He would respect this sacred tie, and check
His fruitless passion.
amelia.
O I must not tell him:
The brothers, to complete my sorrows, armed
Against each other, have taken different parties
In this destructive war; the faithful Vamir
Fights for his king. Thou knowest the violence
Of his proud rival: all I can oppose
To his fierce rage is melancholy silence;
Even yet he knows not that in happier times
The gallant Vamir had engaged my heart:
To tell it him would fire his jealous soul,
And only make Amelia more unhappy.
’Tis time to quit this fatal place, the king
With pleasure will receive me: let us hence.
The prisoners, Thais, from these walls even now
Are breaking forth, and meditate their flight:
They will conduct us: I defy all danger,
Will hazard all for freedom and repose.
thais.
Behold the duke.
amelia.
I cannot speak to him,
The starting tear would soon betray me: what
Would I not give forever to avoid him!
SCENE III.
duke of foix, lisois, thais.
duke.
[To Thais.
Avoid me! fly me! Thais, stay: thou knowest
My sorrows, knowest I love her to distraction;
My life depends on her: but let her not
Abuse her power, and drive me to despair:
I hate her cold respect, her poor return
Of gratitude to all my warmth of passion:
Delay is cruel, ’tis the worst refusal;
’Tis an affront my heart will ne’er forgive:
In vain she boasts to me her loyal zeal,
Her fond attachment to her royal master,
’Tis time that all should yield to love and me:
Here let her find her country and her king;
To me she owes her honor, and her life;
And I owe all to her, I owe my love:
United as we are by every claim,
We must not part, the altar is prepared,
She shall be mine; go, tell her all is ready.
SCENE IV.
the duke, lisois.
lisois.
My lord, remember that our kingdom’s safety
Depends on this decisive day.
duke.
I know it
And am resolved to conquer or to die
Amelia’s husband.
lisois.
But the foe advances,
And soon will be upon us.
duke.
Let him come,
I mean to fight him; thinkest thou I’m a coward?
Thinkest thou the tyrant love shall e’er extinguish
My noble thirst of glory? though she hates,
She shall admire me still: she boasts indeed
Her sovereign empire o’er my captive heart,
But shall not blast my virtue and my fame.
No: thy reproaches are unjust; my friend
Was too severe; condemn me not unjustly,
Love ne’er unnerves the gallant sons of France:
Even from the bosom of success and joy,
Fearless they fly to arms, and rush on death:
And I too will die worthy of Amelia.
lisois.
Say rather, worthy of thyself: I think
To-day of nothing but the public welfare;
I talk of battles, and thou speakest of love.
My lord, I’ve seen the army of the foe:
Vamir, so fame reports, is armed against us:
From us, I know, he hath long since withdrawn
His valiant troops. I know him not, but hear
He’s of a noble nature: if his soul,
Inspired by duty, and by glory warmed,
Still feels the tender tie that linked your hearts
In earlier years, he may assist us now,
And be the means of making wished-for peace.
My cares—
duke.
Away: I would not be obliged
Thus to a brother: shall I sue for peace,
And ask forgiveness? yet it hurts my soul
To think that Vamir is my foe: I still
Remember our past friendship, and the love
I bore him once; but since he will oppose me,
Since he’s no longer ours, why let him go,
And serve his king.
lisois.
Thy fiery temper braves
Too far the patience of an easy monarch.
duke.
A monarch! the mere phantom of a king,
Unworthy of his race, a royal slave,
In golden chains, and seated on a throne
Subjected to a petty officer:
I’m not afraid of Pepin, their arch-tyrant;
I hate a subject that would frighten me,
And I despise a king who can’t command:
If he permits a rebel to usurp
The sovereign power, I’ll still support my own:
This heart’s too proud to bend beneath the laws
Of these new upstarts who oppress their king:
Clovis, my royal ancestor, ne’er taught
His sons to cringe beneath a haughty master.
At least these faithful Arabs will avenge me;
If I must feel a tyrant, let him be
A stranger.
lisois.
You detest these governors,
But they have saved our empire, which your friends,