And, making at him with a furious bound,
From his bent forehead aimed a double wound.
A rising murmur ran through all the field,
And every lady's blood with fear was chilled :
Some shrieked, while others, with more helpful care,
Cried out aloud, Beware, brave youth, beware!
At this he turned, and, as the bull drew near,
Shunned, and received him on his pointed spear :
The lance broke short, the beast then bellowed loud,
And his strong neck to a new onset bowed.
The undaunted youth
Then drew; and, from his saddle bending low,
Just where the neck did to the shoulders grow,
With his full force discharged a deadly blow.
Not heads of poppies (when they reap the grain)
Fall with more ease before the labouring swain,
Than fell this head :
It fell so quick, it did even death prevent,
And made imperfect bellowings as it went.
Then all the trumpets victory did sound,
And yet their clangors in our shouts were drown'd.

[A confused noise within. Boab. The alarm-bell rings from our Alhambra

walls, And from the streets sound drums and ataballes.

[Within, a bell, drums, and trumpets.

Enter a Messenger. How now? from whence proceed these new alarms ?

Mess. The two fierce factions are again in arms; And, changing into blood the day's delight, The Zegrys with the Abencerrages fight;. On each side their allies and friends appear; The Macas here, the Alabezes there : The Gazuls with the Bencerrages join, And, with the Zegrys, all great Gomel's line. .

Boab. Draw up behind the Vivarambla place; Double my guards --- these factions I will face;

And try if all the fury they can bring,
Be proof against the presence of their king

[Exit Boab. The Factions appear: At the head of the Aben

cerrages, OZMYN ; at the head of the Zegrys, ZULEMA, HAMET, GOMEL, and SELIN : ABENAMAR and ABDELMELECH, join

ed with the Abencerrages. Zul. The faint Abencerrages quit their ground: Press them; put home your thrusts to every wound.

Abdelm. Zegry, on manly force our line relies; Thine poorly takes the advantage of surprise : Unarmed and much out-numbered we retreat;

You gain no fame, when basely you defeat. · If thou art brave, seek nobler victory; Save Moorish blood; and, while our bands stand

by, Let two and two an equal combat try.

Ham. "Tis not for fear the combat we refuse, But we our gained advantage will not lose.

Zul. In combating, but two of you will fall; And we resolve we will dispatch you all. Ozm. We'll double yet the exchange before we

die, And each of ours two lives of yours shall buy. ALMANZOR enters betwixt them, as they stand ready

to engage. Alm. I cannot stay to ask which cause is best; But this is so to me, because opprest.

[Goes to the Aben. To them BOABDELIN and his guards, going betwirt

them. Boab. On your allegiance, I command you stay; Who passes here, through me must make his way;

LMANZOR

BDELIN

My life's the Isthmus; through this narrow line
You first must cut, before those seas can join.
What fury, Zegrys, has possessed your minds?
What rage the brave Abencerrages blinds ?
If of your courage you new proofs would show,
Without much travel you may find a foe.
Those foes are neither so 'remote nor few,
That you should need each other to pursue.
Lean times and foreign wars should minds unite;
When poor, men mutter, but they seldom fight.
O holy Alha! that I live to see
Thy Granadines assist their enemy!
You fight the christians' battles; every life
You lavish thus, in this intestine strife,
Does from our weak foundations take one prop,
Which helped to hold our sinking country up.

Ozm. 'Tis fit our private enmity should cease; Though injured first, yet I will first seek peace.

Zul. No, murderer, no; I never will be won
To peace with him, whose hand has slain my son.

Ozm. Our prophet's curse
On me, and all the Abencerrages light,
If, unprovoked, I with your son did fight.

Abdelm. A band of Zegrys ran within the place,
Matched with a troop of thirty of our race.
Your son and Ozmyn the first squadrons led, -
Which, ten by ten, like Parthians, charged and fled.
The ground was strowed with canes where we did

meet, Which crackled underneath our coursers' feet: When Tarifa (I saw him ride a part) Changed his blunt cane for a steel-pointed dart, And, meeting Ozmyn next, Who wanted time for treason to provide, ---He basely threw it at him, undefied. Ozm. (Shewing his arms.] Witness this blood

· Zul. His hate to thee was grounded on a grudge, Which all our generous Zegrys just did judge: Thy villain-blood thou openly didst place Above the purple of our kingly race. Boab. From equal stems their blood both houses

draw, They from Morocco, you from Cordova. Ham. Their mongrel race is mixed with Christian

breed; Hence 'tis that they those dogs in prisons feed.

Abdelm. Our holy prophet wills, that charity Should even to birds and beasts extended be: None knows what fate is for himself designed; The thought of human chance should make us kind. Gom. We waste that time we to revenge should

give : Fall on: let no Abencerrago live.

[Advancing before the rest of his party. Al

MANZOR, advancing on the other side, and

describing a line with his sword. Almanz. Upon thy life pass not this middle

space; Sure death stands guarding the forbidden place. Gom. To dare that death, I will approach yet

nigher; Thus,—wert thou compassed in with circling fire.

[They fight. Boab. Disarm them both; if they resist you, kill.

[ALMANZOR, in the midst of the guards, kills

GOMEL, and then is disarmed.
Almanz. Now you have but the leavings of my

will. . Boab. Kill him! this insolent unknown shall fall, And be the victim to atone you all.

Ozm. If he must die, not one of us will live: That life he gave for us, for him we give.

Boab. It was a traitor's voice that spoke those

words; .
So are you all, who do not sheath your swords.

Zul. Outrage unpunished, when a prince is by,
Forfeits to scorn the rights of majesty :
No subject his protection can expect,
Who what he owes himself does first neglect.

Aben. This stranger, sir, is he,
Who lately in the Vivarambla place
Did, with so loud applause, your triumphs grace.
Boab. The word which I have given, I'll not re-

voke; If he be brave, he's ready for the stroke. Almanz. No man has more contempt than I of

breath,
But whence hast thou the right to give me death?
Obeyed as sovereign by thy subjects be,
But know, that I alone am king of me.
I am as free as nature first made man,
Ere the base laws of servitude began,
When wild in woods the noble sayage ran.
Boab. Since, then, no power above your own you

know,
Mankind should use you like a common foe;
You should be hunted like a beast of prey:
By your own law. I take your life away.

Almanz. My laws are made but only for my sake; -
No king against himself a law can make.
If thou pretend'st to be a prince like me,
Blame not an act, which should thy pattern be.
I saw the oppressed, and thought it did belong

To a king's office to redress the wrong: , I brought that succour, which thou ought'st to bring And so, in nature, am thy subjects' king.

Boab. I do not want your counsel to direct, Or aid to help me punish or protect.