That fires thy cheek, and elevates thy mien, Hard was the strife of justice and of love; But now 'tis o'er, and justice has prevail'd. Know'st thou not Cali? know'st thou not Demetrius? Irene. Bold slave, I know them both-I know them traitors. Mus. Perfidious!-yes-too well thou know'st them traitors. Irene. Their treason throws no stain upon Irene. This day has prov'd my fondness for the Sultan ; He knew Irene's truth. Mus. The Sultan knows it, He knows how near apostacy to treason I But 'tis not mine to judge-I scorn and leave thee. go, IRENE, to her Attendants. [Exit Mustapha Go, blust'ring slave-He has not heard of Murza. SCENE VIII. Enter HASAN, CARAZA, with Mutes, who throw the black robe upon IRENE, and sign to her Attendants to withdraw. Has. Forgive, fair Excellence, th' unwilling tongue, The tongue, that, forc'd by strong necessity, Bids beauty, such as thine, prepare to die. Irene. What wild mistake is this! Take hence with speed Your robe of mourning, and your dogs of death. Quick from my sight, you inauspicious monsters, Has. Alas! they come commanded by the Sultan, pour And spread their flames resistless, o'er the world? Securely sleeps, and in delightful dreams Car. We come, bright Virgin, though relenting Nature Shrinks at the hated task, for thy destruction. When summon'd by the Sultan's clam'rous fury, We ask'd with tim'rous tongue th' offender's name, He struck his tortur'd breast, and roar'd, Irene. We started at the sound, again inquir'd; Again this thund'ring voice return'd, Irene. Irene. Whence is this rage? what barb'rous tongue has wrong'd me? What fraud misleads him? or what crimes incense? Irene. Irene's chamber! From my faithful bosom Irene. Some ill-designing stateman's base intrigue! Then shall [Enter ABDALLA: he stops short and listens. SCENE IX. IRENE, HASAN, CARAZA, ABDALLA. ABDALLA, aside. All is not lost, Abdalla; see the queen, Abd. Is then your sovereign's life so cheaply rated, Irene. O let me but be heard, nor fear from me Deem us not deaf to woe, nor blind to beauty, That thus constrain'd we speed the stroke of death. [Beckons the Mutes. Irene. O, name not death! Distraction and amazement, Horror and agony, are in that sound! Let me but live, heap woes on woes upon me, Car. Could we reverse the sentence of the Sultan, But cries and tears are vain; prepare with patience [The Mutes at the sign lay hold of her. Irene. Grant me one hour, O grant me but a moment, And bounteous Heav'n repay the mighty mercy With peaceful death, and happiness eternal. Car. The prayer I cannot grant-I dare not hear. Short be thy pains. [Signs again to the Mutes. Unutterable anguish ! Irene. Be charg'd upon my soul. O, mercy! mercy! SCENE X. [Mutes force her out. ABDALLA, HASAN, CARAZA. ABDALLA, aside. Safe in her death, and in Demetrius' flight, Now shalt thou shine the darling of the Sultan, HASAN to CARAZA. Does not thy bosom (for I know thee tender, Car. Her piercing cries yet fill the loaded air, Abd. Frame your report with circumspective art: Car. From his escape learn thou the pow'r of virtue; Nor hope his fortune, while thou want'st his worth. Has. The Sultan comes, still gloomy, still enraged. SCENE XI. HASAN, CARAZA, MAHOMET, MUSTAPHA, ABDALLA. Mah. Where's this fair trait'ress? Where's this smiling mischief, Whom neither vows could fix, nor favours bind? And all Irene now is breathless clay. Mah. Your hasty zeal defrauds the claim of justice, And disappointed vengeance burns in vain. I came to heighten tortures by reproach, |