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Show ~ 3 ~qTe Conqueft of Graivad Selin will not be ranfom'd by your Lite. ^ ^^ Barbarian, thy old Foe defies thy Rage. Turn from their Youth thy Malice to. mv A g£ & M . Forbear, dear Father, for your Ozmyn s Sake. Do not fuch Words to <*££*** M* 0 ™ . Alas, tis counterfeited Rage; he ftmes But to divert the Danger from our Lives. For, I can witnefs, Sir, and you might fee How in your Perfon he confider d me. He (till declin'd the Combate where you were; And you well know it was not out ot hear. Benz. Alas, m y Lord, where can your Vengeance M l Your Juftice will net let it reach usall. Selin and Ozmyn both would Suff'rers be; And Punifhment's a Favour done to me. If we are Foes, fince you have Pow r to kill, 'Lis gen'rous in you not to have the Will. But are we Foes ? look round, m y Lord, and lee 5 Point out that Face which is your Enemy. Would you your Hand in Selin's Blood embrue? Kill him unarm'd, who arm'd (hun'd killing you? A m I your Foe? fince youdeteft m y Line, That hatad Name of Zegry I refign. For you Benzayda will her Self difclaim : Call me vour Daughter, and forget m y Name. Selin. This Virtue wou'd ev'n Savages fubdue; And fhall it want the Power to vanquifti you? Ozmyn. It has, it has: I read it in his Eyes; Tis now not Anger, 'tis but Shame denies. A fhame of Error, that great Spirits find, Which keeps down Virtue ftrugling in the Mind. Aben. Yes, I am vanquifh'd 1 the fierce Conflict's paft: And Shame it felf is now o'ercome at laft. 'Twas long before m y ftubborn Mind was won; But, melting once, I on the fuddain run. Nor can I hold m y headlong Kindnefs more , Than I could curb m y cruel Rage before. [Runs to Benz. and embraces her. Benzayda, 'twas your Virtue vanquifh'd me: That could alone furmount m y Cruelty. [ Runs to Selin and unbinds him. Forgive me, Selin, my NeglecT of you : ButMen, juft waking, fcarce know what they do. Ozmyn. O ury Father! Benz. Father! Aben. . • Dare I own that Name! Speak; fpeak it often, to remove m y Shame! [They all embrace him. O Selin ; O my Children, let me go! I have more Kindnefs than 1 yet can fhow. For m y Recov'ry, I muft fhun your Sight: Eyes, us'd to Darknefs, cannot bear the Light. [He runs in-^ they following him. SCENE The Albayzjn. Almanzor, Abdelmelech, Slodier, Almanz. 'Tis W a r again; and I am glad 'tis fo : Succefs fhall now by Force and Courage go. Treaties are but theCombates of the Brain; Where ftill the ftronger lofe and weaker gain. Abdelm. On this Affault, brave Sir, which we prepare, Depends the Sum and Fortune of the War. Encamp'd without the Fort the Spaniard lies; And may, in fpight of us, fend in Supplies. Confider yet, eer we attack the Place, What 'tis to (form it in an Armies Faea. Almanz. " ™ ^ ^ * " ^ - i - i ^ M i ^ _ > _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ > _ _ _ _ _ Almanz. The Minds of Heroes their own Meafures are, fhey ftand exempted from the Rules of W a r. One Loofe, one Sally of the Hero's Soul, Does all the military Art controul. While tim'rous W i t goes round, or fords the Shore He {hoots the Gulph and is already o'er. And, when th'Enthufiaftick Fit is fpent, Looks back amaz'd at what he underwent. r Exeunt Enter Almanzor and Abdelmelech with their Soldiers. [ An Alarm within Abdelm. They fly, they fly; take Breath, and charge agen. Almanz. Make good your Entrance, and bring up more Men: I fear'd, brave friend, m y Aid had been too late. Abdelm. You drew us from the Jaws of certain Fate. At m y Approach '. The Gate was open, and the Draw-Bridge down • But when they faw I ftood, and came not on, They charg'd with Fury on m y little Band ; W h o , much o'er power'd, could fcarce the Shock withftand. Almanz. Ere Night we fhall the whole Albayzin gain : But fee the Spaniards march along the Plain To its Relief: you Abdelmelech go, And force the reft while I repulfe the Foe. [Exit Almanzor. Enter Abdalla and fome few Soldiers, who feem fearful. Abdal. Turn, Cowards, turn; there is no hope in flight; You yet may live, if you but dare to fight. Come, you brave few, who only fear to fly: We'er not enough to Conquer, but to die. Abdelm. No, Prince ; that mean Advantage I refufe : Tis in your Pow'r a nobler Fate to chufe. Since we are Rivals, Honour does command, W e fhould not die but by each others Hand. Retire; and if it prove m y Deftiny [jj, his Men. To fall, I charge you let the Prince go free. [The Soldiers depart on both fides. Abdal. O, Abdelmelech, that I knew fome way, This Debt of Honour, which I owe, to pay. But Fate has left this only Means for me, To die, and leave you Lyndaraxa free. Abdel. He who is vanquifh'd and is flain is bleft; The wretched Conquerourcan ne'er have Reft: But is referv'd a harder Fate to prove, (Bound in the Fetters of diflembled Love.) Abdal. N o w thou art bafe, and I deferve her more: Without Complaint 1 will to Death adore. Dar'ft thou fee Faults, and yet do'ft Love pretend ? I will even Lyndaraxd's Crimes defend. Abdelm. Maintain her Caufe, then, better than thy own. Than thy ill got, and worfe defended Throne. [ The?fight, Abdalla falls, Abdelm. N o w ask your Life. Abdal. -'Tis gone 5 that bufie thing, The Soul, is packing up, and juft ori Wing. Like parting Swallows, when they feek the Spring. Like them, at its appointed Time, it goes; And flies to Countries more unknown than thofe Enter Lyndaraxa hafiily, fees them, and is going out again. Abdelmel. flopping her. No, you fhall ftay, and fee a Sacrifice, Not offer'd by m y Sword, but by your Eyes. From thofe he firft ambitions Poifon drew; And fwell'd to Empire for the Love of you. Accurfed fair! Thy Comet-blaze portends a Prince's Fate; And fuff'ring Subjects groan beneath thy Weight. Abdal. Ceafe, Rival, ceafe \ I would have fore'd you; but it wonnot be: I beg you, now, upbraid her not for me. M mm ida |
