IRENE.

Unutterable anguish !

Guilt and Despair, pale spectres, grin around me,
And stun me with the yellings of damnation!
O, hear my pray'rs! accept, all-pitying Heav'n,
These tears, these pangs, these last remains of life;
Nor let the crimes of this detested day
Be charg'd upon my soul. O, mercy! mercy!
[Mutes force her out.

SCENE X.

ABDALLA, HASAN, CARAZA.

ABDALLA, aside.

Safe in her death, and in Demetrius' flight,
Abdalla, bid thy troubled breast be calm.
Now shalt thou shine the darling of the Sultan,
The plot all Cali's, the detection thine.

HASAN to CARAZA.

Does not thy bosom (for I know thee tender,
A stranger to th' oppressor's savage joy,)
Melt at Irene's fate, and share her woes?

CARAZA.

Her piercing cries yet fill the loaded air,
Dwell on my ear, and sadden all my soul.
But let us try to clear our clouded brows,
And tell the horrid tale with cheerful face;
The stormy Sultan rages at our stay.

ABDALLA.

Frame your report with circumspective art: Inflame her crimes, exalt your own obedience; But let no thoughtless hint involve Abdalla.

CARAZA.

What need of caution to report the fate
Of her the Sultan's voice condemn'd to die?

Or why should he, whose violence of duty

Has sery'd his prince so well, demand our silence ?

ABDALLA.

Perhaps my zeal, too fierce, betray'd my prudence;
Perhaps my warmth exceeded my commission;
Perhaps I will not stoop to plead my cause,
Or argue with the slave that say'd Demetrius.

CARAZA.

From his escape learn thou the pow'r of virtue ; Nor hope his fortune, while thou want'st his worth,

HASAN.

The Sultan comes, still gloomy, still enraged,

SCENE XI.

HASAN, CARAZA, MAHOMET, MUSTAPHA,

ABDALLA.

MAHOM ET.

Where's this fair trait'ress? Where's this smiling mis

chief,

Whom neither vows could fix, por favours bind ?

HASAN.

Thine orders, mighty Sultan! are perform❜d,
And all Irene now is breathless clay.

MAHOMET.

Your hasty zeal defrauds the claim of justice,
And disappointed vengeance burns in vain.
I came to heighten tortures by reproach,
And add new terrors to the face of death.
Was this the maid whose love I bought with empire?
True, she was fair; the smile of innocence
Play'd on her cheek-So shone the first apostate-
Irene's chamber! Did not roaring Cali,

Just as the rack forc'd out his struggling soul,
Name for the scene of death, Irene's chamber?

MUSTAPHA.

His breath prolong'd but to detect her treason,
Then in short sighs forsook his broken frame.

Decreed to perish in Irene's chamber !

There had she lull'd me with endearing falsehoods, Clasp'd in her arms, or slumbʼring on her breast, And bar'd my bosom to the ruffian's dagger.

SCENE XII.

HASAN, CARAZA, MAHOMET, MUSTAPHA, MURZA, ABDALLA.

MURZA.

Forgive great Sultan! that, by fate prevented,
I bring a tardy message from Irene.

MAHOMET.

Some artful wile of counterfeited love!
Some soft decoy to lure me to destruction !
And thou, the curst accomplice of her treason,
Declare thy message, and expect thy doom.

MURZA.

The queen requested that a chosen troop
Might intercept the traitor Greek, Demetrius,
Then ling'ring with his captive mistress here.

MUSTAPHA.

The Greek Demetrius! whom th' expiring Bassa Declar'd the chief associate of his guilt!

MAHOMET,

A chosen troop-to intercept-Demetrius-
The queen requested-Wretch, repeat the message;
And, if one varied accent prove thy falsehood,
Or but one moment's pause betray confusion,
Those trembling limbs-Speak out, thou shiv'ring

traitor.

The queen requested

MURZA.

МАНОМЕТ.

Who? the dead Irene ?

Was she then guiltless! has my thoughtless rage
Destroy'd the fairest workmanship of Heav'n!
Doom'd her to death unpity'd and unhear'd,
Amidst her kind solicitudes for me!

Ye slaves of cruelty, ye tools of rage, [To Has. and
Ye blind officious ministers of folly,

[Car. Could not her charms repress your zeal for murder? Could not her pra y'rs, her innocence, her tears, Suspend the dreadful sentence for an hour? One hour had freed me from the fatal error! One hour had sav'd me from despair and madness.

CARAZA.

Your fierce impatience forc'd us from your presence,
Urg'd us to speed, and bade us banish pity,
Nor trust our passions with her fatal charms,

MAHOMET.

What hadst thou lost by slighting those commands? Thy life, perhaps-Were but Irene spar'd,

Well if a thousand lives like thine had perish'd; Such beauty, sweetness, love, were cheaply bought With half the grov'ling slaves that load the globe.

MUSTAPHA.

Great is thy woe! But think, illustrious Sultan,
Such ills are sent for souls like thine to conquer.
Shake off this weight of unavailing grief,

Rush to the war, display thy dreadful banners,
And lead thy troops victorious round the world.

MAHOMET.

Robb'd of the maid with whom I wish'd to triumph,
No more I burn for fame, or for dominion;
Success and conquest now are empty sounds,
Remorse and anguish seize on all my breast;

Those groves, whose shades embower'd the dear Irene, Heard her last cries, and fann'd her dying beauties,' Shall hide me from the tasteless world for ever.

[Mahomet goes back, and returns.

Yet, ere I quit the sceptre of dominion,

Let one just act conclude the hateful day.
Hew down, ye guards, those vassals of destruction,
[Pointing to Hasan and Caraza.
Those hounds of blood, that catch the hint to kill,
Bear off with eager haste th' unfinish'd sentence,
And speed the stroke, lest mercy should o'ertake them.

CARAZA.

Then hear, great Mahomet, the voice of truth.

MAHOMET.

Hear! shall I hear thee! didst thou hear Irene?

Hear but a moment.

CARAZA.

MAHOMET.

Hadst thou heard a moment,

Thou might'st have liv'd, for thou hadst spar'd Irene,

CARAZA.

I heard her, pitied her, and wish'd to save her.

МАНОМЕТ,

And wish'd-be still thy fate to wish in vain.

CARAZA.

I heard, and soften'd, till Abdalla brought
Her final doom, and hurried her destruction,

МАНОМЕТ.

Abdalla brought her doom! Abdalla brought it! The wretch, whose guilt, declar'd by tortur'd Cali, My rage and grief had hid from my remembrance: Abdalla brought her doom!

HASAN.

Abdalla brought it, While yet she begged to plead her cause before thee.