University of Virginia Library

SCENE V.

ZEGRY, ORMIN, ALMANSOR.
ZEGRY.
At last I've met with him that wrōgeth me.
Ormin leave us alone.

ORMIN.
I will retire me.
Into this thicket secretly to see
What passeth, I doubt there will be a quarrel:

—aside.
Almansor.
You appear troubled.

ZEGRY.
I've much cause to be so.

Almansor:
What troubles you so much?

ZEGRY.
A wretch, a Traytor,
Whose crime gives me an infinite regret,
And doth deserve more then a single death
To punish it.

Almansor.
May I serve you herem?

ZEGRY.
Yes, I can't finish my revenge without thee.

Almansor.
Zegry, you can dispose of all my blood.

ZEGRY.
It is an offer which I can't refuse.

ALMANSOR.
Who is th'affronter?

ZEGRY.
Thou art extream bold:
Know st thou not, traitor, that it is thy self?

Almansor.
I?

ZEGRY,
Thou; n'er seem to wonder at the thing.
Only defend thy felf.

ALMANSOR embracing him.
Almansor.
How much am I.
Indebted to thee for this sudden passion,
Tis now the chief point of thy amity:
Thy anger doth oblige me, though it wrōgs me.
I had already in my heart resolu d
The design of thy death, and justly too:
My arm was ready for it, when inspight
Of all my fury, at thy first approach
My heart grew tender, and had been reduc'd
To balance the fierce darts which I had level'd
Against thee, if thy furious transport
Had not call'd home my choler unto me,
And banished my tendernes.

ZEGRY.
Il hear
No more discourse, once again guard thy self

AlmansoR.
So fierce a fight can't but be sweet unto me
Hononr solicits me more justly to it
Then thee, but let me know at least the cause
That doth provoke thee; I will make it plainly
appear that thou complainest wrongfully,
And justify my self in Killing thee.

ZEGRY.
How! feignst thou to be ignorant, and instead
Of making a confession, dost thou threaten me?
Thy base crime groweth greater by thy boldnes.

ALMANSOR.
Let me at Iast know what that base crime is.

ZEGRY.
Consult thy conscience, and thou shalt know it,
It will instruct thee that wirh a false heart
In recompense of all my kindnes to thee
Thou rob'st me of my Mistresse, and that
Through treacheries which cannot be excus'd,
Thou art to marry her to morrow privately.

Almansor.
If I am criminall, assure thy self,
It is not in this point: I never did
Look on Fatima with desires of love;
Only thou mayst reproach my heart for having
Sight for thy Sister without thy consent.

ZEGRY.
How! dost thou love her?

Almansor.
No, no, it would be
An extream errour, I say, I adore her,
I dare not say I love her. That which I
Resent now for her beauties doth surpasse
The thing that's called Love.

ZEGRY.
By this confession,
Dear friend, thou hast restored life unto me.
My griefs and troubles now are waited on
By an excesse of pleasure; Zaida is
Too happy, and her thoughts could never hope
A more illustrious husband: she is free.
The Lover unto whom I gave my word,
Hath seen his destiny determined
By death, and my repose shall fully be
Setled to meet a brother in the person
Of my most deare friend.

Almansor.
What thou offerest me
Should be most dear unto me; but dost thou
Know him whom thou mak st choice of for thy brother?

ZEGRY.
I think, I doe; thy country is Tremissa,
Thy name, Almansor, and thy family
Is noble and illustrious; and if I
May believe thee, thy greatest glory is
To be my friend.

Almansor.
Thou know st me but by half yet;
I was born heer, and born thy enemy,
More then one just and honest motive doth
Engage me to thy ruine; not to hold thee
Long in suspence, I am Abencerage.

ZEGRY.
Abencerage.

Ormin.
O Heaven!—

aside.
Almansor.
That wotd doth tell thee.
Our difference, and my duty.

ZEGRY.
I aswell
Know as thy self the mutuall hatred which
In our two houses seemes almost as twere
To be immortall; but thy blood which now
Thou owest to my succour, should for me
Stop the course of it in thy soul; and though
My friendship seems to stagger on this point,
I will content my self to hate thy name,
And love thy person. Yes, pursue thy love
Vnto my Sister; by a mariage
We may be tied with new knots, and by
That holy flame, the irreligious heat
Of that so old, and fatal enmity,
Will be extinct.

Almansor.
This mariage would be sweet,
But I can't think of it till by thy death
I have reveng'd my selfe upon thee.

ZEGRY.
How!

Almanlor.
It is not that which thou believ'st provokes me,
Thy name I hate not, but I hate thy person,
And I cannot but in thy blood repair
The wrong which thou hast done me.

ZEGRY.
I?

Almansor.
Yes, Thou.
How ill thou actest the astonished,
Thy base crime groweth greater by thy boldnes.

ZEGRY.
Let me at last know what that base crime is.

Almansor.
Consult this letter, read, and thou shalt know it.

ZEGRY.
reads.
You , from whom I derive my birth,
Know that a sad fate worse then death
Is hapned to me; all our name
In my losse bear an equall shame;
The false and cruel Zegry is
The Authour of my miseries,
For he it is that by his charms
Hath taken me out of your arms.

Zelinda.

ORMIN.
Without doubt they will both mistake themselves.

ZEGRY.
I cannot comprehend this dark Ænigma.

Almansor.
It is too plain to me here that my sister
Zelinda giveth us to understand
That thou art her base ravisher.

ZEGRY.
Canst thou
Suspect me of so foule an action?

ALMANSOR.
Canst thou deny it, traitor? and can I
Believe it?

ZEGRY.
Hear me but a word or two.

ALMANSOR.
It would be to no purpose, guard thy self,
I'l hear no more.

ZEGRY.
How! dares the man that ows me
His life, to assault mine?

ALMANSOR.
That obligation
Cannot divert me from my just reveng:
Thou wronght'st my safety, and my sisters rape,
And so much as life is lesse dear then honour,
So much an affront which reflects upon it,
Carries it in my soul upon a benefit,
And I am lesse afraid to be ingratefull,
Then to be infamous; but let us leave
Discourse, and come to action.

ZEGRY.
Stay, Ingratefull,
Stay yet a little.

ORMIN.
Help, oh help;