duke.
And why
Shouldst thou excuse him? Didst thou never know her?
’Tis dreadful to conceive it. If thou didst,
Now, traitor, tremble.
vamir.
Vamir tremble? No:
Too long already I have borne in silence
Thy cruel insults; know me now, barbarian,
Know a despair that’s equal to thy own:
Strike here; behold thy brother, and thy rival.
duke.
Thou, Vamir, thou?
vamir.
Yes: for these two years past
We’ve been united in the strictest bonds
Of tender love; the only good on earth
I wished to keep, thy cruel hand hath strove
To ravish from me, made my life unhappy:
Judge of my miseries by thy own: we both
Are jealous, both were born the slaves of passion:
Hatred and love, resentment, and despair,
Possess our souls, and all in the extreme:
Thou wert my rival, therefore I opposed thee:
Furious and blind, I ran, I flew to save
The object of my love; not all thy power
Restrained me, nor my weakness, time nor place,
Not even thy noble courage; love prevailed
O’er friendship, and the ties of blood: be thou
Cruel like me, like me unnatural.
Whilst I have life, thou never canst enjoy
Thy conquest, never canst possess Amelia:
Strike, then, and punish, shed thy brother’s blood;
But when thou draggest her with thee to the altar,
Remember, she’s thy sister, and my wife.
duke.
Guards, seize the traitor, take him from my sight.
amelia.
Stay, cruel prince; art thou inflexible,
Deaf to the voice of nature? O, my lord!
vamir.
Sue not for me, Amelia, Vamir’s fate
Is to be envied: he most claims your pity
Who hath betrayed his king, and injured thee:
I am revenged, the victory is mine;
For thou art hated here, and I’m beloved.
amelia.
[Kneeling to the Duke.
O dearest prince, my lord, see at your feet—
duke.
Away with him: rise, madam, for thy tears
And fruitless prayers to save a traitor’s life
But pour fresh poison o’er my wounded heart
That bleeds for thee; but I will die, Amelia,
Not unrevenged: when thou shalt feel my rage
Accuse thyself; the work is all thy own.
amelia.
I cannot leave thee: O my lord, yet hear—
duke.
If I must hear thee, speak, go on.
SCENE VI.
the duke, vamir, amelia, lisois.
lisois.
My lord,
The people are in arms; at Vamir’s name
They rose tumultuous, and on every side
Disorder reigns; the affrighted soldiers leave
Their colors, and in wild confusion fly:
Meantime the foe unites his scattered powers,
And rushes on us.
duke.
Go, ungrateful woman!
Thou hast not long to glory in thy crimes;
Follow her—
[To one of her attendants.
I must to the factious crowd
And show myself: thou, Lisois, guard this traitor.
SCENE VII.
vamir, lisois.
lisois.
Art thou a traitor? couldst thou thus disgrace
Thy noble blood, to violate the laws
Of nature? could a prince so far forget
His duty and himself?
vamir.
I never did:
The people’s just: my brother is a rebel,
And has betrayed his master.
lisois.
Hear me, Vamir;
My soul desires no greater happiness
Than to unite you: long have I beheld
With deep regret my bleeding country’s woes,
Our fields laid waste, and nature sacrificed
To discord and revenge; the haughty Moor,
Raised on our ruins, menacing the state,
Which we have weakened by our own divisions.
O if thou bearest a heart that’s truly noble,
And worthy of thy race, now save thy country;
Exert thy power to reconcile the king,
Soften thy brother, and put out the flames
Of civil war.
vamir.
Impossible! thy cares
Are fruitless all and vain: if naught but discord,
Revenge and hatred, led me to the field,
Had glory and ambition fired my breast,
Thou mightest have hoped indeed to reunite us;
But there’s a bar more fatal still behind.
lisois.
What could it be! O tell me, Vamir.
vamir.
Love:
Love that has filled this breast with savage fury,
And made my brother cruel and inhuman.
lisois.
Good heaven! that vain caprice should thus destroy
The noblest purposes! Almighty love,
Canst thou reverse the laws of nature, fill
With unrelenting hate the jealous hearts
Of fondest brothers, and in every clime
By private passions work the public