Chapter 25

_Enter Inca,_ ORAZIA, MONTEZUMA, ACACIS, _prisoners, with Peruvians_.

_Inca_. Thrice have the Mexicans before us fled, Their armies broke, their prince in triumph led; Both to thy valour, brave young man, we owe; Ask thy reward, but such as it may show It is a king thou hast obliged, whose mind Is large, and, like his fortune, unconfined.

_Mont_. Young, and a stranger, to your court I came, There, by your favour, raised to what I am: I conquer, but in right of your great fate, And so your arms, not mine, are fortunate.

_Inca_. I am impatient, till this debt be paid. Which still encreases on me while delayed; A bounteous monarch to himself is kind: Ask such a gift as may for ever bind Thy service to my empire, and to me.

_Mont_. What can this gift, he bids me ask him, be! Perhaps he has perceived our mutual fires, And now, with ours, would crown his own desires; 'Tis so, he sees my service is above All other payments but his daughter's love.

[_Aside_.

_Inca_. So quick to merit, and to take so slow? I first prevent small wishes, and bestow This prince, his sword and fortunes, to thy hand; He's thine unasked; now make thy free demand.

_Mont_. Here, prince, receive this sword, as only due

[_Gives_ ACACIS _his sword_.

To that excess of courage shown in you.-- When you, without demand, a prince bestow, Less than a prince to ask of you were low.

_Inca_. Then ask a kingdom; say, where thou wilt reign.

_Mont_. I beg not empires, those my sword can gain; But, for my past and future service too, What I have done, and what I mean to do; For this of Mexico which I have won, And kingdoms I will conquer yet unknown; I only ask from fair Orazia's eyes To reap the fruits of all my victories.

_1 Peru_. Our Inca's colour mounts into his face.

_2 Peru_. His looks speak death.

_Inca_. Young man of unknown race, Ask once again; so well thy merits plead, Thou shall not die for that which thou hast said; The price of what thou ask'st, thou dost not know; That gift's too high.

_Mont_. And all besides too low.

_Inca_. Once more I bid thee ask.

_Mont_. Once more I make The same demand.

_Inca_. The Inca bids thee take Thy choice, what towns, what kingdoms thou would'st have.

_Mont_. Thou giv'st me only what before I gave. Give me thy daughter.

_Inca_. Thou deserv'st to die. O thou great author of our progeny, Thou glorious sun, dost thou not blush to shine, While such base blood attempts to mix with thine!

_Mont_. That sun, thou speak'st of, did not hide his face, When he beheld me conquering with his race.

_Inca_. My fortunes gave thee thy success in fight! Convey thy boasted valour from my sight; I can o'ercome without thy feeble aid.

[_Exeunt Inca_, ORAZIA, _and Peruvians_.

_Mont_. And is it thus my services are paid? Not all his guards--

[_Offers to go,_ ACACIS _holds him_.

_Aca_. Hold, sir.

_Mont_. Unhand me.

_Aca_. No, I must your rage prevent From doing what your reason would repent; Like the vast seas, your mind no limits knows, Like them, lies open to each wind that blows.

_Mont_. Can a revenge, that is so just, be ill?

_Aca_. It is Orazia's father, you would kill.

_Mont_. Orazia! how that name has charmed my sword!

_Aca_. Compose these wild distempers in your breast; Anger, like madness, is appeased by rest.

_Mont_. Bid children sleep, my spirits boil too high; But, since Orazia's father must not die, A nobler vengeance shall my actions guide; I'll bear the conquest to the conquered side, Until this Inca for my friendship sues, And proffers what his pride does now refuse.

_Aca_. Your honour is obliged to keep your trust.

_Mont_. He broke that bond, in ceasing to be just.

_Aca_. Subjects to kings should more obedience pay.

_Mont_. Subjects are bound, not strangers, to obey.

_Aca_. Can you so little your Orazia prize, To give the conquest to her enemies? Can you so easily forego her sight? I, that hold liberty more dear than light, Yet to my freedom should my chains prefer, And think it were well lost to stay with her.

_Mont_. How unsuccessfully I still o'ercome! I brought a rival, not a captive, home; Yet I may be deceived; but 'tis too late To clear those doubts, my stay brings certain fate. [_Aside_. Come, prince, you shall to Mexico return, Where your sad armies do your absence mourn; And in one battle I will gain you more Than I have made you lose in three before.

_Aca_. No, Montezuma, though you change your side, I, as a prisoner, am by honour tied.

_Mont_. You are my prisoner, and I set you free.

_Aca_. 'Twere baseness to accept such liberty.

_Mont_. From him, that conquered you, it should be sought.

_Aca_. No, but from him, for whom my conqueror fought.

_Mont_. Still you are mine, his gift has made you so.

_Aca_. He gave me to his general, not his foe.

_Mont_. How poorly have you pleaded honour's laws! Yet shun the greatest in your country's cause.

_Aca_. What succour can the captive give the free.

_Mont_. A needless captive is an enemy. In painted honour you would seem to shine; But 'twould be clouded, were your wrongs like mine.

_Aca_. When choler such unbridled power can have, Thy virtue seems but thy revenge's slave: If such injustice should my honour stain, My aid would prove my nation's loss, not gain.

_Mont_. Be cozened by thy guilty honesty, To make thyself thy country's enemy.

_Aca_. I do not mean in the next fight to stain My sword in blood of any Mexican, But will be present in the fatal strife, To guard Orazia's and the Inca's life.

_Mont_. Orazia's life, fond man! First guard thy own; Her safety she must owe to me alone.

_Aca_. Your sword, that does such wonders, cannot be, In an ill cause, secure of victory.

_Mont_. Hark, hark! [_Noise of trampling_.

_Aca_. What noise is this invades my ear? Fly, Montezuma! fly, the guards are near: To favour your retreat, I'll freely pay That life, which you so frankly gave this day.

_Mont_. I must retire; but those, that follow me, Pursue their deaths, and not their victory.

[_Exit_ MONT.

_Aca_. Our quarrels kinder than our friendships prove: You for my country fight, I for your love.

_Enter_ INCA _and Guards_.

_Inca_. I was to blame to leave this madman free; Perhaps he may revolt to the enemy, Or stay, and raise some fatal mutiny.

_Aca_. Stop your pursuits, for they must pass through me.

_Inca_. Where is the slave?

_Aca_. Gone.

_Inca_. Whither?

_Aca_. O'er the plain; Where he may soon the camp, or city, gain.

_Inca_. Curse on my dull neglect! And yet I do less cause of wonder find, That he is gone, than that thou stayest behind.

_Aca_. My treatment, since you took me, was so free, It wanted but the name of liberty. I with less shame can still your captive live, Than take that freedom, which you did not give.

_Inca_. Thou brave young man, that hast thy years outdone, And, losing liberty, hast honour won, I must myself thy honour's rival make, And give that freedom, which thou would'st not take. Go, and be safe.--

_Aca_. But that you may be so-- Your dangers must be past before I go. Fierce Montezuma will for fight prepare, And bend on you the fury of the war, Which, by my presence, I will turn away, If fortune gives my Mexicans the day.

_Inca_. Come, then, we are alike to honour just, Thou to be trusted thus, and I to trust. [_Exeunt_.