But those on which the moonlight fell and once
I heard him muttering o'er the plant. A Wizard-
Some gaunt slave prowling here for dark employment.
Ord. Doubtless you question'd him?

Isid.
'Twas my intention,
Having first traced him homeward to his haunt.
But lo! the stern Dominican, whose spies
Lurk every where, already (as it seemed)
Had given commission to his apt familiar
To seek and sound the Moor; who now returning,
Was by this trusty agent stopped midway.
I, dreading fresh suspicion if found near him
In that lone place, again concealed myself:
Yet within hearing. So the Moor was question'd,
And in your name, as lord of this domain,
Proudly he answered, "Say to the lord Ordonio,
"He that can bring the dead to life again!"
Ord. A strange reply!
Isid.
He called himself a Christian, yet he wears
The Moorish robes, as if he courted death.

Aye, all of him is strange.

Ord. Where does this wizard live?
Isid. (pointing to the distance.)

You see that brooklet?

Trace its course backward: through a narrow opening

It leads you to the place.

Ord.

Isid. You cannot err.

How shall I know it?

It is a small green dell

Built all around with high off-sloping hills,

And from its shape our peasants aptly call it

The Giant's Cradle. There's a lake in the midst,

And round its banks tall wood that branches over,
And makes a kind of faery forest grow

Down in the water. At the further end

A puny cataract falls on the lake ;

And there, a curious sight! you see its shadow
For ever curling, like a wreath of smoke,

Up through the foliage of those faery trees.

His cot stands opposite. You cannot miss it.

Ord. (in retiring stops suddenly at the edge of the scene, and then turning round to ISIDORE.) Ha !-Who lurks there! Have we been overheard?

There where the smooth high wall of slate-rock glitters

Isid. 'Neath those tall stones, which propping each the other,
Form a mock portal with their pointed arch?
Pardon my smiles! 'Tis a poor Idiot Boy,
Who sits in the Sun, and twirls a Bough about,
His weak eyes seeth'd in most unmeaning tears.
And so he sits, swaying his cone-like Head,
And staring at his Bough from Morn to Sun-set
See-saws his Voice in inarticulate Noises.

Ord. 'Tis well! and now for this same Wizard's Lair.
Isid. Some three strides up the hill, a mountain ash,

Stretches its lower boughs and scarlet clusters
O'er the old thatch.
Ord.

I shall not fail to find it.

[Exeunt ORDONIO and ISIDOre.

SCENE II.-The inside of a Cottage, around which flowers and plants of various kinds are seen. Discovers ALVAR, ZULIMEZ and ALHADRA, as on the point of leaving.

Alh. (addressing ALVAR.) Farewell then! and though many thoughts perplex me,

Aught evil or ignoble never can I

Suspect of Thee! If what thou seem'st thou art,
The oppressed brethren of thy blood have need
Of such a leader.

Long time against oppression have I fought,

And for the native liberty of faith

Have bled and suffered bonds. Of this be certain :

TIME, as he courses onward, still unrolls

The volume of concealment. In the FUTURE,

As in the optician's glassy cylinder,

The indistinguishable blots and colours

Of the dim PAST collect and shape themselves,
Upstarting in their own completed image
To scare or to reward.

I sought the guilty,
And what I sought I found: but ere the spear
Flew from my hand, there rose an angel form
Betwixt me and my aim. With baffled purpose
To the Avenger I leave Vengeance, and depart!

Whate'er betide, if aught my arm may aid,
Or power protect, my word is pledged to thee:
For many are thy wrongs, and thy soul noble.
Once more farewell.

Yes, to the Belgic states

[Exit ALHADRA.

We will return.
Akin to falsehood, weigh upon my spirit.
Whate'er befall us, the heroic Maurice
Will grant us an asylum, in remembrance
Of our past services.

These robes, this stained complexion,

Zul. And all the wealth, power, influence which is yours, You let a murderer hold?

Alv.

O faithful Zulimez !

That my return involved Ordonio's death,
I trust, would give me an unmingled pang,
Yet bearable :-but when I see my father
Strewing his scant grey hairs, e'en on the ground,
Which soon must be his grave, and my TERESA --
Her husband proved a murderer, and her infants

-

His infants-poor TERESA !—all would perish,
All perish-all! and I (nay bear with me)

Could not survive the complicated ruin!

Zul. (much affected.) Nay now! I have distress'd you-you well know,

I ne'er will quit your fortunes. True, 'tis tiresome!

You are a painter,* one of many fancies!

You can call up past deeds, and make them live

On the blank canvas; and each little herb,

That grows on mountain bleak, or tangled forest,
You have learnt to name-

Hark! heard you not some footsteps?

Alv. What if it were my brother coming onwards ?

I sent a most mysterious message to him.

Enter ORDONIO.

Alv. (starting.) It is he!

Ord. (to himself as he enters.) If I distinguished right her gait and

stature,

It was the Moorish woman, Isidore's wife,

That passed me as I entered. A lit taper,

In the night air, doth not more naturally

Attract the night flies round it, than a conjuror

Draws round him the whole female neighbourhood.

(Addressing ALVAR) You know my name, I guess, if not my person. I am Ordonio, son of the lord Valdez.

Alv. (with deep emotion.) The Son of Valdez !

[ORDONIO walks leisurely round the room, and looks attentively at the plants.

Zul. (to ALVAR.) Why what ails you now?

How your hand trembles! Alvar, speak! what wish you?

Alv. To fall upon his neck and weep forgiveness!

Ord. (returning and aloud.) Plucked in the moonlight from a

ruined abbey

Those only, which the pale rays visited!

O the unintelligible power of weeds,

When a few odd prayers have been muttered o'er them:

Then they work miracles! I warrant you,

There's not a leaf, but underneath it lurks

Some serviceable imp.

There's one of you

I am he.

Hath sent me a strange message.

Alv.

Ord. With you, then, I am to speak :

[Haughtily waving his hand to ZULIMEZ. [Exit ZULIMEZ.

And mark you, alone.

"He that can bring the dead to life again!"..

Such was your message, Sir! You are no dullard,
But one that strips the outward rind of things!
Alv. 'Tis fabled there are fruits with tempting rinds,

* Vide Appendix, p. 234.

That are all dust and rottenness within.
Would'st thou I should strip such?

Ord.

Thou quibbling fool,

What dost thou mean? Think'st thou I journeyed hither,
To sport with thee?
Alv.

O no, my lord! to sport
Best suits the gaiety of innocence.

Ord. (aside.) O what a thing is man! the wisest heart A Fool! a Fool that laughs at its own folly,

Yet still a fool!

[Looks round the cottage.

You are poor!

That you would fain be richer.

Alv. What follows thence?

Ord.

The inquisition, too-You comprehend me?
You are poor, in peril. I have wealth and power,
Can quench the flames, and cure your poverty:
And for the boon I ask of you but this,

That you should serve me-once-for a few hours.

Alv. (solemnly.) Thou art the son of Valdez! would to Heaven That I could truly and for ever serve thee.

Ord. The slave begins to soften.

[aside.

You are my friend"He that can bring the dead to life again," Nay, no defence to me! The holy brethren Believe these calumnies-I know thee better. (Then with great bitterness.) Thou art a man, and as a man I'll trust

thee!

Alv. (aside.) Alas! this hollow mirth-Declare your business. Ord. I love a lady, and she would love me

But for an idle and fantastic scruple.

Have you no servants here, no listeners?

[ORDONIO steps to the door. Alv. What, faithless too? False to his angel wife? To such a wife? Well might'st thou look so wan, Ill-starr'd Teresa !- -Wretch my softer soul Is pass'd away, and I will probe his conscience! Ord. In truth this lady lov'd another man,

But he has perish'd.

Alv.

What! you kill'd him? hey?

Ord. I'll dash thee to the earth, if thou but think'st it! Insolent slave! how dar'dst thou

[Turns abruptly from ALVAR, and then to himself. Why! what's this?

'Twas idiotcy! I'll tie myself to an aspen,

And wear a fool's cap

Alv. (watching his agitation.) Fare thee well

I pity thee, Ordonio, even to anguish.
Ord. (having recovered himself.) Ho!

Alv.

[ALVAR is retiring. [Calling to ALVAR.

Be brief, what wish you?

Ord. You are deep at bartering-You charge yourself
At a round sum. Come, come, I spake unwisely.
Alv. I listen to you.

Did Alvar perish—he, I mean-the lover

The fellow-

Alv.

Nay, speak out! 'twill ease your heart

To call him villain!--Why stand'st thou aghast?

Men think it natural to hate their rivals.

Ord. (hesitating.) Now, till she knows him dead, she will not wed me.

Alv. (with eager vehemence.) Are you not wedded then? Merciful

Heaven!

Not wedded to TERESA?

Ord.

Why what ails thee?

What, art thou mad? why look'st thou upward so?

Dost pray to Lucifer, Prince of the Air?

Alv. (recollecting himself.) Proceed, I shall be silent.

Ord.

[ALVAR sits, and leaning on the table, hides his face. To Teresa?

Politic wizard! ere you sent that message,

You had conn'd your lesson, made yourself proficient
In all my fortunes. Hah! you prophesied

A golden crop! Well, you have not mistaken-
Be faithful to me and I'll pay thee nobly.

Alv. (lifting up his head.) Well! and this lady!
Ord. If we could make her certain of his death,
She needs must wed me. Ere her lover left her,
She tied a little portrait round his neck,
Entreating him to wear it.

Alv. (sighing.)

Yes! he did so!

Ord. Why no: he was afraid of accidents, Of robberies, and shipwrecks, and the like. In secrecy he gave it me to keep,

Till his return.

Alv.
What! he was your friend then?
Ord. (wounded and embarrassed.) I was his friend.—
Now that he gave it me,
This lady knows not. You are a mighty wizard-
Can call the dead man up-he will not come—
He is in heaven then-there you have no influence.
Still there are tokens-and your imps may bring you
Something he wore about him when he died.
And when the smoke of the incense on the altar
Is pass'd, your spirits will have left this picture.
What say you now?

Alv. (after a pause.) Ordonio, I will do it.
Ord. We'll hazard no delay. Be it to-night,
In the early evening. Ask for the Lord Valdez.
I will prepare him. Music too, and incense,
(For I have arranged it—Music, Altar, Incense)
All shall be ready. Here is this same picture,
And here, what you will value more, a purse,
Come early for your magic ceremonies.

Alv. I will not fail to meet you.