"Tis thine to vindicate his way to man,
'Tis thine his injured worship to avenge.
Zaph. Thou lord of nations, delegate of Hea-

ven,

Sent to shed day o'er the benighted world,
Oh, say in what can Zaphna prove his duty!
Instruct me how a frail earth-prison'd mortal
Can or avenge or vindicate a god.

Mah. By thy weak arm he deigns to prove
his cause,
[rebels.
And launch this vengeance on blaspheming
Zaph. What glorious action, what illustrious
danger

Does that supreme, whose image thou, demand?
Place me, oh place me in the front of battle,
'Gainst odds innumerable! try me there;
Or, if a single combat claim my might,
The stoutest Arab may step forth, and see
If Zaphna fail to greet him as he ought.
Mah. Oh, greatly said, my son! 'tis in-
spiration!

But heed me: 'tis not by a glaring act
Of human valour Heaven has will'd to prove
thee;

This infidels themselves may boast, when led
By ostentation, rage, or brute-like rashness.
To do whate'er Heaven gives in sacred charge,
Nor dare to sound its fathomless decrees,
This, and this only's meritorious zeal.
Attend, adore, obey; thou shalt be arm'd
By death's remorseless angel, which awaits

Zuph. I! Alcanor!

Mah.

Alc. Whence, Zaphna, that deep gloom,
That, like a blasting mildew on the ear
Of promised harvest, blackens o'er thy visage?
Grieve not that here, through form, thou art
confined;

I hold thee not as hostage, but as friend,
And make thy safety partner with my own.
Zaph. And make my safety partner with thy
own!

[Aside. Alc. The bloody carnage, by this truce suspended

For a few moments, like a torrent, check'd
In its full flow, will with redoubled strength
Bear all before it-

In this impending scene of public horror,
Be then, dear youth, these mansions thy
asylum!

I'll be thy hostage now, and, with my life,

What! dost thou hesitate? Rash Will answer that no mischief shall befall thee.
youth, beware!

He, that deliberates, is sacrilegious.
Far, far from me, be those audacious mortals,
Who for themselves would impiously judge,
Or see with their own eyes; who dares to
think,

Was never born a proselyte for me.
Know who I am; know, on this very spot,
I've charged thee with the just decree of
Heaven.

[more
And when that Heaven requires of thee no
Than the bare offering of its deadliest foe,
Nay, thy foe too, and mine, why dost thou
balance

As thy own father were the victim claim'd?
Go, vile idolater! false Mussulman!
Go, seek another master, a new faith!
Zaph. Oh, Mahomet!

Mah. Just when the prize is ready,
When fair Palmira's destined to thy arms-
But what's Palmira? or what's heaven to
thee,

Thou poor weak rebel to thy faith and love?
Go, serve and cringe to our detested foe!
Zaph. Oh pardon, Mahomet! methinks I
hear

The oracle of Heaven-it shall be done!
Mah. Obey then, strike! and, for his in-
pious blood,

Palmira's charms and Paradise be thine.

[Exit.

I know not why, but thou art precious to me.
Zaph. Heaven! duty! gratitude! humanity!

[Aside. What dost thou say, Alcanor? Did'st thou say That thy own roof should shield me from the tempest?

That thy own life stood hostage for my safety?
Alc. Why thus amazed at my compassion for

thee?

I am a man myself, and that's enough
To make me feel the woes of other men,
And labour to redress them-

Zaph. What melody these accents make!
[Aside.

Can then a foe to Mahomet's sacred law
Be virtue's friend?

Alc. Thou know'st but little, Zaphna,
If thou dost think true virtue is confined
To climes or systems; no, it flows spon-
taneous,

Like life's warm stream, throughout the
whole creation,

And beats the pulse of every heaithful heart.
How can'st thou, Zaphna, worship for thy god
A being claiming cruelty and murders
From his adorers? Such is thy master's god.
Zaph. Ob, my relenting soul! thou'rt almost
thaw'd

From thy resolve. [Aside.]—I pray you, Sir,
Peace, reason, peace!

no more.

Be gone-quick-this way

Pal. No, I follow thee,

Retread thy every footstep, though they lead
To the dark gulf of death.

Zaph. Thou matchless maid!-to the dire

trial then.

[Exeunt.

Heap no more horrors on me; I'm expiring
Beneath the load.

What means that omen? does it spur to mur-
Zaph. Be hush'd-the altar trembles!

der,

Or would it rein me back? No, 'tis the voice Of Heaven itself, that chides my lingering hand.

SCENE II.-The inner part of the Temple, with For sure I'm such, whilst I prevent not mur

a Pagan Altar and Images.

ALCANOR discovered, addressing himself to the

Idols.

Now send up thither all thy vows, Palmira,
Whilst I obey its will, and give the stroke.
[Goes behind the Altar, after ALCANOR.
Pal. What vows? Will Heaven receive a
murderer's vows?
[der.
Why beats my heart thus? what soft voice is
this
[cy!
That's waken'd in my soul, and preaches mer-
If Heaven demands his life, dare I oppose ?
Is it my place to judge?-Ha! that dire groan

Alc. Eternal powers! that deign to bless Proclaims the bloody business is about.
Zaphna! oh, Zaphna!

these mansions,

Protectors of the sons of Ishmael,

Crush, crush this blasphemous invader's force,
And turn him back with shame. If power be

yours,

Re-enter ZAPHNA from behind the Altar.

Zaph. Ha! where am I?

Zaph. But I must think, and talk on't too,
Palmira.

I seized the victim by his hoary locks-
(Thou, Heaven, didst will it)

Then, shuddering with horror, buried straight
The poinard in his breast. I had redoubled
The bloody plunge

But that the venerable sire pour'd forth
So piteous a groan !-look'd so, Palmira-

Thou much-lamented, injured, good old man!
Zaph. Why don't I move? my feet are root-

ed here,

And all my frame is struck and wither'd up
As with a lightning's blast!

Alc. My gentle maid,
Wilt thou support me?
Weep not, my Palmira.

Pal. I could weep tears of blood, if that
would serve thee.

Alc. [Sitting down.] Zaphna, come hither;

thou hast ta'en my life,

[thee,

[so.

For what offence, or what one thought towards
That anger or malevolence gave birth,
Heaven knows I am unconscious. Do not look
I see thou dost relent.

Enter PHARON, hastily.

Pha. [Starting back.] Ha! 'tis too late

Alc.

then!

Would I could see Hercides!--Pha-
ron, lo,

Thy martyr'd friend, by his distemper'd hand,
Is now expiring.

Pha. Dire, unnatural crime!

Oh, wretched parricide!-Behold thy father!
[Pointing to ALCANOR.

Zaph. My father!

Pal. Father? ha!

Alc. Mysterious Heaven!

Pha. Hercides, dying by the hand of Mir

van,

Who slew him lest he should betray the secret,

And with a feeble voice cried-" Is it Zaph-Saw me approach, and in the pangs of death,

na?"

[love, I could no more. Oh! hadst thou seen, my The feil, fell dagger in his bosom-view'd His dying face, where sat such dignity, Clothed with compassion towards his base assassin,―

That Zaphna and Palmira are his children.
Pal. Dost hear that, Zaphna?
Zaph. 'Tis enough, my fate!
earth-Canst thou aught more?

[Throws himself on the ground.
The dire remembrance weighs me to the
Here let me die!

Pal. Rise, my loved Zaphna! rise,
And let us fly to Mahomet for protection:
If we are found in these abodes of slaughter,
Tortures and death attend us !-let us fly!
Zaph. [Starting up.] I did fly at that blast-
ing sight, Palmira,

When, drawing out the fatal steel, he cast
Such tender looks! I fled-the fatal steel,
The voice, the tender looks, the bleeding
tim,

Alc. Oh, nature! oh, my children!
By what vile instigations wert thou driven,
Unhappy Zaphna, to this bloody action?

Zaph. [Falling at his father's feet.] Oh, I
cannot speak!

Restore me, Sir, restore that damned weapon,
That 1, for once, may make it, as I ought,
An instrument of justice.

Pal. [Kneels.] Oh, my father!
vic-Strike here!-the crime was mine! 'twas 1,
alone,

Blessing his murderer-I could not fly:
No, they clung to me, rived my throbbing
heart,
[done?
And set my brain on fire!-What have we
Pal. Hark! what's that noise? I tremble
for thy life!

Oh! in the name of love, by all the ties,
Those sacred ties, that bind thee mine for ever,
1 do conjure thee, follow me!

Re-enter ALCANOR from behind the Altar, lean-
ing against it, with the bloody sword in his
hand.

Zaph. Ha! look, Palmira! see, what object's
that,

Which bears upon my tortured sight? Is't he,
Or is't his bloody manes come to haunt us?
Pal. 'Tis he himself, poor wretch! strug-
gling with death,

That work'd his will to this unnatural deed!
Zaph. Strike your assassins-

Alc. I embrace my children,

And joy to see them, though my life's the for-
feit.

Rise, children, rise and live! live to revenge
Your father's death!-But, in the name of na-

Mah. Wrong will be ever nursed and fed And made thee triumph in a just revenge?