That time had veiled all semblance of my youth, And thrown the mask of manhood o'er my visage. Am I then known? Irene. To none, but love and me.— Το me, who late beheld thee at Oran; Who saw thee here, beset with unseen peril, And flew to save the guardian of my honour. Selim. Thou sum of every worth! Thou heaven of sweetness! How could I pour forth all my soul before thee, In vows of endless truth!-It must not be !— This is my destined goal!-The mansion drear, Where grief and anguish dwell! where bitter tears, And sighs, and lamentations, choak the voice, Irene. Yet, virtuous prince, Mine be the grateful task, to tell the queen, Selim. What did I say!-my father!-not my father. Can I depart till I have seen Zaphira? Irene. Justice, saidst thou? That word hath struck me, like a peal of thun der! Thine eye, which wont to melt with gentle love, Now glares with terror! Thy approach by night, Thy dark disguise, thy looks and fierce demean our, Yes, all conspire to tell me, I am lost! Irene. Too sure. In vain thou hid'st Selim. Is this thy love, Thy gratitude to him who saved thy honour? Irene. 'Tis gratitude to him who gave me life: He who preserved me claims the second place. Selim. Is he not a tyrant, murderer? Irene. O spare my shame! I am his daughter still! Selim. Wouldst thou become the partner of his crimes? Irene. Forbid it, Heaven!-Yet I must save a father! Selim. Come on, then. Lead me to him. Glut thine eyes With Selim's blood Irene. Was e'er distress like mine! O Selim, can I see my father perish? Selim. Thou virtuous maid! [Weeps. Irene. Quit, O quit these walls! Heaven will ordain some gentler, happier means, To heal thy woes! Thy dark attempt is big With horror and destruction! Generous prince! As soon as morning shines :-Else, though despair Drives me to madness-yet-to save a father! O Selim! spare my tongue the horrid sentence ! Fly! ere destruction seize thee! [Exit Irene. Selim. Death and ruin! Must I then fly? what!-coward-like, betray Who waits Zaphira? 'Tis generous thus to feel for others woe.— Zaph. O'Heaven!--my child! my child! Selim. That even in death, the pious youth remembered His royal mother's woes, Zaph. Where, where was I! Relentless fate !—that I should be denied The mournful privilege to see him die! To clasp him in the agony of death, And catch his parting soul! Oh tell me all, All that he said and looked! Deep in my heart That I may treasure every parting word, Each dying whisper of my dear, dear son! Selim. Let not my words offend.—What if he said, Go, tell my hapless mother, that her tears more: Bid her forget the husband and the son, In Barbarossa's arms! Zaph. O basely false ! Thou art some creeping slave to Barbarossa, Zaph. Why weepest thou, crocodile ? Selim. My tears are honest. I am not what thou think'st. Zaph. Who art thou then? Selim. Oh, my full heart-I am-thy friend, and Selim's. Thy Selim lives: For since his rumoured death, I saw him at Oran. Zaph. Ye heavenly powers!Didst thou not say, thou saw'st my son expire? Didst not even now relate his dying words? Selim. It was an honest falsehood, meant to prove Zaphira's unstained virtue. Zaph. Why-but Othman- Othman affirmed, that my poor son was dead: I spread the abortive tale of Selim's death, Selim yet lives, and honours all thy virtues. Comes such exalted virtue, as dares give Selim. A friendless youth, self-banished with thy son; Long his companion in distress and danger : One who revered thy worth in prosperous days, And more reveres thy virtue in distress. Zaph. O gentle stranger-Mock not my woes, But tell me truly,-does my Selim live? Selim. He does, by Heaven! Zaph. O generous Heaven! thou at length Bid her, he said, yet hope we may be blest! Attends, unseen, to save the innocent! Zaph. Eternal blessings crown my virtuous son! O righteous Heaven! thou hast at length o'erpayed My bitterest pangs; if my dear Selim lives, And lives for me!-hear my departing prayer: [Kneels. spare my son!-Protect his tender years! Be thou his guide through dangers and distress! Soften the rigours of his cruel exile, And lead him to his throne !-When I am gone, Bless thou his peaceful reign! Oh, early bless him With the sweet pledges of connubial love; Selim. Now, swelling heart, Yes, I have soothed her woes; have found her noble : And to have given this respite to her pangs, o'er-O'erpays all pain and peril.-Powerful virtue! How infinite thy joys, when even thy griefs Are pleasing!-Thou, superior to the frowns Of fate, can'st pour thy sunshine o'er the soul, And brighten woe to rapture! His father's wrongs, and thine: that he but waits e! Selim. Much honoured queen, farewell, In thee, the kind companion of his griefs, Are all I have to give. Q bear him these! To rescue thee, would bleed at every vein!- Enter OTHMAN and SADI. Honoured friends! How goes the night? Sadi. 'Tis well-nigh midnight. Selim. But tears of joy: for I have seen Za phira, And poured the balm of peace into her breast: Sadi. All, all is ready. Our confederate friends Sadi. The midnight watch gives signal of our meeting; And when the second watch of night is rung, Selim. Speed, speed ye minutes! And justice guide the storm! Scarce two hours | Nor voice, nor sound. As if the inhabitants, hence Sadi. Scarce more than one. Selim. Oh, as ye love my life, Let your zeal hasten on the great event! Like the presaging herds, that seek the covert Oth. There is a solemn horror in the night, too, The tyrant's daughter found, and knew me here, That pleases me: a general pause through nature: And half suspects the cause. Oth. Too daring prince, Retire with us! her fears will sure betray thee! a prey To cruelty and lust-I'll perish first: This very night the tyrant threatens violence : And should he meditate a deed so vile, I'll hover o'er him, like an unseen pestilence, Sadi. Intrepid prince! Worthy of empire!-Yet accept my life, My worthless life: do thou retire with Othman; Selim. Think'st thou, Sadi, That, when the trying hour of peril comes, Oth. Revelling at the banquet. Selim. 'Tis good. Now, tell me how our powers Sadi. Near every port, a secret band is posted: you, Reserve the murderer to my just revenge! Oth. Forgive me, prince! Forgive my doubts! -Think-should the fair Irene Selim. Thy doubts are vain. I would not spare the tyrant, Though the sweet maid lay weeping at my feet; Bravely resolved! Selim. But is the city quiet? The winds are hushed Sadi. And, as I passed the beach, The waning moon, deprived of half her orb, That tolling bell? Oth. It rings the midnight watch. Come, Othman, we are called: the passing mi nutes Chide our delay; brave Othman, let us hence. We soon shall meet again. But, oh, remember, Not to destroy, but save! nor let blind zeal, Oth. So may we prosper, Selim. Farewell, friends! And firm resolve! that, in the approaching hour Sadi. All, all is hushed. Throughout the empty Can sanctify this steel! streets, Then be it so:-Witness, ye powers of Heaven, Like the deep-caverned earthquake, burst be neath him, That not from you, but from the murderer's eye, | That privilege, I'll seize on what it gives: SCENE I. Enter IRENE and ALADIN. And whelm his throne, his empire, and himself, In one prodigious ruin! ACT IV. Irene. Why comes he not? Oh, what a dreadful dream!-'Twas surely more Return, return: and tell him that his daughter Enter BARBAROSSA and Guards. Bar. Thou bane of all my joys! Some gloomy planet surely ruled thy birth! Even now thy ill-timed fear suspends the ban quet, And damps the festal hour. Irene. Forgive my fear! Bar. What fear, what phantom hath possessed thy brain? Irene. Oh, guard thee from the terrors of this night; For terrors lurk unseen Bar. What terror?—speak! Wouldst thou unman me into female weakness? Say what thou dread'st, and why! I have a soul To meet the blackest dangers undismayed. Irene. Let not my father check, with stern rebuke, The warning voice of nature. For even now, Swift he descended, with terrific brow, Bar. Wouldst thou appal me by a brain-sick Get thee to rest!-Sleep but as sound till morn, [Exit. Bar. What mean thy looks?-Why dost thou gaze so wildly? Ala. I hasted to inform thee, that even now, Rounding the watch, I met the brave Abdalla, Breathless, with tidings of a rumour dark, Which runs throughout the city, that young Selim Is yet alive Bar. May plagues consume the tongue That broached the falsehood!-'Tis not possible→→ -What did he tell thee further? Ala. More he said not; Save only, that the spreading rumour waked Irene. O, gracious father! Bar. The rumour's false-And yet your co- Infect me!-What!-shall I be terrified Ala. But this gathering rumour- Bar. Infernal darkness Swallow the slave that raised it !-Yet I'll do -See that the watch be doubledFind out this stranger Achmet, and forthwith Let him be brought before me. Irene. O my father! I do conjure thee, as thou lov'st thy life, Bar. Not see him?-Death and torment!Think'st thou I fear a single arm that's mortal? Not see him!-Forthwith bring the slave before me. If he prove false--If hated Selim live, Irene. To me and to thyself |