HENGIST, king of Kent, fon to Hen
gift the first Saxon invader of Bri-Mr. Wroughton.
OFFA, a Saxon prince,
SEOFRID, firft minifter and favourite
RODOGUNE, a Saxon princefs, fifter to
Offa, betrothed to the king,
ETHELINDA, a British lady, privately
married to Aribert,
Priefts, Officers, Soldiers, and other Attendants.
SCENE IN KENT, about twenty years after the firft invafion of Britain by the Saxons.
SCENE, a palace.
Enter ARIBERT and OSWALD.
SUCH are, my friend, the joys our loves have known,
So ftill to be defir'd, fo ever new,
Nor by fruition pall'd nor chang'd by absence.
Whate'er the poets dreamt of their Elyfium,
Or what the faints believe of the first paradise,
"When nature was not yet deform'd by winter,
"But one perpetual beauty crown'd the year,"
Such have we found 'em ftill, ftill," ftill," the fame.
Ofw. Such grant, kind Heav'n! their courfe to be for
But yet, my Prince, forgive your faithful Ofwald [ever!
If he believes you melt with too much tenderness ;
Your noble heart forgets its native greatness,
And finks in foftnefs when you languish thus,
Thus figh and murmur but for fix days abfence.
Arih.Chidenot, but thinkife'er, "when thouwertyoung,"
Thou lov'dft thyself, how thou wert won't to judge
Of time, of love, of abfence, and impatience.
What! fix long days, and never write nor send!
Tho' Adelmar and Kenwald, faithful both,
Were left behind to bring me tidings from her.
How, Ethelinda! how haft thou forgot me!
Ofw. Perhaps I err; but if the pain be fuch,
* The lines diftinguished by inverted commas are omitted in the reprefentation, and those printed in Italicks are the additions of the Theatre.
Why is the fair one who alone can eafe it
Thus far divided from your longing arms?
'Twere better ne'er to part than thus to mourn.
Arib. Oh Ofwald ! is there not a fatal caufe?
Thou know'ft my Ethelinda-
A name by Saxons and their gods abhorr❜d.
To me her diff'ring faith imports not much;
'Tis true indeed bred to my country's manners
I worship as my fathers did before me;
Unpractis'd in difputes and wrangling schools
I feek no farther knowledge, and fo keep
My mind at peace, nor know the pain of doubting:
What others think I judge not of too nicely,
But hold all honeft men are in the right.
Arib. Then know yet more, for my whole breaft is thine, Ev'n all my fecret foul: I am a Christian.
'Tis wonderful to tell, for oh, my Ofwald!
I liften'd to the charmer of my heart.
Still as the night that fled away I fat,
I heard her with an eloquence divine
Reafon of holy and myfterious truths,
Of Heav'n's moft righteous doom, of man's injustice,
Of laws to curb the will and bind the paffions,
Of life, and death, and immortality,
"Of gnashing fiends beneath and pains eternal,
"Of ftarry thrones and endless joys above."
My very foul was aw'd, was fhook within me;
Methought I heard diftinct, I faw moft plain,
Some angel in my Ethelinda's form
Point out my way to everlafting happiness.
Ofw. "Tis wonderful indeed! and yet great fouls,
By nature half divine, foar to the stars,
And hold a near acquaintance with the gods.
And oh! my Prince, when I furvey thy virtue
I own the feal of Heav'n imprinted on thee;
I ftand convinc'd that good and holy pow'rs
Infpire and take delight to dwell within thee:
Yet crowds will still believe and priests will teach
As wand'ring fancy and as int'reft lead.
How will the King and our fierce Saxon chiefs
Approve this bride and faith? Had royal Hengift
Thy father liv'd-
Arib. 'Tis on that rock we perish;
Thou bring'ft his dreadful image to my thoughts,
And now he stands before me ftormy, fierce,
Imperious, unrelenting, and to death
Tenacious of his purpose once refolv'd.
Juft fuch he feems as when fevere and frowning
He forc'd the King my brother and myself
To kneel and fwear at Woden's cruel altar
Firft never to forego our country's gods,
Then made us vow with deepeft imprecations
If it were either's fortune e'er to wed
Never to chufe a wife among the Christians.
Ofw. Have you not fail'd in both?
Arib. 'Tis true I have,
But for a caufe fo juft, fo worthy of me,
That not to 'ave fail'd in both had been to 'ave fail'd. Yes, Ofwald, by the confcious judge within
So do I ftand acquitted to myself,
That were my Ethelinda free from danger,
On peril of my life I would make known
And to the world avow my love and faith.
Ofw. I dare not, nay 't is fure I cannot, blame you; "You are the fecret worship of my foul,
"To me fo perfect that you cannot err."
But oh! my Prince, let me conjure you now
By that most faithful fervice I'ave still paid you,
By love and by the gentle Ethelinda,
Be cautious of your danger, reft in filence.
In holy matters Zeal may be your guide,
And lift you on her flaming wings to heav'n,
But here on earth trust Reason and be fafe.
Arib. 'Tis true the prefent angry face of things
Befpeaks our cooleft thoughts: the British king,
Ambrofius, arms and calls us forth to battle,
Demanding back the fruitful fields of Kent,
By Vortigern to royal Hengift giv'n,
A mean reward for all thofe Saxon lives
Were loft in propping Britain's finking ftate.
Ofw. The war with Britain is a distant danger,
Nor to be weigh'd with our domeftick fears.
Young-Offa, chief among our Saxon princes,
Who at the King's entreaty friendly came
From Northern Jutland and the banks of Elbe
With twice ten thousand warriours to his aid,
Frowns on our court, complains aloud of wrongs,
And wears a publick face of difcontent.
Arib. 'Tis faid he is offended that the King
Delays to wed his sister.
'Twas made the first condition of their friendship,
And fworn with all the pomp of priests and altars,
That beauteous Rodogune fhould be our queen,
Then wherefore this delay? The time was fix'd,
The feaft was bid, and mirth proclaim'd to all;
The crowd grew jovial with the hopes of holydays,
And each, according to our country's manner,
Provok'd his fellow with a friendly bowl,
And blefs'd the royal pair; when on the morn,
The very morn that should have join'd their hands,
The King forbad the rites.
Nor has my brother yet difclos'd the caufe.
Laft night at parting from him he ftopt fhort,
Then catch'd my hand, and with a troubled accent,
With words that fpoke like fecret fhame and forrow,
He told me he had fomething to impart,
And wish'd that I would wait him in the morning.
Ofw. But fee, Prince Offa and his beauteous fifter!
The King's most favour'd counsellor, old Seofrid,
Is with 'em too.
Arib. Retire; I would not meet 'em;
That princess, Ofwald, is esteem'd a wonder: To me fhe feems moft fair; and yet, methinks, Doft thou not mark? there is I know not what Of fullen and fevere, of fierce and haughty, That pleases not but awes: I gaze aftonish'd, And fear prevents defire." So men tremble "When lightning fhoots in glitt'ring trails along : "It fhines 'tis true, and gilds the gloomy night, “But where it strikes 'tis fatal." [Exeunt Arib. and Ofw. Enter OFFA, RODOGUNE, SEOFRID, and Attendants. Of. By Woden no! I will not think he meant it;
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