University of Virginia Library

SCENE III.

—THE SEA-COAST.
Enter DON ALPHONSO and soldiers with arquebuses.
ALPHONSO.
Leave to the fickle field of green—
The azure wave—this arrogant machine
Of ships, whose vastness scaring heaven's beholders,
The sea sustains upon its snow-white shoulders,
And upon this sandy plain
Let the pregnant mountains of the main
Bring forth the troops, their fire-arms brightly gleaming,
Each man-filled boat the Grecian structure seeming.

Enter DON ENRIQUE.
ENRIQUE.
My Lord, you did not wish upon the strand
Of Fez, that we our armament should land,
And this place, for debarkation,
You did choose—unhappy situation!—
For on one side, by the coast
Marching, comes a numerous martial host
Whose speed the wind outvies;
Whose vastness makes the hills increase in size;
And with a similar number, Tarudante
Leadeth his wife away (the fortunate Infante)
From Fez unto Morocco,—
But learn the tidings better from the echo.

ALPHONSO.
Enrique, 'tis for this that I advance
To meet them at this pass; 'tis not through chance
That I, this spot have chosen, but reflection,
And this the reason is, of my selection:—
If I, at Fez had landed on the coast,
I must have fought with their united host,
But being divided thus in two,
With smaller power I can each force subdue;
And so, before they can prepare,
Sound to arms.

ENRIQUE.
My Lord, reflect—take care;
Unseasonable seems this movement.

ALPHONSO.
Oh! mine ire
No tardy-footed counsel doth desire,
Nor doth my vengeance know the way
Even to brook a moment's brief delay;
Let Africa beware,
In my strong hands the scourge of death I bear.

ENRIQUE.
Already hath the night begun,
And see, the shining chariot of the sun
Has ceased the clouds of evening to illume.

ALPHONSO.
Well, let us combat in the gloom;
The faith that animates my soul to-day,
Nor any power, nor time, can take away.
Fernando, if the martyrdom you suffer,
Since it is his own cause, to God you offer,
Certain is the sacred victory,
Mine will be the honour, thine the glory.

ENRIQUE.
Thy daring pride doth lead thee much too far.

The Ghost of DON FERNANDO
within.
Great Alphonso! to the attack! war! war!

A trumpet sounds.
ALPHONSO.
Hear you not these mingled voices breaking
The silence, and the swift, sad night-winds waking?

ENRIQUE.
Yes: and with them too do I hear the rattle
Of arms, and trumpets charging to the battle.

ALPHONSO.
Forward, Enrique! doubts had not delayed you
If you relied on Heaven.

Enter FERNANDO, dressed in his capitulary cloak, and with a torch in his hand.
FERNANDO.
Yes! it will aid you;
For the Heavens regarding
Your faith and zeal, your piety rewarding,
Will this day defend you,
And to free me from my slavery doth send you;
For in return (a rare example)
Of many temples, God doth offer me one temple,
And with this flame-bespangled
Torch, from the streaming orient disentangled,
Before the army gliding,
Thus shall I go, the light your footsteps guiding,
That thy triumphs may be thus propitious,
And equal, great Alphonso, to thy wishes.
To Fez advance, not there new laurels getting,
But that thy morning rise upon my setting.

Exit.
ENRIQUE.
Alphonso, I still doubt my eyes deceive.

ALPHONSO.
And I do not. I bow and I believe,
And if it be for God's divinest glory,
No more cry “war!” the cry be “victory!”

Exeunt.