VOLTAIRE: 60+ Works in One Volume - Philosophical Writings, Novels, Historical Works, Poetry, Plays & Letters. Вольтер. Читать онлайн. Newlib. NEWLIB.NET

Автор: Вольтер
Издательство: Bookwire
Серия:
Жанр произведения: Языкознание
Год издания: 0
isbn: 9788075835987
Скачать книгу

      SCENE IX.

       Table of Contents

      ZOPIR, SEID. ,OMAR

      OMAR.

       Traitor, Mahomet

       Expects thee.

      SEID.

       O I know not where or what

       I am; destruction, ruin and despair

       On every side await me: wither now

       Shall wretched Seid fly?

      OMAR.

       To him whom God

       Hath chosen, thy injured king, and master.

      SEID.

       Yes:

       And there abjure the dreadful oath I made.

      SCENE X.

       Table of Contents

      ZOPIR (Alone)

      ZOPIR.

       The desperate youth is gone—I know not why,

       But my heart beats for his distress; his looks,

       His pity, his remorse, his every action

       Affect me deeply: I must follow him.

      SCENE XI.

       Table of Contents

      ZOPIR, PHANOR

      PHANOR.

       This letter, sir, was by an Arab given

       In secret to me.

      ZOPIR.

       From Hercides! Gods,

       What do I read? Will heaven in tenderest pity

       At length replay me for a life of sorrows?

       Hercides begs to see me—he who snatched

       From this fond bosom my two helpless children;

       They yet are living, so this paper tells me,

       Slaves to the tyrant—Seid and Palmira

       Are orphans both, and know not whence they sprang,

       Perhaps my children—O delusive hope,

       Why wilt thou flatter me? It cannot be;

       Fain would I credit thee, thou sweet deceiver:

       I fly to meet and to embrace my children;

       Yes, I will see Hercides: let him come

       At midnight to me, to this holy altar

       Where I so often have invoked the gods,

       At last, perhaps, propitious to my vows:

       O ye immortal powers, restore my children,

       Give back to virtue's paths two generous hearts

       Corrupted by an impious, vile usurper!

       If Seid and Palmira are not mine,

       If such is my heart fate, I will adopt

       The noble pair, and be their fathers still

       End of the Third Act.

      ACT IV.

      SCENE I

       Table of Contents

      MAHOMET, OMAR.

      OMAR.

       My lord, our secret is discovered; Seid

       Has told Hercides; we are on the verge

       Of ruin, yet I know he will obey.

      MAHOMET.

       Revealed it, sayest thou?

      OMAR.

       Yes: Hercides loves him

       With tenderness.

      MAHOMET.

       Indeed! What said he to it?

      OMAR.

       He stood aghast, and seemed to pity Zopir.

      MAHOMET.

       He's weak, and therefore not to be entrusted;

       Fools ever will be traitors; but no matter,

       Let him take heed; a method may be found

       To rid us of such dangerous witnesses:

       Say, Omar, have my orders been obeyed?

      OMAR.

       They have, my lord.

      MAHOMET.

       'Tis well: remember, Omar,

       In one important hour or Mahomet

       Or Zopir is no more; if Zopir dies,

       The credulous people will adore that God

       Who thus declared for me, and saved his prophet:

       Be this our first great object; that once done,

       Take care of Seid; art thou sure the poison

       Will do its office?

      OMAR.

       Fear it not, my lord.

      MAHOMET.

       O we must work in secret, the dark shades

       Of death must hide our purpose—while we shed

       Old Zopir's blood, be sure you keep Palmira

       In deepest ignorance; she must not know

       The secret of her birth: her bliss and mine

       Depend upon it; well thou knowest, my triumphs

       From error's fruitful source incessant flow:

       The ties of blood, and all their boasted power

       Are mere delusions: what are nature's bonds?

       Nothing but habit, the mere force of custom:

       Palmira knows no duty but obedience

       To me; I am her lord, her king, her father,

       Perhaps may add the name of husband to them:

       Her little heart will beat with proud ambition

       To captivate her master—but the hour

       Approaches that must rid me of my foe,

       The hated Zopir: Seid is prepared—

       And see, he comes: let us retire.

      OMAR.

       Observe

       His wild demeanor; rage and fierce resentment

       Possess his soul.

      SCENE II

       Table of Contents

      MAHOMET, OMAR. retired to one side of the stage; SEID at the farther end.

      SEID.

       This dreadful duty then

       Must be fulfilled.

      MAHOMET.

       To Omar.

       Let us begone, in search