ALONZO.

What dost thou mean? Thou know'st I'm on the

rack:

I'll not be play'd with; speak, if thou hast aught,
Or I this instant fly to Leonora.

ZANGA.

That is, to death. My lord, I am not yet

Quite so far gone

in guilt to suffer it;

Tho' gone too far, heav'n knows.-'Tis I am guiltyI have took pains, as you I know observ'd,

To hinder you from diving in the secret,

And turn'd aside your thoughts from the detection.

ALONZO.

Thou dost confound me.

ZANGA.

I confound myself;

And frankly own, though to my shame I own it,
Nought but your life in danger could have torn
The secret out, and made me own my crime.

ALONZO.

Speak quickly; Zanga, speak.

ZANGA.

Not yet,

dread Sir;

First I must be assur'd, that if you find

The fair one guilty, scorn, as you assur'd me,
Shall conquer love and rage, and heal your soul.

O! 'twill, by heav'n.

ALONZO.

ZANGA.

Alas! I fear it much,

And scarce can hope so far; but I of this

Exact your solemn oath, that you'll abstain
From all self-violence, and save my lord.

ALONZO.

I trebly swear.

ZANGA.

You'll bear it like a man?

ALONZO.

A god.

ZANGA.

Such have you been to me; these tears confess it;

And pour'd forth miracles of kindness on me:
And what amends is now within my pow'r,
But to confess, expose myself to justice,
And, as a blessing, claim my punishment?
Know then, Don Carlos-

ALONZO.

Oh!

ZANGA.

You cannot bear it.

ALONZO.

Go on; I'll have it, though it blast mankind:
I'll have it all, and instantly.Go on.

ZANGA.

Don Carlos did return at dead of night

Enter LEONOra.

LEQNORA.

My lord Alonzo, you are absent from us,

And quite undo our joy.

ALONZO.

I'll come my Love:

Be not our friends deserted by us both;

I'll follow you this moment.

LEONORA.

My good lord,

I do observe severity of thought

Upon your brow. Aught hear you from the Moors?

No, my delight.

ALONZO.

LEONORA.

What then employ'd your mind?

ALONZO.

Thou, love, and only thou; so heav'n befriend me, As other thought can find no entrance here.

LEONORA.

How good in you, my lord, whom nations' cares
Solicit, and a world in arms obeys,

To drop one thought on me!

ALONZO. [He shews the utmost impatience.]

Dost thou then prize it?

LEONORA:

Do you then ask it?

ALONZO.

Know then, to thy comfort,

Thou hast me all; my throbbing heart is full
With thee alone; I've thought of nothing else;
Nor shall I, from my soul believe, till death.
My life, our friends expect thee.

Is that the face of curs'd hypocrisy?

If she is guilty, stars are made of darkness,
And beauty shall no more belong to heav'n-
Don Carlos did return at dead of night:
Proceed, good Zanga; so thy tale began.

ZANGA.

Don Carlos did return at dead of night;
That night, by chance (ill chance for me) did I
Command the watch that guards the palace gate :
He told me he had letters for the king,

Dispatch'd from you.

ALONZO.

The villain ly'd

ZANGA.

My lord,

I

pray

forbear-Transported at his sight,

After so long a bondage, and your friend,
(Who could suspect him of an artifice?)
No farther I enquir'd; but let him pass,
False to my trust; at least imprudent in it.
Our watch reliev'd, I went into the garden,
As is my custom when the night's serene,
And took a moon-light walk; when soon I heard
A rustling in an arbour that was near me:
I saw two lovers in each others arms,
Embracing and embrac'd: Anon the man
Arose; and, falling back some paces from her,

Gaz'd ardently awhile; then rush'd at once;
And throwing all himself into her bosom,
There softly sigh'd; "O night of ecstacy!
When shall we meet again?"-

-Don Carlos then

Led Leonora forth.

ALONZO.

O! O my heart! [He sinks into a chair.

ZANGA.

Groan on, and with the sound refresh my soul.
'Tis through his heart; his knees smite one another:
'Tis through his brain; his eye-balls roll in anguish.

My lord, my lord, why will you rack my soul?
Speak to me; let me know that you still live.
Do you not know me, Sir? Pray look upon me:
You think too deeply: I'm your own Zanga,
So lov'd so cherish'd, and so faithful to you.—
Where start you in such fury? Nay, my lord,

[Aside.

For heav'n's sake, sheath your sword! What can this

mean?

Fool that I was, to trust you with the secret;

And you unkind, to break your word with me.

O passion for a woman! On the ground?

Where is your boasted courage? Where your scorn,
And prudent rage, that was to cure your grief,
And chase your love-bred agonies away?

Rise, Sir, for honour's sake. Why should the Moors,
Why should the vanquish'd triumph?

ALONZO.

Would to heaven,

That I were lower still! O she was All!