Thus tenderly thy love deplore,
If a bird can feel his so,

What a man would feel for me.

And, voluptuous vine, O thou

Who seekest most when least pursuing,—
To the trunk thou interlacest

Art the verdure which embracest
And the weight which is its ruin,—
No more, with green embraces, vine,
Make me think on what thou lovest,--
For, whilst thou thus thy boughs entwine,
I fear lest thou should'st teach me, sophist,
How arms might be entangled too.

Light-enchanted sunflower, thou
Who gazest ever true and tender
On the sun's revolving splendour !
Follow not his faithless glance
With thy faded countenance,
Nor teach my beating heart to fear,
If leaves can mourn without a tear,
How eyes must weep! O Nightingale,
Cease from thy enamoured tale,—
Leafy vine, unwreathe thy bower,
Restless sunflower, cease to move,-
Or tell me all, what poisonous power
Ye use against me.-

Justina. It cannot be !-Whom have I ever loved!

Trophies of my oblivion and disdain,

Floro and Lelio did I not reject?

And Cyprian?

[She becomes troubled at the name of Cyprian.

Did I not requite him

With such severity, that he has filed

Where none has ever heard of him again?
Alas! I now begin to fear that this
May be the occasion whence desire grows bold,
As if there were no danger. From the moment
That I pronounced to my own listening heart
Cyprian is absent, O miserable me!

I know not what I feel!

It must be pity

[More calmly.

To think that such a man, whom all the world
Admired, should be forgot by all the world,

And I the cause.

[She again becomes troubled.

And yet if it were pity,
Floro and Lelio might have equal share,
For they are both imprisoned for my sake.
Alas! what reasonings are these? It is
Enough I pity him, and that, in vain,
Without this ceremonious subtlety.

And woe is me! I know not where to find him now,
Even should I seek him through this wide world.

Enter DEMON.

[Calmly.

Dæmon. Follow, and I will lead thee where he is.

Justina. And who art thou, who hast found entrance hither,

Into my chamber through the doors and locks?

Art thou a monstrous shadow which my madness

Has formed in the idle air?

Dæmon.

No. I am one

Called by the thought which tyrannizes thee

From his eternal dwelling; who this day

Is pledged to bear thee unto Cyprian.

Justina. So shall thy promise fail. This agony

Of passion which afflicts my heart and soul

May sweep imagination in its storm;

Thus tenderly thy love deplore,

If a bird can feel his so,

What a man would feel for me.

And, voluptuous vine, O thou

Who seekest most when least pursuing,-
To the trunk thou interlacest

Art the verdure which embracest
And the weight which is its ruin,-
No more, with green embraces, vine,
Make me think on what thou lovest,--
For, whilst thou thus thy boughs entwine,
I fear lest thou should'st teach me, sophist,
How arms might be entangled too.

Light-enchanted sunflower, thou
Who gazest ever true and tender
On the sun's revolving splendour!
Follow not his faithless glance
With thy faded countenance,
Nor teach my beating heart to fear,
If leaves can mourn without a tear,
How eyes must weep! O Nightingale,
Cease from thy enamoured tale, —
Leafy vine, unwreathe thy bower,
Restless sunflower, cease to move,-
Or tell me all, what poisonous power
Ye use against me.-

All.

Love love! love!

Justina. It cannot be !-Whom have I ever loved! Trophies of my oblivion and disdain,

Floro and Lelio did I not reject?

And Cyprian?

[She becomes troubled at the name of Cyprian.

Did I not requite him

With such severity, that he has fied

Where none has ever heard of him again?
Alas! I now begin to fear that this
May be the occasion whence desire grows bold,
As if there were no danger. From the moment
That I pronounced to my own listening heart
Cyprian is absent, O miserable me!

I know not what I feel!

It must be pity

To think that such a man, whom all the world
Admired, should be forgot by all the world,

And I the cause.

[More calmly.

[She again becomes troubled.

And yet if it were pity,
Floro and Lelio might have equal share,
For they are both imprisoned for my sake.
Alas! what reasonings are these? It is
Enough I pity him, and that, in vain,
Without this ceremonious subtlety.

And woe is me! I know not where to find him now,
Even should I seek him through this wide world.

Enter DEMON.

[Calmly.

Dæmon. Follow, and I will lead thee where he is.

Justina. And who art thou, who hast found entrance hither,

Into my chamber through the doors and locks?

Art thou a monstrous shadow which my madness

Has formed in the idle air?

Dæmon.

No. I am one

Called by the thought which tyrannizes thee

From his eternal dwelling; who this day

Is pledged to bear thee unto Cyprian.

Justina. So shall thy promise fail. This agony

Of passion which afflicts my heart and soul

May sweep imagination in its storm;

The sin incurred, the pleasure then remains,
Let not the will stop half-way on the road.

Justina. I will not be discouraged, nor despair,
Although I thought it, and although 'tis true
That thought is but a prelude to the deed:-
Thought is not in my power, but action is:
I will not move my foot to follow thee.

Dæmon. But far a mightier wisdom than thine own
Exerts itself within thee, with such power

Compelling thee to that which it inclines

That it shall force thy step; how wilt thou then
Resist, Justina?

It were not free if thou hadst power upon it.

[He draws, but cannot move her.

Damon. Come, where a pleasure waits thee.

Justina. "Tis shame, 'tis torment, 'tis despair.

Dæmon.

But how

Canst thou defend thyself from that or me,

If my power drags thee onward?

Justina.

Consists in God.

Dæmon.

My defence

[He vainly endeavours to force her, and at last releases mer.

Woman, thou hast subdued me,

Only by not owning thyself subdued.

But, since thou thus findest defence in God,

I will assume a feigned form, and thus