University of Virginia Library

SCENE FIRST.

DONNA ELVIRA, DON ALVAREZ.
D. ELVIRA.
Forbear, my Lord! and chuse some other theme.
How dare you to pretend you love me still,
When in the Lists you fight to gain the Queen?
What star malevolent thus rules your fate,
Making your arm a traitor to your heart?

D. ALVAREZ.
Imperious honour claims excuse from love.

D. ELVIRA.
A lover's honour is fidelity.
My Lord! you now can have no hopes from me:
To what does your ambitious heart pretend?

D. ALVAREZ.
That you should pity a poor wretch's fate,
Your cruelty involves in such distress.
Oh! could my faithful love have won your heart,
This fatal honour never had been mine:
The States would not have nam'd me as a suitor,
Nor forced me, by their choice, to woo the Queen.
Oh, would to Heaven! that I may either die,
Or win the Queen, but to acquire Elvira.

D. ELVIRA.
Vain are your prayers to wish for miracles.
Embrace the glittering prize which fortune offers;
So much to your advantage is the change,
That it wipes off, that censure, and disgrace,
Which levity and fickleness excite.
But yet beware, Alvarez! that brave Carlos,
Does not avenge me, to your glory's downfall;
And make your pride repent of this desertion.

D. ALVAREZ.
Princess! this forc'd desertion more befriends me,
Than have whole years of persevering love:
When honour forces me to break my chains,
How I rejoice to be so much esteem'd,
As to excite your anger, and resentment.

D. ELVIRA.
Count! you mistake the source of my displeasure.
Much it offends me, that you still persist
To persecute my heart, when you forsake me:
And, that you term my coldness cruelty.
Hope, gave I none, nor sought to gain that love,
I fear'd my unwilling heart could never share.
I own, with gratitude, your generous services,
When Heaven's inflictions did most sore beset me.
My best esteem must be your sole reward:
A heart magnanimous expects no more;
Nor seeks it to enslave, whom it has serv'd.

D. ALVAREZ.
Ah! think me not so mean of soul, to plead
Those services, your sacred Sex commands
From valour's arm; which I triumphant paid you.
All the poor merit, that Alvarez claims,
Is from try'd love, and constant adoration:
Too happy had I been, could these have won you.

D. ELVIRA.
No Consort will I chuse, till I am Queen.
The nuptial tie, no hero shall involve
In my disastrous fortunes, to his ruin.
Europe, through all her States, has no alliance
For Isabel, or me; no King, nor Prince,
Whose power might safely combat for my Kingdom.
And, should my present shining prospects fade,
Had I the meanness to accept your hand,
My Wars would drain the treasures of your House:
For when contending Monarchs play for Empires,
The noblest fortune scarcely pays one stake.—
An undisputed, and more splendid Throne
Presents itself to your unsteady love;
Willing, perhaps, it found your heart to share it.

D. ALVAREZ.
No! 'T was your cruelty expos'd me to it.
When on a rock you drive me to destruction,
Then you revile the shipwreck you have caus'd.

D. ELVIRA.
I blame you not, that you accept this fortune;
More favour'd lovers might have listen'd to it.
Yet, be what will the motives of your conduct,
With much less warmth it might have been embrac'd:
But you fight first, and, this impatient zeal,
Proclaims, with how much joy, you break the chains,
Of ill-requited love, and gain your liberty.

D. ALVAREZ.
How! could you bear the people should behold
Your lover, the most cowardly of the Three?
Not daring to attack this glorious Carlos,
Till first his rivals had his force exhausted?

D. ELVIRA.
Those rivals come, with them, my Lord, I leave you!
(Exit D. Elvira.)