University of Virginia Library

ACT V.

SCENE I.

The Sanctuary of the Temple of the Sun. On each side of the Sun, blazing over his Altar, the embalmed bodies of the Peruvian Emperors, from Manco Capac their first Sovereign, seated on golden thrones.
Villoma, Zamorin, Peruvian Chiefs.
Vil.
Defenders of your country!
Approach, and on this bloodless altar lay
Your hands, the plighted witness of your vow.

Peruv.
We lay our hands—

Vil.
Now vow ye will perform
Whate'er Zamorin urges.

Peruv.
Hear our vow!

Zam.
[to Vil.]
Thy duty now is o'er. Oh holy father!
Retire, I pray thee. On their souls I bind
A dreadful charge: their country's freedom claims it:
A charge of blood, whose utterance were unfit
For thy pure ear.

[Vil. departs.
Zam.
Defenders of Peru!
Who here in awful ecstasy adore
High wonders ne'er expos'd to eyes on earth
Save the Sun's hallow'd race: ye, whom pure zeal,
And that great cause which consecrates your vow,
The freedom of your country, here unites
In holiest league: by him, who on yon [Manco Capac.]
throne,
Now o'er you bends, the founder of our country,
Who from their rocks first drew our sires, and tam'd
To social life, when lone, dispers'd, they wander'd
O'er earth's wide wilderness, where man and beast
Grappled for nature's sov'reignty: by him
Who first unclos'd the unaccustom'd heart
To pity, tenderness, and gentle joys,
Who to the woods and wilds brute passion chas'd,
And taught the interchange of soul with soul,
And sympathies of kin that make on earth
Each home a blissful heav'n:—By Him, my voice
Adjures you, to resist the fell invader,
Or with your realm, religion, freedom, laws,
In one wide wreck expire—

Peruv.
We will resist
Or perish.—Lead us forth—

Zam.
No, not to war;
'Tis not to battle that I urge you forth,
To combat with a foe whom hell has arm'd
With its own fires.—They told you they were Gods:
You found them hid beneath their iron mail
Men sensible of pain; and I have found them
Men viler than the beast that roams the wild.
Hear, and rejoice, and hymn the song of praise:
Ere night, their hosts by rival chieftains arm'd
In merciless combat meet. Thou stand, Peru,
Aloof, and when th'exhausted victor mourns
His conquest, sweep from earth that groans beneath them
The wretched remnant of these Gods distain'd
With kindred murder.

Peruv.
On their head our vengeance!

Zam.
Be firm; ye must endure a dreadful test:
I cannot speak it. Yet, whate'er ye view,
E'en tho' Villoma in the dust before you
Strew his grey hairs, and pray you spare his age:
E'en tho' the chief whose charge now binds your souls,
Should, slave of human frailty deny
The oath that past his lip, swear ye will guard
The fort till death.—Vow this, or now resign
Your lives, your liberty, your king, your God,
At fell Pizarro's word.

Peruv.
Our oath is fix'd.

Zam.
Then ye are conquerors—now, friends! farewell—
Each to his separate charge, and guard the gates,
Lest rous'd to frantic agony, Peru
Burst them, and yield the fortress—

Peruv.
We have vow'd—

[Peruvian chiefs depart.
Zam.
[falls on the altar.]
Oh thou, who view'st the heart! thou, to whom thought
Speaks without tongue; to thee is no disguise.
Therefore, accept for incense, this deep sigh;
For sacrifice, these tears wrung from the heart
And streaming on thy shrine. These now may fall
Blameless, unseen of man. Yet, not the less
Sustain me to th'accomplishment, and fill
With dauntless force, that in thy cause my soul
May triumph: and when free Peru shouts forth
The hymn of praise, rejoin my bride in heav'n!

[Exit.
Scene changes to Pizarro's Camp.
Pizarro, Alvarados, Soldiers.
Piz.
[to Alv.]
Speed, speed, brave chief! the field may yet be ours.
Lead forth thy charge, and, as the foe ascends
Yon mound, where our brisk cannon shall confound them,
Assail them unawares—
Benalcazar enters.
Well, Benalcazar!

Ben.
Candia contemns thy offer; he is gone,
With him his valiant pikemen—

Piz.
Then, brave chiefs,
We shall have more to conquer. Haste, Alvarez:
Bring Zama hither—

Alv.
What now thy intent
I do not look to fathom; but, beware—
'Tis loudly rumour'd thro' th'unquiet camp
That from yon fort releas'd, Almagro's son
Heads his fleet squadrons. All, with eager voice
Count and recount his force, and, as fear reckons,
Swell them at every numb'ring—

Piz.
Brave Castillians!
The lion counts not when he thins the herd—
On you brave chiefs, Pizarro's glory rests:
Lead forth your separate charges.
[Alvarados and Benalcazar go.
Zama enters.
Zama, say,
If Cuzco saw beneath her sacred walls
A daughter of the Sun, and o'er her breast
The quivering dagger gleam, in act to strike,
Would not thy race to rescue her from death
Resign the fort, and hail with grateful shout
The foe who spar'd her life?

Zama.
A crime so fell
Would draw down fire from heav'n—

Piz.
Thou art the victim,
And I— [Zama kneels.]
kneel not to me: beneath yon walls
Urge thy request. Thy race are prone to pity:
A father, and a husband will avert
The threaten'd deed—

Zama.
They will not yield the fortress.
A daughter of the Sun now bows before thee,
Who ne'er has bow'd the knee to mortal man.
Grant my request—

Piz.
Thy life depends on them—

Zama.
Of life I have no hope: I urge no pray'r
That thou, Pizarro, may'st not justly grant.
I shall not live: nor will Zamorin long
Survive my loss: but it will sooth Villoma,
And seem like shew of solace to his tears
That they are shed upon his daughter's corse.
He is a time-worn man, bow'd by sore grief,
And ere he close my last sad rites, he too
May rest with me. He is a holy man,
And heav'n till now has smil'd upon his pray'r;
Grant this, and if indulgent Heav'n will hear
The voice of one who for her murderer pleads,
Pangs less severe in death's dread hour shall rack
Thy struggling spirit.

A Spanish Chief enters.
Chief.
As the gale comes on,
An intermingled noise of neighing steeds,
And troops that shout to battle, mark the advance
Of fierce Almagro's force.

Juan enters.
Juan.
Haste, Pizarro—
Summon Zamorin: bid him yield the fort,
Or view his Zama perish—

Piz.
Speed, brave Juan,
Lead forth my chosen guard, and, if avail
Or skill or courage, yet awhile resist
Almagro's numbers.—Zama, to yon fort.

[Exeunt.
Scene changes to the Fort.
Zamorin and Almagro in a watch-tower.
Zam.
Look o'er yon rising mound. Again they rally:
Again they charge the foe, and bravely combat
As men who fear not death—

Alm.
No more detain me—
You sav'd my life, for you my blood shall flow:
Mine to confront the danger, yours alone
The fruits of victory.

Zam.
On either wing
They hem them round, and bear down all before them.
See, from your numerous squadrons, once again
Their routed lances fly—

Alm.
Another troop
Rush from the camp: the men who fled but now
Turn back on their pursuers. Steed on steed
Confus'dly clash, and mix in doubtful fight.
I will not tamely see my warriors slain:
Detain me not: this arm shall turn the battle:
This arm shall rescue Zama.

Zam.
No, brave knight,
My word is pledg'd: I trust th'event to Heav'n—
But no false word shall stain Zamorin's lip—
Ah! who yon chief?

[a trumpet is heard.
Piz.
[behind the scenes.]
Zamorin.

Zam.
Hold, my heart!
'Tis he: 'tis fierce Pizarro, to these walls
Swift he advances. Aid me, Heav'n!

Pizarro, Zama, Spanish Chiefs, Soldiers, enter.
Piz.
[entering.]
Villoma,
Zamorin, yield the fort, or now the Coya
Bleeds in your sight. Peruvians! yield the fort,
Or now the sacred daughter of the Sun
Pollutes with blood your consecrated walls.

[Villoma, Zamorin, Almagro, Peruvian Chiefs, People, &c. rush to the lower battlements.]
Vil.
My child—my child!

Zam.
Sustain me now, oh Sun!
Remember, chiefs! your vow: keep back the throng!

Piz.
[standing over Zama with his drawn dagger.]
Consent, or now she dies.

Vil.
Hear! Pizarro!
Draw back the steel: the fort, the fort is thine.
Release me from my vow! [to Zamorin.]
it is thy wife,
It is thy wife, Zamorin! hear, Peruvians!
Her blood be on your head: the Sun's pure blood!
By these grey hairs! I kneel to you, my children.
Oh spare a wretched father, spare my age.
I have but her.

[Villoma faints.
Zam.
Convey him from the walls.

Chiefs.
[to Zamorin.]
Release us from our oaths.

People.
Oh horror! horror!
Come on—force back the bars. Resist us not.
[To the Chiefs.
Pizarro! sheath thy blade: we yield the fort.

Piz.
Haste, soldiers! fix your standards on yon walls.

Zama.
There is no other aid. Zamorin, turn
Thy eyes away. [going to stab herself, is prevented by Pizarro.]
Oh feeble arm!

Piz.
Peruvians,
Unbar the gates, or now the Coya dies.

Voices
without.]
Almagro! victory, victory, Almagro!

Orgognez rushes in with Almagro's conquering army.
Alm.
Pizarro, free the Coya, or thou diest.

Piz.
[his lifted dagger in act to strike.]
Nay—if thou threaten.
Benalcazar and Alvarados, brought in Prisoners and wounded.
Benalcazar, bleeding!
Thou too, [to Alvarados.]
disarm'd?

Alv.
His forces o'ermatch'd ours.

Alm.
Hear, Pizarro!
Release her, or thou diest, and these thy chiefs
Perish in lingering agonies: restore her,
And in exchange receive their ransom'd lives.

Piz.
And may I trust to thee?

Alm.
[to Orgognez.]
Brave chief, release them.

Alv.
[after being released.]
Free her, or Alvarados joins Almagro.

Piz.
[sheaths his dagger, and frees Zama.]
Pizarro knows thy worth.

Alm.
Descend, Zamorin,
Thy firmness has prevail'd. In friendly league,
Beneath Almagro's pow'r, bear rule o'er Cuzco.
But—if the league with Spaniards seem offence,
Almagro shall confirm Pizarro's word.
I will relieve the fort: thou, arm Peru:
The rest is Heav'n's. Now, bid the gates unclose:
Descend, and from a Spaniard's hand receive
Thy peerless bride!

[The gates are flung open, Zamorin descends.
Zam.
Spaniard! in thee I trust.

Zama.
[They rush into each other's arms.]
Thou more than mortal!

Zama.
My Zamorin!

Zam.
Once more, once more on earth we shall be blest.
And thou, [to Almagro.]
who hast redeem'd the name of Spaniard
From ever-during guilt, hear the last sound
That from Zamorin's voice shall reach thy ear,
Till in the van of battle, front to front,
Each leading on his host to death or conquest,
Our shouts immingle. Hear me praise thy virtue,
While I renounce thy friendship. We are foes.
Ye have destroy'd my country, have defac'd
A realm on whose untam'd fertility
The sun look'd kindly down, and prosperous show'rs
Pour'd forth perpetual harvests: ye have outrag'd
A people, whom content, and peace, and love,
Had bound in purest bliss, that gave to man
In this terrestrial paradise, the pledge
Of heav'n's assur'd beatitude. Oh, stranger!
This race, this realm, this paradise, your steel
And ruthless flame have wasted: I oppos'd:
Nor shall this arm, till death relax its vigour,
Fail to avenge the outrage. Can you say,
“Forgive the offence, be it no more remember'd?”
Go, gather up your host. Hence, as you came:
And when th'unfathomable deep that severs
Our hostile worlds, rolls all its strength between us:
And when our blissful brides, who ne'er have heard
The name of Spaniard, to their bosoms press
A new-born race: and new-born flow'rs and fruits
Hide every spot whereon your foot found rest,
You are forgiven. Till that day, Zamorin
Feeds in his heart just vengeance. Now—farewell.