Chapter 18

_Enter_ ALMANZOR, ABDELMELECH, _Soldiers._

_Almanz._ 'Tis war again, and I am glad 'tis so; Success shall now by force and courage go. Treaties are but the combat of the brain, Where still the stronger lose, and weaker gain.

_Abdelm._ On this assault, brave sir, which we prepare, Depends the sum and fortune of the war. Encamped without the fort the Spaniard lies, And may, in spite of us, send in supplies. Consider yet, ere we attack the place, What 'tis to storm it in an army's face.

_Almanz._ The minds of heroes their own measures are, They stand exempted from the rules of war. One loose, one sally of the hero's soul, Does all the military art controul; While timorous wit goes round, or fords the shore, He shoots the gulph, and is already o'er; And, when the enthusiastic fit is spent, Looks back amazed at what he underwent. [_Exeunt._ [_An alarum within._

_Re-enter_ ALMANZOR _and_ ABDELMELECH, _with their Soldiers._

_Abdelm._ They fly, they fly; take breath and charge again.

_Almanz._ Make good your entrance, and bring up more men. I feared, brave friend, my aid had been too late.

_Abdelm._ You drew us from the jaws of certain fate. At my approach, The gate was open, and the draw-bridge down; But, when they saw I stood, and came not on, They charged with fury on my little band, Who, much o'erpowered, could scarce the shock withstand.

_Almanz._ Ere night we shall the whole Albayzyn gain. But see, the Spaniards march along the plain To its relief; you, Abdelmelech, go, And force the rest, while I repulse the foe. [_Exit_ ALMANZOR.

_Enter_ ABDALLA, _and some few Soldiers, who seem fearful._

_Abdal._ Turn cowards, turn! there is no hope in flight; You yet may live, if you but dare to fight. Come, you brave few, who only fear to fly, We're not enough to conquer, but to die.

_Abdelm._ No, prince, that mean advantage I refuse; 'Tis in your power a nobler fate to choose. Since we are rivals, honour does command We should not die, but by each other's hand. Retire; and, if it prove my destiny [_To his men._ To fall, I charge you let the prince go free. [_The Soldiers depart on both sides._

_Abdal._ O, Abdelmelech, that I knew some way This debt of honour, which I owe, to pay! But fate has left this only means for me, To die, and leave you Lyndaraxa free.

_Abdelm._ He, who is vanquished and is slain, is blest; The wretched conqueror can ne'er have rest; But is reserved a harder fate to prove. Bound in the fetters of dissembled love.

_Abdal._ Now thou art base, and I deserve her more; Without complaint I will to death adore. Dar'st thou see faults, and yet dost love pretend? I will even Lyndaraxa's crimes defend.

_Abdelm._ Maintain her cause, then, better than thy own,-- Than thy ill got, and worse defended throne. [_They fight,_ ABDALLA _falls._

_Abdelm._ Now ask your life.

_Abdal._ 'Tis gone; that busy thing, The soul, is packing up, and just on wing, Like parting swallows, when they seek the spring: Like them, at its appointed time, it goes, And flies to countries more unknown than those.

_Enter_ LYNDARAXA _hastily, sees them, and is going out again._ ABDELMELECH _stops her._

_Abdelm._ No, you shall stay, and see a sacrifice, Not offered by my sword, but by your eyes. From those he first ambitious poison drew, And swelled to empire from the love of you. Accursed fair! Thy comet-blaze portends a prince's fate; And suffering subjects groan beneath thy weight.

_Abdal._ Cease, rival, cease! I would have forced you, but it wonnot be; I beg you now, upbraid her not for me. You, fairest, to my memory be kind! [_To_ LYNDAR. Lovers like me your sex will seldom find. When I usurped a crown for love of you, I then did more, than, dying, now I do. I'm still the same as when my love begun; And, could I now this fate foresee or shun, Would yet do all I have already done. [_Dies._ [_She puts her handkerchief to her eyes._

_Abdelm._ Weep on, weep on, for it becomes you now; These tears you to that love may well allow. His unrepenting soul, if it could move Upward in crimes, flew spotted with your love; And brought contagion to the blessed above.

_Lyndar._ He's gone, and peace go with a constant mind! His love deserved I should have been more kind; But then your love and greater worth I knew: I was unjust to him, but just to you.

_Abdelm._ I was his enemy, and rival too, Yet I some tears to his misfortune owe: You owe him more; weep then, and join with me: So much is due even to humanity.

_Lyndar._ Weep for this wretch, whose memory I hate! Whose folly made us both unfortunate! Weep for this fool, who did my laughter move! This whining, tedious, heavy lump of love!

_Abdelm._ Had fortune favoured him, and frowned on me, I then had been that heavy fool, not he: Just this had been my funeral elegy. Thy arts and falsehood I before did know, But this last baseness was concealed till now; And 'twas no more than needful to be known; I could be cured by such an act alone. My love, half blasted, yet in time would shoot; But this last tempest rends it to the root.

_Lyndar._ These little piques, which now your anger move, Will vanish, and are only signs of love. You've been too fierce; and, at some other time, I should not with such ease forgive your crime: But, in a day of public joy like this, I pardon, and forget whate'er's amiss.

_Abdelm._ These arts have oft prevailed, but must no more: The spell is ended, and the enchantment o'er. You have at last destroyed, with much ado, That love, which none could have destroyed, but you. My love was blind to your deluding art; But blind men feel, when stabbed so near the heart.

_Lyndar._ I must confess there was some pity due; But I concealed it out of love to you.

_Abdelm._ No, Lyndaraxa; 'tis at last too late: Our loves have mingled with too much of fate. I would, but cannot now, myself deceive: O that you still could cheat, and I believe!

_Lyndar._ Do not so light a quarrel long pursue: You grieve your rival was less loved than you. 'Tis hard, when men of kindness must complain!

_Abdelm._ I'm now awake, and cannot dream again.

_Lyndar._ Yet hear--

_Abdelm._ No more; nothing my heart can bend: That queen, you scorned, you shall this night attend. Your life the king has pardoned for my sake; But on your pride I some revenge must take. See now the effects of what your arts designed! Thank your inconstant and ambitious mind. 'Tis just that she, who to no love is true, Should be forsaken, and contemned, like you.

_Lyndar._ All arts of injured women I will try: First I will be revenged; and then I'll die. But like some falling tower, Whose seeming firmness does the sight beguile, So hold I up my nodding head a while, Till they come under; and reserve my fall, That with my ruins I may reach them all,

_Abdelm._ Conduct her hence. [_Exit_ LYNDAR. _guarded._

_Enter a Soldier._

_Sold._ Almanzor is victorious without fight; The foes retreated when he came in sight. Under the walls, this night, his men are drawn, And mean to seek the Spaniard with the dawn.

_Abdelm._ The sun's declined: Command the watch be set without delay, And in the fort let bold Benducar stay.-- [_Exit Sold._ I'll haste to court, where solitude I'll fly, And herd, like wounded deer, in company. But oh, how hard a passion to remove, When I must shun myself, to 'scape from love! [_Exit._