ACT III.

SCENE I-CALED'S Tent.

What can this bode ?-Let me speak plainer

yet;

Is it to propagate th' unspotted law
We fight? Tis well; it is a noble cause;
But much I fear infection is among us;

in bound with cords.

The rounds to-night, ere the last hour of prayer From tent to tent, and warn'd them to be ready. What must be done?

Caled. Thou know'st th' important news, Which we have intercepted by this slave, Of a new army's march. The time now calls, While these soft Syrians are dissolved in riot, Fool'd with success, and not suspecting danger, Neglectful of their watch, or else fast bound n chains of sleep, companion of debauches, To form a new attack ere break of day, So, like the wounded leopard, shall we rush From out our covers on these drowsy hunters, And seize them, unprepared to 'scape our venge

ance.

Abu. Great captain of the armies of the faith

ful!

I know thy mighty and unconquer'd spirit;
Yet hear me, Caled, hear and weigh my doubts,
Our angry prophet frowns upon our vices,
And visits us in blood. Why else did terror,
Unknown before, seize all our stoutest bands?
The angel of destruction was abroad;
The archers of the tribe of Thoal fled,
So long renown'd, or spent their shafts in vain ;
The feather'd flights err'd through the boundless
air,

Or the death turn'd on him that drew the bow!

We learn the Christian vices we chastise,
And tempted with the pleasures of the soil,
More than with distant hopes of Paradise,

I fear may soon-but, oh, avert it Heaven!
Fall even a prey to our own spoils and conquests.
Caled. No-thou mistak'st; thy pious zeal
deceives thee.

Our prophet only chides our sluggard valour.
Thou saw'st how in the vale of Honan once

The troops, as now defeated, fled confused
Even to the gates of Mecca's holy city;
'Till Mahomet himself there stopp'd their en-

trance,

A javelin in his hand, and turn'd them back
Upon the foe; they fought again and conquered.
His own example points us out the way.
Behold how we may best appease his wrath!
Abu. Well-be it then resolved.
dulgent hour

Th' in

Abu. [To CALED.] He hears thee not;
His eyes are fix'd on earth; some deep distress
Is at his heart. This is no common captive.
Caled. A lion in the toils! We soon shall
ta me him.

Still art thou dumb ?-Nay, 'tis in vain to cast
Thy gloomy looks so oft around this place,
Or frown upon thy bonds-thou canst not 'scape.
Pho Then be it so the worst is pass'd al-
ready,

And life is now not worth a moment's pause.
Do you not know me yet-think of the man
You have most cause to curse, and I am he.
Caled. Ha! Phocyas?

Abu. Phocyas!-Mahomet, we thank thee!
Now dost thou smile again.

Daran. [Aside.] O devil, devil!

And I not know him!-'twas but yesterday
He kill'd my horse, and drove me from the field.
Now I'm revenged! No; hold you there, not yet,
Not while he lives.

Caled. [Aside.] This is indeed a prize!
Is it because thou know'st what slaughter'd heaps
There yet unburied lie without the camp,
Whose ghosts have all this night, passing the
Zorat,

Call'd from the bridge of death to thee to follow,
That now thou'rt here to answer to their cry?
Howe'er it be, thou know'st thy welcome-
Pho. Yes,

That woman--'twas for her-How shall 1 speak it?

Eudocia, Oh farewell!-I'll tell you, then,
As fast as these heart-rending sighs will let me ;
I loved the daughter of the proud Eumenes,
And long in secret woo'd her; not unwelcome
To her my visits; but I fear'd her father,
Who oft had press'd her to detested nuptials,
And therefore durst not, 'till this night of joy,
Avow to him my courtship. New I thought her
Mine, by a double claim, of mutual vows,
And service yielded at his greatest need:
When, as I moved my suit, with sour disdain,
He mock'd my service, and forbade my love;
Degraded me from the command I bore,
And with defiance bade me seek the foe.
How has his curse prevail'd!-The generous
maid

Was won by my distress to leave the city;
And cruel fortune made me thus your prey.
Abu. [Aside.] My soul is moved-Thou wert
a man, oh, prophet!

Forgive, if 'tis a crime, a human sorrow,
For injured worth, though in an enemy!
Pho. Now since you have heard my story,

set me free,

That I may save her yet, dearer than life,
From a tyrannic father's threaten'd force;
Gold, gems, and purple vests, shall pay my ran-

som;

know

I'm ready-lead me to them; I can bear
The worst of ills from you. You're not my
friends,

My countrymen.-Yet were you men, I could
Unfold a story-But no more- -Eumenes,
Thou hast thy wish, and I am now-a worm!
Abu. [To CALED aside.] Leader of armies,
hear him for my mind
Presages good accruing to our cause
By this event.

Caled. I tell thee then, thou wrong'st us,
To think our hearts thus steel'd, our ears deaf
To all that thou may'st utter. Speak, disclose
The secret woes that throbs within thy breast.
Now, by the silent hours of night, we'll hear thee,
And mute attention shall await thy words.

Pho. This is not then the palace in Damascus ! If you will hear, then I indeed have wrong'd you.

How can this be?When he for whom I've

In fight, nor break its truce with you for ever. Caled. No-there's one way, a better, and but

one,

To save thyself, and make some reparation
For all the numbers thy bold hand has slain.

Pho. Oh, name it quickly, and my soul will bless thee!

Caled. Embrace our faith, and share with us our fortunes,

Pho. Then I am lost again!

Caled. What; when we offer

Not freedom only, but to raise thee high
To greatness, conquest, glory, heavenly bliss!

Pho. To sink me down to infamy, perdition, Here and hereafter! Make my name a curse To present times, to every future age

A proverb and a scorn!-take back thy mercy, And know I now disdain it.

Caled. As thou wilt,

The time 's too precious to be wasted longer In words with thee. Thou know'st thy doom --farewell.

Abu. [To CAL. aside.] Hear me, Caled, grant him some short space;

Perhaps he will at length accept thy bounty.
Try him, at least-

Caled. Well-be it so, then. Daran, Guard well thy charge-Thou hast an hour to live;

If thou art wise, thou may'st prolong that term,
If not-why-Fare thee well, and think of death.
[Exeunt CALED and ABU.
Pho. [DAR. waiting at a distance.] Farewell,
and think of death! Was it not so?
Do murderers then preach morality?
But how to think of what the living know not,
And the dead cannot, or else may not tell?
What art thou, O thou great mysterious terror!
The way to thee we know! disease, famine,
Sword, fire, and all thy ever-open gates
That day and night stand ready to receive us,

Daran. Speak, shall I fetch his head?
Caled. No, stay you here,

I cannot spare thee yet. Raphan, go thou.

[To an Officer. But hold-I've thought again-he shall not die. Gio, tell him he shall live, 'till he has seen Damascus sink in flames, 'till he behold That slave, that woman-idol he adores, Or given a prize to some brave Mussulman, Or slain before his face; then if he sue For death as for a boon- -perhaps we'll grant it. [Exit RAPHAN. Daran. The captains wait thy orders. Caled. Are the troops

Ready to march ?

Daran. They are.

[The Captains pass by as they are named. Caled. Where 's Abu-Taleb?

Alcorash ?- -O your valiant tribes, I thank them,

Fled from their standard! Will they now redeem it ?

Omar and Serjabil?'tis well, I see them,
You know your duty. You, Abdorraman,
Must charge with Raphan. Mourn, thou haughty
city!

The bow is bent, nor canst thou 'scape thy doom. Who turns his back henceforth, our prophet curse him!

Daran. But who commands the trusty bands of Mecca ?

Thou know'st their leader fell in the last fight. Caled. 'Tis true; thou, Daran, well deserv'et that charge;

I've mark'd what a keen hatred, like my own, Dwells in thy breast against these Christian dogs. Daran. Thou do'st me right.

Caled. And therefore I'll reward it.

Be that command now thine. And here this sabre,

Bless'd in the field by Mahomet himself,
At Chaibar's prosperous fight, shall aid thy arm.
Daran. Thanks, my good chief; with this I'll
better thank thee.

[Taking the scimitar. Caled. Myself will lead the troops of the black standard,

And at the eastern gate begin the storm. Daran. But why do we not move? 'twill soon be day.

Methinks I'm cold, and would grow warm with

action.

Caled. Then haste, and tell Abudahthou'rt welcome.

Enter ABUDAH.

Thy charge awaits thee. Where's the stubborn captive?

Abu. Indeed he's brave. I left him for a moment

In the next tent. He's scarcely yet himself.
Caled. But is he ours?

Abu. The threats of death are nothing;
Though thy last message shook his soul, as winds
On the bleak hills bend down some lofty pine
Yet still he held his root, till I found means,
Abating somewhat of thy first demand,
If not to make him wholly ours, at least
To gain sufficient to our end.

Caled. Say how?

Abu. Oft he inclined, oft started back; at last, When just consenting, for a while he paused, Stood fix'd in thought, and lift his eyes to heaven: Then, as with fresh recover'd force, cried out, Renounce my faith! Never-I answer'd, No, That now he should not do it.

Caled. How!

Abu. Yet hear,

For since I saw him now so lost in passion,
That must be left to his more temperate thoughts.
Mean time I urged, conjured, at last constrain'd

him

By all he held most dear, nay, by the voice
Of Providence, that call'd him now to save,
With her he loved, perhaps the lives of thou
sands,

No longer to resist his better fate,
But join his arms in present action with us,
And swear he would be faithful.

Caled. What, no more?

Then he's a christian still!

Abu. Have patience yet:
For if by him we can surprise the city-

Caled. Say'st thou ?

Abu. Hear what 's agreed; but on the terms That every unresisting life be spared.

I shall command some chosen faithful bands,
Phocyas will guide us to the gate, from whence
He late escaped, nor do we doubt but there
With ease to gain admittance.

Caled. This is something.
And yet I do not like this half-ally-

Is he not still a christian ?-But no matter-
Mean time I will attack the eastern gate;
Who first succeeds gives entrance to the rest.
Hear, all!-Prepare ye now for boldest deeds,
And know, the prophet will reward your valour.
Think that we all to certain triumph move;
Who falls in fight yet meets the prize above.
There, in the gardens of eternal spring,
While birds of Paradise around you sing,
Each, with his blooming beauty by his side,
Shall drink rich wines that in full rivers glide,
Breathe fragrant gales o'er fields of spice that
blow,

And gather fruits immortal as they grow ;
Ecstatic bliss shall your whole powers employ,
And every sense be lost in every joy.

ACT IV.

[Exeunt.

I

Curse on those terms! The city's mine by storm. Fall on, I say

Abu. Nay then, I swear ye shall not.

Caled. Ha!Who am I?

Abu. The general-and I know

What reverence is your due.

[CALED gives signs to his men to fall on -Nay, he who stirs,

First makes his way through me. My honour's pledge;

Rob me of that who dares. [They stop.] I know thee, Caled,

Chief in command; bold, valiant, wise, and faithful;

But yet, remember, I'm a Mussulman; Nay, more, thou know'st, companion of the prophet,

And what we vow is sacred.

Caled. Thou'rt a christian,

Curse on thy new allies!

I swear thou art, and hast betray'd the faith,

Abu. No more-this strife

But ill beseems the servants of the caliph, And cast reproach-Christians, withdraw a while;

pledge my life to answer the conditions[Exeunt EUMENES, HERBIS, c Why, Caled, do we thus expose ourselves A scorn to nations that despise our law? Thou call'st me christian--What! is it because I prize my plighted faith, that I'm a christian? Come, 'tis not well, and if

Caleb. What terms are yielded?

Abu. Leave to depart, to all that will; an oath First given, no more to aid the war against us, An unmolested march. Each citizen

To take his goods, not more thrn a mule's burden; The chiefs six mules, and ten the governor; Besides some few slight arms for their defence Against the mountain robbers.

Cal. Now, by Mahomet, Thou hast equipp'd an army!

Abu. Canst thou doubt

The greatest part by far will choose to stay,
Receive our law, or pay th' accustom'd tribute?
What fear we then from a few wretched bands
Of scatter'd fugitives?-Besides, thou know'st
What towns of strength remain yet unsubdued.
Let us appear this once like generous victors,
So future conquests shall repay this bounty,
And willing provinces even court subjection.

Caled. Well-be it on thy head, if worse befall