The surest way to shun her: and give time For this discovering trial?Heaven! she's here! Enter ZARA. So, Madam! fortune will befriend my cause, love: But you deceiv'd yourself, and injur'd me. name: Be just, nor trifle with my anger: tell me And let him die to save thee. Thou art known; Think and resolve-While I yet speak, renounce him; While yet the thunder rolls suspended, stay it; Learn, cruel! learn, that this afflicted heart, tortures, Did it not love, has pride and power to shun you. me, Has destin'd my unhappy days for yours; Would you learn more, and open all my heart? That, long before you look'd so low as Zara, Oh, boldness of unblushing perjury! Osm. What fears should Osman feel, sinc Zara loves him? Zar. I cannot live and answer to your voice In that reproachful tone; your angry eve Trembles with fury while you talk of love Osm. Since Zara loves him! Zar. Is it possible Osman should disbelieve it ?-Again, again Your late-repented violence returnsAlas! what killing frowns you dart against me! Can it be kind? Can it be just to doubt me? Osm. No! I can doubt no longer-you may retire. [Exit ZARA, Re-enter ORASMIN. Orasmin, she's perfidious, even beyond Her sex's undiscover'd power of seeming; She's at the topmost point of shameless artifice; An empress at deceiving! Soft and easy, Destroying like a plague, in calm tranquillity: She's innocent she swears-so is the fire; It shines in harmless distance, bright and pleas ing, Consuming nothing till it first embraces. Oras. Punctual I have obey'd your whole com mand; But have you arm'd, my lord, your injur’d heart, With coldness and indifference? Can you hear, All painless and unmov'd, the false one's shame ? Osm. Orasmin, I adore her more than ever. Oras. My lord! my emperor! forbid it, Hea ven! Osm. I have discern'd a gleam of distant hope, This hateful Christian, the light growth of France, Proud, young, vain, amorous, conceited, rash, Has misconceiv'd some charitable glance, And judg'd it love in Zara: he alone, Then, has offended me. Is it her fault, If those she charms are indiscreet and daring? Zara, perhaps, expected not this letter; And I, with rashness groundless as its writer's, Took fire at my own fancy, and have wrong'd her. Now hear me with attention-Soon as night Has thrown her welcome shadows o'er the palace; When this Nerestan, this ungrateful Christian, Shall lurk in expectation near our walls, Be watchful that our guards surprise and seiza him; Then, bound in fetters, and o'erwhelmed with shame, Conduct the daring traitor to my presence:- [Exit ORAS. On this last trial all my hopes depend; ACT V. SCENE I-ZARA and SELIMA. Zara. Sooth me no longer with this vain desire: To a recluse like me, who dares, henceforth, Presume admission?- -the seraglio's shutBarr'd and impassable—as death to time! My brother ne'er must hope to see me more :How now! what unknown slave accosts us here ? For I would gladly hear my brother's voice. Sel. Say rather you would hear the voice of Heaven. "Tis not your brother calls you, but your God. Your love speaks loudest to your shrinking soul; ties; This tiger, savage in his tenderness, ness; Yet, cannot your neglected heart efface His fated, fix'd impression! Zar. What reproach Can I with justice make him?I, indeed, Was not his throne, was not his temple ready? Sel. Talk we no more of this unhappy passion: What resolution will your virtue take? Zar. All things combine to sink me to despair: From the seraglio death alone will free me. I long to see the Christians' happy climes; Yet in the moment, while I form that prayer, 1 sigh a secret wish to languish here. How sad a state is mine! my restless soul All ignorant what to do, or what to wish: My only perfect sense is that of pain. Oh, guardian Heaven! protect my brother's life, For I will meet him, and fulfil his prayer: Then, when from Solyma's unfriendly walls, His absence shall unbind his sister's tongue, Osman shall learn the secret of my birth, My faith, unshaken, and my deathless love; He will approve my choice, and pity me. I'll send my brother word he may expect me. Call in the faithful slave-God of my fathers! (Exit SELIMA. Let thy hand save me, and thy will direct. What answer gave she to the letter sent her? Mel. She blush'd and trembled, and grew pale, and paus'd, Then blush'd, and read it; and again grew pale; more Ösm. Enough-begone-I have no ear for [To the slave. Leave me, thou too, Orasmin.-Leave me, life, [TO ORASMIN. For every mortal aspect moves my hate: Leave me to my distraction- -I And cannot bear the visage of a friend. grow mad, Leave me to rage, despair, and shame, and wrongs; Leave me to seek myself and shun mankind. [Exit ORASMIN. Who am I?-Heaven! Who am I? What resolve I? Zara! Nerestan! sound these words like names Re-enter ORASMIN. Orasmin!-friend! return, I cannot bear This absence from thy reason: 'twas unkind, "Twas cruel to obey me, thus distress'd, And wanting power to think, when I had lost thee. How goes the hour? Has he appear'd, this rival? Perish the shameful sound-this villain Christian! Has he appear'd below? Oras. Silent and dark, Th' unbreathing world is hush'd, as if it heard, And listen'd to your sorrows. Osm. Oh, treacherous night! Thou lend'st thy ready veil to every treason, Osm. Again!-look out-he comes Zar. O gracious Heaven! receive my parting soul, And take thy trembling servant to thy mercy[Dies. Osm. Soul! then revenge has reach'd thee-I will now Haste from this fatal place-I cannot leave her! Oras. Nor tread of mortal foot-nor voice I Whom did I strike? Was this the act of love? hear: The still seraglio lies, profoundly plung'd Benight my suffering soul-Thou dost not know I knew no happiness but what she gave me, Oras. Tears!-Oh, Heaven! Thou who, in gratitude for freedom gain'd, Hast given me miseries beyond thy own! Osm. The first which ever yet unmann'd my Thou heart of hero with a traitor's soul! eyes! Oh! pity Zara-pity me-Orasmin, These but forerun the tears of destin'd blood. Oras. Oh, my unhappy lord!—I tremble for Enter ZARA and SELIMA, in the dark. Zar. Where art thou, Selima? Give me thy hand. It is so dark, I tremble as I step, With fears and startings, never felt till now! Osm. Damnation! 'tis her voice! the well known sound, That has so often charm'd me into baseness! Would blush, should I forbear: now-Zara, now! [Drops the dagger. I must not, cannot strike; the starting steel, Unwilling, flies my hand, and shuns to wound her. Zar. This is the private path-come nearer; lead me Are we not noticed, think'st thou ! Sel Fear not, Madam; It cannot now be long, ere we shall meet him. Osm. That word has given me back my ebbing rage[Recovers the dagger. Lar. I walk in terror, and my heart forebodes. Who's there!-Nerestan! Is it you?-O wel come. Osm. [Stabbing her.] This to thy heart-'Tis not the traitor meets thee; Tis the betray'd-who writes it in thy blood. She was my sister-All that now is left thee, Would I had seen the bleeding innocent! Osm. Thy sister!-Lusignan her father!- Can this be true?-and have I wrong'd thee, Zara? Sel. Thy love was all the cloud 'twixt her and Heaven! Osm. Be dumb-for thou art base, to add distraction To my already more than bleeding heart. Ner. Why should a tyrant hesitate on murder? Osm. Oh, Zara! Oras. Alas, my lord, return-whither would grief Transport your generous heart?- This Christian dog Osm. Take off his fetters, and observe my will: To him, and all his friends, give instant liberty: Pour a profusion of the richest gifts On these unhappy Christians; and when heap'd Osm. Reply not, but obey. Fly-nor dispute thy master's last command, Thy prince, who orders-and thy friend, who loves thee! Go-lose no time-farewell-begone-and thou! Haste from our bloody land-and to thy own, [Dies. Ner. Direct me, great inspirer of the soul! How should I act, how judge in this distress? Amazing grandeur, and detested rage? Even I, amidst my tears, admire this foe, And mourn his death, who liv'd to give me wo. [Exeunt omnes. First, then-A woman will, or wont-depend on't: If she will do't, she will:-and there's an end on't. But, if she wont-since safe and sound your trust is, Fear is affront; and jealousy injustice. Next, he who bids his dear do what she pleases, Blunts wedlock's edge, and all its torture eases : For-not to feel your sufferings is the same, As not to suffer:-All the difference-name. Thirdly, the jealous husband wrongs his honour; No wife goes lame, without some hurt upon her: And the malicious world will still be guessing, Who oft dines out dislikes her own cook's dressing. Fourth, and lastly,-to conclude my lecture, If you would fix th' inconstant wife-respect her. She who perceives her virtues overrated, Will fear to have the account more justly stated: And borrowing, from her pride, the good wife's seeming, Grow really such-to merit your esteeming. A COMIC CHORUS; OR, DESIGNED TO BE SUNG BETWEEN THE ACTS OF ZARA. PROLOGUE. By MR. BEARD and MRS. CLIVE, from opposite Entrances. She. So, Sir-you're a man of your word. He. Who would break it, when summon'd by you? He. She. Very fine that--but pray have you heard, Robinhood of the Greenwood tree? Most gravely to urge and implore us, To erect ourselves into a Chorus. He. A Chorus ! what's that-a composing Of groans to the rants of his madness? She. No-he hinders the boxes from dozing, By mixing some spirit with sadness. He. So then 'tis our task I suppose, To sing sober sense into relish; [Merrily. Let me dwindle to recitative ! When I catch 'em but here, to receive. She. If there's ought to be learn'd from the play, I shall sit in a nook, here, behind, Popping out in the good ancient way, Now and then, with a piece of my mind. He. But suppose that no moral should rise, Worth the ears of the brave or the fair! She. Why, we'll then give the word—and ad AFTER THE SECOND ACT. MRS. CLIVE (sola) to a Flute. OH, jealousy, thou bane of bleeding love! Doom'd by the partial powers above, Not more unstaid than lovers' hearts the wind! II. Go to the deeps below, thou joyless fiend, To blast your blooming hopes, and bring on cart. Never conclude your innocence secure, Prudence alone makes love endure. [As she is going off, he meets her, and puds her back, detaining her while he sings what follows. He. Ever, ever, doubt the fair in sorrow, Mourning as if they felt compassion: Yet what they weep for to-day-to-morrow, They'll be first to laugh into fashion. None are betray'd if they trust not the charmer; Jealousy guards the weak from falling; Would you never catch-you must often alarm her: Hearts to deceive is a woman's calling. [After the song, he lets her go, and they join in a duet. She. Come, let us be friends, and no longer abuse, Condemn and accuse, Each other. He. Would you have us agree, you must fairly confess, He. The love we caress, She. I am loath to think that- She. No matter. AFTER THE THIRD ACT. By MR. BEARD alone. MARK, oh ye beauties!-gay and young, Mark the painful woes and weeping, That from forc'd concealment sprung, Punish the sin of secret-keeping. Tell then, nor veil a willing heart, |