But, oh! the plant is firmly rooted here,
And here fhall flourish till the stock decays!
How can't thou wonder then that thy fad eye
Attracts unwilling frowns from mine!

CHARLOTTE.

Oh, Albert!

E'er this thou should'ft have known, 'tis Charlotte's fate,

To torture moft, where moft fhe means to please.

Be what thou wilt:

ALBERT.

Be pleas'd, be filent, be content or fad,
I will still love thee, and be blest to share
Thy pleasures or afflictions-but come, my life!
I came to tell thee that fome fudden news
Compels me hence until to-morrow noon-
'Tis hard to part fo long!

CHARLOTTE.

Alas! my Lord,

What news fo fuddenly can force thee hence?

ALBERT.

I am compell'd to haften to the court-
No common mandate forces me away :

But I have done-in this one fond embrace,

Let my farewel be known! ere noon to-morrow
I fhall again my only joy behold!

Exit.

CHAR

CHARLOTTE, (Solus.)

Farewel! and may the unrelenting heavens,
That show'r down curfes on this wretched head,
Lavish their bleffings on the generous Albert.
Oh! how my foul ftill ftruggles to forget
What most it meditates, what most it loves!
But ah! how vain!-O Werter, Werter!
Yes, I may blame, but never can forget thee;
A fecret fympathy attach'd me first;
Time fince has ftamp'd thine image on my heart,
And the impreffion is engrav'd for ever!
Should we e'er meet again-deluding thought!
It thrills like lightning through my trembling
frame,

And penetrates my foul-ha!-Werter!

Enter WERTER.

WERTER.

That very wretch !

CHARLOTTE (turning away.)

Some kind protecting angel guard me now!
Oh, watch me at this awful moment!

WERTER.

Heavens !

She

Is it poffible ?-can fhe abandon me?

She-who would smile if Werter was but pleas'd! She-who would weep if Werter did but figh!

CHARLOTTE.

We must not be alone

The scene is alter'd fince we parted last-
Laura, I fay-yet hold-a moment hold-
Am I fo loft that I diftruft myself?
So mean, fo cowardly! muft I be watch'd
Left I prove falle?-Hence, idle vifions, hence!
I am alone protectress of myself,

And dare defy all love's feducing arts,

To shake one atom of my virtue!

WERTER.

Oh!

It was not always thus !-the time has been

When Charlotte would have flown to foothe her

Werter.

But now 'tis well!-he'll trouble her no more

He came opprefs'd with forrow and despair—
Yes, almost broken with a weight of woes,
To feek for fuccour in his only hope.
Like one that's fhipwreck'd in a dreadful ftorm,
Struggling he fought the last remaining plank
To fave his finking foul!-but that avoids him-
Even there his hopes are loft-then let the ftorm
Come on! it cannot injure now!

[Throws himjelf on the couch.

CHAR

CHARLOTTE, (looking fometimes at him, and flying

to him.)

O Werter!

Why will you plunge in mifery again?
Why will you leave the shelter of your friends
For this diftracted scene?

WERTER.

Charlotte, I came

To you alone! One gentle hour of love,
Snatch'd at a time fo circumftanc'd as this,
Is better than an age of other life!

CHARLOTTE.

Werter, no more-this is no time for love-
Oh let the torturer for ever fleep

In filent peace! for should he wake again,
'Tis but to lead us to the brink of horror!
Once more I charge thee to fubdue a passion
So vainly, madly form'd! a paffion join'd
To fure destruction!-why is it only me?
Me, that's another's!-alas! I much, much feat
The conscious thought-I can be never thine,
Only increases the enraged defire !

WERTER.

Did Albert furnish thee with this reflection? 'Tis a profound one.

CHAR

CHARLOTTE.

Nay think me not severe !

By Heaven, e'en now, my ftruggling heart recoils While thus it chides! and could the trembler

fpeak,

'Twould tell thee that it pants to foothe and fhare
Each pang that tortures thine-but as the cause
Of all thy forrows; it fhould feem not harsh
That pity prompts me to invent a cure!

Time may do much-abfence, perhaps, much

more;

Another object too may change the scene

One who deferves thy love, who'll hear thy tale,

And by dividing, diffipate thy woes;

And when paft forrows fhall be quite forgot,
Bring her to Walheim, and with us enjoy
The pureft pleasures perfect friendship yields.

WERTER.

All will be well ere long-all will be well,

CHAR