A guilty murderer, ha! what means my heart?
I’ve nourished vengeance long; and shall I not
Enjoy it now? I tremble: and a voice,
Solemn and sad, cries from my inmost soul,
Stop, Foix, he is thy brother, hapless prince,
Call back the murderer: Vamir was thy friend.
O sweet remembrance of our infant years,
When in the days of innocence our hearts
Spoke nature’s language, and imparted free
Our mutual wishes! O how oft has Vamir
Partook my griefs, and with a brother’s hand,
Wiped off the falling tears! and shall I now
Destroy him? O thou fatal passion, where,
Where hast thou led me? sure I was not born
This savage, this barbarian: Vamir yet
Was guilty; Vamir robbed me of my life,
In my Amelia: still I am unjust;
He loved; was that a crime to merit death?
Alas! nor time, nor war, nor absence, cooled
Their faithful passion; still their guiltless flame
In purest lustre shone, before my heart
Was poisoned by the cruel draught of love:
But Vamir braves my wrath, and is my foe;
Deceives me, hates me; yet he is my brother.
He should have lived, he was beloved, and happy,
And only I should perish: I will die
But as I lived, with honor. Pity melts me,
Nature determines, and I will forgive him.
’Tis time—
SCENE II.
duke of foix, an officer.
duke.
Prevent a parricide: away,
Haste to the tower, reverse my orders: go.
And let my brother—
officer.
O my lord—
duke.
What sayest thou!
Run, fly, obey me.
officer.
Near the gate this moment
I saw a body covered o’er with blood,
Carried in secret forth by Lisois’ orders,
And much I fear—
duke.
O heaven! my brother’s dead
And I yet live: earth hath not swallowed me,
Nor lightning blasted: a base murderer,
Foe to his country, an unnatural brother,
How love has changed me! what a load of guilt
Have I to answer for! the veil’s removed;
And now, alas! I know myself too well;
I cannot be more guilty: O my brother!
I feel I loved thee, yet I slew thee, Vamir.
officer.
Amelia comes, my lord, and begs to speak
In private with you.
duke.
O I must not see her!
Not for the world: I cannot bear it: no,
She will avenge the murder in my blood:
But let her come: I tremble to behold her.
SCENE III.
duke of foix, amelia, thais.
amelia.
My lord, you have prevailed: and since that hatred
(How can I call it by another name?)
Which hath so long pursued me, now requires
A brother’s blood, or his Amelia’s hand,
Take it: the choice is made, and I am thine:
Remember, I’m the purchase of thy guilt:
Loosen his chains, and set my Vamir free,
That I no more may tremble for his life,
And I will give thee all, yield up my hopes
Of happiness with him, and follow thee,
Even to the altar; there the hand that gives
My faith away shall punish all my weakness.
Know, at the temple, where thy bridal vows—
But thou desirest my hand, and that alone
I have to give thee: ha! thou art silent: say,
Is Vamir, is thy brother freed already?
duke.
My brother!
amelia.
Gracious heaven!—remove my fears,
Thy eyes are bathed in tears.
duke.
Thou askest his life
amelia.
What do I hear? didst thou not promise me—
duke.
It is too late.
amelia.
Too late! O Vamir!
duke.
Yes,
It is indeed; would it were not, Amelia;
The cruel Lisois has obeyed my orders
Too faithfully: O live, to punish me;
Pierce this inhuman, this unnatural heart,
That loved thee but too well: I killed my brother,
But for thy sake: revenge on me the crimes
Which but for thee I never had committed.
amelia.
[Falling into the arms of Thais.
Vamir is dead, barbarian!
duke.
And thy hand
Shall shed the murderer’s blood.
amelia.
[Fainting.
And is he gone?
My Vamir—
duke.
Thy reproaches—
amelia.
Spare me, spare me,
I’ll not reproach thee; take thy sorrows hence,
And thy repentance: let me but embrace him,
And die.
duke.
Amelia, thou hast too much cause
To grieve, but O for pity take this life
That’s hateful to me; but I’ve not deserved