Irene. O night of horror! Hear me, honoured father!

If e'er Irene's peace was dear to thee,
Now hear me !

Bar. Impious! Dar'st thou disobey?
Did not my sacred will ordain thee hence?
Get thee to rest; for death is stirring here.
Irene. O fatal words! By every sacred tye,
Recall the dire decree!

Bar. What would'st thou say?

Whom plead for?

Irene. For a brave unhappy prince, Sentenced to die.

Bar. And justly! But this hour

The traitor half fulfilled thy dream, and aimed His dagger at my heart.

Irene. Might pity plead!

Bar. What! plead for treachery?

Irene. Yet pity might bestow a milder name. Wouldst thou not love the child, whose fortitude Should hazard life for thee? Oh, think on that: The noble mind hates not a virtuous foe: His generous purpose was to save a mother!

Bar. Damned was his purpose: and accurst art thou,

Whose perfidy would save the dark assassin, Who sought thy father's life! Hence, from my sight!

Irene. Oh, never, till thy mercy spare my Selim!

Bar. Thy Selim! Thine!

Irene. Thou knowst-by gratitude

He's mine-Had not his generous hand re

deemed me,

What then had been Irene? Oh!

Bar. Faithless wretch!

Unhappy father! whose perfidious child Leagues with his deadliest foe, and guides the dagger

Even to his heart! Perdition catch thy falsehood!

And is it thus, a thankless child repays me,
For all the guilt in which I plunged my soul,
To raise her to a throne!

Irene. O spare these words,

More keen than daggers to my bleeding heart! Let me not live suspected! Dearest father! Behold my breast! write thy suspicion here: Write them in blood; but spare the generous youth,

Bar. By the powers

Of great revenge, thy fond intreaties seal His instant death! In him I'll punish thee. Away!

Irene. Yet hear me, ere my tortured soul Rush on some deed of horror!

Bar. Seize her, guards! Convey the frantic ideot from my presence:

See that she do no violence on herself.

Irene. O Selim! generous youth! how have my fears

Betrayed thee to destruction! Slaves, unhand me!

Think ye, I'll live to bear these pangs of grief,
These horrors that oppress my tortured soul!
Inhuman father! generous, injured prince!
Methinks I see thee stretched upon the rack,
Hear thy expiring groans: O horror! horror!
What shall I do to save him! Vain, alas!
Vain are my tears and prayers—at least, I'll die.
Death shall unite us yet!

[Exit Irene and guards.

Bar. O torment! torment!

Even in the midst of power! the vilest slave
More happy far than I! the very child,
Whom my love cherished from her infant years,
Conspires to blast my peace! O false ambition,
Thou lying phantom! whither hast thou lured
me!

Even to this giddy height, where now I stand,
Forsaken, comfortless! with not a friend
In whom my soul can trust!

He did not dare to say it; or, if he did,
Pernicious slave, why dost thou wound my ear
By the foul repetition?-Gracious powers,
Let me be calm!-O my distracted soul!
How am I rent in pieces! Othman fled!
Why then may all hell's curses follow him!
What's to be done? some mischief lurks unseen.
Ala. Prevent it then-

Bar. By Selim's instant death—
Ala. Ay, doubtless.

Bar. Is the rack prepared?
Ala. 'Tis ready.

Along the ground he lies o'erwhelmed with chains.
The ministers of death stand round, and wait
Thy last command.

Bar. Once more I'll try to bend

Selim. Come on, then.

His stubborn soul.-Conduct me forthwith to him:

And if he now refuse my proffered kindness,
Destruction swallows him!

SCENE II.

[Exeunt.

SELIM discovered in chains, Executioners, Officer, &c. and the rack.

Selim. I pray you, friends,
When I am dead, let not indignity

Insult these poor remains; see them interred
Close by my father's tomb; I ask no more.
Officer. They shall.

Selim. How goes the night?
Offi. Thy hour of fate,
The second watch, is near.

Selim. Let it come on;

I am prepared.

Enter BARBAROSSA and Guards. Bar. So-raise him from the ground.[They raise him. Perfidious boy! behold the just rewards Of guilt and treachery! Didst thou not give Thy forfeit life, whene'er I should behold Selim's detested face?

Selim. Then take it, tyrant.

Bar. Didst thou not aim a dagger at my heart? Selim. I did.

Bar. Yet Heaven defeated thy intent, And saved me from the dagger.

Selim. 'Tis not ours

To question Heaven.

deed,

The intent, and not the

Is in our power: and therefore, who dares greatly, Does greatly.

Bur. Yet bethink thee, stubborn boy, What horrors now surround thee

Selim. Thinkest thou, tyrant,

I came so ill prepared?-Thy rage is weak,
Thy torments powerless o'er the steady mind:
He who can bravely dare, can bravely suffer.
Bar. Yet, lo! I come, by pity led, to spare thee.
Relent, and save Zaphira!--For the bell
Even now expects the centinel, to toll
The signal of thy death.

Selim. Let guilt like thine

Tremble at death: I scorn his darkest frown.
Hence, tyrant, nor prophane my dying hour!
Bar. Then take thy wish.

There goes the fatal knell.

[Bell tolls.

Thy fate is sealed.-Not all thy mother's tears, Nor prayers, nor eloquence of grief, shall save thee

From instant death. Yet ere the assassin die,
Let torment wring each secret from his heart.
The traitor Othman's fled;-Conspiracy
Lurks in the womb onight, and threatens ruin.
Spare not the rack, nor cease, till it extort
The lurking treason; and this murderer call
On death, to end his woes. [Exit Barbarossa.

[They bind him.

Begin the work of death-what! bound with cords,
Like a vile criminal!-O valiant friends,
When will ye give me vengeance!

Enter IRENE.

Irene. Stop, O stop!

Hold your accursed hands!-On me, on me Pour all your torments!-How shall I approach thee!

Selim. These are thy father's gifts!—Yet thou art guiltless;

Then let me take thee to my heart, thou best, Most amiable of women!

Irene. Rather curse me,

As the betrayer of thy virtue!
Selim. Ah!

Irene. 'Twas I-my fears, my frantic fears betrayed thee!

Thus falling at thy feet, may I but hope
For pardon ere I die!

Selim. Hence to thy father!

Irene. Never, O never!-Crawling in the dust, I'll clasp thy feet, and bathe them with my

tears!

Which lifts iny towering soul to Atlas' height,
That I could prop the skies!

Ala. Where is the king?

The foe pours in. The palace gates are burst:
The centinels are murdered! Save the king!
They seek him through the palace!

Offi. Death and ruin!
Follow me, slaves, and save him.

[Exeunt Officer and Executioners. Selim. Now, bloody tyrant! Now, thy hour is come!

Irene. What means yon maddening tumult !— O my fears!

Selim. Vengeance at length hath pierced these guilty walls,

And walks her deadly round!

Irene. Whom dost thou mean? my father!
Selim. Yes: thy father;

Who murdered mine!

Irene. Is there no room for mercy?

O Selim! by our love!—

Selim. Thy tears are vain!

Should haunt its prey, and cleave the tyrant [Without.

down!

Oth. Where is the prince?

Selim. Here, Othman, bound to earth!
Set me but free!—O cursed, cursed chains!
Enter OTHMAN and party, who free SELIM,

Oth. O my brave prince!-Heaven favours
our design.
[Embraces him.

Take that :-I need not bid thee use it nobly.
[Giving him a sword,
Selim. Now, Barbarossa, let my arm meet
thine:
'Tis all I ask of Heaven!

[Exit Selim. Oth. Guard ye the prince- [Part go out. Pursue his steps.-Now this way let us turn, And seek the tyrant. [Exeunt Othman, &c,

SCENE III. changes to the open palace.

Enter BARBAROSSA.

Bar. Empire is lost and life: Yet brave revenge Shall close my life in glory.

Enter OTHMAN.

Have I found thee,
Dissembling traitor ?—Die !-
Oth. Long hath my wish,

Pent in my struggling breast, been robbed of

utterance.

Irene. Spare but his life!

Selim. Heaven knows I pity thee, But he

must bleed;

Though my own life-blood, nay, though thine,

Barbarossa falls.

Bar. I faint! I die!-O horror!

Once more Zaphira's blest!-My virtuous son, How shall I e'er repay thy boundless love! Thus let me snatch thee to my longing arms, And on thy bosom weep my griefs away!

Selim. O happy hour!-happy, beyond the flight

Even of any ardent hope!--Look down, blest shade,

From the bright realms of bliss!-Behold thy queen

Unspotted, unseduced, unmoved in virtue!
Behold the tyrant prostrate at my feet!
And to the memory of thy bleeding wrongs,
Accept this sacrifice!

Zaph. My generous Selim!
Selim. Where is Irene?

Sadi. With looks of wildness, and distracted

mien,

She sought her father where the tumult raged;
She passed me, while the coward Aladin
Fled from my sword: and as I cleft him down,
She fainted at the sight.

Oth. But soon recovered;

Zamor, our trusty friend, at my command, Conveyed the weeping fair one to her chamber. Selim. Thanks to thy generous care :-Come, let us seek

The afflicted maid.

Zaph. Her virtues might atone

For all her father's guilt. Thy throne be her's: She merits all thy love.

Selim. Then haste and find her.-O'er her father's crimes

Pity shall draw her veil; nay, half absolve them, When she beholds the virtues of his child!Now, let us thank the Eternal Power, convinced

That Heaven but tries our virtue by affliction: That oft the cloud which wraps the present hour, Serves but to brighten all our future days!

[Exeunt omnes.

Accords with my soul's sadness, and draws forth
The voice of sorrow from my bursting heart,
Farewell awhile; I will not leave you long;
For in your shades I deem some spirit dwells,
Who, from the chiding stream, or groaning oak,
Still hears and answers to Matilda's moan.
Oh, Douglas! Douglas! if departed ghosts
Are e'er permitted to review this world,
Within the circle of that wood thou art,
And, with the passion of immortals, hear'st
My lamentation: hear'st thy wretched wife
Weep for her husband slain, her infant lost.
My brother's timeless death I seem to mourn,
Who perished with thee on this fatal day.
To thee I lift my voice; to thee address
The plaint which mortal ear has never heard.
O disregard me not! though I am called
Another's now, my heart is wholly thine.
Incapable of change, affection lies

Buried, my Douglas, in thy bloody grave,——

But Randolph comes, whom fate has made my lord,

To chide my anguish, and defraud the dead.
Enter LORD RANDOLPH.

Lord R. Again these weeds of woe! say, dost
thou well

To feed a passion which consumes thy life?
The living claim some duty; vainly thou
Bestow'st thy cares upon the silent dead,

Lady R. Silent, alas! is he for whom I mourn:
Childless, without memorial of his name,
He only now in my remembrance lives.
This fatal day stirs my time-settled sorrow,
Troubles afresh the fountain of my heart.

Lord R. When was it pure of sadness! These black weeds

Express the wonted colour of thy mind,
For ever dark and dismal. Seven long years
Are passed, since we were joined by sacred ties:
Clouds all the while have hung upon thy brow,
Nor broke, nor parted by one gleam of joy.
Time, that wears out the trace of deepest an-

guish,

As the sea smooths the prints made in the sand, Has passed o'er thee in vain,