MUSTAPHA enters, meeting, and stopping her.

Mus. Fair falshood, stay.

Irene. What dream of sudden power

Has taught my slave the language of command ?
Henceforth be wise, nor hope a second pardon.

Mus. Who calls for pardon from a wretch condemn'd?

Irene. Thy look, thy speech, thy action, all is wild

ness

Who charges guilt on me?

Mus. Who charges guilt!

Ask of thy heart; attend the voice of conscience-
Who charges guilt! lay by this proud resentment
That fires thy cheek, and elevates thy mien,
Nor thus usurp the dignity of virtue.

Review this day.

Irene. Whate'er thy accusation,

The sultan is my judge.

Mus. That hope is past;

Hard was the strife of justice and of love;

But now 't is o'er, and justice has prevail'd.

Know'st thou not Cali? know'st thou not Demetrius? Irene, Bold slave, I know thein both-I know them

traitors.

Mus. Perfidious !-yes-too well thou know'st their traitors.

Irene. Their treason throws no stain upon Irene. This day has prov'd my fondness for the sultan ; He knew Irene's truth.

Mus. The sultan knows it,

He knows how near apostacy to treason

But 't is not mine to judge-I scorn and leave thee.
I go, lest vengeance urge my hand to blood,

To blood, too mean to stain a soldier's sabre. [Exit. Irene. [To her Attendants.] Go, blust'ring slave.--He has not heard of Murza.

That dext'rous message frees me from suspicion.

HASAN and CARAZA enter, with Mutes, who throw the Black Robe upon Irene, and make signs to her Attendants to withdraw.

Hasan. Forgive, fair excellence, th' unwilling tongue,

The tongue, that, forc'd by strong necessity,

Bids beauty, such as thine, prepare to die.

Irene. What wild mistake is this? Take hence with speed

Your robe of mourning, and your dogs of death.
Quick from my sight, you inauspicious monsters,
Nor dare henceforth to shock Irene's walks.
Hasan. Alas! they come, commanded by the sultan,
Th' unpitying ministers of Turkish justice,
Nor dare to spare the life his frown condemns.
Irene. Are these the rapid thunderbolts of war,
That pour with sudden violence on kingdoms,
And spread their flames resistless o'er the world?
What sleepy charms benumb these active heroes,
Depress their spirits, and retard their speed?
Beyond the fear of ling'ring punishment.

G

Aspasia now, within her lover's arms,
Securely sleeps, and, in delightful dreams,
Smiles at the threat'nings of defeated rage.

Car. We come, bright virgin, though relenting nature,

Shrinks at the hated task, for thy destruction;
When, summon'd by the sultan's clam'rous fury,
We ask'd, with tim'rous tongue, th' offender's name,
He struck his tortur'd breast, and roar'd, Irene :
We started at the sound, again enquir'd,
Again his thund'ring voice return'd, Irene.

Irene. Whence is this rage? what barb'rous tongue has wrong'd me ?

What fraud misleads him? or what crimes incense? Hasan. Expiring Cali nam'd Irene's chamber, The place appointed for his master's death.

Irene. Irene's chamber! From my faithful bosom Far be the thought---But hear my protestation.

Car. 'Tis ours, alas! to punish, not to judge; Not call'd to try the cause, we heard the sentence, Ordain'd the mournful messengers of death.

Irene. Some ill designing statesman's base intrigue! Some cruel stratagem of jealous beauty! Perhaps yourselves the villains that defame me, Now haste to murder, ere returning thought Recall th' extorted doom.It must be so, Confess your crime, or lead me to the sultan, There dauntless truth shall blast the vile accuser, Then shall you feel what language cannot utter, Each piercing torture, every change of pain, That vengeance can invent, or power inflict.

ABDALLA enters; he stops short and listens.

Abd. [Aside.] All is not lost, Abdalla, see the queen,

See the last witness of thy guilt and fear,
Enrob'd in death---Dispatch her, and be great.
Car. Unhappy fair! compassion calls upon me
To check this torrent of imperious rage,
While unavailing anger crouds thy tongue
With idle threats and fruitless exclamation,
The fraudful moments ply their silent wings,
And steal thy life away. Death's horrid angel
Already shakes his bloody sabre o'er thee.
The raging sultan burns till our return,
Curses the dull delays of ling'ring mercy,
And thinks his fatal mandates ill obey'd.

Abd. Is then your sov'reign's life so cheaply rated,
That thus you parly with detected treason?
Should she prevail to gain the sultan's presence,
Soon might her tears engage a lover's credit;
Perhaps her malice might transfer the charge,
Perhaps her pois'nous tongue might blast Abdalla.
Irene. O, let me but be heard, nor fear from me
Or flights of power, or projects of ambition.
My hopes, my wishes, terminate in life,
A little life for grief, and for repentance.
Abd. I mark'd her wily messenger afar,
And saw him skulking in the closest walks:
I guess'd her dark designs, and warn'd the sultan,
And bring her former sentence new confirm'd.

Hasan. Then call it not our cruelty, nor crime, Deem us not deaf to woe, nor blind to beauty, That thus constrain'd we speed the stroke of death. [Beckons the Mutes. Irene. O name not death! Distraction and amaze

ment,

Horror and agony, are in that sound!

Let me but live, heap woes on woes upon me,
Hide me with murd'rers in the dungeon's gloom,
Send me to wander on some pathless shore,
Let shame and hooting infamy pursue me,
Let slav'ry harrass, and let hunger gripe.

Car. Could we reverse the sentence of the sultan, Our pleading bosoms plead Irene's cause.

But cries and tears are vain, prepare with patience
To meet that fate we can delay no longer.

[The Mutes at the sign lay hold of her. Abd. Dispatch, ye ling'ring slaves, or nimbler hands Quick at my call shall execute your charge;

Dispatch, and learn a fitter time for pity.

Irene, Grant me one hour; O, grant me but a moment,

And bounteous Heaven repay the mighty mercy

With peaceful death, and happiness eternal.

Car. The prayer I cannot grant—I dare not hear. Short be thy pains. [Signs again to the Mutes,

Irene. Unutterable anguish !

Guilt and despair! pale spectres, grin around me,
And stun me with the yellings of damnation!