_Flor_. Why dost thou dress thy Eyes in such unusual wonder?
There"s nothing here that is a stranger to thee, Or what is not intirely thine own.
_Abd_. Mine!
_Flor_. Thou canst not doubt it.
_Abd_. No,--and for a proof that thou art so,--take this Dagger.
_Flor_. Alas, Sir!--what to do?
_Abd_. To stab a Heart, _Florella_, a Heart that loves thee.
_Flor_. Heaven forbid!
_Abd_. No matter what Heaven will, I say it must--
_Flor_. What must?
_Abd_. That Dagger must enter the Heart of him That loves thee best, _Florella_;--guess the Man.
_Flor_. What means my Moor?
Wouldst thou have me kill thy self?
_Abd_. Yes--when I love thee better than the King.
_Flor_. Ah, Sir! what mean you?
_Abd_. To have you kill this King, When next he does pursue thee with his Love-- What, do you weep?-- By Heaven, they shall be b.l.o.o.d.y Tears then.
_Flor_. I shall deserve them--when I suffer Love That is not fit to hear;--but for the King, That which he pays me, is so innocent--
_Abd_. So innocent! d.a.m.n thy dissembling Tongue; Did I not see, with what fierce wishing Eyes He gazed upon thy Face, whilst yours as wantonly Returned, and understood the amorous Language?
_Flor_. Admit it true, that such his Pa.s.sions were, As (Heaven"s my witness) I"ve no cause to fear; Have not I Virtue to resist his Flame, Without a pointed Steel?
_Abd_. Your Virtue!--Curse on the weak Defence; Your Virtue"s equal to his Innocence.
Here, take this Dagger, and if this Night he visit thee, When he least thinks on"t--send it to his Heart.
_Flor_. If you suspect me, do not leave me, Sir.
_Abd_. Oh--I"m dispatch"d away--to leave you free-- About a wonderful Affair--mean time, I know you will be visited--but as you wish to live, At my return let me behold him dead.-- Be sure you do"t--"tis for thy Honour"s safety-- I love thee so, that I can take no rest, Till thou hast kill"d thy Image in his Breast.
--Adieu, my dear _Florella_.
[Exit_.
_Flor_. Murder my King! the Man that loves me too-- What Fiend, what Fury such an act wou"d do?
My trembling Hand wou"d not the Weapon bear, And I should sooner strike it here--than there.
[_Pointing to her Breast_.
No! though of all I am, this Hand alone Is what thou canst command, as being thy own; Yet this has plighted no such cruel Vow; No Duty binds me to obey thee "now.
To save my King"s, my Life I will expose, No Martyr dies in a more glorious Cause.
[_Exit_.
SCENE II. _The Queen"s Apartments_.
_Enter the_ Queen _in an undress alone, with a Light_.
_Qu_. Thou grateful Night, to whom all happy Lovers Make their devout and humble Invocations; Thou Court of Silence, where the G.o.d of Love, Lays by the awful Terror of a Deity, And every harmful Dart, and deals around His kind Desires; whilst thou, blest Friend to Joys, Draw"st all thy Curtains, made of gloomy Shades, To veil the Blushes of soft yielding Maids; Beneath thy Covert grant the Love-sick King, May find admittance to _Florella"s_ Arms; And being there, keep back the busy Day; Maintain thy Empire till my Moor returns; Where in her Lodgings he shall find his Wife, Amidst her amorous Dalliance with my Son.-- My watchful Spies are waiting for the Knowledge; Which when to me imparted, I"ll improve, Till my Revenge be equal to my Love.
_Enter_ Elvira.
--_Elvira_, in thy Looks I read Success; What hast thou learnt?
_Elv_. Madam, the King is gone as you imagin"d, To fair _Florella"s_ Lodging.
_Qu_. But art thou sure he gain"d Admittance?
_Elv_. Yes, Madam; But what Welcome he has found, to me"s unknown; But I believe it must be great, and kind.
_Qu_. I am of thy Opinion.-- But now, _Elvira_, for a well-laid Plot, To ruin this _Florella_;--though she be innocent, Yet she must die; so hard a Destiny My Pa.s.sion for her Husband does decree: But "tis the way I stop at.-- His Jealousy already I have rais"d; That"s not enough, his Honour must be touch"d.
This Meeting twixt the King and fair _Florella_, Must then be render"d publick; "Tis the Disgrace, not Action, must incense him-- Go you to Don _Alonzo"s_ Lodging strait, Whilst I prepare my Story for his Ear.-- [Exit Elvira.
a.s.sist me all that"s ill in Woman-kind, And furnish me with Sighs, and feigned Tears, That may express a Grief for this Discovery.-- My Son, be like thy Mother, hot and bold; And like the n.o.ble Ravisher of Rome, Court her with Daggers, when thy Tongue grows faint, Till thou hast made a Conquest o"er her Virtue.
_Enter_ Alonzo, Elvira.
--Oh, _Alonzo_, I have strange News to tell thee!
_Alon_. It must be strange indeed, that makes my Queen Dress her fair Eyes in Sorrow.
_Qu_. It is a Dress that thou wilt be in love with, When thou shalt hear my Story.-- You had a Sister once.
_Alon_. Had!
_Qu_. Yes, had,--whilst she was like thy self, all Virtue; Till her bewitching Eyes kindled such Flames, As will undo us all.
_Alon_. My Sister, Madam! sure it cannot be:-- What Eyes? what Flames?--inform me strait.
_Qu. Alonzo_, thou art honest, just and brave: And should I tell thee more,-- (Knowing thy Loyalty"s above all Nature) It would oblige thee to commit an Outrage, Which baser Spirits will call Cruelty.
_Alon_. G.o.ds, Madam! do not praise my Virtue thus, Which is so poor, it scarce affords me patience To attend the end of what you wou"d deliver-- Come, Madam, say my Sister--is a Wh.o.r.e.
I know "tis so you mean; and being so, Where shall I kneel for Justice?
Since he that shou"d afford it me, Has made her Criminal.-- Pardon me, Madam, "tis the King I mean.
_Qu_. I grieve to own, all thy prophetick Fears Are true, _Alonzo_, "tis indeed the King.
_Alon_. Then I"m disarm"d, For Heaven can only punish him.
_Qu_. But, _Alonzo_, Whilst that religious Patience dwells about thee, All Spain must suffer, nay, Ages that shall ensue Shall curse thy Name, and Family; From whom a Race of b.a.s.t.a.r.ds shall proceed, To wear that Crown.
_Alon_. No, Madam, not for mine, My Sister"s in my power, her Honour"s mine; I can command her Life, though not my King"s.
Her Mother is a Saint, and shou"d she now Look down from Heaven upon a Deed so foul, I think even there she wou"d invent a Curse, To thunder on her Head.-- But, Madam, whence was this Intelligence?