Boab. 'Tis better; but you wives have still one

way:

Whene'er your husbands are obliged, you pay.

Almah. Thou, heaven, who know'st it, judge my

innocence!

You, sir, deserve not I should make defence.
Yet, judge my virtue by that proof I gave,
When I submitted to be made your slave.
Boab. If I have been suspicious or unkind,
Forgive me; many cares distract my mind:
Love, and a crown!

Two such excuses no one man e'er had;
And each of them enough to make me mad:
But now my reason reassumes its throne,
And finds no safety when Almanzor's gone.
Send for him then; I'll be obliged, and sue;
"Tis a less evil than to part with you.

I leave you to your thoughts; but love me still!
Forgive my passion, and obey my will.

[Exit BOABDELIN.

ALMAHIDE Solus.

My jealous lord will soon to rage return;
That fire, his fear rakes up, does inward burn.
But heaven, which made me great, has chose for me,
I must the oblation for my people be.

I'll cherish honour, then, and life despise;
What is not pure, is not for sacrifice.
Yet for Almanzor I in secret mourn!
Can virtue, then, admit of his return?
Yes; for my love I will by virtue square;
My heart's not mine, but all my actions are.
I'll like Almanzor act; and dare to be
As haughty, and as wretched too, as he.
What will he think is in my message meant?
I scarcely understand my own intent:

But, silk-worm like, so long within have wrought, That I am lost in my own web of thought.

[Exit ALMAHIDE.

ACT II.

SCENE I.-A Wood.

Enter OZMYN and BENZAYDA.

Ozm. 'Tis true, that our protection here has been The effect of honour in the Spanish queen; But, while I as a friend continue here,

I to my country must a foe appear.

Benz. Think not, my Ozmyn, that we here re-
main

As friends, but prisoners to the power of Spain.
Fortune dispenses with your country's right;
But you desert your honour in your flight.'
Ozm. I cannot leave you here, and go away;
My honour's glad of a pretence to stay.

[A noise within,-Follow, follow, follow!-
Enter SELIN, his sword drawn, as pursued.
Selin. I am pursued, and now am spent and done;
My limbs suffice me not with strength to run.
And, if I could, alas! what can I save?

A year, the dregs of life too, from the grave..

[Sits down on the ground.

Here will I sit, and here attend my fate,

With the same hoary majesty and state,
As Rome's old senate for the Gauls did wait.

Benz. It is my father; and he seems distressed.
Ozm. My honour bids me succour the oppressed;

That life he sought, for his I'll freely give;
We'll die together, or together live.

Bénz. I'll call more succour, since the camp is

near,

And fly on all the wings of love and fear.

[Exit BENZ.

Enter ABENAMAR, and four or five Moors. He looks and finds SELIN.

Aben. You've lived, and now behold your latest hour.

Selin. I scorn your malice, and defy your power. A speedy death is all I ask you now;

And that's a favour you may well allow.

Ozm. [shewing himself.] Who gives you death, shall give it first to me;

Fate cannot separate our destiny.

[Knows his father. My father here! then heaven itself has laid

The snare, in which my virtue is betrayed.
Aben. Fortune, I thank thee! thou hast kindly
done,

To bring me back that fugitive, my son;
In arms too? fighting for my enemy!-
I'll do a Roman justice,-thou shalt die!
Ozm. I beg not you my forfeit life would save;
Yet add one minute to that breath you gave.
I disobeyed you, and deserve my fate;
But bury in my grave two houses' hate.
Let Selin live; and see your justice done
On me,
while you revenge him for his son:
Your mutual malice in my death may cease,
And equal loss persuade you both to peace.
Aben. Yes, justice shall be done on him and thee.—
Haste, and dispatch them both immediately.
[To a soldier.
Ozm. If you have honour, since you nature

want,

For your own sake my last petition grant;

VOL. IV.

I

And kill not a disarmed, defenceless foe,
Whose death your cruelty, or fear, will show.
My father cannot do an act so base :-

My father!-I mistake;—I meant, who was.
Aben. Go, then, dispatch him first who was my

son!

Ozm. Swear but to save his life, I'll yield my

own.

Aben. Nor tears, nor prayers, thy life, or his, shall

buy.

Ozm. Then, sir, Eenzayda's father shall not die!— [Putting himself before SELIN. And, since he'll want defence when I am gone, I will, to save his life, defend my own.

Aben. This justice, parricides, like thee, should

have!-

[ABEN. and his party attack them both. Ozм. parries his father's thrusts, and thrusts at the others.

Enter BENZAYDA, with ABDALLA, the Duke of ARCOS, and Spaniards.

Benz. O, help my father! and my Ozmyn save! Abdal. Villains, that death you have deserved is

near!

Ozm. Stay, prince! and know, I have a father [Stops ABDALLA's hand.

here!

I were that parricide, of whom he spoke,

Did not my piety prevent your stroke.

D. Arcos. to Aben. Depart, then, and thank heaven you had a son.

Aben. I am not with these shows of duty won.
Ozm. to his Father. Heaven knows, I would that
life, you seek, resign;

But, while Benzayda lives, it is not mine.
Will you yet pardon my unwilling crime?
Aben. By no entreaties, by no length of time,

Will I be won; but, with my latest breath, I'll curse thee here, and haunt thee after death. [Exit ABEN. with his party.

Ozm. Can you be merciful to that degree,

[Kneeling to SELIN.

As to forgive my father's faults in me?
Can you forgive

The death of him I slew in my defence,
And from the malice separate the offence?
I can no longer be your enemy:

In short, now kill me, sir, or pardon me.

In this

[Offers him his sword.

my hard fate appears.

silence your Selin. I'll answer you, when I can speak for tears. But, till I can,

Imagine what must needs be brought to pass;

[Embraces him. My heart's not made of marble, nor of brass. Did I for you a cruel death prepare, And have you, have you made my life your care! There is a shame contracted by my faults, Which hinders me to speak my secret thoughts. And I will tell you-when the shame's removedYou are not better by my daughter loved.— Benzayda be yours.-I can no more.

Ozm. Blessed be that breath which does my life restore! [Embracing his knees.

Benz. I hear my father now; these words con

fess

That name, and that indulgent tenderness.

Selin. Benzayda, I have been too much to blame; But let your goodness expiate my shame: You Ozmyn's virtue did in chains adore, And part of me was just to him before.My son!

Ozm. My father!-