Embarked on the sea when by a new And worse misfortune certain infamous rovers Surpris'd her vessel and not long time after They sould her unto that ingratefull man Who falsly and unworthly forsook her And so at last it hapened that Fortune Aswell as Love would put her into chains But she still without changing heart or habit Found sweetnes in this double slavery Far from desiring to be free she follow'd Her faithles friend into his native country And fearing not to be discovered Serv'd this deceitfull Master without hope Indeavoured to please him and therein Prosper'd so well that he esteem'd her zeal And conceal'd nothing from her but this kindnes Was not a cure but corsive to her grief Because it made her privy to the happines Her Rivall did enjoy in the affection Of him she lov'd who every day protested Vnto her that rather then lose her love He 'd lose his life Zegry still meditating ZEGRY Vnparalel'd punishment Cruell injustice ORMIN Gods he groweth tender Love be propitious to me aside Sir what say you Is not she more then you to be lamented Compared to her torments your afflictions Are sweet You answer not ZEGRY Yes yes I grant it I ought to hate her but I 've too much weaknes Oh fair Fatima ORMIN Oh my hard misfortune ZEGRY Ormin what charms she hath ORMIN You answer nothing To what I said ZEGRY What spak'st thou to me of ORMIN Of a young maid Oppress'd and injured in love ZEGRY My thoughts Were otherwise imploy'd and troubled I heard thee not at least I have forgotten ORMIN You seemed to compassionate her grief And her misfortune very much ZEGRY Alas I onely thought upon my proper grief ORMIN What! shall th' ingratefull and cruel Fatima Although she quits your heart thus have the glory To live still in your memory oh no Banish her thence but if you 'l think of her To ease your evills a little imploy your thought Onely to think of her defects remember That she 's too proud and fancy to your self That she 's not fair enough to hould so noble And such a faithfull Lover as you are That there is nothing charming in her eyes Nor in her cheeks that her proportion Her posture stature gate and carriage Have nothing commendable that her witt ZEGRY Ormin no more I cannot suffer yet She should be injur'd that ingrateful Beauty Who laughs with scorn at my sad languishment Hath no defect at all but her fierce rigour And I fear that in spight of this defect My violent love will triumph o'r mine anger ORMIN What shall Fatima be so proud and you So humble shall she be compos'd of Ice And you of fire must you persist to love her When she despiseth you oh fall no more Into that fatall errour It belongs Sir But to low spirits to suffer without hate Such a contempt to leave what flyeth us Is little trouble and when hope is quench'd Love should be querched also ZEGRI What thou sayst Ormin is verie true I should indeed Follow Fatima in her lightnes to me I should in her unkindnes trace her steps I should be as insensible as she 's Severe and rigourous my flam'es an errour I doe confesse it but I love this errour Thy faithfull counsels are not seasonable Love hath not yet given place unto my reason I 'm born to languish and to die for her Although she be ingratefull she is not The lesse faire for it ORMIN The false hope that flatter'd me Fled in a moment miserable Lover And too unjust a side SCENE VI. ALMANSOR ZEGRY ORMIN ALMANSOR FRiend I am very joyfull To meet thee ZEGRY My content is still compleat When I behold thy face as in thy absence Nothing seems sweet unto me Now I see Th' art habited like us this garment is Well made ALMANSOR I took it just now in th'apartment I have in thy abode ZEGRY This Shepheards habit Becomes thee rarely but for an Almansor It is too much abasement ALMANSOR Sure the habit Takes nothing from the lustre of the merit In imitating thee I cannot erre Thee whose heart is as noble as thy race And unto whose aid in an eminent danger I owe my life ZEGRY The Shepheards of this wood And fair Campania are descended from Those Heros who in time pass'd conquer'd Spain From those renowned Moors whose great exploits Made the Kings of a hundred Christian people Tremble for fear and who seeing Tunis conquer'd By Charls the fifth conserve here in these places Their glory and their freedom secretly Dispose the hearts of the most Zealous Kings To drive the Christias frō this desolate coūtry And are in readines to joyn themselves And to encrease the first fair levies which Shall be imploy'd on such an expedition ALMANSOR I know that this fair desert's like a Court But hast thou heard yet that Gomella is Return'd heer suffer me at present Zegry To leave thee he is my familiar friend And I owe him a visit ZEGRY Then thou know'st Fatima ALMANSOR Yes that Beauty hath receiv'd The light from brave Gomella friend adiew I will return to thee with speed excuse me At present I must speak with him upon A busines of importance Exit Almansor SCENE VII ZEGRY ORMIN ZEGRY A busines of importance oh that word Redoubleth my affliction to marry Fatima without doubt is his design Oh Heave hast thou ordain'd that to make up The full proportion of my misery My dearest friēd should rob me of my Mistresse Alas if this be true grief fure will kill me Dear Ormin let us use our best indeavour To hinder this misfortune I expect My only remedy from thy advise The most resplendent wit yeildeth to thine In point of knowledge I have observ'd in thee Something that 's great and extraordinary Thy judgment charms me and thy care surpriseth me ORMIN Sir I 'm your Slave and glory to be so ZEGRY No no I make thee free henceforth be thou Thy Masters friend ORMIN The sweetest liberty Pleaseth my fancy lesse then the chains which I bear for you ZEGRY This zeal so little common Makes me grow tender and amazeth me Quit quit thy fetters Ormin I commmand it Be free ORMIN Since t is your pleasure I obey Alas what have I said Love can I be At liberty when my heart is not free The end of the first Act. ACT II. SCENE I. FATIMA ZAIDA CHARIFA MEDINA FATIMA ENter again sweet Zaida ceremony Between us should be banish'd wherefore will you Trouble your self unnecessarily ZAIDA Since you will have it so I 'l go no further FATIMA I may assure my self then ere we part That Adibar shall have no free admittance To your society I have already Told you that formerly he loved me But now I know that you give laws to him And I have cause to hope that if you scorn him He may return unto his first subjection ZAIDA Fatima be assur'd that he shall be Repuls'd his love will be but troublesome But if you
Her barbarous ravisher adiew perform Thy duty and make thy self to appear A worthy branch of that ill strions stock Of Heros from whose loines thou art descēded To end our common miseries and fears Go thou to shed blood I goe to shed tears Exit Lindarache SCENE II. ALMANSOR alone ALMANSOR OH heard extremities oh cruel violence Alas the friend that doth oblige me is The enemy that wrongs me I owe then My safety unto him that robs me of My honour ād the man that sav'd the brother Hath ruined the Sister in this case What counsell should I take shall I become Ingratefull or be infamous shal I Break the bond of a holy amity Shal I let forth the blood which preserv'd mine That blood in which love will that I have Interest And to say all the blood of my fair Mistresse She comes forth and without doubt aymeth here Honour will that I fly but Love restrains me SCENE III. ALMANSOR ZAIDA MEDINA ZAIDA HE dares not to advance his crime intimidates him We will passe by the traitor without speaking A word ALMANSOR Deare object of all my affections Charme of my Spirits ZAIDA Surely you are mistaken You would speak to some other ALMANSOR Suffer me T' expresse my passion unto your faire eyes Love ZAIDA You take me without doubt for Fatima ALMANSOR How for Fatima this wotd doth acquaint me Confusedly with the unjust suspition From whence this chang springs possibly you have Believed that I seck to please her seeing The league that it between me and her Father But Heaven and Love my conquerour be witnes That your fair Image wholy doth possesse My heart that to remove you thence Fatima Is altogether incapable that I look on Al that is lovely in her without love And that as sensible only of the darts Of your rare beauties I confine my thoughts And actions to civilities for her ZAIDA How do you look upon Fatima then With an indifference Let me see how far His impudence will go aside ALMANSOR Can you doubt of it you that have tied all My senses with such sweet and pressing bonds Can you suspect with any justice Madam My heart of treachery my oaths of fals hood And believe that my soul hath so much blacknes As to betray my Mistresse my friend And my Deliverer could you imagine Without being deceiv d that having once Beheld you one could love elsewhere oh no For me to be inflam'd with a new fire You are too charming and I 'm too much charm'd ZAIDA Too much charm'd monster of perfidiousnes Wilt thou abuse me then after thou hast Betray'd me and with an unworthy love Carried away wilt thou join impudence To infidelity ALMANSOR To insidelity What say you Zaida this discourse confounds me ZAIDA I see it plainly wretch wer 't thou lesse wicked Thou would'st be lesse confounded an ingratefull Still blusheth at reproaches ALMANSOR An ingratefull ZAIDA Doth that word trouble thee and fearest thou The name of an ingratefull person more Then foul ingratitude it self ALMANSOR I know not The cause of this your anger should I never So much examine me I still should find My conscience innocent ZAIDA In thy accompt then T is nothing to deceive a maid to wrong Thy friend to fail thy faith to love Fatima Lastly ALMANSOR I say you ZAIDA Yes thee ALMANSOR Oh! believe me I love her not ZAIDA Dar'st thou to say it yet Dost thou not love her when thou dost adore her Thy false equivocations cannot heer Abuse me I know that thou art to morrow To marry her ALMANSOR To matry her o Heaven believe it not I swear ZAIDA No no forbeare I believe not The oaths of one that 's perjur'd every one Knows of this mariage ALMANSOR Who told it you ZAIDA A certaine person ALMANSOR Whosoe'r it be That certain person ly'd Tell me his name And my just anger presently shall carry him The reward of his false intelligence ZAIDA Goe punish then Fatima it was she Her self that told it me ALMANSOR Oh give lesse credit Ador able Wonder to such false discourses ZAIDA Good God! who ever saw such impudence ALMANSOR The mariage which she hath forged is A falsity bear witnesse thou dread Master Of Heaven that this I speak is truth but if I lie let thy hand with a thunderbolt Strike me unto the center of the earth Let my name be foreuer odious If the fire which I feel proceedeth not wholy from your fair eyes and if my heart Ever conceived for Fatima any thing Beyond a weak esteem ZAIDA I must sift yet This brazen face more throughly aside How wilt thou prove The truth of thy assertion ALMANSOR I can produce A hundred proofs to disabuse you presently ZAIDA I 'l have but one and that too very easie To put an end to the suspitions Which I ve cōceiv'd of thee give me forthwith Both thy hand and thy faith ALMANSOR I give it you With an excesse of yoy but what would I Give her a hand that must destroy her brother And plung it self in his most noble blood aside ZAIDA What dost thou answer me so ill for such Rare bounties dost thou murmur to thy selfe Grow pale and study as if thou resent'st ill What I propose ALMANSOR Madam clean contrary I was rap'd with th'unexpected honour And happines wherewith I saw me filled And th' excesse of my joy transported me I feare through my obedience to betray you To make detraction to speak against you And to treat Zegry too unciviliy In giving without his consent my hand And faith but this weak fear yeilds to my flame Duty prevails not now upon my soul And cannot take from me the glorious purpose Of giving you my heart and hand together ZAIDA Thou thinkest on 't too late my mind is chang'd And n'er shall chāge again know that I feign'd Only to try thee that excesse of goodnes And thy fires for Fatima presently Burst forth ALMANSOR Oh! I had never any for her ZAIDA Thy deceit 's plain enough I 'm very well Assured of this fatall matiage When I press'd thee to passe thy faith unto me I faw that thy remorses for Fatima Accused thee and thy confusion Confirmed me in my belieft that she Receiv'd the faith which I demanded of thee ALMANSOR I offer it unto you ZAIDA No thou caust not Dispose of it Thou hast already given it And wilt abuse me ALMANSOR You abuse your self Wiih too much warines ZAIDA Hast thou the boldnes To reply yet Go go to thy Fatima To morrow is your mariage day I know it She hath affections for thee since thou hast Refused me ALMANSOR Hear me I do beseech you ZAIDA No no that were too great a weaknes in me Know that I leave thee n'er too see thee more A secret poison 's hid in the discourse Of an Ingratefull person and each word Atraitor speaks destroys worse then the sword Exit Zaida SCENE IV. ALMANSOR alone ALMANSOR STrange successe this How is my
soul possess'd Still with new troubles must I suffer then The punishment of a fault which I have not Committed when revenge doth presse me to Destroy a friend must I at the same time Destroy a Mistresse too must I lose Zaida Yes my heart I must loose her presently Since in depriving her of a dear brother My arm will draw her hate and anger on me I should hence forth no longer be so soft T is time to think of Zegrys death he must Pay his blood to repair the honout which He robs me of This Enemy so dear Must die and I must sacrifice him to me He comes at his approach some teÌ„der motions Oppose my just resentments and indeed Render them weak my friendship combateth The anger that possesseth me my tendernes Is lesse weak and my fury is lesse strong He sav'd my life he ravished my Sister Shall I go to embrace him or to kill him SCENE V. ZEGRY ORMIN ALMANSOR ZEGRY AT last I 've met with him that wroÌ„geth me Ormin leave us alone ORMIN I will retire me Into this thicket secretly to see What passeth I doubt there will be a quarrel aside ALMANSOR You appear troubled ZEGRY I 've much cause to be so ALMANSOR What troubles you so much ZEGRY A wretch a Traytor Whose crime gives me an infinite regret And doth deserve more then a single death To punish it ALMANSOR May I serve you herem ZEGRY Yes I can't finish my revenge without thee ALMANSOR Zegry you can dispose of all my blood ZEGRY It is an offer which I can t refuse ALMANSOR Who is th' affronter ZEGRY Thou art extream bold Know'st thou not traitor that it is thy self ALMANSOR I ZEGRY Thou n'er seem to wonder at the thing Only defend thy felf ALMANSOR embracing him ALMANSOR How much am I. Indebted to thee for this sudden passion T is now the chief point of thy amity Thy anger doth oblige me though it wroÌ„gs me I had already in my heart resolu d The design of thy death and justly too My arm was ready for it when inspight Of all my fury at thy first approach My heart grew tender and had been reduc'd To balance the fierce darts which I had level'd Against thee if thy furious transport Had not call'd home my choler unto me And banished my tendernes ZEGRY I 'l hear No more discourse once again guard thy felf ALMANSOR So fierce a fight can't but be sweet unto me Honour solicits me more justly to it Then thee but let me know at least the cause That doth provoke thee I will make it plainly appear that thou complainest wrongfully And justify my self in Killing thee ZEGRY How feignst thou to be ignorant and instead Of making a confession dost thou threaten me Thy base crime groweth greater by thy boldnes ALMANSOR Let me at Iast know what that base crime is ZEGRY Consult thy conscience and thou shalt know it It will instruct thee that with a false heart In recompense of all my kindnes to thee Thou rob st me of my Mistresse and that Through treacheries which cannot be excus'd Thou art to marry her to morrow privately ALMANSOR If I am criminall assure thy self It is not in this point I never did Look on Fatima with desires of love Only thou mayst reproach my heart for having Sight for thy Sister without thy consent ZEGRY How dost thou love her ALMANSOR No no it would be An extream errour I say I adore her I dare not say I love her That which I Resent now for her beauties doth surpasse The thing that 's called Love ZEGRY By this confession Dear friend thou hast restored life unto me My griefs and troubles now are waited on By an excesse of pleasure Zaida is Too happy and her thoughts could never hope A more illustrious husband she is free The Lover unto whom I gave my word Hath seen his destiny determined By death and my repose shall fully be Setled to meet a brother in the person Of my most deare friend ALMANSOR What thou offerest me Should be most dear unto me but dost thou Know him whom thou makâ—st choice of for thy brother ZEGRY I think I doe thy country is Tremissa Thy name Almansor and thy family Is noble and illustrious and if I May believe thee thy greatest glory is To be my friend ALMANSOR Thou know st me but by half yet I was born heer and born thy enemy More then one just and honest motive doth Engage me to thy ruine not to hold thee Long in suspence I am Abencerage ZEGRY Abencerage ORMIN O Heaven aside ALMANSOR That wotd doth tell thee Our difference and my duty ZEGRY I aswell Know as thy self the mutuall hatred which In our two houses seemes almost as t were To be immortall but thy blood which now Thou owest to my succour should for me Stop the course of it in thy soul and though My friendship seems to stagger on this point I will content my self to hate thy name And love thy person Yes pursue thy love Vnto my Sister by a mariage We may be tied with new knots and by That holy flame the irreligious heat Of that so old and fatal enmity Will be extinct ALMANSOR This mariage would be sweet But I can't think of it till by thy death I have reveng'd my selfe upon thee ZEGRY How ALMANLOR It is not that which thou believ'st provoke me Thy name I hate not but I hate thy person And I cannot but in thy blood repair The wrong which â—hou hast done me ZEGRY I ALMANSOR Yes Thou How ill thou actest the astonished Thy base crime groweth greater by thy boldnes ZEGRY Let me at last know what that base crime is ALMANSOR Consult this letter read and thou shaâ— know it ZEGRY reads YOu from whom I derive my birth Know that a sad fate worse then death Is hapned to me all our name In my losse bear an equall shame The false and cruel Zegry is The Authour of my miseries For he it is that by his charms Hath taken me out of your arms Zelinda ORMIN Without doubt they will both mistake themselves ZEGRY I cannot comprehend this dark Aenigma ALMANSOR It is too plain to me here that my sister Zelinda giveth us to understand That thou art her base ravisher ZEGRY Canst thou Suspect me of so foule an action ALMANSOR Canst thou deny it traitor and can I Believe it ZEGRY Hear me but a word or two ALMANSOR It would be to no purpose guard thy self I 'l hear no more ZEGRY How dares the man that ows me His life to assault mine ALMANSOR That obligation Cannot divert me from my just reveng Thou wronght'st my safety and my sisters rape And so much as life is lesse dear then honour So much an affront which reflects upon it Carries it in my soul upon a benefit And I am lesse afraid to be ingratefull Then to be infamous but let us leave Discourse and come to action ZEGRY Stay Ingratefull Stay yet