Oras. Believe me, sir, your threatenings, your complaints,

What will they all produce, but Zara's tears
To quench this fancied anger! Your lost heart,
Seduced against itself, will search but reasons
To justify the guilt, which gives it pain:
Rather conceal from Zara this discovery;
And let some trusty slave convey the letter,
Reclosed, to her own hand-then shall you learn,
Spite of her frauds, disguise, and artifice,
The firmness, or abasement of her soul.

me,

now.

Twill be some recompence, at least, to see Her blushes when detected.

Oras. Oh, my lord!

I doubt you in the trial! for your heart-
Osm. Distrust me not-my love, indeed, is
weak,

But honour and disdain more strong than Zara.
Here, take this fatal letter-chuse a slave,
Whom yet she never saw, and who retains
His tried fidelity-Dispatch-begone-

[Exit Orasmin.
Now, whither shall I turn my eyes and steps,
The surest way to shun her: and give time
For this discovering trial?—Heaven! she's here!
Enter ZARA.

So, Madam! fortune will befriend my cause,
And free me from your fetters.-You are met
Most aptly, to dispel a new-risen doubt,
That claims the finest of your arts to gloss it.
Unhappy each by other, it is time

To end our mutual pain, that both may rest:
You want not generosity, but love;
My pride forgotten, my obtruded throne,
My favours, cares, respect, and tenderness,
Touching your gratitude, provoked regard;
Till, by a length of benefits besieged,
Your heart submitted, and you thought

love:

'twas

Would you learn more, and open all my heart?
Know, then, that spite of this renewed injustice,
I do not-cannot wish to love you less :
That, long before you looked so low as Zara,
She gave her heart to Osman; yours, before
Your benefits had bought her, or your eye
Had thrown distinction round her; never had,
Nor ever will acknowledge other lover:-
And to this sacred truth, attesting Heaven,
I call thy dreadful notice! If my heart
Deserves reproach, 'tis for, but not from, Osman,
Osm. What does she yet presume to swear
sincerity!

Oh, boldness of unblushing perjury!
Had I not seen, had I not read such proof,
Of her light falsehood as extinguished doubt,
I could not be a man, and not believe her.

Zar. Alas, my lord! what cruel fears have

seized you?

What harsh, mysterious words were those I heard? Osm. What fears should Osman feel, since Za

ra loves him?

Zar. I cannot live and answer to your voice, In that reproachful tone; your angry eye Trembles with fury while you talk of love. Osm. Since Zara loves him!

Zar. Is it possible

Osman should disbelieve it?—Again, again
Your late-repented violence returns-

Alas! what killing frowns you dart against me!
Can it be kind? Can it be just to doubt me?
Osm. No! I can doubt no longer-You may
retire.
[Exit Zara.

Re-enter ORASMIN.
Orasmin, she's perfidious, even beyond
Her sex's undiscovered power of seeming;
She's at the topmost point of shameless artifice;
An empress at deceiving! Soft and easy,
Destroying like a plague, in calm tranquillity:
She's innocent, she swears-so is the fire;
It shines in harmless distance, bright and plea-
sing,

Consuming nothing till it first embraces.
Say, hast thou chosen a slave?--Is he instructed?
Haste to detect her vileness and my wrongs.

Oras. Punctual I have obeyed your whole command:

But have you armed, my lord, your injured heart, With coldness and indifference? Can you hear, All painless and unmoved, the false one's shame? Osm. Orasmin, I adore her more than ever. Oras. My lord! my emperor! forbid it, Heaven!

Osm. I have discerned a gleam of distant hope; This hateful Christian, the light growth of France, Proud, young, vain, amorous, conceited, rash, Has misconceived some charitable glance, And judged it love in Zara: he alone, Then, has offended me. Is it her fault, If those she charms are indiscreet and daring? Zara, perhaps, expected not this letter; And I, with rashness groundless as its writer's, Took fire at my own fancy, and have wronged her.

SCENE I.

ZARA and SELIMA.

Zar. SOOTHE me no longer with this vain desire; To a recluse like me, who dares henceforth Presume admission!- -the seraglio's shutBarred and impassable-as death to time! My brother ne'er must hope to see me more:How now! what unknown slave accosts us here?

Enter MELIDOr.

Mel. This letter, trusted to my hands, receive, In secret witness I am wholly yours.

[Zara reads the letter. Sel. [Aside.] Thou everlasting ruler of the world!

Shed thy wished mercy on our hopeless tears;
Redeem us from the hands of hated infidels,
And save my princess from the breast of Osman.
Zur. I wish, my friend, the comfort of your
counsel.

Sel. Retire-you shall be called-wait near-
Go, leave us.
[Exit Melidor.
Zar. Read this, and tell me what I ought to

[Exit.

You tremble to offend your haughty lover,
Whom wrongs and outrage but endear the more;
Yes you are blind to Osman's cruel nature,
That Tartar's fierceness, that obscures his bounties;
This tyger, savage in his tenderness,
Courts with contempt, and threatens amidst soft-

ness;

Yet, cannot your neglected heart efface His fated, fixed impression!

Zar. What reproach

Can I with justice make him? I, indeed,
Have given him cause to hate me!
Was not his throne, was not his temple ready?
Did he not court his slave to be a queen,
And have I not declined it ?—I who ought
To tremble, conscious of affronted power!
Have not I triumphed o'er his pride and love?
Seen him submit his own high will to mine,
And sacrifice his wishes to my weakness?

Sel. Talk we no more of this unhappy passion : What resolution will your virtue take?

Zar. All things combine to sink me to despair: From the seraglio death alone will free me. I long to see the Christians' happy climes; Yet in the moment, while I form that prayer, I sigh a secret wish to languish here. How sad a state is mine! my restless soul All ignorant what to do, or what to wish, My only perfect sense is that of pain. Oh, guardian Heaven! protect my brother's life, For I will meet him, and fulfil his prayer: Then, when from Solyma's unfriendly walls, His absence shall unbind his sister's tongue, Osman shall learn the secret of my birth, My faith unshaken, and my deathless love; He will approve my choice, and pity me. I'll send my brother word he may expect me. Call in the faithful slaveGod of my fathers! [Exit Selinga

Let thy hand save me, and thy will direct!

Enter SELIMA and MELIDOR. Go- -tell the Christian who intrusted thee, That Zara's heart is fixed, nor shrinks at danger; And that my faithful friend will, at the hour, Expect, and introduce him to his wish. Away

-the sultan comes; he must not find us. [Exeunt Zara and Selima.

Enter OSMAN and ORASMIN.

Osm. Swifter, ye hours, move on; my fury glows

Impatient, and would push the wheels of time. How now! What message dost thou bring? Speak boldly→→

What answer gave she to the letter sent her? Mel. She blushed and trembled, and grew pale, and paused.

Then blushed, and read it; and again grew pale; And wept, and smiled, and doubted, and resolved: For after all this race of varied passions, When she had sent me out, and called me back, 'Tell him,' she cried, who has intrusted thee, That Zara's heart is fixed, nor shrinks at danger;

And that my faithful friend will, at the hour, Expect, and introduce him to his wish.'

more.

Osm. Enough-begone-I have no ear for [To the slave. Leave me, thou too, Orasmin.-Leave me, life, [To Orasmin. For every mortal aspect moves my hate: Leave me to my distraction-I grow mad, And cannot bear the visage of a friend. Leave me to rage, despair, and shame, and wrongs!

Leave me to seek myself and shun mankind. [Exit Orasmin.

Who am I?-Heaven! Who am I? What resolve I?

Zara! Nerestan! sound these words like names
Decreed to join? Why pause I?-Perish Zara
Would I could tear her image from my heart!-
'Twere happier not to live at all, than live
Her scorn, the sport of an ungrateful false one!
And sink the sovereign in a woman's property.
Re-enter ORASMIN:

Orasmin!-Friend! return, I cannot bear
This absence from thy reason: 'twas unkind,
'Twas cruel to obey me, thus distressed,
And wanting power to think, when I had lost
thee.

How goes the hour? Has he appeared, this rival? Perish the shameful sound-This villain Christian! Has he appeared below?

Oras. Silent and dark,

Orasmin, prophet, reason, truth, and love!
After such length of benefits, to wrong me!
How have I-over-rated, how mistaken,
The merit of her beauty!—Did I not
Forget I was a monarch? Did I remember
That Zara was a slave?-I gave up all;
Gave up tranquillity, distinction, pride,
And fell the shameful victim of my love!
Oras. Sir, sovereign, sultan, my imperial mas-
ter!

Reflect on your own greatness,
The distant provocation.

Osm. Hark! Heard'st thou nothing?
Oras. My lord!

Osm. A voice, like dying groans!
Oras. I listen, but can hear nothing.
Osm. Again!-look out-he comes-

Oras. Nor tread of mortal foot-nor voice I hear:

The still seraglio lies, profoundly plunged
In death-like silence. Nothing stirs.-The air
Is soft, as infant sleep; no breathing wing
Steals through the shadows, to awaken night.

Osm. Horrors a thousand times more dark than

And listened to your sorrows.

Osm. Oh, treacherous night!

Thou lendst thy ready veil to every treason,

And teeming mischiefs thrive beneath thy shade. VOL. I.

Oh, the perfidious hypocrite!-she goes To meet the inviting infidel!- -now, now, [Drawing a dagger, Revenge, stand firm, and intercept his wishes; 3 M

The soul of innocence, and pride of truth:
Tell them I laid my empire at her feet:
Tell them I plunged ny dagger in her blood;
Tell them, I so adored-and thus revenged her.
[Stabs himself.
Reverence this hero-and conduct him safe. [Dies.

Ner. Direct me, great inspirer of the soul! How should I act, how judge in this distress? Amazing grandeur! and detested rage! Even I, amidst my tears, admire this foe, And mourn his death, who lived to give me woe. [Exeunt omnes.