Leon. Let us return: the horror of this place, And silence, will increase your melancholy.

Alm. It may my fears, but cannot add to that. No, I will on; show me Anselmo's tomb; Lead me o'er bones and skulls, and mouldering earth Of human bodies, for I'll mix with them; Or wind me in the shroud of some pale corse Yet green in earth, rather than be the bride Of Garcia's more detested bed: that thought Exerts my spirit; and my present fears Are lost in dread of greater ill. Then show me, Lead me, for I'm bolder grown: Lead on Where I may kneel, and pay my vows again To him, to heav'n, and my Alphonso's soul.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. Opens and discovers a Place of Tombs; one Monument fronting the View.

Enter HELI.

Heli. I wander through this maze of monuments, Yet cannot find him-hark! sure 'tis the voice Of one complaining-there it sounds-I'll follow it.

Enter ALMERIA and LEONORA.

[Exit.

Leon. Behold the sacred vault, within whose tomb The poor remains of good Anselmo rest, Yet fresh and unconsum'd by time or worms. What do I see? O heav'n! either my eyes Are false, or still the marble door remains Unclos'd; the iron gates, that lead to death Beneath, are still wide-stretch'd upon their hinge, And staring on us with unfolded leaves.

Alm. Sure 'tis the friendly yawn of death for me;
And that dumb mouth, significant in show
Invites me to the bed, where I alone

Shall rest; shows me the grave, where nature, weary
And long oppress'd with woes and bending cares,
May lay the burden down and sink in slumbers
Of peace eternal. My father then

Will cease his tyranny; and Garcia too
Will fly my pale deformity with loathing.
My soul, enlarg'd from its vile bonds, will mount,
And range the starry orbs and milky ways
To my Alphonso's soul. O joy too great!
O ecstasy of thought! Help me, Anselmo!
Help me, Alphonso! take me, reach thy hand;
To thee, to thee I call, to thee, Alphonso!
O Alphonso!

Enter OSMYN from the Tomb.

Osm. Who calls that wretched thing that was Alphonso?

Alm. Angels, and all the host of heaven, support me! Osm. Whence is that voice, whose shrillness from the

grave,

And growing to his father's shroud roots up
Alphonso?

Alm. Mercy! Providence! O speak,
Speak to it quickly, quickly; speak to me,
Comfort me, help me,
hold me, hide me, hide me,
Leonora, in thy bosom from the light,

And from my eyes.

Osm. Amazement and illusion!
Rivet and nail me where I stand, ye pow'rs,

[Coming forward.

That motionless I may be still deceiv'd.
Let me not stir or breathe, lest I dissolve
That tender, lovely form of painted air,
So like Almeria. Ha! it sinks, it falls;
I'll catch it ere it goes, and grasp her shade.
"Tis life! 'tis warm! 'tis she! 'tis she herself!
Nor dead, nor shade, but breathing and alive!
It is Almeria, 'tis, it is my wife!

Re-enter HELI.

Leon. Alas, she stirs not yet, nor lifts her eyes! He too is fainting-Help me, help me, stranger, Whoe'er thou art, and lend thy hand to raise These bodies.

Heli. Ha! 'tis he! and with Almeria!
O miracle of happiness! O joy
Unhoped for! Does Almeria live?
Osm. Where is she?

Let me behold and touch her, and be sure
"Tis she.

Look up, Almeria, bless me with thy eyes;

Look on thy love, thy lover, and thy husband.

Alm. I've sworn I'll not wed Garcia: why d'ye force me?

Is this a father?

Osm. Look on thy Alphonso.

Thy father is not here, my love, nor Garcia:
Nor am I what I seem, but thy Alphonso.
Am I so alter'd, or art thou so chang'd,
That seeing my disguise, thou seest not me?
Alm. It is, it is Alphonso! 'tis his face,
His voice; I know him now, I know him all.
Oh! how hast thou return'd? how hast thou charm'd
The wildness of the waves and rocks to this?
That thus relenting they have giv'n thee back
To earth, to light and life, to love and me.

Osm. O I'll not ask, nor answer how, or why
We both have backward trod the paths of fate
To meet again in life; to know I have thee,
Is knowing more than any circumstance
Or means by which I have thee-

To fold thee thus, to press thy balmy lips,
And gaze upon thy eyes, is so much joy,
I have no leisure to reflect, or know,
Or trifle time in thinking.

Alm. Stay awhile

Let me look on thee yet a little more.

Osm. And why? what dost thou mean? why dost thou gaze so?

Alm. I know not, 'tis to see thy face, I thinkIt is too much! too much to bear, and live!

To see him thus again is such profusion

Of joy, of bliss-
Be mad-

-I cannot bear-I must

-I cannot be transported thus!

Osm. Thou excellence, thou joy, thou heav'n of love! Alm. Where hast thou been? and how art thou-alive? Sure from thy father's tomb thou didst arise!

Osm. 1 did; and thou, my love, didst call me; thou. Alm. True; but how cam'st thou there? wert thou Osm. I was, and lying on my father's lead, [alone? When broken echoes of a distant voice

Disturb'd the sacred silence of the vault,

In murmurs round my head. I rose and listen'd,
And thought I heard thy spirit call Alphonso;
I thought I saw thee too; but O, I thought not
That l'indeed should be so blest to see thee-

Alm. But still how cam'st thou hither? how thus?-
Ha!

What's he who, like thyself, is started here
Ere seen?

Osm. Where? Ha! what do I see? Antonio!
I'm fortunate indeed my friend too, safe!
Heli. Most happily, in finding you thus bless'd.
Alm. More miracles! Antonio too escap❜d!
Osm. And twice escap'd, both from the rage of seas
And war; for in the fight I saw him fall.

Heli. But fell unhurt, a pris'ner as yourself,

And as yourself made free: hither I came

Impatiently to seek you, where I knew

Your grief would lead you to lament Anselmo.

Osm. What means the bounty of all-gracious heav'n, That persevering still, with open hand

It scatters good, as in a waste of mercy?

Where will this end? But heav'n is infinite

Ju all, and can continue to bestow,

When scanty number shall be spent in telling.
Leon. Or I'm deceiv'd, or I beheld the glimpse
Of two in shining habits, cross the aisle;
Who, by their pointing, seem'd to mark this place.
Alm. Sure I have dreamt, if we must part so soon.
Osm. I wish at least our parting were a dream,
Or we could sleep till we again were met.

Heli. Zara with Selim, sir; I saw and know 'em :
You must be quick, for love will lend her wings.

Alm. What love? who is she? why are you alarm'd?
Osm. She's the reverse of thee; she's my unhappiness.
Harbour no thought that may disturb thy peace;
I'll think how we may meet

To part no more: my friend will tell thee all;
How I escap'd, how I am here, and thus;
How I'm not call'd Alphonso now, but Osmyn,
And he Heli. All, all he will unfold,

Ere next we meet

Alm. Sure we shall meet again

Osm. We shall; we part not but to meet again. Gladness and warmth of ever-kindling love Dwell with thee, and revive thy heart in absence. [Exeunt Almeria, Leonora, and Heli. Yet I behold her-yet-and now no more.

Turn your lights inward, eyes, and view my thought, So shall you still behold her.

Enter ZARA and SELIM.

Zara. See where he stands, folded and fix'd to earth, Stiff'ning in thought, a statue among statues! Why, cruel Osmyn, dost thou fly me thus? Am I more loathsome to thee than the grave, That thou dost seek to shield thee there, and shun My love? But to the grave I'll follow thee

He looks not, minds not, hears not: barb'rous man, Am I neglected thus? am I despis'd?

Not heard! ungrateful Osmyn!

Osm. Ha! 'tis Zara!

Zara. Yes, traitor! Zara, lost, abandon'd Zara, Is a regardless suppliant now to Osmyn.

The slave, the wretch that she redeem'd from death, Disdains to listen now, or look on Zara.

Osm. Far be the guilt of such reproaches from me; Lost in myself, and blinded by my thoughts, I saw you not till now.

Zara. Now then you see me

But with such dumb and thankless eyes you look,
Better I was unseen than seen thus coldly.

[mourn,

Osm. What would you from a wretch who came to