I needs must fail; impute not as a crime
My nature's want, but punish nature in me;
I plead not for a pardon and to live,
But to be punish'd and forgiven. Here, strike;
I bare my breast to meet your just revenge.

Zar. I have not leisure now to take so poor
A forfeit as thy life; somewhat of high
And more important fate requires my thought.
When I've concluded on myself, if I

Think fit, I'll leave thee my command to die.
Regard me well, and dare not to reply
To what I give in charge; for I'm resolv'd.
Give order that the two remaining mutes
Attend me instantly, with each a bowl

Of such ingredients mix'd, as will with speed
Benumb the living faculties, and give
Most easy and inevitable death.
Yes, Osmyn, yes; be Osmyn or Alphonso,
I'll give thee freedom, if thou dar'st be free:
Such liberty as I embrace myself

Thou shalt partake. Since fates no more afford;
I can but die with thee, to keep my word. [Exeunt.

SCENE II-Opening, shows the Prison.

Enter GONSALEZ, disguised like a Mute, with a Dagger.

Gon. Nor centinel nor guard! the doors unbarr'd!

And all as still as at the noon of night!
Sure death already has been busy here.
There lies my way; that door too is unlock'd.
[Looking in.
Ha! sure he sleeps-all's dark within, save what
A lamp, that feebly lifts a sickly flame,
By fits reveals-his face seems turn'd, to favour
Th' attempt; I'll steal and do it unperceiv'd.
What noise! Somebody coming? is't Alonzo?
Nobody. Sure he'll wait without-I would
'Twere done-I'll crawl and sting him to the
heart,

Then cast my skin, and leave it there to answer it. [Goes in.

Enter GARCIA and ALONZO,

Had enter'd long ere now, and borne down all
Before 'em, to the palace-walls. Unless
The king in person animate our men,
Granada's lost; and to confirm this fear,
The traitor Perez, and the captive Moor,
Are through a postern fled, and join'd the foe.
Gon. Would all were false as that; for when

you call

The Moor, is dead. That Osmyn was Alphonso; In whose heart's blood this poignard yet is warm Gar. Impossible! for Osmyn was, while flying, Pronounc'd aloud by Perez for Alphonso.

Gon. Enter that chamber, and convince your eyes,

How much report has wrong'd your easy faith. [GARCIA goes in

Alon. My lord, for certain truth. Perez is fled; And has declar'd the cause of his revolt Was to revenge a blow the king had given him. Gar. [Returning.] Ruin and horror! Oh, heart-wounding sight!

Gon. What says my son? What ruin? Ha! what horror?

Gar. Blasted my eyes, and speechless be my
tongue,

Rather than or to see, or to relate
This deed--Oh, dire mistake! Oh, fatal blow!
The King!-

Gon. Alon. The king!

Gar. Dead, weltering, drown'd in blood. See, see, attir'd like Osmyn, where he lies.

[They look in Oh, whence, or how, or wherefore was this done? But what imports the manner or the cause Nothing remains to do, or to require, But that we all should turn our swords against Ourselves, and expiate with our own, his blood.

Gon. Oh, wretch! Oh, cursed, rash, deluded fool!

On me, on me turn your avenging swords.
I, who have spilt my royal master's blood,
Should make atonement by a death as horrid,
And fall beneath the hand of my own son.

Gar. Ha! what! atone this murder with a

greater!

ther? where

The king? Confusion! all is on the rout!
All's lost, all ruin'd by surprise and treachery.
Where, where is he? Why dost thou mislead
me?

Alon. My lord, he entered but a moment since, And could not pass me unperceiv'd-What, hoa! My lord! my lord! What, hoa! my lord Gonsalez !

Enter GONSALEZ, bloody.

Gon. Perdition choke your clamours-whence this rudeness?

Garcia !

Gar. Perdition, slavery, and death, Are entering now our doors. Where is the king? What means this blood, and why this face of horror?

Gon. No matter-give me first to know the

cause

Of these your rash and ill-timed exclamations. Gar. The eastern gate is to the foe betray'd, Who, but for heaps of slain that choke the passage,

With more unnatural blood. Murder my fa

ther!

Better with this to rip up my own bowels,
And bathe it to the hilt in far less damnable
Self-murder.

Gon. Oh, my son! from the blind dotage
Of a father's fondness these ills arose.
For thee I've been ambitious, base, and bloody:
For thee I've plung'd into this sea of sin;
Stemming the tide with only one weak hand,
While t'other bore the crown (to wreathe thy
brow)

Whose weight has sunk me, ere I reach'd the shore.

Gar. Fatal ambition! Hark! the foe is enter'd: [Shout. The shrillness of that shout speaks them at hand.

We have no time to search into the cause
Of this surprising and most fatal error.
What's to be done? the king's death known
would strike

The few remaining soldiers with despair,
And make them yield to mercy of the conqueror,

body. Require me not to tell the means, till done, Lest you forbid what yon may then approve. [Goes in. Shout. Gon. They shout again! Whate'er he means to do,

'Twere fit the soldiers were amus'd with hopes; And in the mean time fed with expectation To see the king in person at their head.

Gar. Were it a truth, I fear 'tis now too late. But I'll omit no care, nor haste; and try, Or to repel their force, or bravely die.

Re-enter ALONZO.

Gon. What hast thou done, Alonzo ? Alon. Such a deed

As but an hour ago I'd not have done,

[Exit.

Though for the crown of universal empire.
But what are kings reduc'd to common clay?

Or what can wound the dead?-I've from the

body

Sever'd the head, and in an obscure corner
Dispos'd it, muffled in the mute's attire,
Leaving to view of them who enter next,
Alone the undistinguishable trunk:

Which may be still mistaken by the guards
For Osmyn, if in seeking for the king,
They chance to find it.

Gon. 'Twas an act of horror:

And of a piece with this day's dire misdeeds.
But 'tis no time to ponder or repent.
Haste thee, Alonzo, haste thee hence with speed,
To aid my son. I'll follow with the last
Reserve to reinforce his arms: at least,
I shall make good and shelter his retreat.

[Exeunt severally.

Enter ZARA, followed by SELIM and two Mutes, bearing the Bowls.

Zar. Silence and solitude are every where.
Through all the gloomy ways and iron doors
That hither lead, nor human face nor voice
Is seen or heard. A dreadful din was wont
To grate the sense, when enter'd here, from groans
And howls of slaves, condemn'd; from clink of
chains,

And crash of rusty bars and creeking hinges :
And ever and anon the sight was dash'd
With frightful faces, and the meagre looks
Of grim and ghastly executioners.
Yet more this stillness terrifies my soul,
Than did that scene of complicated horrors.
It may be that the cause of this my errand
And purpose, being chang'd from life to death,
Has also wrought this chilling change of temper.
Or does my heart bode more? What can it more
Than death?

Let 'em set down the bowls, and warn Alphonso
That I am here-so. You return and find

Zar. What have you seen? Ha! wherefore stare you thus,

signs?

Give me more ample knowledge of this mourning
[They open the scene, she perceives the body.
Ha! prostrate! bloody! headless! Oh-I'm lost.
Oh, Osmyn! Oh, Alphonso! Cruel fate!
Cruel, cruel, oh, more than killing object!
I came prepar'd to die, and see thee die-
Nay, came prepar'd myself to give thee death--
But cannot bear to find thee thus, my Osmyn-
Oh, this accurs'd, this base, this treacherous
king!

His hellish rage had wanted means to act,
But for thy fatal and pernicious counsel.
Sel. You thought it better then-but I'm re-

warded.
The mute you sent, by some mischance was seen,
And forc'd to yield your letter with his life;
I found the dead and bloody body stripp'd-
My tongue falters, and my voice fails-I sink-
Drink not the poison-for Alphonso is

[Dies.

Zar. As thou art now-and I shall quickly be.
'Tis not that he is dead: for 'twas decreed
We both should die. Nor is't that I survive;
I have a certain remedy for that.

But, oh, he died, unknowing in my heart.
He knew I lov'd, but knew not to what height,
Nor that I meant to fall before his eyes,
A martyr and a victim to my vows.
Insensible of this last proof he's gone;
Yet fate alone can rob his mortal part
Of sense; his soul still sees and knows each pur-

Enter ALMERIA and LEONORA.

Alm. Oh, let me seek him in this horrid cell.
For in the tomb, or prison I alone
Must hope to find him.

Leon. Heavens! what dismal scene
Of death is this! The eunuch Selim slain !

Alm. Show me; for I am come in search ot

death,

Who seem the murderers, kneel weeping by;
Feeling remorse too late for what they've done.
But, oh, forbear-lift up your eyes no more;
But haste away, fly from this fatal place,
Where miseries are multiplied; return,
Return, and look not on; for there's a dagger
Ready to stab the sight, and make your eyes
Rain blood-

Alm. Oh, I foreknow, foresee that object.
Is it at last then so? Is he then dead?
What, dead at last? quite, quite, for ever dead?
There, there, I see him; there he lies, the blood
Yet bubbling from his wounds-Oh, more than

savage!

Had they or hearts or eyes that did this deed?
Could eyes endure to guide such cruel hands?
Are not my eyes guilty alike with theirs,
That thus can gaze, and yet not turn to stone?
-I do not weep! The springs of tears are
dried;

And of a sudden I am calm, as if

All things were well; and yet my husband's murder'd!

Yes, yes, I know to mourn! I'll sluice this heart, The source of wo, and let the torrent loose. -Those men have left to weep! they look on

me!

I hope they murder all on whom they look.
Behold me well: your bloody hands have err'd,
And wrongfully have slain those innocents:
I am the sacrifice design'd to bleed,
And come prepar'd to yield my throat-They
shake

Their heads in sign of grief and innocence!

[They point at the bowl on the ground. And point! What mean they? Ha! a cup! Oh, well,

I understand what medicine has been here.
Oh, noble thirst! yet greedy, to drink all-

Oh, for another draught of death-What
mean they?

[They point at the other cup. Ha! point again! 'tis there, and full, I hope. Thanks to the liberal hand that fill'd thee thus; I'll drink my glad acknowledgmentLeon. Oh, hold,

For mercy's sake, upon my knee I beg

Alm. With thee the kneeling world should beg in vain.

Seest thou not there? Behold who prostrate lies,

And pleads against thee; who shall then prevail?
Yet I will take a cold and parting leave
From his pale lips; I'll kiss him ere I drink,
Lest the rank juice should blister on my mouth,
And stain the colour of my last adieu.
Horror! a headless trunk! nor lips, nor face,
[Coming near the body, starts, and lets
fall the cup.

But spouting veins, and mangled flesh! Oh, oh!

Enter ALPHONSO, HELI, PEREZ, with GARCIA

Prisoner. Guards and Attendants.

Alph. Away, stand off, where is she? let me fly,

Save her from death, and snatch her to my heart.

Alm. Oh!
Alph Forbear! my arms alone shall hold

her up
Warm her to life, and wake her into gladness.
Oh, let me talk to thy reviving sense

The words of joy and peace; warm thy cold

beauties

With the new flushing ardour of my cheek;
Into thy lips pour the soft trickling balm
Of cordial sighs, and re-inspire thy bosom
With the breath of love. Shine, awake, Al
meria,

Give a new birth to thy long-shaded eyes,
Then double on the day reflected light.

Alm. Where am I? Heaven! what does this dream intend?

Alph. Oh, may'st thou never dream of lese delight,

Nor ever wake to less substantial joys.

Alm. Given me again from death! Oh, all ye

powers,

Confirm this miracle! Can I believe
My sight against my sight? and shall I trust
That sense, which in one instant shows him
dead

And living?—Yes, I will; I've been abus'd
With apparitions and affrighting phantoms:
This is my lord, my life, my only husband,
I have him now, and we no more will part.
My father, too, shall have compassion-

Alph. Oh, my heart's comfort, 'tis not given to this

Frail life to be entirely bless'd. E'en now,
In this extremest joy my soul can taste,
Yet I am dash'd to think that thou must weep;
Thy father fell where he design'd my death.
Gonsalez and Alonzo, both of wounds
Expiring, have, with their last breath, confess'd
The just decrees of Heaven, which on them.
selves

Has turn'd their own most bloody purposes, Nay, I must grant, 'tis fit you should be thus[She weeps

Let 'em remove the body from her sight.
Ill-fated Zara! Ha! a cup! Alas!
Thy error then is plain! but I were flint
Not to o'erflow in tribute to thy memory
Oh, Garcia!

Whose virtue has renounc'd thy father's crimes,
Seest thou how just the hand of Heaven has

been?

THE tragedy thus done, I am, you know,
No more a princess, but in statu quo;
And now as unconcern'd this mourning wear,
As if indeed a widow or an heir.
I've leisure, now, to mark your several faces,
And know each critic by his sour grimaces.
To poison plays, I see them where they sit,
Scatter'd like ratsbane up and down the pit;
While others watch, like parish searchers hir'd,
To tell of what disease the play expir'd.
Oh, with what joy they run to spread the news
Of a damn'd poet and departed muse!