor. Pity my hard defliny ! Take back my ex- iflence, or with the balm of thy heavenly mercy revive the growth of hope expiring in ray bofom ! — O Kfcenia, my conftancy is as firm as my love is unexlinguifhable. Let fate llrike, the blow cannot part us. — We will live and die together. Kfo. Kfoenia will welcome death with thee ; flic will joyfully, for thy fake, undergo all the torments of inventive cruelty. She loves thee more than life. This city, made odious by tyranny, is dill dear to me — dear as paradile, bccaufe it contains thee. Every place in it fcems full of thee; Nature's whole fpace without thee, would be one immenfe and dif- mal void to Kfcenia. I kifs the verdant grafs that bends beneath thy feet. I do^t;bn the ground that bore thee, and gaze, enraptured, on the gliding ftreamlet, whofe foft and gentle murmurs were mingled with the fweet melody of thy voice. Cecr, fl 46 DEMETRIUS; Geor. The city, the adjacent plains, the neighbour- ing foreft, the fparkling cryfial delc^^nding from rocks and fcattcring his trcafures beneath ; the radi- ant glory of a fumnier's day; the awful dr'rknefs of nicijcdic night; all, all prcilent to me my Kfoenia. An age paft.with thee would appear to me but as one blefled moment of uninterrupted happincfs. Thy power over me is facred, uncontroulable, and lading as the never-fading charms of thy heavenly mind. KfcE. My love for thee is as true, as conftant, as the objedt that infpires it in merit and virtue is above all comparilbn. S C E N E V. Demetrius, Georgius, ^k^/Kscenia. Bern, Came ye hither to pay obedience to my xvlll ? Gcor. Convinced by relle6tion, we come duly to offer our homage and fubmilTion. Dcm. In confideration of this, I pardon your part: offences. But remember tuy authority cannot be abufed with impunity ; — fhould ye offend again, ex- pert no mercy from Demetrius. Female weaknefs lluinks from the feverity of jullice ; but manly, and above all, royal vengeance finds in it a fource of fupe- rior A TRAGEDY. 47 rior delight. It is the perfedion of worldly hap- , pinefs, that while thoufands of worthlefs and ignoble lives knguifh in obfcurity, a monarch by his fole authority can call forth, or annihilate them at pleafure. Geor. The eftablifhment of their welfare and hap- pinefs mull certainly be a fource of infinite gratifi- cation to him. Dem. Their welfa re is prejudicial to hini^. - To enrich him, the people muft toil in perpetual poverty ; his joy and felicity is incompatible with theirs ; they muft weep to make him fmile. The Have, before he works, muft fmart under the lafti of ftrift and wholefome difcipline. Geor. Attachment, love, and proper laws are better calculated to excite his induftry. Bern. Of what ufe are laws where there is a power that can enad:, or annuU them at pleafure ? Gecr. If fuch a power a£ls on the principle of Jiiftice, it is beft calculated to promote a people's happinefs. To be thus governed is, thank Heaven, the happy lot of Ruflla! Where it exifts nor, una- nimity is deftroyed, and the love of virtue and honour is loft in general confufion. Men as infignificant — 23 infoknt, dart up, fcize on the fovereign authority, and 48 DEMETRIUS ; and txam[^!e with impunity upon the rig,hts of their fdlow-cirizcns. He who wifhes his equals to hold in iheir har.ds the reins of govcrnn.ent, is a foe to his couniiy. vSuch a form of government has lever been known.in Ruffia. The fupreme power, \vhcn no fovereign exifts, is a heavy, multiplied burthen ; it breeds as many oppreiiors as there are individuals blinded by ambition and endowed with talents. Woe to the country depending on their mercy ! Cabals, intrigues, and parry-dillentions defolate the people; injuries find no redrefs ; truth mourns in filence, and the intereft of the community is facriliced to private revenge, and the bafe felfifh- iiefs Of a few felf-created tyrants. Our country repofes happily under the aufpices of monarchical government •, and if the regal fplendour is not main- rained at the [)rice of the people's mifery ; if the monarch's jiovver is not 0|)preliive to his fubjef^s, they will blefs hitn ; and ih'cir pofierity, contem- plating his life with confcious pride, vviil pay the tribute of love and gratitude to his memory. Dcm. Talcs like thefe befit a woman's ear^ ; — they plcafe me not ! Whether Molkovv fmiles with content, or groans with anguidi, it matters not. Demetrius lives not for the people, but the people for Demetrius. From the flrain of thy difcourfe, thou wouldil fain perfuade me to give up the princefs. C€or, A TRAGEDYi 4^ Geor. Truth is not weakened from being uttered^ under the influence of a virtuous palfion. Surely, in this inftance, I do not merit my fovereign's dif- pleafure ; — his will rules over me, but that will can- not command my paffions j they are implanted by Nature, and Ihe alone has the power of directing them. « Dem. There is nothing but what mull and fhall be fubjeded to my controul. All ihou haft is mine. Prince as thou art, defcended from the illuftrious Condantine, before me thou art a mere atom — a mere nothing. All is God's and mine ! Geor. Am I not the owner of myfelf ? Bern. No. God and Demetrius claim thee ; — thy whole is theirs. Thou haft nought of thy own. Geor. May I call the foul, that infpires me, my own? Dem. Thou dareft not ! God has given it to Demetrius. Geor. Yet that fame God has given to all his creatures, the privilege of property and freedom ; — • can they lawfully be deprived of them ? A poten- tate may do what is unjult; but what is unjuft, ic can never make otherwifc. 5© DEMETRIUS; Dcm. Ccafe thy impertinent loquacit}^ ; it grows troublefome. — It incommodes me. Repair, my prlncefs, to the ?.partmen's affigned for thy reception. Thy attendants wait to conduct thee. To-mi)rrov/ my hand iliall lead thee, a bnde, to the altar. Why thofe tears ? Kfce. Grief overcomes me ; — yet — I wil^ obey ; I will flrive to conquer it. (To Georg'ius,) My prince, fummon thy fortitude ; fubdue thy forrow ; and aids fecond, by thy example, my feeble efforts ! Adieu ! imperious deftiny deaiands this facrifice ! SCENE VI. Demetrius and Georgius. Dem. Thou biii ill compliefl: with my wifh ; — why that mournful countenance ? Gecr. A flight ilruggle, my liege. — It is over. Denu TIiou turneft pale ! / Geor. No. 1 am well — quite well. Qiiite com- f pofed ; only a little alTeded at the parting — that is all ! One cannot altogether refign what one has loved, without fome trifling tenfation of regret. • Dc?n. A TRAGEDY. 5 I D:m. It is culpable, neveithclcTs ; none but) cro'.vnei) heads fliould give vent to their feelings ; — ! they, being exalted above ihe refi: of mortals, alone, may indulge them, liieir p^ifiions alone may fiow with the courfe of unreftrained ficcdom. / Gear. Whatever be the diftance between fove- reign and lubjecl, they are eOjUals under the fweet doirdnon of love. To cieify man is an abfurd flat- tery. The various avocations of life, the divers paths men purfue, are fometimes the accidental caufe of one individual being raifed to an immenfe height above another. Pcrfonal merit and fplendid talenTTl are often produ6f ive of fuch events ; — iViU a monarch \ Ihould be a father, and look upon his people as fo \ many children committed to his care. Our life is Ihort; — monarch and flave both mull die. The failing peafant and the mighty conqueror, both, fooner or later, mud defcend into the grave ; — one is (natched from an humble cottage ; the other from a magnificent palace. He that rules, and he tliat is ruled, are actuated by the (lime impulfe of Nature — • her laws admit of no dilVinction. The moft renowned hero, as well as the meaneft wretch, has his pang^ and his ftruggles ; in both, nrfery or happinefs will produce pain or pleafure. Pvlighty fovereign, thy foul feels the power of love — fo does mine ! 'I hy royal breaft is agitated by the tempen: of pafilons— fo is mine ! God alone can know what I fufTf r,by this cruel fepa ration ; — to Him then, I Ihall look D a ^ f^r 52 DEMETRIUS; for fuccour; — to Him alone, ihall flow my tears and my fecret prayers. Oh, that he would, in pity, flretch his all-powerful hand for my relief! — My loft, my lamented Kfoenia — alas, I might ftill pre- ferve thee ! Dem. Moralize, pray, weep, grieve, implore God's protection — thou art at liberty to do it. It does my heart good to fee thee bewail fo bitterly, thofe charms, which, for ever loft to thee, are now ■ in my-poffeffion. SCENE VII. Georgius folus. Difregardful of God — difdainful of man ! rejoice, thou tyrant, in my fufFerings ! Triumph at the torments thy barbarity inflidts ! 'Tis well — thy time is fhort. Thou doeft well to profit by it. O God !— O Kfoenia l—Muft I lofe thee ?— The very thought chills, like ice, my veins — it benumbs my fenfes ; my ftrength fails me ; my fight grows dim. Difmal darknefs invades all nature. Poifon drops from the brooding vapours above ! Muft I then perilh ? — Muft I never behold my Kfoenia ? O Sun, thou father of light, Ihall thy benignant rays infufc no joy into the wretched inhabitants of Molkow ? Are they doomed never to greet thee, as thy morning ray A TRAGEDY. 53 ray dawns joyous upon the reft of the world, with refponfive gladnefs and ferenity ? Shall thy pene- trating eye never behold ihem freed from cruelty and oppreflion ? Shall the peaceful waves that bathe the walls of this once bleffed metropolis, never again refound with the joyful acclamations of a happy people ? Shall I never again behold the time, in which Kfoenia hung on me with rapturous delight, while I feafled my foul on the charms of her beau- teous angelic form ? How long is this city o wit- nefs impiety, brutality, and the barbarous exceffes of furious defpotifm ? How long muft the rage andA malice of tyranny fill her ftreets wi^h di^guft and \ horror ? How long are its palaces and temples lo j be bathed in innocent blood ? How long muH: i youthful beauty, the brighteft ornament of M' Ikow, be a prey to luft and hwlefs defire ? Oh, let me hope — let me think that peace and tranquillity will again revive in this defolated realm ! Let me hope that Molkow, refcucd from the iron hand which oppreffes her, once more will rear her drooping head. That the people, no longer dreading the never-ileeping jealoufy of the tyrant, will again enjoy the happinefs of folid iiitcrcourfe — again will rafte the fweets of friendihip and benevolence ; and ag.iin poflels the bleffings of freedom, which is the kindeft and the choiceil gift of Heaven ! END OF ACT III. ACT 54 DEMETRIUS ; ACT IV. SCENE I. Demetrius and KscE-tiiA» Demetrius. VyIiARMING Kfoenia, why this gloomy counte- nance ; why this dejection — this apparent reluctai ce to comply with the fweer dictates of Irve r — of lo\e which, even now, inv'Ces us to the dehc >us banquet of its pure and heavenly deligh's. Let it conloie /thee, beauteous pruicels, 'hat thy hufband, ac- cuftomed ro the exercife of del pot ic rule, invites thee to Ihare his throne for ^he charitable purpofe of I mitigating his feverity, bv thy mild and htm ne 1 interceffion. The unfortunaie will find in ihee, that I mercy which my hdrfli and ftubborn nature will not \ grant them Thy pity will dry up the tears of VafBitfiion! Like an adminiftering angel thou wilt give relief and comfort, -here my decrees produce mifery and defpondence.' Thy compaffion and gene- rofity Vv^ill be proportionate to my iiiflex)i)ility. Should ff thou fail in this virtuous and pleafing talk — ilili, the alldrance of a patronefs, ready to confole and A TRAGEDY. S^ and relieve them, will be a valuable acquifition to thofe who are compelled to implo-e thy perfuafive aid. Should their grievances renvain unredretred, yet, while there is a prcfpeft of relief, each com- plainant will bear his burthen without repining ; and though every day adds to the weight, ilil) he will cling to hope ; think every fucceeding toil the lafl, and expire under the iwec,: deiufion. It is the nature of a low-born wretch to put up with to-day, in hopes of better fare to-morrow ; — to-mor- row comes, and brings frefli Liffli6lion ; — frill another to-mcrroiu remains, and he reils fatisficd. The world is..djpraYs.drz:e_v£rxj3ne_Jn^it„J j v£3 for h im4€lf. Of what import is it then to Demetrius that his fub- jeds fuif.r ? Virtue is the phantom of a difordered imagination : — every thing proves that it has no real cxiiience. Whether I am a tjTvint, or not,-can make no dilTcrence. Inclinaiion is my guide ; it excites me to cruelty, and in eKeicinng it, I feek my own gratification. Hell, that child of terror and fuperfti- tion, whether it cxifis or not, does not appal n:e. To extirpate, therefore, a few mean wretches, is no more than to trample upon fome obnoxious reptiles that may chance to crawl un.ier my feet. Kfo. It is judice to exterminate the wicked, but to confound the innocent with them is unjuft and cruel. Without a proper diftin^iion, where would be the ufe of rewards and punifliments ? Dsm, 5$ DEMETRIUS; Dem. All mankind are wicked ; — therefore ought to peiilh. I Kfa. If fo, art thou alone excepted ? Dem. Were it not for felf-love, Demetrius would long ago have deftroyed Demetrius. Could I become two perfons inftead of one; one felf would rejoice at the fufferings of the other felf; — each would exult in the 'orments of the other, and both would feed on their own dcfpair, Kfce. Admirable profpe^l for thy confort ! will that man fpare his wife, who, but for necellity, would not fpare himfelf ? Dem. Certainly — fince it depends upon herfelf to fecure his favour, by cultivating his affe^lion with the utmoft ardour and affiduity ; by refpeaing him as a being fuperior to mortals, and revering in him Vthe image of her God. Kicc. Removed as are monarchs to an immenfe diftance uUce ? Dem. I kno v ths of mv love, duty, and affedion ! All my vifions of hapi>i- nefs 64 DEMETRIUS; nefs vanifh with you ! All chat made my life dear to me; all that bufy fancy had pourtrayed of worldly blifs and felicity ; one unpropitious monnent has blafted for ever ! Oh, wicked, fafcinating dreams ! Falfe, deceitful hopes ! Alas ! the fweet delufion now is over ; the mifl that concealed our awful fate is difperfed, and a bottomlefs precipice opens fud- denly underneath ! My feet tremble upon the brink! O'erwhelming giddlnefs feizes on me ! Oh, favc"A me, fave me, my father 1 Take back thy gift of life, now grown infuppoitable ! Strike, in mercy, the laft, the welcome blow! Georgius, fave thy loving Kl'oenia ! plunge the friendly dagger into my . heart, and thus put an eternal feal on my inviolable / fidelity ! -^ Geor. Princefs, exert thy fortitude. Shou. Moderate thy grief. We die in a noble caufe, the caufe of our country. Geor, Such a death is happinefs ! SCENE IX. Shousky, Georgius, Kscenia, with her Attendants, and Par MEN. Tarm, I am commanded to conduct you to prifon. A TRAGEDY. 6^ Sboii. I follow ! Geor. I go prepared to meet my doom ! Sbou. No more. — Since it muft be fo, undaunted we encounter death. Farm. Since ye have dared to violate the peace, receive the juft reward 1 Shoii. Shame on thee ! art thou a man ' — Is this the fpeech of a Ruffian ? Geor. Thou art our executioner — a judge thou canft never be. Kfoe, Thou haft exchanged thy compaffon for the -Hivnge ferocity which, but lately, thou hadft thyfelf condemned. Farm. Lead them on ! Shoii. Farewell, dear Kfoenia ! — Weep not — fub- due thy grief, if poffible ! Geor. Adieu, dear princefs, forget thy wretched Gcorgius ! SCENE 65 DEMETRIUS; SCENE X. Parmex and Kscehia. Kf(£. Minifter of death ! Odious executor of a flill more odious tyrant ! fince no pity moves th^e— *i fince no woe can melt thy flinty heart, exult in my torments ! let the fight of agonizing grief fatiate thy 1 favpge joy ! Since thy only law is the unbridled I will of the tyrant, here I fland — here I defy thee !' Strike me — tear my trembling joints I wade in my innocent blood ! — then, if thou dareft, lift thy polluted hands up to Heaven for falvation ! God is juft ai^d mercifal ; he beholds the tyrant's excefiive enormi- ties, and his thunder is on the wing. Vain will be your fupplications ! perdition will fcize the tyrant, and all the infamous executors cf his diabolical commands. Yet, alas, what comfort can it bring me? What, though the wretch groans in the ago-^.. nies of death — though loofened fiends fnatch his wicked foul ? — My father, my prince are gone, to return no more ! Who can dilToIve the icy chain of death, and rekindle the extinguifhed fpark of life ! O God ! my guide, my guardian ! foothe my dif- trafted mind ; atid, ah ! reflore to me my friends — my loft, lamented friends ! Farm. Weep on! indulge thy defperate grief! Pour complaints and reproaches into the tyrant's ear! A TRACED'/. 67 ear ! I hy nothing. I t ray only that my hopes and wiflies may be fulfilled, (Afide.) Unhappy prin- cefs, you miftake my cha.aftcr ! Kfa:. The wrongs — the fufTeitngs of innocence, appeal ftrongly to He?vcn. Etcrra; wrath of God, Iboner or later^ will avenge — fiercely avenge them I SCENE XI. KscENiA and her Attendants, Kfa, All is over. — The bitter cup of wee Is filled to the brim. My father, my prince — where are they ? I fee them linger in tortures ! — I lee th» murderer's hand uplifted ! — the fatal inftrument defcends I— O God, it ftrikes ! They fall I they ex- pire! Hark! they call on Kfoenia ! — Sweet fhades, I obey your fummons — I fly to you 1 Oh, fheltei:^ me from the tyrant ; leave me not to his mercy, an orphan forlorn and unprotefled ! let my throbbing heart once more beat in nnifon with yours I — Who holds me here ? — let me go !— Help ! help ! Avaunr, ye fiends 1 Releafe me trom this dark and difmal dungeon ! What dungeon ? I fee no dungeon. Where am I — do I (till live? Has the earth opened? Has the firmament fallen In ? Alas ! Heaven and E 2 earth 68 DEMETRIUS ; earth are flill the fame. The world falls not ini\ ruins i bur my princes — my fvveet, beloved princes are gone — are loft for ever. Where would ye have me go, mlnlfters of cruelty, fatellites of the fan- guinary defpot ? — Lead me on — any where ! all places are equally wretched to Kfoenia ! (Led off difiraSied.) END OF ACT IV, ACT A TRAGEDY. 69 ACT V SCENE I. Demetrius folus. (Sleeping on a couch, ivith a table near him, on zvhich arefeen the royal infignia ; — he Jiarts, and /peaks :) XTlWAY, horrid dreams, frightful vifions, hideous phantoms! Away, ye namelefs terrors of a difor- dered brain ! Is it not enough to feel the llin^ of remorfe ? — Is it not enough (o endure the agonies j of a guilty confcience, that malignant Fancy fhouldl thus, with her magic ipell, fet thoufands of horrible j and ihapelefs things athwart my fight ; and thus I by imaginary, add wantonly to my real tortures ? — j but hold — methinks her images were juft. All th^ diftallfers with which this city threatens mc ; all the torments which I dread hereafter; all that is moft terrible and afilic^iing to human nature, ap- peared in forms fo palpable, in colours fo fubflantial, that my harrowed foul Ihrunk within me, and froze with horror. (Bell Jlrikes.) Hark! the bell ftrikes — What can it mean ? It is the (ignal of alarm -, it rcfounds DEMETRIUS refounds my i-nifery, or elfe ic warns me of my fate ! My end then is near, arid rny lad hour faft approach- ing ! This night — this auful nigiic will clofe the lingering fcene of my tranficnt gbry. , Thoufand^. will hail my fall, for they will exclaim, it is the fall | of a monfter that preyed on their vitals ! — I tremble ! | Fear, never felt till now, fiiakes my guilty frame^ The earth feems to burft and whelm me in its ruin ! Where ihall I look for fiifety ? — To God ! Wretch that I am, I dare not implore his mercy. I have forfeited all claim to it ! — No, I have nothing to hope from God — nothing from men. Hell is the only alylum lett me ; thither then will my foul efcape. Vain hopes ! even there the mighty wrath of God will puiTue it ; his fcarching eye will pierce the depth of infernal darkncfs, and his power call it up for judgment ! My monftrous deeds will be laid open, and the awful fentence of the juil and never- erring Judge be pafled upon them. Curfed be the \ hour that gave me birih ! Curfed be the chance \ that gave me power, which made m.e a tyrant — a rclentlefs pcrfecutor of what it was my duty to chc- rifli mod, and a dire exterminator of God's nobleft creation. Mark I the noife increafes; — conflerna-.^ tion and wild uproar nil the air ! The palace is befet I Single-handed, how fliall I withfcand a rifing hod of foes ? Defencelefs and forlorn here mull I wait, trembling, for m.y deftiny. Heaven and earth have leagued again 0: me ! My crown, my realm, my vail: empire are already v/refted from A TRAGEDY. ^1 from me ! Oh, 'tis too much for mortal man to bear! ' ~ y S C E N E IL Demetrius, Guards, and their Captain. Capt. My liege, Kienile is filled with rebels. The palace is bcfieged ! Fury and revenge fpur them on ! The flames of fedition rage b?yond controul ! All the avenues — all the principal pods are fdzed ! The guard is forced ; and we arc the only few who have efcaped. Dcm, Then all is loft. Curfed fate I barbarous reverfe ! — let us away — let us chaftife the traitors ! Stay ! — Advance ! — Pvemain here — -Speed forward ! Oppofe, flrike, overpower their numbers ! fly to fave Demetrius I Whtre would ye go \ — would ye leave me alone and helnlcfs ? — Stand here — recede not an Inch ! defend the door'! let us be gone ! :ilas, it is too late! The lafl: link of fate is broken. Bring Kfoenia before me !• SCENE III. DexMEtrius [olus. It is not the lofs of kingdom, nor the lofs of life that afflidts me, -—my poignant grief is, that I die and 'Jl DEMETRIUS; and talle not the ^eeuifii of ^revenge. Oh, that I were a monarch ftill ! J would drown the traitors in then- blood ! — I would pile up mountains of their mangled bodies ! — 1 would rife a dsemon of deflruc- tion, with fword, fire, pefcilence, and famine, to extirpate this detefted city, and in its ruins leave an awful and lading monument of my wrath ! . I would teach the affrighted world what it is to provoke a monarch's vengeance! — Vain hope! never can I have this confolation. SCENE IV. DEMETRICS^/ii KsCEl^JIA. Dem. Imiagine not that, though treachery over- powers me, thou canfi: efcape in fafety. The mo- ment my power is gone, thou art no more I the blow that flrikes me, will fall with double weight, on thee. Since thou, can ft not fliare my throne, Ihare now my death ! Kfoe. How have I offended, to forfeit thus my life ? Dem. To doar on my mortal foes is a crime that nothing but death can expiate. Attached to the traitors that have undone me ! — thy blood mud: be the A TRAGEDY. 73 the forfeit, which, had they not efcaped, their own Ihould pay. Kf(X. Then let it be fo. Since my father lives--^' fince my prince is fafe, I refign my life with plea- fure ! The facrifice of youth and health, fince it is for their fake, I offer here without regret ! — yet I fain would fpare thee, the lliame and ignominy of having perpetrated a deed, as atrocious as dilhonoiirable ; unworthy of a man — much more of a monarch ! What will the world fay, when it is known, that thy hand has wantonly deftroyed her who was neareft to thy heart — deftroyed her while guiltlefs and inno- cent ? Who could hear, and not deprecate fo infar mous — fo unmanly an adtion ? Who would not lliudder at fo fudden and unnatural a revolution in thy affe£tions? — Ah, little did I expect fuch bitter fruits from thy love ! Little thinks my father that his daughter is doomed to fuffer for offences, of which fhe never was guilty ;. — for the crimes, of the very knowledge of which, llie was innocent ! Bern. While I reigned, I loved thee; but now that my end is certain, thy death becomes my only wifli. Were it not that my revenge has no other vidim but thee, I might, perhaps, fpare thee — I might even view thy fufferings with pity ; but now, guilty or not, thou muft precede me to the grave ! The tumult increafes — The ruffians are at hand — prepare ! Be my meffenger to the dead. (Seizes F ker. 74 DEMETRIUS ; heVi and holds the dagger over her.) Tell them Demc- trius follows thee ! SCENE the LAST. Demetrius, Shousky, Georgius, Kscenia, Sol- . DiERS, and People. Geor. Horrid fight ! Shou, Savage monfter ! Deni, Traitorsj behold her death ! Geor, If thy vengeance feeks the offender, I am he ! (Advancing.) Strike Georgius, but fpare the guildefs Kfcenia ! — Spare her innocence ! Oh, let thy own heart plead for her. S>hou. Wreak thy vengeance upon me. Georgius and my daughter both are innocent. It is I who have fought thy deftrudion ; — Shoufky is chief of the rebels, and he alone is your enemy. Dem. If thou wouldft have me fpare her, refume thy duty of allegiance, and fue for mercy. Proclaim to the people my pardon, fhould they return to obe- dience ; or this iiiftant the princefs dies ! . ^hou. A TRAGEDY. *J ^ Shou. Then be it fo. — Daughter, fear not to die ! Thy fufferings are in behalf of thy country ; and who that loves it would not envy them ? Gear, Affliflion pad meafure ! dire, cruel woe ! — Heavens — countrymen, fave her ! Monfler, releafe her ! Plunge the dagger into my heart ! — let my blood flow inltead ! Vem, My vengeance demands a greater vi6lim ! Geor. (Retreating^ and turning to the people.) De- prived of her, I fly to death. (Advancing towards Demetrius.) Farewell, Kfoenia ! Kfoe. Farewell ! Dem. (Offering to Jlah her,) Fade, ye blooming rofcs ! I^ar. (Rujlymg fuddenly from behind tie Jl age, fword in hand, and fnatching Kfcenia from Bis hands.) The time of thy* arbitrary fway is over. Thy rage is as fruitlefs, as thy threats are vain !^ Heaven mocks thy feeble, pitiful efforts ! A tyrJ^nt, difablwJ and powerlefs, is dreaded by none. "Enough of blood already haft thou ihed. The hour/ of retribution is come ! The people, once more r.^Hored to freedom and liberty, deride the impotent.Tury of the fallen tyrant, from whofe grafp Pror^ence, aiding their i^ative DEMETRIUS, Vvaiive courage, has refcued them. Cruelty, injuftiee, -iortures, and bloody executions will now expire yj'ith thee; and accurfed be the wretch that ever ^ \j ives them ! Dem. Perfidious traitor !— Perdition feize ye all ! Defcend, my foul, to Hell, and languilh therein ever- Jailing pain. (Stabs binifelf, and fallhg into the hands of attendants,) Oh, that the whole univerfe might perifli with Demetrius ! (Dies.) *• THE CURTAIN FALLS, ^ -^ THE END. Utd hxj J. Nichols an^%^^. Red Lion Pa£ag,, Fleet SlreH. \ 14 DAY USE RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROWED LOAN DEPT. This book is due on the last date stamped below, or on the date to which renewed. Renewals only: Tel. No. 642-3405 Renewals may be made 4 days prior to date due. Renewed books are subject to immediate recall. Iil-.;i 8i:j/2 8*' kBBrBm m^^,,^^^^^l M.%^ ^^^^ M LD21A-40m-3,'72 (Q11738l0)476-A-32 General Library University of California Berkeley YB ^;'/i4: U.C.BERKELEY LIBRARIES Hill CDMEfi33bbE