University of Virginia Library

SCENE. I.

The Prince's Appartment in the Seraglio.
Enter Zoradia Solus.
Zor.
Attractive Love! thou Loadstone of the World,
Which draws me, like the trembling Needle, to thee:
Thou, who hast rais'd my fainting Limbs from ground;
Supply new strength, in this my latest Work.
Let me Abdalla, and the Queen relieve.
'Tis all I ask, of your Extensive Pow'r:
Then back again to Earth, return your Charge,
There lay me gently down, to rise no more.
Enter an Officer.
Capt. I come for Audience to the Prince,
The Empire's Seal, admits me, from the Vizier.

Capt.
Please your Highness, I'le conduct you to him.

[Exeunt.
The Scene draws, and shews Abdalla Lying on the Ground dejected; he rises.
Abd.
Oh, valiant Muca! why dost thou delay?
The Morn will come, the fatal Dawn appear,
When the rash Sultan's Vow, must be obey'd.
When Charms shall cease, and Beauty be no more.
I'le snatch the trembling Victim from his rage,
Or in the bold Adventure, lose my Self.
Then the too cruel Beauty shall Confess,
The World affords not, such a gen'rous Love
New Troubles to my heart, Zoradia here.

Enter Zoradia.
Zor.
Where is the most enchanting, faithless Prince?
This dear forsworn, this lovely cruel Man.
Am I once more, so happy to behold thee,
E're yet these glimring Lights, shall yield to Darkness.
Do they once more, survey, what most they doat on?

Abd.
Is this a time, alas! to speak of Joys?
Now trembling Nature, with convulsive Pangs,
Groans for Almyna's cruel birth of Fate!
The whole Creation droops, at her dear Loss,
And shall her only Sister be unmov'd?
I cannot think it, of the soft Zoradia.
Oh, no! thou comest to weep, to dye with me.
Thou lovely Partner, of my Griefs, sit down.
Here on the cold remorsless Ground we'll lye.
Here to the Winds, we'll join our rain of Eyes
Our sighs may raise the Tempests till it rage.
With an unbounded sway, unbounded waste!
Leaving all Nature, desolate as we.

Zor.
Heav'n knows, how well I Love the Sultaness,
Scarce thy own lovely Form, is dearer to me.
Have I not giv'n a Proof of what I say,
For when her Eyes had robb'd me of thy Heart,
Was not my conquering Sister still belov'd?
So truly lov'd, that all the rougher Passions,
Revenge and Hate, like routed Armies fled before her!

Abd.
Oh, therefore! therefore! are we only fit.
To be true Mourners, at so fair a Tomb.
Let us resolve, never to quit the Theam,
Never to cease our Sighs, to cease our Tears.
Incessant let 'em fall, incessant rage,
We will maintain a luxury of Woe,
Rain Eyes, to quench this thirsty grief of Soul.

Zor.
Woud'st thou have me a Partner in thy Woe.
That lovely form, must then be veil'd from Sight,
Darkness and Horror, shou'd alone be there,
Nor the least Ray, reveal the Charmer to me.
Art thou not he, the source of all my Joys?
A grand Specifick to my wounded Soul.
Can I beholding thee, presume to mourn?
As soon the warring Elements may join,
Seeking no longer, to destroy each other.

Abd.
O bate these Transports, for so lost a Man.
A Wretch so much ungrateful as Abdalla,
Look on me as a thing undone by Love,
So lost to hope, or prospect of a Hope.
That tho' my Brother, now enjoys my Love.
(By her desires, enjoys the cruel Beauty)
It brings no ease to my eternal pain.
Despair of ne're possessing cannot Cure Me.
Then pitty me! pitty thy self Zoradia!
Recal thy Heart, recal thy prouder Charms,
Live for some happy Youth, who may adore thee,
I cannot Merit, such a Waste of Beauty.

Zor.
No, I like thee, doom'd to incessant pains:
Must love till Death, till Death must persevere;
Struck from above, with the like fatal Dart,
The same the Cause, the same is our Despair,
Hopeless the Cure, and vain is our endeavour.

Abd.
So vain, that by the Immortal Pow'rs I swear!
Thus kneeling, thus adoring, what destroys me!
I swear, not to survive Almyna's Death.
That moment, that reports her loss of Life,
Shall be the last of mine.

Zor.
Oh, cruel Prince!
Can'st thou then dye, for so ingrate a Fair,
Rather than live, with one so gen'rous,
So prodigal of tenderness as me!
This is but varying the destracting Scene.
Hadst thou but heard, my Father's wounding Woes?
This Night, stretcht on the Ground, he tastes despair,
Exclaims against the Fates, and poor Almyna.
Yet fixt in Loyalty, he will not start to save her.
The Master of the Eunuchs is his Friend.
Generous Morat, that Honest Courtier.
Who has in vain attempted to inspire
His faithful Breast, with Measures to preserve her.
Hopeless by him, to save the fated Queen,
He came to me, lost in my own despair.
Nor cou'd an other's danger (unless thine)
Have rais'd me from the Grave, where I was laid.

Abd.
Faithful Morat, sure I shall live to thank thee.

Zor.
First taught by him, I have secur'd the Seal
Who bad me (to my Lord) present it thus.
Shown to thy Guards it gives thee liberty,
It breaks thy Chains, and frees thee from this Prison,
Puts the Queen's life, and freedom in thy pow'r,
At least, thou hast a seeming Chance for both,
If thou canst but select, some valiant Friends,
To fall as by surprize upon the Guards,
Thy brave Attempt, the Eunuch will assist;
His pittying Soul, laments to Death the Queen.
For that his Cruel Lord, has him commanded,
To attend the Sultaness at her Uprising;
With the black Robe of Death? the certain Dress of Fate.

Abd.
Be his the unlucky Omens, not the Queen's.
Now thou, indeed, my Fair, art charming to me.
Now hast thou all the Effects of prosp'rous Beauty,
Who says I do not clasp thee now, with Transports?
Our Hopes, and our Designs agree in one,
Muca, the valiant General of Arabia,
Is sworn my Friend, and to protect Almyna
He's gon to get a Band of chosen Men.
To force this Prison, and prevent her Death.

Zor.
All this perform'd wilt thou e're think of me.
Faithful Morat has added to his care,
A Vessel ready fitted in the Port.
Farewel! my hopes end here, my Lord, farewel!
I shall no more be bless'd as I am now.
No more behold, that fatal lovely Form,
The Swimming Tears, already robs my Eyes,
Of what they only love, wou'd only live to see.

Abd.
Wilt thou not be Companion of our flight,
A Brother's love, shall ever be thy due?

Zor.
Talk'st thou of Justice, Bankrupt as thou art,
Woud'st thou pay me, it must be with thy heart.
And that's already forfeit, to another.

Abd.
Thou shalt have me, a partner in thy Griefs.
We both will Mourn, our round of blended Woes.
Thou know'st Almyna, never can be mine,
Already wedded to Almanzor's bed,
Like time that's past, she's lost to me for ever.

Zor.
Be witness for me, all ye heav'nly Powers!
It is no fault of mine, they are not blest.
I can but dye, to ease ye from remorse.
Once more farewel! when thou shalt hear of poor
Zoradia's fate, wilt thou allow a Tear?
Oh, yes! already do I find 'em there.
Farewel, farwel, it is my last Adieu,
Oh, Love!—my frailty will not let me part.
Do thou—I cannot go—to go from thee.
Parting to love like mine's impossible,
How am I charm'd to ruin—haste thee away,
The Morn calls on, to help the poor Almyna
Join thee with Muca, and attempt to save her.
May each immortal Pow'r, his aid impart,
And round thy Head, propitious Glories dart,
Whilst I strike here, to ease a labouring Heart.

[Exeunt.