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Alabez. But, marching by the Vivarambla place, The combat carried a more doubtful face:

In that vast square the Moors and Spaniards met,
Where the fierce conflict is continued yet;
But with advantage on the adverse side,
Whom fierce Almanzor does to conquest guide.
K. Ferd. With my Castilian foot I'll meet his
rage;

[Is going out: Shouts within are heard,-Vic-
toria! Victoria!

But these loud clamours better news presage.

Enter the DUKE OF ARCOS, and Soldiers; their Swords drawn and bloody.

D. Arcos. Granada now is yours; and there remain

No Moors, but such as own the power of Spain.
That squadron, which their king in person led,
We charged, but found Almanzor on their head:
Three several times we did the Moors attack,
And thrice with slaughter did he drive us back:
Our troops then shrunk; and still we lost more
ground,

'Till from our queen we needful succour found:
Her guards to our assistance bravely flew,
And with fresh vigour did the fight renew :

At the same time

Did Lyndaraxa with her troops appear,

And, while we charged the front, engaged the

rear:

Then fell the king, slain by a Zegry's hand.

K. Ferd. How could he such united force withstand?

D. Arcos. Discouraged with his death, the Moorish powers

Fell back, and, falling back, were pressed by ours;

But as, when winds and rain together crowd,
They swell till they have burst the bladdered cloud;
And first the lightning, flashing deadly clear,
Flies, falls, consumes, kills ere it does appear,-
So, from his shrinking troops, Almanzor flew,
Each blow gave wounds, and with each wound he
slew :

His forcé at once I envied and admired,

And rushing forward, where my men retired,
Advanced alone.

K. Ferd. You hazarded too far

Your person, and the fortune of the war.

D. Arcos. Already both our arms for fight did bare,

Already held them threatening in the air,

When heaven (it must be heaven) my sight did guide

To view his arm, upon whose wrist I spied
A ruby cross in diamond bracelets tied;
And just above it, in the brawnier part,
By nature was engraved a bloody heart:
Struck with these tokens, which so well I knew,
And staggering back some paces, I withdrew:
He followed, and supposed it was my fear;
When, from above, a shrill voice reached his ear:-
"Strike not thy father!"-it was heard to cry;
Amazed, and casting round his wondrous eye,
He stopped; then, thinking that his fears were vain,
He lifted up his thundering arm again:

Again the voice withheld him from my death;

66

Spare, spare his life," it cried, "who gave thee

breath!"

Once more he stopped; then threw his sword away;
"Blessed shade," he said, "I hear thee, I obey
Thy sacred voice;" then, in the sight of all,
He at my feet, I on his neck did fall.

K. Ferd. O blessed event!

D. Arcos. The Moors no longer fought; But all their safety by submission sought: Mean time my son grew faint with loss of blood, And on his bending sword supported stood; Yet, with a voice beyond his strength, he cried, "Lead me to live or die by Almahide."

K. Ferd. I am not for his wounds less grieved than you:

For, if what now my soul divines prove true,
This is that son, whom in his infancy

You lost, when by my father forced to fly.

D. Arcos. His sister's beauty did my passion move, (The crime for which I suffered was my love.) Our marriage known, to sea we took our flight: There, in a storm, Almanzor first saw light. On his right arm a bloody heart was graved, (The mark by which, this day, my life was saved :) The bracelets and the cross his mother tied About his wrist, ere she in childbed died. How we were captives made, when she was dead, And how Almanzor was in Afric bred, Some other hour you may at leisure hear, For see, the queen in triumph does appear.

Enter QUEEN ISABELLA, LYNDARAXA, Ladies, Moors and Spaniards mixed as Guards, ABDELMELECH, ABENAMAR, SELIN, Prisoners.

K. Ferd. [embracing Q. Isabel.] All stories which Granada's conquest tell,

Shall celebrate the name of Isabel.

Your ladies too, who, in their country's cause,
Led on the men, shall share in your applause;
And, for your sakes, henceforward I ordain,
No lady's dower shall questioned be in Spain.
Fair Lyndaraxa, for the help she lent,
Shall, under tribute, have this government.

Abdelm. O heaven, that I should live to see this

day!

Lyndar. You murmur now, but you shall soon obey.

I knew this empire to my fate was owed;
Heaven held it back as long as e'er it could.
For thee, base wretch, I want a torture yet-
[To ABDELM.
I'll cage thee; thou shalt be my Bajazet.
I on no pavement but on thee will tread;

And, when I mount, my foot shall know thy head. Abdelm. (Stabbing her with a poniard.) This first shall know thy heart.

Lyndar. O! I am slain!

Abdelm. Now, boast thy country is betrayed to
Spain.

K. Ferd. Look to the lady!--Seize the murderer! Abdelm. (Stabbing himself.) I do myself that justice. I did her.

Thy blood I to thy ruined country give,

[To LYNDAR. But love too well thy murder to out-live. Forgive a love, excused by its excess, Which, had it not been cruel, had been less. Condemn my passion, then, but pardon me, And think I murdered him who murdered thee.

[Dies.

Lyndar. Die for us both; I have not leisure now;

A crown is come, and will not fate allow:
And yet I feel something like death is near.
My guards, my guards,-

Let not that ugly skeleton appear!

Sure destiny mistakes; this death's not mine;
She dotes, and meant to cut another line.
Tell her I am a queen;-but 'tis too late;
Dying, I charge rebellion on my fate.
Bow down, ye slaves:

[To the Moors.

Bow quickly down, and your submission show.-J

[They bow. I'm pleased to taste an empire ere I go. [Dies. Selin. She's dead, and here her proud ambition

ends.

Aben. Such fortune still such black designs attends.

K. Ferd. Remove those mournful objects from

our eyes,

And see performed their funeral obsequies.

[The bodies are carried off.

Enter ALMANZOR and ALMAHIDE, OZMYN and BENZAYDA; ALMAHIDE brought in a chair; ALMANZOR led betwixt Soldiers. ISABELLA salutes ALMAHIDE in dumb show.

D. Arcos. (Presenting ALMANZOR to the King.) See here that son, whom I with pride call mine; And who dishonours not your royal line.

K. Ferd. I'm now secure, this sceptre, which I gain,

Shall be continued in the power of Spain;
Since he, who could alone my foes defend,
By birth and honour is become my friend;
Yet I can own no joy, nor conquest boast,

[To ALMANZ.

While in this blood I see how dear it cost.
Almanz. This honour to my veins new blood will
bring;
Streams cannot fail, fed by so high a spring.
But all court-customs I so little know,
That I may fail in those respects I owe.
I bring a heart which homage never knew ;
Yet it finds something of itself in you:
Something so kingly, that my haughty mind
Is drawn to yours, because 'tis of a kind.

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