Gom. Thyself!

Hem. Me!

Gom. And Grenada's governor.

The Count Pescara, at our dread tribunal,

Stands his accuser.

Hem. What! Pescara? ha!

A light from hell flares o'er my yawning ruin !
My horrors break upon me! what! Pescara!

Gom. And gave in proof, that in this place of sacrilege You would be found.

Hem. Why does the earth not burst?

Why do I live?-villain, abhorréd villain !

Caught in thy snares, and wrung within thy grasp !
Ingenious reptile, under friendship's shade

Who spun his toils, and from his poisoned heart
Wrought out the thread to catch me; here I stand,
Abused and fooled to ruin.

Mal. Lead me hence!

Hem. [To Gomez.] 'Tis false! 'tis false! there is not in the catalogue

Of all hell's crimes, a name to speak its falsehood! 'Twas he himself who sent me ! [Gomez smiles.] What

avails it?

I see the mockery grin upon thy brow:

Well may'st thou look upon me as a fiend

Glares on the damned below.

Gom. With proof before our eyes, one way alone him guiltless.

Remains to prove

Hem. Say, what means?

Show me one ray of hope.

Gom. 'Tis thy example

He must renounce his prophet!
Mal. Lead me hence!!

Hem. Oh, Malec!

Mal. Well!

Hem. Say, shall the fatal blow

Fall from my innocent hand?

Mal. It will but perfect

[Crosses, 1..

What thou hast done already. Well, speak on!
What wouldst thou ask? Why dost thou stand aghast?
Hem. From ravenous fires to save thy reverend head,
To save me from that horror-

Mal. What! have I struck thee dumb?-thou didst

not dare

By heavens! thou didst not dare to ask it of me!
Christian was in thy lip, but back again

I frighted the base word within thy heart.
There let it rankle-there let it be an adder,
And breed a thousand other reptiles there-
It was enough to come before my face,

Fresh from the mould of shame, just stamped with 'villain!'

Now get thee gone!

Hem. Must I behold thee-and I the cursed cause!
Mal. May'st thou behold me ?—

Methinks I'll feel a joy in all my tortures,

Till they can tear thee, too :-ha! have I rooted thee? There stand forever!

[Exeunt Malec and Inquisitors, L. U. E.

Enter PESCARA, L. S. E.

Pes. Now is he fit to gaze on,

And I am half revenged!—this is the time
To sink him deeper into desperation.-

Most noble Moor-Christian, I should have said!
Hem. Ha! villain, art thou here?

Pes. The Count Pescara,

Grenada's governor, your friend, is here.

Hem. We are alone; thou art come to give me vengeance!

Perfidious fiend !—nay, do not look astonished;
This is no time for mockery.

Pes. Mockery! those alone

Who feel the poignant consciousness of shame,
Should fear its chastisement; who is compelled
To spurn himself, will, in an idiot's eyes,
Seek the strong flashes of malignity,

And find scorn's fingers in an infant's hand!
You need not fear it; but I cry you mercy—
Moor sounded harshly in converted ears;
But I'll repair the wrong, and call you Christian,
And sure you are one.

Hem. Ay, I am, thank heav'n,

This sword proclaims it; once the cimeter
Hung idly at my side, and I was forced

To gnash a choked revenge; but now I am

A Spaniard, and your peer!-thou damnéd villain,
Whose baseness is but equalled by thy guilt-
If I did not abhor, I'd pity thee!

Pes. You'd pity me!it is a kind return
For admiration. Sure those virtues most
Command our wonder, that we ne'er can reach,
And I confess I ne'er could win the top

Of wisdom thou hast gained!-On Afric's shore,
Were I thy pirate brethren's wretched slave,
I would not be a curséd renegade!

I would not be what thou art!

Hem. I confess

That I am fallen, since e'en a wretch like thee
Can tell it to me, too; and yet, Pescara,

One thing at least I've gained; the right of vengeance, As thou shalt sorely feel! come on, Pescara.

Pes. I marvel at your wrath-what is my crime?

Indeed you wrong me.

Hem. Do not feign to wonder.

Did not thy treach'rous falsehood win me here?
Didst thou not bid me fly to save my friend?
And then-

Pes. I did, but 'twas in kindness to thee.
This day I mean to celebrate your marriage
With a most new and curious spectacle-
There shall be music, too.

Hem. What dev'lish

purpose

Lurks in thy words, and shows but half the fiend?
Pes. I tell thee, music; thou shalt have the groans
Of gray-haired Malec ringing in thy ears!

The crackling flames in which he perishes

Shall hiss upon thee when thou art softly laid

Within the bosom of the amorous fair!

Nay, put thy sword within its sheath again;
Grenada's governor will never stoop
Down to thy wretched level!

Hem. Stay, Pescara!

And take the recompense of cowardice! [Strikes him. Pes. A blow from thee! my furious soul breaks loose,

And rushes on thee-I intended vengeance

More desperate and sweet;-but thou hast forced me To shed thy life too soon. [They fight.

Enter FLORINDA, L. U. E., and rushes between them.

Flor. Forbear! forbear! or in Florinda's blood Let fury quench her fires!

Pes. Fool that I was!

The sudden phrensy hurried me away

I might have slain him, and a single blow
Had burst the complicated toils I weave.

[Aloud.] A woman's bosom be thy shield-he 'scapes Pescara's arm to goad Pescara's vengeance.

[Exit, L. Hem. He goes, and bears life with him; fall to ashes, Thou recreant hand, that did not pierce his heart!

[Florinda stops Hemeya from going, L. Thou, too, Florinda, hast conspired against me— See what I am for thy sake!

Flor. Oh, Hemeya!

Speak as thou wilt, thou canst not take away
The tender pleasure of beholding thee.—

E'en now 'twas rumoured that the Inquisition
Had seized and borne thee to the dread tribunal-
The sound was terrible; fear winged my steps;
I flew to find thee, and I find thee safe.-
E'en as I passed I saw that aged Moor
Dragged pitiless along; and oh, Hemeya!
I own a throb of joy, of fearful joy,
Burst here as I beheld it.

Hem. Joy, Florinda !

Flor. On thee they would have cast the clodden earth-
On thee they would have thrown opprobrium's stain—
On thee they would have trampled;-ev'ry blow
That fell on Malec's face would have been thine.
And, oh! to see what thou hast 'scaped-to feel,
To clasp the certainty within my heart-

Hem. The earth was cast upon his reverend face?
Flor. It had been cast in thine.

Hem. The populace?

Flor. They would have scoffed at thee, too.

Hem. Now, perhaps,

From their infernal caverns they bring forth

A beam of angel-bliss falls on my heart,
And spreads Heaven's light about it.

[The gates of the Inquisition open-the bell tolls twice. What do I see?

Enter GOMEZ, PESCARA, aad INQUISITORS, from the interior of the edifice, U. E.

The Inquisition's servants-Gomez, Pescara!

[Rushes up wildly and exultingly to the Inquisitors.
He is a Christian! he has 'scaped your toils,
Heaven watches o'er his safety! you are foiled!
Stir not another step; back, back again—
Back to your cells and caverns. Do you not see
Faith, like an angel, hov'ring o'er his head?
Back, back, he is a Christian!

Gom. [Advancing towards her.] Who art thou,
That with loud adjuration has presumed
To interrupt the servants of the church?

Pes. Forgive her, holy father, for she seems
Touched with inspiring power.

[Goes up to her.] The fair Florinda !

cry you mercy, madam.

Flor. Pardon me, I know not what I said.
Pes. Ay, but I know it. Stay, stay, fair maid!
[To Gomez.] Speed, Gomez, strike the blow,
Strike it at once! And, hark ye, as you go,
Think that Pescara will not be ungrateful.

[Exeunt Gomez and Inquisitors, R.

Flor. He sends him forth
Upon some dreadful purpose.
Pes. Do you deign

To look upon the wretch from whom your eyes
Were ever turned with loathing? but 'tis merciful.
This sun-set beam of hope-nay, do not tremble;
You should not fear the man that you despise.

Flor. My lord, 'tis not my purpose to offend you:
One poor request is all that I intreat;

Tell me, what cause has called these men of death
Forth from their dread abodes? whom do they seek?
What is their dread intent? teach me, my lord;
I do conjure you, teach me.

Pes. Ay, 'tis your sex's vice; when curiosity