For know, my heart—
SCENE III
MAHOMET, PALMIRA, OMAR, ALI, Attendants.
OMAR.
The secret is revealed;
Hercides told it in his dying moments:
The people all enraged have forced the prison:
They're up in arms, and bearing on their shoulders
The bloody corpse of their unhappy chief,
Lament his fate, and cry aloud for vengeance:
All is confusion: Seid at their head
Excited them to rebellion, and cries out,
“I am a parricide;” with rage and grief
He seems distracted; with one voice the crowd
United to curse the prophet and his God:
Even those who promised to admit our forces
Within the walls of Mecca, have conspired
With them to raise their desperate arms against thee;
And naught is heard but cries of death and vengeance.
PALMIRA.
Just heaven pursue him, and defend the cause
Of innocence!
MAHOMET.
(to Omar.)
Well, what have we to fear?
OMAR.
Omar, my lord, with your few faithful friends,
Despising danger, are prepared to brave
The furious storm, and perish at your feet.
MAHOMET.
Alone I will defend you all; come near:
Behold and say I act like Mahomet.
SCENE IV
MAHOMET, OMAR, ALI, and his party one side, SEID and the People on the other. PALMIRA in the middle.
SEID.
Avenge my father, seize the traitor.
MAHOMET.
People,
Born to obey me, listen to your master.
SEID.
Hear not the monster; follow me:
(he comes forward a little, and then staggers.)
O heaven!
What sudden darkness spread o'er my dim eyes?
Now strike, my friends—O I am dying.
MAHOMET.
Ha!
Then all is well.
PALMIRA.
My brother, canst thou shed
No blood but Zopir's?
SEID.
Yes: come on—I cannot;
Some god unnerves me.
(he faints).
MAHOMET.
Hence let every foe
Of Mahomet be taught to fear and tremble:
Know, ye proud infidels, this hand alone
Hath power to crush you all, to me the God
Of nature delegates his sovereign power:
Acknowledge then his prophet, and his laws,
'Twixt Mahomet and Seid let that God
decide the contest, which of us forever
is guilty, now, this moment let him perish!
PALMIRA.
My brother—Seid—can this monster boast
Such power? The people stand astonished at him,
And tremble at his voice; and wilt thou yield
To Mahomet?
SEID.
(supported by his attendant.).
Alas! The hand of heaven
Is on me, and the involuntary crime
Is too severely punished: O Palmira,
In vain was Seid virtuous: O if heaven
Chastises this our errors, what must crimes
Like think expect, detested Mahomet?
What cause hast thou to tremble—O I die;
Receive me, gracious heaven, and spare Palmira.
(dies).
PALMIRA.
'Tis not, ye people, 'tis not angry heaven
Pursues my Seid. No: he's poisoned—
MAHOMET.
(interrupting her, and addressing himself to the people.)
Learn
From Seid's fate, ye unbelievers, how
To reverence Mahomet whom heaven defends;
And this pale corpse hath witnessed their obedience;
The sword of fate hangs o'er your heads, beware
It fall not on you: thus will I reward
All impious rebels, all vile infidels,
And punish every word and thought against me.
If I withhold my rage, and let you live,
Remember, traitors, that you owe your beings
To my indulgence; hasten to the temple,
Prostrate yourselves before the throne of grace,
And deprecate the wrath of Mahomet.
(the people retire.)
PALMIRA.
O stay, and hear me, people—the barbarian
Poisoned my brother—monster, raised by crimes
To empire thus, and deified by guilt,
Thou murderer of Palmira's hapless race,
Complete thy work, and take my wretched life:
O my dear brother, let me follow thee!
(she seizes her brother's sword and stabs herself.)
MAHOMET.
Seize, and prevent her—
PALMIRA.
'Tis too late; I die:
and dying hope a God more just than thine
has yet in store a state of happiness
for injured innocence: let Mahomet
reign here in peace: this world was made for tyrants.
(dies).
MAHOMET.
She's gone; she's lost; the only dear reward
I wished to keep of all my crimes: in vain
I fought and conquered; Mahomet is wretched
Without Palmira: Conscience, now I feel thee,
And feel that thou canst rive the guilty heart.