The king in person animate our men, The Moor, is dead. That Osmyn was Alphonso; How much report has wrong'd your easy faith. [GARCIA goes in. Alon. My lord, for certain truth, Perez is fled; And has declared the cause of his revolt, Was to revenge a blow the king had given him. whence, or how, or wherefore was this done? ut what imports the manner, or the cause? lothing remains to do, or to require, at that we all should turn our swords against Jurselves, and expiate with our own his blood. Gon. O wretch! O cursed, and rash, deluded fool! In me, on me, turn your avenging sword! who have spilt my royal master's blood, hould make atonement by a death as horrid ; nd fall beneath the hand of my own son. Gar. Ha! what? atone this murder with a greater? he horror of that thought has damp'd my rage. he earth already groans to bear this deed; ppress her not, nor think to stain her face With more unnatural blood. Murder my father! etter with this to rip up my own bowels, nd bathe it to the hilt, in far less damnable elf-murder. Gon. O my son! from the blind dotage If a father's fondness these ills arose ; or thee I've been ambitious, base, and bloody: or thee I've plunged into this sea of sin; lemming the tide with only one weak hand, Thile t'other bore the crown, (to wreath thy brow,) Those weight has sunk me ere I reach'd the shore. Gar. Fatal ambition! Hark! the foe is enter'd. [Shout. The shrillness of that shout speaks 'em at hand. fe have no time to search into the cause of this surprising and most fatal error. What's to be done? the king's death known, will strike The few remaining soldiers with despair, And make 'em yield to mercy of the conqueror. Alon. My lord, I've thought how to conceal the body; Though for the crown of universal empire. Which may be still mistaken by the guards Gon. I shall make good, and shelter his retreat. SCENE VIII. ZARA, followed by SELIM, and two Mutes bearing the bowls. condemn'd, from clink of And crash of rusty bars and creeking hinges : Let 'em set down the bowls, and warn Alphonso [Mutes go in. The king; tell him, what he required I've done, And wait his coming to approve the deed. SCENE IX. SCENE XI. ZARA and Mutes. Zara. What have you seen? Ha! wherefore stare you thus [The Mutes return, and look affrighted With haggard eyes? why are your arms a-cross? Your heavy and desponding heads hung down? Why is't you more than speak in these sad signs? Give me more ample knowledge of this mourning. [They go to the Scene, which opening, she perceives the Ha! prostrate! bloody! headless! O-I'm lost! SCENE X. ZARA, SELIM, and Mutes. Sel. I've sought in vain, for nowhere can the king Be found. Zara. Get thee to hell, and seek him there! His hellish rage had wanted means to act, The mute you sent by some mischance was seen, [Dies. Zara. As thou art now-and I shall quickly be. "Tis not that he is dead; for 'twas decreed We both should die. Nor is't that I survive; I have a certain remedy for that. But oh, he died unknowing in my heart! He knew I loved, but knew not to what height: Of sense; his soul still sees, and knows each purpose, [Drinks. ALMERIA, LEONORA, and Mutes. Alm. O let me seek him in this horrid cell; For in the tomb, or prison, I alone Must hope to find him. Leon. Heavens! what dismal scene Of death is this? The eunuch Selim slain! Alm. Show me, for I am come in search of death; But want a guide; for tears have dimm'd my sight. Leon. Alas, a little farther, and behold Zara all pale and dead! two frightful men, Who seem the murderers, kneel weeping by, Feeling remorse too late for what they've done. But O forbear-lift up your eyes no more; But haste away, fly from this fatal place! Where miseries are multiplied; return, Return and look not on; for there's a dagger Ready to stab the sight, and make your eyes Rain blood Alm. Oh I foreknow, foresee that object. Had they or hearts or eyes, that did this deed! All things were well: and yet my husband's mar der'd! Yes, yes, I know to mourn! I'll sluice this heart, Their heads, in sign of grief and innocence! O hold, Seest thou not there? behold who prostrate lies, [Coming nearer the body, starts and lets fall the cuph But spouting veins, and mangled flesh! Oh, oh! SCENE XII. ALMERIA, LEONORA, ALPHONSO, HELI, PEREZ, with GARCIA prisoner, Guards and Attendants. Alph. Away, stand off! where is she? let me fly, Save her from death, and snatch her to my heart. Alm. Oh! Alph. Forbear; my arms alone shall hold her up, Warm her to life, and wake her into gladness. The words of joy and peace! warm thy cold beauties, With the breath of love! Shine, awake, Almeria ! Alm. Where am I? Heaven! what does this dream intend? Alph. O mayst thou never dream of less delight, Nor ever wake to less substantial joys! Alm. Given me again from death! O all ye powers Confirm this miracle! Can I believe ly sight, against my sight? and shall I trust Eat sense, which in one instant shows him dead and living? Yes, I will; I've been abused Frail life, to be entirely bless'd. Even now, Let 'em remove the body from her sight. Whose virtue has renounced thy father's crimes; EPILOGUE SPOKEN BY MRS. BRACEGIRDLE. HE tragedy thus done, I am, you know, with what joy they run to spread the news f a damn'd poet, and departed muse! at if he 'scape, with what regret they're seized! nd how they're disappointed when they're pleased! ritics to plays for the same end resort, Lat surgeons wait on trials in a court; For innocence condemn'd they've no respect, S MY LORD,-Whether the world will arraign me of vanity or not, that I have presumed to dedicate this comedy s your Lordship, I am yet in doubt; though, it may be, it is some degree of vanity even to doubt of it. One who has. any time had the honour of your Lordship's conversation, cannot be supposed to think very meanly of that which would prefer to your perusal; yet it were to incur the imputation of too much sufficiency, to pretend to such a nar as might abide the test of your Lordship's censure. Whatever value may be wanting to this play while yet it is mine, will be sufficiently made up to it when it is on become your Lordship's; and it is my security, that I cannot have overrated it more by my dedication, than you Lordship will dignify it by your patronage. That it succeeded on the stage, was almost beyond my expectation; for but little of it was prepared for that genera taste which seems now to be predominant in the palates of our audience. Those characters which are meant to be ridiculed in most of our comedies, are of fools so gross, that, in my humbl opinion, they should rather disturb than divert the well-natured and reflecting part of an audience; they are rathe objects of charity than contempt; and instead of moving our mirth, they ought very often to excite our compassi .. This reflection moved me to design some characters which should appear ridiculous, not so much through a natura folly (which is incorrigible, and therefore not proper for the stage) as through an affected wit; a wit, which at th same time that it is affected, is also false. As there is some difficulty in the formation of a character of this nature, s there is some hazard which attends the progress of its success upon the stage; for many come to a play so overcharge with criticism, that they very often let fly their censure, when through their rashness they have mistaken their zi This I had occasion lately to observe; for this play had been acted two or three days, before some of these hasty judge could find the leisure to distinguish betwixt the character of a Witwoud and a Truewit. I must beg your Lordship's pardon for this digression from the true course of this epistle; but that it may not seem altogether impertinent, I beg that I may plead the occasion of it, in part of that excuse of which I stand in need, fe recommending this comedy to your protection. It is only by the countenance of your Lordship, and the few so qualited that such who write with care and pains can hope to be distinguished; for the prostituted name of poet promiscuousl levels all that bear it. Terence, the most correct writer in the world, had a Scipio and a Lælius, if not to assist him, at least to support in his reputation; and notwithstanding his extraordinary merit, it may be their countenance was not more that necessary. The purity of his style, the delicacy of his turns, and the justness of his characters, were all of them beauties whic the greater part of his audience were incapable of tasting; some of the coarsest strokes of Plautus, so severely censure by Horace, were more likely to affect the multitude; such who come with expectation to laugh at the last act of play, and are better entertained with two or three unseasonable jests, than with the artful solution of the fable. As Terence excelled in his performances, so had he great advantages to encourage his undertakings; for he built mo on the foundations of Menander; his plots were generally modelled, and his characters ready drawn to his hand. Hi copied Menander, and Menander had no less light in the formation of his characters, from the observatiore e Theophrastus, of whom he was a disciple; and Theophrastus, it is known, was not only the disciple, but the immed successor of Aristotle, the first and greatest judge of poetry. These were great models to design by; and the furthe advantage which Terence possessed, towards giving his plays the due ornaments of purity of style and justness manners, was not less considerable, from the freedom of conversation which was permitted him with Lælius and Scipio, two of the greatest and most polite men of his age. And indeed the privilege of such a conversation is the only certain means of attaining to the perfection of dialogue. If it has happened in any part of this comedy, that I have gained a turn of style or expression more correct, or at least more corrigible, than in those which I have formerly written, I must, with equal pride and gratitude, ascribe it t e honour of your Lordship's admitting me into your conversation, and that of a society where everybody else was so ell worthy of you, in your retirement last summer from the town; for it was immediately after that this comedy was ritten. If I have failed in my performance, it is only to be regretted, where there were so many, not inferior either to Sipio or a Lælius, that there should be one wanting equal in capacity to a Terence. If I am not mistaken, poetry is almost the only art which has not yet laid claim to your Lordship's patronage. chitecture and painting, to the great honour of our country, have flourished under your influence and protection. the mean time, poetry, the eldest sister of all arts, and parent of most, seems to have resigned her birthright, by ving neglected to pay her duty to your Lordship, and by permitting others of a later extraction, to prepossess that ce in your esteem to which none can pretend a better title. Poetry, in its nature, is sacred to the good and great; relation between them is reciprocal, and they are ever propitious to it. It is the privilege of poetry to address them, and it is their prerogative alone to give it protection. This received maxim is a general apology for all writers who consecrate their labours to great men; but I could wish this time, that this address were exempted from the common pretence of all dedications; and that as I can distinguish r Lordship even among the most deserving, so this offering might become remarkable by some particular instance respect, which should assure your Lordship, that I am, with all due sense of your extreme worthiness and humanity, Lord, your Lordship's most obedient, and most obliged humble servant, r those few fools who with ill stars are curst, Yer which she broods to hatch the changeling-kind. ach time they write they venture all they've won : He owns with toil he wrought the following scenes; But, if they're naught, ne'er spare him for his Damn him the more; have no commiseration He swears he'll not resent one hiss'd-off scene, |