Then to a dungeons depth I sent him bound.
Now know you are my prisoner:-

No coyness, therefore, but inake me happy;
For I am master here.

Em. From my sight!

Thou, all thy devils in one, thou dar'st not force me.

Osm. You teach me well;

I'll give you that excuse your sex desire.

He seizes ber, and she struggles.

Grim. (within) O master, master!
Osm. Who's that, my Grimbald!

Enter GRIMBALD haftily.

Grim. Oh master! danger threatens thee;
There's a black cloud descending from above,
Full of heaven's venom, bursting o'er thy head.

Osm. Malicious fiend, thou liest; for I am fenc'd
By millions of thy fellows, in my grove,
I bade thee, when I freed thee from the charm,
Run scouting through the wood, from tree to tree,
And see if all my devils are on duty:

Hadst thou perform'd thy charge, thou tardy sprite,
Thou wouldst have known no danger threaten'd me,
Grim. When did a devil fail in diligence?
Poor mortal, thou thyself art overseen;

I have been there, and hence I bring this news.
Thy fatal foe, great Arthur, is at hand;

Merlin has ta'en his time, while thou wert absent,
To counterwork thy spelis.

Osm. Perdition seize on Merlin!

I'll cast em all a-new, and instantly,

All of another mould: be thou at hand.

Their composition was before of horror;

Now they shall be of blandishment and love
When I return, proud fair,

Resolve to meet my love;

If you are not fairly to be enjoy'd,

A little honest force shall be employ'd.

SCENE, a wood, with a large oak in the front.

Enter ARTHUR and Merlin.

Mer. Thus far it is permitted me to go;
But all beyond this spot is fene'd with charms;
I may no more, but only with advice.
Arth. My sword shall do the rest.

Mer. Remember well, that all is but illusion.
Arth. Doubt me not.

Mer. Yet in prevention

Of what may come, I'll leave my Philidel

To watch thy steps, and with him leave my wand;
Once more farewel, and prosper.

[Exit Merlin, Arth (walking) No danger yet, I see no walls of fire No city of the fiends, with forms obscure,

Togin from far on flaming battlemen ́s.

૪

This is indeed the grove I should destrov;

But where's the horror? sure the prophet err'd.
Hark! music, and the warbling notes of birds."

[Singing of birds within. [The scene opens and discovers à pleasant river shaded with trees, a golden bridge over it.

A silver current to forbid my passage,

And yet 't invite me, stands a golden bridge;
Perhaps a trap for my unwary feet,

To sink and whelm ne underneath the waves;
With fire or water. Let him wage his war,

Or all the elements at once, I'll on,

This goodly tree seems queen of all the grove,
The ringlets round her trunk declare her guilty
Of many midnight sabbaths revell'd here.
Her will I first attempt.

[Arthur strikes at the tree, and cuts it; blood spouts of
it, a groan follows, then a shriek.

Good heav'n, what monstrous prodigies are these!
Blood follows from my blow; the wounded rind
Spouts on my sword, and sanguine dyes the plain!

[He strikes again: a voice of Emmeline from bebind. Em. Forbear, if thou hast pity, ah, forbear! These groans proceed not from a senseless plant;

No

No streams of blood run welling from a tree.

Artb. Speak what thou art; I charge the speak thy being [Emmeline breaks out of the tree, shewing her arm bloody. Arth. 'Tis she amazement roots me to the ground! Em. Whom thou hast hurt, unkind and cruel, see. Em. By cruel charms dragg'd from my peaceful bower, Fierce Osmond clos'd me in this bleeding bark; So that whatever sword, or sounding axe, Shall violate this plant, must pierce my flesh, And when that falls I die.

Arth. If this be true,

O never, never to be ended charm,

At least by me! Yet all may be illusion.
Break up, ye thick'ning fogs, ye filmy mists,
All that belie my sight, and cheat my sense;
For reason still pronounces, 'tis not she,
And thus resolv'd

Lifts up his sword.

Em. Do strike, barbarian, strike;
And strew my mangled limbs with every blow.
Wound me, and doubly kill me, with u.kindness,
That, by thy hand 1 fall.

Arth. O love! O Merlin! whom should I believe?
Em. Believe thyself, thy youth, thy love, and me;
Disarm thy hand, that mine may meet it bare:

Artb. If falling for the first created-fair

Was Adam's fault,

Eden was lost, as all his sons would lose it.

[Going to Emmeline.

Enter PHILIDEL running.

Phil. Hold, poor deluded mortal, hold thy hand,

Which if thou giv'st is plighted to a fiend,

For proof, behold the virtue of this wand;

[Strikes Emmeline with a wand, who straight descends: Grimbald appears in ber place.

Now see to whose embraces thou wert falling.

Behold the maiden modesty of Grimbald!

Artb. Horror seizes me,

[Grimbald groans

To think what headlong ruin I have tempted..
Phil. Haste to thy work; a noble stroke or two,
Ends all the charms, and disenchants the grove.
I'll hold thy mistress bound.

F 4

[Chains Grimbald.

arth

Artb. Then here's for earnest;

[Strikes twice or thrice, the tree sinks amidst thunder. and lightning, and the bridge breaks down.

"Tis finish'd, and the dusk that yet remains,

Is but the native horror of the wood.

On yon proud towers, before this day be done,

My glittring banners shall be wav'd against the setting sun.

[Exit Arthur. Phil. Come on, my surly slave; come, stalk along, And stamp a madman's pace, and drag thy chain. Grim. I'll champ and foam upon't, till the blue venom Work upwards to thy hands, and loose their hold.

Phil. Know'st thou this powerful wand? 'tis lifted up A second stroke would send thee to the centre, Benumb'd and dead, as far as souls can die. Grim. I wish thou would'st, to rid me of Chorus. Victory victory! Vice is in chains, Victory! victory! Virtue reigns.

SCENE, a Camp.

Enter OSMOND affrighted.

my sense.

[Exeunt.

Osm. Grimbald made prisoner, and my grove destroy'd! Now what can save me-Hark, the drums and trumpets!

[Drums and trumpets within. Arthur is marching onward to the fort.

I have but one recourse, and that's to Oswald;
But will he whom I've injur'd, fight for me?—
No, not for me, but for himself he must;
I'll urge him with the last necessity:
Better give up my mistress than my life.
His force is much unequal to his rival;
True; but I'll help him with my utmost art,
And try to unravel fate.

[A march. Exit.
Enter ARTHUR, CONON, AURELIUS, and foldiers.
Con. Now there remains but this one labour more;
And if we have the hearts of true-born Britons,
The forcing of that castle crowns the day.

Aur. The works are weak, the garrison but thin.
Arth. Then where you see them staggering in their

ranks,

And

And clust'ring most in motion, there press them home;
For that's a coward's heap-How's this, a sally?
Enter OSWALD, GUILLAMAR, and foldiers on the other
fide.

Beyond my hopes to meet 'em on the

square.

Osw. Brave Britons, hold; and thou their famous chief

'Attend what Saxon Oswald will propose.
He owns your victo ry; but whether owing
To valour, or to fortune, that he doubts.
If Arthur dares ascribe it to the first,

[Aduancing.

And singled from a croud will tempt a conquest,
This Oswald offers; let our troops retire,
And hand to hand let us decide our strife:
This if refus'd, bear witness earth and heav'n,
Thou steal'st a crown and mistress undeserv'd..
Arth. I'll not usurp thy title of a robber,
Nor will upbraid thee: that before, I proffer'd
This single combat, which thou didst refuse;
So glad I am, on any terms to meet thee,
And not discourage thy repenting shame,
As once Æneas, my great ancestor,
Betwixt the Trojan and Rutulian bands,
Fought for a crown, and bright Lavinia's bed;
So will I meet thee, hand to hand oppos'd:
My auguring mind assures the same success.

(To bis men.) Stir not a sword;-if I am slain, or yield, Renounce me, Britons, for a recreant knight;

And let the Saxon peacefully enjoy

His former footing in our famous isle.

To ratify these terms, I swear

Osw. You need not;

Your honour is of force without your oath.
I only add, that if I fall, or yield,

Yours be the crown and Emmeline.

Arth. That's two crowns.

No more; we keep the looking heav'n and sun

Too long in expectation of our arms.

[Arthur and Oswald fight. They close, and Arthur
disarms Oswald.

Artb. Confess thyself o'ercome, and ask thy life..
Osw. 'Tis not worth asking, when 'tis in thy power.
Artb. Then take it as my gift.