SCENE IX.
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.
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.
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
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
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