University of Virginia Library

SCENE II.

—A Room in the Palace.
Abdallah and Zamor.
Abd.
This is the time to show thy daring soul;
Our hateful foes approach the city walls,
And waste the fields before them; all is terror,
The shepherd leaves his flock upon the mountain,
The swain his vineyard in the sunny valley,
The villager his home, in wild dismay
They crowd our gates and ask us for a shelter.
'Twas late, I look'd around me from my tower,
And saw behind the hills the smoke arising,
Where now the Spaniards ravage; o'er the fields
I saw the crowd of outcasts, from their homes
And pleasant farms, pursue their anxious flight,
And in the hot pursuit, a cruel troop
Of these banditti; out, this instant out
With all my forces, lead them to the battle,
Rout these marauders, give them to the slaughter,
Or send them headlong to their dens again.

Zamor.
My noble lord, these christian dogs shall feel
The vigour of my arm, they soon shall know,
Their utmost force, exerted 'gainst my prowess,
Is feeble as the reed's against the whirlwind.
I have ten thousand Mussulmen, as brave
As ever drew a sword; I've seen them drive
Through all the armies, Spain could ever muster,
And scatter wide the sable hosts of Nubia;
I've seen them mount the breach, o'er friends and foes
Pil'd high in slaughter, scale the lofty walls
In spite of rocks and spears, rush through the city,
Where every house concealed a lurking foe,
And every step was danger, still undaunted,
I've seen them drag their enemies to light
And give them all promiscuously to death.
But this, the time for action; I will lead
My fearless troops to meet the ruffian Spaniards,
When I have done my duty, by relating
A truth, my lord, that deeply doth concern thee.

Abd.
What is it? tell me.

Zamor.
Canst thou hear the truth,
Although disast'rous to thee? canst thou hear
Of what will touch thy very tenderest feelings?
Or wilt thou shut thy ear against my story?

Abd.
Zamor, I both can hear of smiling fortune
And dark adversity; the songs of peace
Are sweet unto my soul, but still, when duty
Calls me, with equal readiness I listen
To the most melancholy dirge of death;
Not only I can hear of mournful truths,
But I will hear them; cursed be the wretch,
Who dares to tell a falshood to Abdallah.

Zamor.
My lord Abdallah! if thou deignst to hear me,
I tell my story, mournful as it is.
Thou know'st Alonzo?

Abd.
Yes, and what of him?

Zamor.
Thou know'st full well his noble countenance,
His fortitude in danger, and his spirit
Undaunted in the presence of thy power?

Abd.
And what of that? Zamor, has he escap'd?

Zamor.
No—worse than that, would Alla that he had!
Oh, had he left his prison, he had rescued
A thousand sorrows from Abdallah's bosom.

Abd.
Zamor, what now awaits me, is there treason
Lurking within these walls?

Zamor.
No—worse than that,
A dart shall pierce thy heart more cruel far
Than treason.

Abd.
What is't, Zamor? tell this instant?

Zamor.
Alzira—

Abd.
What! Alonzo? tell me, Zamor.

Zamor.
Alzira, she, on whom thou'st fondly doated,
Who, thou hast hop'd, would be the staff and stay
Of thy declining years, yes, dear Alzira
Is lost.

Abd.
It cannot be; Oh! blessed Mahomet,
Have mercy on Abdallah.

Zamor.
Yes, she's lost,
And ruin'd by the beauty of Alonzo.

Abd.
Heavens! what is this? Oh mercy, mercy on me!
Tell me, my Zamor! tell me all the truth,
Reveal the foulest mysteries to my view.

Zamor.
Alzira, captivated by the noble
And manly features of the young Alonzo,
Lov'd him, she lov'd him with the warmest passion.

Abd.
What! love an infidel, Oh misery!

Zamor.
She lov'd him and she pined; the weary pilgrim,
Fainting and thirsting on Arabia's sands,
Longs not more deeply for the cooling fountain,
Than she for young Alonzo.

Abd.
Oh, my heart!
It breaks! it breaks with agony!

Zamor.
She pin'd,
And rous'd at length to furious desperation,
Corrupted all the keepers of the prison,
And sought her dear Alonzo in his dungeon;
There, read this letter, 'twill reveal the truth.

Abd.
Oh, fury! rage! distraction! what, my child
Become a Spaniard's mistress! heaven, have mercy,
Have mercy on my soul! Oh, poor Alzira!
Corrupted, vile Alzira! I did love thee
With all a parent's fondness; yes, I doated
With all the tenderness, that e'er a lover
Felt for his mistress, on thy op'ning beauty;
I hop'd to see thee worthy of a crown,
The noble daughter of the great Abdallah;
But, heavens! thou now hast sunk to infamy,
To infamy degrading; thou shalt die
And wash away thy infamy with blood.

Zamor.
Stop! stop! Abdallah! hold thee from thy purpose.
Perhaps Alzira still is innocent,
Perhaps she only sought her dear Alonzo
To breathe her sighs and tell her passion to him?

Abd.
Zamor, insult me not! I swear by heaven,
She shall not live! I'll not survive this shame,
If poor Alzira lives.

Zamor.
Oh, blessed Mahomet!
Console the feelings of my lord Abdallah!
I tell thee, sire, Alzira may be innocent
And spotless yet; Oh, wilt thou bid her die,
Because she lov'd Alonzo!

Abd.
She shall die!
This instant she shall die!

Zamor.
Hear me, Abdallah!
Hear me for mercy's sake! Oh spare Alzira,
Spare her! thou knowst not yet, that she is guilty.

Abd.
Guilty! she's guilty as the fiends in hell.
She dies this instant.

Zamor.
Hear me but one moment!
Remember, sire, this is the first transgression;
Remember, she has ever been a kind
And duteous daughter.

Abd.
Oh! the incarnate devil.
I've seen the fiend smile in her lovely face,
But I will stab her spite of all her charms.

Zamor.
Remember she's thy daughter, and Alonzo—

Abd.
She dies! what, she Alonzo's mistress? help me,
Oh justice! aid me in this hour of conflict,
With desperation steel me to the task,
And firmly close each avenue to mercy.

Zamor.
Abdallah! I beseech thee, now have mercy,
And spare her even if justice bid her die.

Abd.
Justice is sovereign, mercy must submit.
[Abdallah exit.

Zamor.
Oh blessed Mahomet! would there could be mercy.
Mercy on whom? I hope not on Alzira.
Oh what a happy circumstance is this!
I now will feed my hatred with revenge.
Alzira dead, she who could dare despise me!
Oh this is pleasure, I am now reveng'd.
Oh I can now exult! one foe is dead,
And soon I'll fire Abdallah's spirit on
To plunge the dagger in Alonzo's bosom,
And then 'tis easy for me to destroy
The hateful tyrant. Oh my plans succeed
To my best wishes, then exult and triumph.
[laughs.
Zamor, didst thou not hear a demon laugh?
Demons shall laugh and riot in thy ruin.
Did conscience sting me? oh I'll blunt her sting
And dull her arrows, that they cannot hurt me;
In spite of all her loudest, strongest cries,
I'll burst each band of virtue, nor desist,
Till all my foes are humbled in the dust.

[Enter Abdallah.
Abd.
Zamor, tis over now, the deed is done;
Zamor, the cruel, bloody deed is done;
Yes, I have shown me worthy of the prophet.
But it was hard, it cost me many a pang;
She look'd so sweet and lovely, yes, she smil'd
And welcom'd me with all the kind affection,
That children, in the innocence of youth,
Life's tender season, for their parents feel.
I almost melted, justice drove me on
And gave unusual sternness to my brow.
She wept to see me look so melancholy,
With voice of softest tenderness she said,
“My father, what can ail thee? is there aught
That troubles thee? oh let me soothe thy sorrows.”
She look'd so gentle, so affectionate,
I felt forgiveness rising in my heart;
But justice call'd and bade me do the deed:
I seiz'd her; trembling she exclaim'd, “my father,
What is the meaning of all this distraction?”
I clos'd my eyes and drove the dagger home.
She groan'd and feebly said, “my dearest parent,”
And died. I cast a look upon her corpse,
A smile of peace was trembling on her lips,
Her eye was soft and mild, it look'd forgiveness.
She seem'd an angel rob'd in innocence,
She seem'd a cherub sleeping. Is she guilty?
Oh no!

Zamor.
Abdallah! act not like a child;
Come, let us hasten to the field of battle,
Duty demands, the foe is near the walls.