Hannah More ">Fair spirit, I lov'd thee—O—Elwina![dies.

Elw. Where have I been? The damps of death are on me.

Raby. Look up, my child! O do not leave me thus!

Pity the anguish of thy aged father.

Hast thou forgot me?

Elw. No—you are my father;

O you are kindly come to close my eyes,

And take the kiss of death from my cold lips!

Raby. Do we meet thus?

Elw. We soon shall meet in peace.ind1

I've but a faint remembrance of the past—

But something tells me—O those painful struggles!

Raise me a little—there—[she sees the body of Douglas.

What sight is that?

A sword, and bloody? Ah! and Douglas murder'd!

Edr. Convinc'd too late of your unequall'd virtues,

And wrung with deep compunction for your wrongs,

By his own hand the wretched Douglas fell.

Elw. This adds another, sharper pang to death.

O thou Eternal! take him to thy mercy,

Nor let this sin be on his head, or mine!

Raby. I have undone you all—the crime is mine!

O thou poor injur'd saint, forgive thy father,

He kneels to his wrong'd child.

Elw. Now you are cruel.

Come near, my father, nearer—I would see you,

But mists and darkness cloud my failing sight.

O Death! suspend thy rights for one short moment,

Till I have ta'en a father's last embrace—

A father's blessing.—Once—and now 'tis over.

Receive me to thy mercy, gracious Heaven![she dies.

Raby. She's gone! for ever gone! cold, dead and cold.

Am I a father? Fathers love their children——

I murder mine! With impious pride I snatch'd

The bolt of vengeance from the hand of Heaven.

My punishment is great—but oh! 'tis just.

My soul submissive bows. A righteous God

Has made my crime become my chastisement.[exeunt.

THE END.

Maurice,
Fenchurch Street.

FOOTNOTES

1: Of this estimable lady, a contemporary writer says, "This lady has for many years flourished in the literary world, which she has richly adorned by a variety of labours, all possessing strong marks of excellence. In the cause of religion and society, her labours are original and indefatigable; and the industrious poor have been at once enlightened by her instructions, and supported by her bounty."
As a dramatic writer, Mrs. More is known by her "Search after Happiness," pastoral drama; "The Inflexible Captive,"—"Percy," and "Fatal Falsehood," tragedies; and by her "Sacred Dramas."

London, 1819.