white his locks of age， calm his serious brow。 Fairest of women， he
said， lovely daughter of Armin ！ a rock not distant in the sea bears
a tree on its side； red shines the fruit afar。 There Armar waits for
Daura。 I e to carry his love ！ she went she called on Armar。 Nought
answered， but the son of the rock。 Armar ， my love， my love！ why tormentest
thou me with fear ？ Hear ， son of Arnart， hear ！ it is Daura who calleth
thee。 Erath ， the traitor， fled laughing to the land。 She lifted up
her voice —— she called for her brother and her father。 Arindal ！ Armin！
none to relieve you ， Daura。
〃Her voice came over the sea。 Arindal ， my son ， descended from
the hill， rough in the spoils of the chase。 His arrows rattled by his
side； his bow was in his hand， five dark…gray dogs attended his steps。
He saw fierce Erath on the shore； he seized and bound him to an oak。
Thick wind the thongs of the hide around his limbs； he loads the winds
with his groans。 Arindal ascends the deep in his boat to bring Daura to
land。 Armar came in his wrath ， and let fly the gray…feathered shaft。
It sung ， it sunk in thy heart ， O Arindal， my son ！ for Erath the
traitor thou diest。 The oar is stopped at once： he panted on the rock，
and expired。 What is thy grief， O Daura， when round thy feet is poured
thy brother's blood。 The boat is broken in twain。 Armar plunges into the
sea to rescue his Daura ， or die。 Sudden a blast from a hill came over
the waves ； he sank， and he rose no more。
〃Alone， on the sea…beat rock ， my daughter was heard to plain
； frequent and loud were her cries。 What could her father do ？ All night
I stood on the shore： I saw her by the faint beam of the moon。 All night
I heard her cries。 Loud was the wind； the rain beat hard on the hill。
Before morning appeared ， her voice was weak ； it died away like the
evening breeze among the grass of the rocks。 Spent with grief ， she expired，
and left thee ， Armin， alone。 Gone is my strength in war， fallen my
pride among women。 When the storms aloft arise， when the north lifts
the wave on high， I sit by the sounding shore， and look on the fatal
rock。
〃Often by the setting moon I see the ghosts of my children； half
viewless they walk in mournful conference together。〃
A torrent of tears which streamed from Charlotte's eyes and gave relief
to her bursting heart ， stopped Werther's recitation。 He threw down the
book， seized her hand， and wept bitterly。 Charlotte leaned upon her
hand， and buried her face in her handkerchief： the agitation of both
was excessive。 They felt that their own fate was pictured in the misfortunes
of Ossian's heroes， they felt this together， and their tears redoubled。
Werther supported his forehead on Charlotte's arm ： she trembled ， she
wished to be gone ； but sorrow and sympathy lay like a leaden weight
upon her soul。 She recovered herself shortly， and begged Werther ， with
broken sobs ， to leave her ， implored him with the utmost earnestness
to ply with her request。 He trembled ； his heart was ready to burst
： then ， taking up the book again ， he remenced reading ， in a
voice broken by sobs。 〃Why dost thou waken me ， O spring ？ Thy voice
woos me ， exclaiming ， I refresh thee with heavenly dews； but the time
of my decay is approaching， the storm is nigh that shall whither my leaves。
Tomorrow the traveller shall e ， he shall e， who beheld me in
beauty： his eye shall seek me in the field around， but he shall not
find me。〃
The whole force of these words fell upon the unfortunate Werther。
Full of despair ， he threw himself at Charlotte's feet ， seized her
hands ， and pressed them to his eyes and to his forehead。 An apprehension
of his fatal project now struck her for the first time。 Her senses were
bewildered： she held his hands ， pressed them to her bosom； and， leaning
toward him with emotions of the tenderest pity， her warm cheek touched
his。 They lost sight of everything。 The world disappeared from their eyes。
He clasped her in his arms， strained her to his bosom， and covered her
trembling lips with passionate kisses。 〃Werther ！〃 she cried with a faint
voice ， turning herself away ； 〃Werther ！〃 and ， with a feeble hand，
she pushed him from her。 At length， with the firm voice of virtue， she
exclaimed ， 〃Werther ！〃 He resisted not ， but， tearing himself from
her arms， fell on his knees before her。 Charlotte rose ， and， with
disordered grief， in mingled tones of love and resentment， she exclaimed，
〃It is the last time， Werther！ You shall never see me any more！〃 Then，
casting one last， tender look upon her unfortunate lover ， she rushed
into the adjoining room ， and locked the door。 Werther held out his arms，
but did not dare to detain her。 He continued on the ground， with his
head resting on the sofa， for half an hour ， till he heard a noise which
brought him to his senses。 The servant entered。 He then walked up and
down the room ； and， when he was again left alone ， he went to Charlotte's
door， and， in a low voice ， said ， 〃Charlotte ， Charlotte！ but one
word more ， one last adieu ！〃 She returned no answer。 He stopped， and
listened and entreated； but all was silent。 At length he tore himself
from the place， crying ， 〃Adieu ， Charlotte， adieu for ever ！〃
Werther ran to the gate of the town。 The guards ， who knew him ，
let him pass in silence。 The night was dark and stormy，—— it rained
and snowed。 He reached his own door about eleven。 His servant ， although
seeing him enter the house without his hat， did not venture to say anything
； and； as he undressed his master ， he found that his clothes were
wet。 His hat was afterward found on the point of a rock overhanging the
valley； and it is inconceivable how he could have climbed to the summit
on such a dark， tempestuous night without losing his life。
He retired to bed ， and slept to a late hour。 The next morning his
servant ， upon being called to bring his coffee， found him writing。
He was adding ， to Charlotte ， what we here annex。
〃For the last ， last time I open these eyes。 Alas！ they will behold
the sun no more。 It is covered by a thick ， impenetrable cloud。 Yes，
Nature！ put on mourning： your child ， your friend， your lover ， draws
near his end！ This thought ， Charlotte， is without parallel； and yet
it seems like a mysterious dream when I repeat—— this is my last day！
The last！ Charlotte， no word can adequately express this thought。 The
last！ To…day I stand erect in all my strength to…morrow， cold and stark，
I shall lie extended upon the ground。 To die！ what is death？ We do but
dream in our discourse upon it。 I have seen many human beings die ； but，
so straitened is our feeble nature， we have no clear conception of the
beginning or the end of our existence。 At this moment I am my own ——
or rather I am thine， thine， my adored！ and the next we are parted ，
severed —— perhaps for ever ！ No ， Charlotte， no ！ How can I， how
can you ， be annihilated ？ We exist。 What is annihilation ？ A mere
word， an