Belv.What means the lord
Of me, my life and love? what’s in thy bosom,

[Draws the dagger, offers to stab her.

Thou grasp’st at so? Nay, why am I thus treated?
What wilt thou do? Ah! do not kill me, Jaffeir,
Pity these panting breasts, and trembling limbs,
That used to clasp thee when thy looks were milder,
That yet hang heavy on my unpurg’d soul,
And plunge it not into eternal darkness.

Jaff.No, Belvidera, when we parted last
I gave this dagger with thee as in trust
To be thy portion, if I e’er proved false.
On such condition was my truth believ’d:
But now ’tis forfeited and must be paid for.

[Offers to stab her again.

Belv.Oh, mercy!

[Kneeling.

Jaff.Nay, no struggling.

Belv.Now, then, kill me.

[Leaps upon his neck and kisses him.

While thus I cling about thy cruel neck,
Kiss thy revengeful lips and die in joys
Greater than any I can guess hereafter.

Jaff.I am, I am a coward; witness’t, heaven,
Witness it, earth, and every being witness;
’Tis but one blow; yet, by immortal love,
I cannot bear a thought to harm thee;

[He throws away the dagger and embraces her.

The seal of Providence is sure upon thee,
And thou wert born for yet unheard-of wonders:
Oh, thou wert either born to save or damn me!
By all the power that’s given thee o’er my soul,
By thy resistless tears and conquering smiles,
By the victorious love that still waits on thee,
Fly to thy cruel father: save my friend,
Or all our future quiet’s lost for ever:
Fall at his feet, cling round his reverend knees;
Speak to him with thy eyes, and with thy tears
Melt his hard heart, and wake dead nature in him;
Crush him in thy arms, and torture him with thy softness:
Nor, till thy prayers are granted, set him free,
But conquer him, as thou hast vanquish’d me.

[Exeunt ambo.