Inhuman brother!
Knowest thou what led me to this fatal place,
And meanest thou to insult me?
duke.
Let us bury
In deep oblivion every thought of discord;
Behold, the fair Amelia comes.
SCENE V.
duke of foix, vamir, amelia.
amelia.
O heaven!
What do I see? I die.
duke.
Amelia, listen,
And mark how happiness ariseth oft
From our misfortunes; this day I have conquered,
And this day found a brother; thou, my Vamir,
Shalt be a witness to the power of love.
What nor Amelia’s prayers, nor her reproaches,
My generous friend, my country, and my king,
Long time in vain solicited, her charms
At length have won: to them I yield submissive.
Amelia, whilst I was thy sovereign’s foe,
Thou wouldst not listen to my vows: henceforth
I have no laws, no friends, no king, but thine:
So love commands, and love shall be obeyed.
Vamir, thou’rt free: be thou the messenger
Of welcome tidings to the court: away,
And tell the king I hasten to present
His fair ally, the conqueror who subdued
A rebel’s heart, and of a dangerous foe
Hath made a faithful subject; changed by her,
And her alone.
vamir.
[Aside.
’Tis as I wished: my fate
Will soon be known: speak, and pronounce our doom.
duke.
Amelia, speak, art thou not satisfied
With my submission? Is it not enough
To see a conqueror thus humbly kneel
Before thee? Can my life alone content
Thy cruel heart? take it, ungrateful woman!
I wished but to preserve it for thy sake;
For thee alone I lived, for thee will die.
amelia.
I am astonished, and my faltering voice
Will scarce give utterance to my words—my lord,
If thy great soul laments thy country’s fate,
And feels for her distress, thy generous care
Must spring from nobler motives than the wish
To serve Amelia; thou hast heard the voice
Of powerful nature: what hath love to do
Where only honor hath a right to dictate?
duke.
’Tis thy own work, Amelia, all thy own:
O’er every interest, every passion, love
Superior reigns; reproach me, cover me
With shame, no matter: I must force thy heart;
Come to the altar.
vamir.
Darest thou—
amelia.
No, my lord;
I’d sooner die: my life’s at thy command,
But not my heart: there is a fatal bar
Between us, and I never can be thine.
duke.
’Tis well, ungrateful—dost thou hear her, Vamir?
But I’ll be calm: I’ll not complain of thee,
I see thee now: the soft persuasive arts
That call our passions forth, the flattering hope
That’s given but to betray, the subtle poison
Spread o’er our hearts, deceitful all and vain,
No longer shall seduce my easy faith,
The eye of reason hath detected them,
And the same art that bound hath set me free:
I will not blush before thee, Vamir: no,
I will not be despised: but let me see
This hidden rival, bring him here before me,
And I will yield him up the worthless prize;
For know, I have contempt enough for both
To wish you were united; that alone
Should be your punishment.
amelia.
Perhaps, my lord,
’Twere fittest for Amelia to retire
In silence, but I hold my honor dear,
And must defend it: I have been accused
Before thy brother, and must answer thee.
Know, then, I’m destined to another’s arms;
I own my love, my tender passion for him;
Amelia were unworthy of his heart,
Had she e’er given a distant hope to thee:
But thou wouldst seize my faith and liberty,
As if they were by right of conquest thine.
I owed thee much, but injuries like these,
My lord, discharge the debt of gratitude,
And cancel all: I saw, and pitied long
The violence of thy fruitless passion for me;
Do not then make me hate thee: I rejected
Thy proffered vows, but never scorned thy love:
I wished for thy esteem, and gave thee mine.
duke.
Perfidious woman! naught hast thou deserved
But my resentment, which thou soon shalt know
Is equal to my love: thou waitedst then
For Vamir to be witness of my shame!
I should have thought he was himself the traitor,
If—but he ne’er beheld thy fatal charms,
My happier brother never knew Amelia.
Who is this rival? let me know his name,
But think not I will tamely yield to him.
No: I deceived thee there, but cannot long
Dissemble; I will drag thee to the altar,
There, as he dies in torment, shall he see
Our hands united; I will dip in blood
The torch of Hymen: well I know that princes
Have been despised for mean and vulgar slaves,
But I shall find him.
vamir.