Till, swelling by degrees, it has possessed
The greater space, and now crowds up the rest;
When, from behind, there starts some petty
state,

And pushes on its now unwieldy fate;
Then down the precipice of time it goes,
And sinks in minutes, which in ages rose.

Q. Isabel. Should bold Columbus in his search succeed,

And find those beds in which bright metals breed ;

Tracing the sun, who seems to steal away,
That, miser-like, he might alone survey

The wealth which he in western mines did lay,-
Not all that shining ore could give my heart
The joy, this conquered kingdom will impart;
Which, rescued from the misbelievers' hands,
Shall now, at once, shake off its double bands:
At once to freedom and true faith restored,
Its old religion and its ancient lord.

K. Ferd. By that assault which last we made,
I find,

Their courage is with their success declined:
Almanzor's absence now they dearly buy,
Whose conduct crowned their arms with victory.
Alonzo. Their king himself did their last sally
guide;

I saw him, glistering in bright armour, ride
To break a lance in honour of his bride:
But other thoughts now fill his anxious breast;
Care of his crown his love has dispossest.

To them ABDALLA.

Q. Isabel. But see, the brother of the Moorish king:

He seems some news of great import to bring.

K. Ferd. He brings a specious title to our side:

Those, who would conquer, must their foes divide.

Abdal. Since to my exile you have pity shown, And given me courage yet to hope a throne; While you without our common foes subdue, I am not wanting to myself or you; But have, within, a faction still alive, Strong to assist, and secret to contrive, And watching each occasion to foment The people's fears into a discontent;

Which, from Almanzor's loss, before were great,
And now are doubled by their late defeat:
These letters from their chiefs the news assures.
[Give letters to the KING.
K. Ferd. Be mine the honour, but the profit
yours.

To them the DUKE OF ARCos, with OZMYN
and BENZAYDA, Prisoners.

K. Ferd. That tertia* of Italians did you guide, To take their post upon the river side?

D. Arcos. All are according to your orders. placed :

My cheerful soldiers their entrenchments haste; The Murcian foot hath ta'en the upper ground, And now the city is beleaguered round.

K. Ferd. Why is not then their leader here again?

D. Arcos. The master of Alcantara is slain; But he, who slew him, here before you stands : It is that Moor whom you behold in bands.

K. Ferd. A braver man I had not in my host; His murderer shall not long his conquest boast:

* [A regiment of infantry.-ED.]

But, Duke of Arcos, say, how was he slain? D. Arcos. Our soldiers marched together on the plain;

We two rode on, and left them far behind, "Till, coming where we found the valley wind, We saw these Moors; who, swiftly as they could,

Ran on to gain the covert of the wood.

This we observed; and, having crossed their way,

The lady, out of breath, was forced to stay:
The man then stood, and straight his falchion
drew;

Then told us, we in vain did those pursue,
Whom their ill fortune to despair did drive,
And yet, whom we should never take alive.
Neglecting this, the master straight spurred on;
But the active Moor his horse's shock did shun,
And, ere his rider from his reach could go,
Finished the combat with one deadly blow.
I, to revenge my friend, prepared to fight;
But now our foremost men were come in sight,
Who soon would have despatched him on the
place,

Had I not saved him from a death so base,
And brought him to attend your royal doom.
K. Ferd. A manly face, and in his age's bloom;
But, to content the soldiers, he must die:
Go, see him executed instantly.

Q. Isabel. Stay; I would learn his name before he go:

You, Prince Abdalla, may the prisoner know. Abdal. Ozmyn's his name, and he deserves his fate;

His father heads that faction which I hate :
But much I wonder, that I with him see
The daughter of his mortal enemy.

Benz. 'Tis true, by Ozmyn's sword my brother fell;

But 'twas a death he merited too well.

I know a sister should excuse his fault;
But you know too, that Ozmyn's death he sought.
Abdal. Our prophet has declared, by the event,
That Ozmyn is reserved for punishment;
For, when he thought his guilt from danger
clear,

He, by new crimes, is brought to suffer here.
Benz. In love, or pity, if a crime you find,
We too have sinned above all humankind.

Ozm. Heaven in my punishment has done a grace;

I could not suffer in a better place:
That I should die by Christians it thought good,
To save your father's guilt, who sought my blood.
[To her.
Benz. Fate aims so many blows to make us

fall,

That 'tis in vain to think to ward them all:
And, where misfortunes great and many are,
Life grows a burden, and not worth our care.
Ozm. I cast it from me, like a garment torn,
Ragged, and too indecent to be worn:
Besides, there is contagion in my fate,

[TO BENZ.

It makes your life too much unfortunate.—
But, since her faults are not allied to mine,
In her protection let your favour shine.
To you, great queen, I make this last request,
(Since pity dwells in every royal breast)
Safe, in your care, her life and honour be:
It is a dying lover's legacy.

Benz. Cease, Ozmyn, cease so vain a suit to

move;

I did not give you on those terms my love.

J

Leave me the care of me; for, when you go,
My love will soon instruct me what to do.

Q. Isabel. Permit me, sir, these lovers' doom to give:

My sentence is, they shall together live.
The courts of Kings

To all distressed should sanctuaries be,
But most to lovers in adversity.

Castile and Arragon,

Which long against each other war did move, My plighted lord and I have joined by love; And, if to add this conquest Heaven thinks good,

I would not have it stained with lovers' blood. K. Ferd. Whatever Isabella shall command Shall always be a law to Ferdinand.

Benz. The frowns of fate we will no longer fear.

Ill fate, great queen, can never find us here.

Q. Isabel. Your thanks some other time I will receive;

Henceforward safe in my protection live.
Granada is for noble loves renowned:
Her best defence is in her lovers found.
Love's an heroic passion, which can find
No room in any base degenerate mind:
It kindles all the soul with honour's fire,
To make the lover worthy his desire.
Against such heroes I success should fear,
Had we not too an host of lovers here.
An army of bright beauties come with me;
Each lady shall her servant's actions see:
The fair and brave on each side shall contest;
And they shall overcome, who love the best.

[Exeunt.