Oth. Peace, peace!-the tyrant comes.—

jur'd queen,

Plead for thy freedom, hope for just revenge,
And check each rising passion.

Enter BARBAROSSA, L.

Now, in

[Exit Othman, R.

Bar. (L.) Hail, sovereign fair! in whom Beauty and majesty conspire to charm: Behold the conqu❜ror.

Zap. (R. C.) O, Barbarossa,

No more the pride of conquest e'er can charm
My widow'd heart. With my departed lord
My love lies buried!

Then turn thee to some happier fair, whose heart
May crown thy growing love with love sincere ;
For I have none to give.

Bar. Love ne'er should die:

"Tis the soul's cordial-'tis the fount of life;
Therefore should spring eternal in the breast.
One object lost, another should succeed,
And all our life be love.

Zap. Urge me no more.-Thou mightst with equal

hope

Woo the cold marble, weeping o'er a tomb,
To meet thy wishes.-But, if generous love

[Approaches him.

Dwell in thy breast, vouchsafe me proof sincere :

Give me safe convoy to the native vales

Of dear Mutija, where my father reigns.

Bar. O, blind to proffer'd bliss!-What! fondly quit This pomp

Of empire for an Arab's wand'ring tent!

Where the mock chieftain leads his vagrant tribes

From plain to plain, and faintly shadows out

The majesty of kings!-Far other joys

Here shall attend thy call:

Submissive realms

Shall bow the neck; and swarthy kings and queens,
From the far-distant Niger and the Nile,

Drawn captive at my conqu❜ring chariot-wheels,
Shall kneel before thee.

Zap. Pomp and pow'r are toys,

Which e'en the mind at ease may well disdain :
But, oh! what mockery is the tinsel pride
Of splendour, when the mind,

Lies desolate within!-Such, such is mine!
O'erwhelm'd with ills, and dead to ev'ry joy:
Envy me not this last request, to die

In my dear father's tents.

Bar. Thy suit is vain.

Zap. Thus, kneeling at thy feet

Bar. Thou thankless fair!

Thus to repay the labours of my love!

[Kneels.

[Raises Zaphira.

Had I not seiz'd the throne when Selim died,

Ere this thy foes had laid Algiers in ruin.

I check'd the warring pow'rs, and gave you peace.
Make thee but mine,

I will descend the throne, and call thy son
From banishment to empire.
Zap. O, my heart!

Can I bear this?

Inhuman tyrant!-Curses on thy head!

May dire remorse and anguish haunt thy throne,
And gender in thy bosom fell despair,-

Despair as deep as mine!

Bar. (R. C.) What means Zaphira ?

What means this burst of grief?

Zap. (L.) Thou fell destroyer !

[Crosses to L.

Had not guilt steel'd thy heart, awak'ning conscience
Would flash conviction on thee, and each look,

Shot from these eyes, be arm'd with serpent horrors,
To turn thee into stones!-Relentless man!
Who did the bloody deed?-O, tremble, guilt,
Where'er thou art!-Look on me; tell me, tyrant,
Who slew my blameless son?

Bar. What envious tongue

Hath dar'd to taint my name with slander?
Thy Selim lives; nay, more, he soon shall reign,
If thou consent to bless me.

Zap. Never, O, never!-Sooner would I roam
An unknown exile through the torrid climes
Of Afric-sooner dwell with wolves and tigers,
Than mount with thee my murder'd Selim's throne!
Bar. Rash queen, forbear; think on thy captive state;
Remember, that within these palace walls

I am omnipotent. Yield thee, then;

Avert the gath'ring horrors that surround thee,
And dread my pow'r incens'd.

Zap. Dares thy licentious tongue pollute mine ear With that foul menace? Tyrant! dread'st thou not Th' all-seeing eye of Heav'n, its lifted thunder,

And all the redd'ning vengeance which it stores
For crimes like thine?-Yet know, Zaphira scorns
thee.
[Crosses to R.

Though robb'd by thee of ev'ry dear support,
No tyrant's threat can awe the free-born soul,
That greatly dares to die.

[Exit Zaphira, R. Bar. (c.) Where should she learn the tale of Selim's

death?

Could Othman dare to tell it ?—If he did,

My rage shall sweep him, swifter than the whirlwind, To instant death!

O Aladin !

Enter ALADIN, L.

Timely thou com'st, to ease my lab'ring thought,
That swells with indignation and despair.

This stubborn woman

Ala. (L.) What, unconquer'd still?

Bar. (c.) The news of Selim's fate hath reach'd her ear. Whence could this come?

Ala. I can resolve the doubt.

A female slave, attendant on Zaphira,

O'erheard the messenger who brought the tale,
And gave it to her ear.

Bar. Perdition seize her!

Nor threats can move, nor promise now allure
Her haughty soul: nay, she defies my pow'r ;
And talks of death, as if her female form
Inshrin'd some hero's spirit.

Ala. Let her rage foam.

I bring thee tidings that will ease thy pain.

Bar. Say'st thou ?-Speak on-O give me quick relief! Ala. The gallant youth is come who slew her son. Bar. Who, Omar ?

Ala. No; unhappy Omar fell

By Selim's hand. But Achmet, whom he join'd

His brave associate, so the youth bids tell thee,

Reveng'd his death by Selim's.

Bar. Gallant youth!

Bears he the signet?

Ala. Ay.

Bar. That speaks him true.-Conduct him, Aladin.

[Exit Aladin, L.

This is beyond my hope. The secret pledge
Restor'd, prevents suspicion of the deed,
While it confirms it done.

Enter SELIM disguised as ACHMET, and ALADIN, L.

Sel. Hail, mighty Barbarossa! As the pledge [Kneels. Of Selim's death, behold thy ring restor'd.

That pledge will speak the rest.

Bar. Rise, valiant youth;

But first, no more a slave-I give thee freedom.
Thou art the youth, whom Omar (now no more)
Join'd his companion in this brave attempt?

Sel. I am.

Bar. Then tell me how you sped.-Where found ye That insolent?

Sel. We found him at Oran,

Plotting deep mischief to thy throne and people.
Bar. Well ye repaid the traitor- .0

Sel. As we ought.

While night drew on, we leap'd upon our prey.
Full at his heart brave Omar aimed the poniard,
Which Selim shunning, wrench'd it from his hand,
Then plung'd it in his breast. I hasted on,
Too late to save, yet I revenged my friend':
My thirsty dagger, with repeated blows,
Search'd every artery: they fell together,
Gasping in folds of mortal enmity:
And thus in frowns expir'd.

Bar. Well hast thou sped:

Thy dagger did its office, faithful Achmet!

And high reward shall wait thee.-One thing more-
Be the thought fortunate!-Go, seek the queen.
For know, the rumour of her Selim's death
Hath reach'd her ear: hence dark suspicions rise,
Glancing at me. Go, tell her, that thou saw'st
Her son expire ;-that with his dying breath
He did conjure her to receive my vows,
And give her country peace.

Enter OTHMAN and ALADIN, R.

Most welcome, Othman ;

Behold this gallant stranger. He hath done
The state good service. Let some high reward
Await him, such as may o'erpay his zeal.
Conduct him to the queen; for he hath news,
Worthy her ear, from her departed son,
Such as may win her love.-Come, Aladin;

The banquet waits our presence ;-festal joy
Laughs in the mantling goblet; and the night,
Illumin'd by the taper's dazzling beam,

Rivals departed day. [Exeunt Barbarossa and Aladin, R.
Sel. (L.) What anxious thought

Rolls in thine eye, and heaves thy lab'ring breast?
Why join'st thou not the loud excess of joy

That riots throngh the palace?

Oth. Dar'st thou tell me

On what dark errand thou art here?

Sel. I dare.

Dost thou not perceive the savage lines of blood
Deform my visage? Read'st not in mine eye
Remorseless fury?-I am Selim's murd'❜rer.
Oth. Selim's murd'rer?

Sel. Start not from me.

My dagger thirsts not but for regal blood-
Why this amazement?

Oth. Amazement!-No--'tis well: 'tis as it should be: He was indeed a foe to Barbarossa.

Sel. And therefore to Algiers Was it not so?
Why dost thou pause: what passion shakes thy frame?
Oth. Fate, do thy worst! I can no more dissemble;
Can I unmov'd behold the murd'ring ruffian,
Smear'd with my prince's blood !-Go, tell the tyrant,
Othman defies his power; that, tir'd with life,
He dares his bloody hand, and pleads to die.
Sel. What, didst thou love this Selim?
Oth. All men lov'd him.

He was of such unmix'd and blameless quality,
That envy at his praise stood mute, nor dar'd
To sully his fair name. Remorseless tyrant!—

Sel. I do commend thy faith. And since thou lov'st him, I'll whisper to thee, that with honest guile

I have deceiv'd this tyrant Barbarossa.

Selim is yet alive.

Oth. Alive!

Sel. Nay, more

Selim is in Algiers.
Oth. Impossible!

Sel. Nay, if thou doubt'st, I'll bring him hither straight.

Oth. Not for an empire!

Thou might'st as well bring the devoted lamb

Into the tiger's den.

Sel. But I'll bring him

Hid in such deep disguise, as shall deride