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AMELIA - The Works of Voltaire, Vol. VIII The Dramatic Works Part 1 (Mérope, Olympia, The Orphan of China, Brutus) and Part II (Mahomet, Amelia, Oedipus, Mariamne, Socrates).

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AMELIA - Voltaire, The Works of Voltaire, Vol. VIII The Dramatic Works Part 1 (Mérope, Olympia, The Orphan of China, Brutus) and Part II (Mahomet, Amelia, Oedipus, Mariamne, Socrates). [1901]

Edition used:

The Works of Voltaire. A Contemporary Version. A Critique and Biography by John Morley, notes by Tobias Smollett, trans. William F. Fleming (New York: E.R. DuMont, 1901). In 21 vols. Vol. VIII The Dramatic Works Part 1 (Mérope, Olympia, The Orphan of China, Brutus) and Part II (Mahomet, Amelia, Oedipus, Mariamne, Socrates).

Author: Voltaire
Translator: William F. Fleming

Part of: The Works of Voltaire. A Contemporary Version, in 21 vols.

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AMELIA

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ.

The Duke of Foix.

Amelia.

Vamir, Brother to the Duke of Foix.

Lisois.

Thais, Confidante of Amelia.

Emar, Friend of Vamir.

SCENE, the Palace of the Duke of Foix.

This tragedy is founded on historical truth. A duke of Brittany, in the year 1387, commanded the lord of Bavalan to assassinate the constable of Clisson: Bavalan, the day after, told the duke it was done: the duke becoming sensible of the horror of his crime, and apprehensive of the fatal consequences of it, abandoned himself to the most violent despair: Bavalan, after giving him time to repent, at length told him that he had loved him well enough to disobey his orders, etc.

The action is transported to another age and country for particular reasons.

ACT I.

SCENE I.

amelia, lisois.

lisois.

Permit a soldier, in this seat of war,
To steal a moment from the battle’s rage,
And greet the fair Amelia; to the king
Thy noble heart is bound, I know, by ties
Of dearest friendship; long and faithfully
Hath Lisois served the valiant duke of Foix
Who holds thee here a prisoner: well I know
The violence of his passion for Amelia,
Foresee the dreadful consequence, and come,
With all the warmth of friendship, to advise
And to consult, to lay my heart before thee
Perhaps ’tis not unworthy of thy notice.

amelia.

The seal of truth is ever on thy lips,
I know thy firm integrity; whate’er
Thou sayest, I shall believe.

lisois.

Know then, though long
I’ve served the duke with most unwearied zeal,
Through years of peril, and unnumbered toils,
Yet could I ne’er approve the fatal league
That bound him to the Moor, and took from France
The noblest of her princes; in these days
Of public discord, I have ranged myself
Beneath no banners but what honor raised,
And followed but the dictates of my heart:
Not that, the slave of prejudice, my soul
Is blind to all the errors of a friend;
With grief I see the duke’s impatient warmth,
The impetuous ardor of his boiling youth,
I cannot shut my eyes against his follies:
Ofttimes the torrent which I strive to stop
Mocks my weak power, and throws down all before it;
But he has virtues that will recompense
His worst of faults: if we must follow none
But perfect princes, whose unbiassed hearts
Are free from every vice, and every weakness,
Whom shall we serve? I love the duke; and yet
’Tis with regret I draw the hostile sword
’Gainst France: I wish he could be reconciled.

amelia.

If that could e’er be done, thy influence best
Might reunite them: if he loves his glory,
Sure this misguided prince will listen to thee.
How fatal has his error been!

lisois.

In vain
I’ve tried to bend his haughty spirit; oft
Have I with harsh unwelcome truths attacked him,
And sorely pierced his heart: but thou alone
Canst bring him to his duty, and his king:
That was my errand here: there was a time
When on the fair Amelia I had placed
My hopes of bliss; without abasement then
I thought you might have listened to my vows;
But heaven reserved thee for a nobler fate.
Whilst I was absent, by the cruel Moors
Thou wert enslaved; the happy conqueror came,
The gallant Foix, and saved thee from their rage;
His was the glory, his be the reward:
His claims are strong, his youth, his rank, and power,
His fame, and services, all plead for him;
Amelia’s justice and her gratitude
Must bind her to him: I have no pretence,
And therefore I am silent; but if merit
Could make thee mine, I would dispute the prize
Even with the sons of kings, nor yield Amelia
To any but to him: he is my master,
My leader, and my friend; he loves me well:
I am not a half proud, half virtuous lover,
But what I still would litigate with power,
I give to friendship; nay, I can do more,
I can subdue the weakness of my heart,
And plead a rival’s cause; point out the path
Of glory to thee, show thee what is due
To that illustrious hero who preserved thee,
By whom thou livest: I can behold unmoved,
And with unenvying eye, thy charms bestowed
On him who best deserves them: take my heart
Between you, and accept my honest service,
This arm shall fight for both; I sacrifice
My passions to your interest: friendship bids me,
And I obey; my country too commands:
Remember, if the prince is yours, he soon
Will be the king’s.

amelia.

Thy virtues, noble youth,
Astonish me; thou givest the admiring world
A rare example; canst thou be sincere?
And sure thou art so, thus to conquer love,
And give up all to friendship! all who know
Must wonder at thee: thou hast served thy master.
And canst not be an enemy to mine:
A heart so generous sure must think with me:
’Tis not in souls like thine to hate their king.
Shall I then ask one favor at thy hands?

lisois.

Amelia’s orders shall be ever sacred:
Command, and I obey.

amelia.

Thy generous counsel
Hath urged me to accept a noble rank
I looked not for, and offered by a prince:
The choice, I own, does honor to Amelia,
When I reflect, that, long before he told
His love, he saved my liberty and life;
Foe to his sovereign, though the rebel Moor
Hath drawn him from his duty and allegiance,
Yet he has poured so many favors on me,
I cannot bear to hurt him, though, in spite
Of all his goodness, and my gratitude,
I must refuse him: his unhappy passion
Afflicts me; ’tis distressful to my heart,
For all his kindness thus to make him wretched.
Fain would I spare myself the ungrateful task
Of saying that I must not hear his vows:
It is not for my feeble voice to tell
A prince his duty; ’twere a dangerous power,
And I am far from wishing to enjoy it;
Who can direct him better than thyself?
Alas! my lord, ’tis not a time for love;
The royal army at our gates, and naught
But war and slaughter all around us: blood
On every side! himself against my master,
Against his brother, now in arms; all these
Are powerful reasons: O my lord, in you
Is all my hope; forgive me; O complete
The generous work, restore me to my king;
Let him do that, ’tis all I ask; but add
This effort more to what thou’st done already:
Thou hast the strongest influence o’er his heart,
A firm and manly soul, a friend like thee,
Respected and beloved, will make the voice
Of duty heard, his counsels will be laws.

lisois.

Alas! those counsels will have little weight
Against the passions that possess his soul;
His fiery temper gives me too much cause
To fear him: he’s inclined to jealousy,
And if he hears I had a thought of thee,
’Twill drive his soul to madness, and perhaps
Undo us all: he must be soothed by art;
Leave him to me, and try to reconcile
Your jarring interests; weigh his offers well.
Henceforth I’ll think no more of love and thee,
But get me to the field, the soldier’s duty
Shall there engross me: if thou lovest thy country,
If France be dear to thee, restore her hero,
And she will bless thee for the deed: farewell.

SCENE II.

amelia, thais.

amelia.

Restore him, said he? what! at the dear price
Of all my happiness! it cannot be;
’Twere infamous and base, the worst of crimes.

thais.

But wherefore is the prince thus hateful to you?
Why in these days of discord, war, and tumult,
Whilst faction reigns, and of our royal race
Brother ’gainst brother arms, and every hour
Brings new afflictions, wherefore should Amelia,
Whose gentler stars for other purposes
Had formed her soul, to love and to be loved,
Why should Amelia, with such sentiments
Of scorn and hatred, meet a hero’s vows
Who had avenged her cause? The prince, thou knowest,
Amongst his ancestors can boast the blood
Of our first kings, and is himself a lord
Of rich domains, and wide-extended power.
He loves you, offers you his hand: can rank
And title, objects that are envied still
By all mankind, pursued with eagerness,
And gained with rapture, can these only fill
Thy heart with sorrow, and thy eyes with tears?

amelia.

Because he saved me once, has he a right
Now to oppress me? Must Amelia fall
A victim to his fatal aid? I know
I’m much indebted to him, would I were not!

thais.

Nay, that’s ungrateful.

amelia.

Thou shalt know my heart,
My miseries, my duty, and my fate:
I will no longer keep the secret from thee,
’Twere cruel to distrust thee; when thou knowest
My story, thou mayst justify thy friend.
I must not listen to the prince’s vows,
For know, my heart is given to his brother.

thais.

Ha! to the noble Vamir!

amelia.

Yes, my friend:
With mutual oaths we sealed our mutual faith,
And at Leucate I expected him,
There to confirm it at the holy altar,
When by the cruel Moors that rushed upon us
I was surprised, and made a captive; then
The prince, to these unconquered savages
In firm alliance bound, appeared, and saved me;
There’s my distress: the life another saved
Must be devoted to the faithful Vamir.

thais.

But why then thus conceal thy passion? why
Nourish a hopeless flame thou shouldst extinguish?
He would respect this sacred tie, and check
His fruitless passion.

amelia.

O I must not tell him:
The brothers, to complete my sorrows, armed
Against each other, have taken different parties
In this destructive war; the faithful Vamir
Fights for his king. Thou knowest the violence
Of his proud rival: all I can oppose
To his fierce rage is melancholy silence;
Even yet he knows not that in happier times
The gallant Vamir had engaged my heart:
To tell it him would fire his jealous soul,
And only make Amelia more unhappy.
’Tis time to quit this fatal place, the king
With pleasure will receive me: let us hence.
The prisoners, Thais, from these walls even now
Are breaking forth, and meditate their flight:
They will conduct us: I defy all danger,
Will hazard all for freedom and repose.

thais.

Behold the duke.

amelia.

I cannot speak to him,
The starting tear would soon betray me: what
Would I not give forever to avoid him!

SCENE III.

duke of foix, lisois, thais.

duke.

[To Thais.
Avoid me! fly me! Thais, stay: thou knowest
My sorrows, knowest I love her to distraction;
My life depends on her: but let her not
Abuse her power, and drive me to despair:
I hate her cold respect, her poor return
Of gratitude to all my warmth of passion:
Delay is cruel, ’tis the worst refusal;
’Tis an affront my heart will ne’er forgive:
In vain she boasts to me her loyal zeal,
Her fond attachment to her royal master,
’Tis time that all should yield to love and me:
Here let her find her country and her king;
To me she owes her honor, and her life;
And I owe all to her, I owe my love:
United as we are by every claim,
We must not part, the altar is prepared,
She shall be mine; go, tell her all is ready.

SCENE IV.

the duke, lisois.

lisois.

My lord, remember that our kingdom’s safety
Depends on this decisive day.

duke.

I know it
And am resolved to conquer or to die
Amelia’s husband.

lisois.

But the foe advances,
And soon will be upon us.

duke.

Let him come,
I mean to fight him; thinkest thou I’m a coward?
Thinkest thou the tyrant love shall e’er extinguish
My noble thirst of glory? though she hates,
She shall admire me still: she boasts indeed
Her sovereign empire o’er my captive heart,
But shall not blast my virtue and my fame.
No: thy reproaches are unjust; my friend
Was too severe; condemn me not unjustly,
Love ne’er unnerves the gallant sons of France:
Even from the bosom of success and joy,
Fearless they fly to arms, and rush on death:
And I too will die worthy of Amelia.

lisois.

Say rather, worthy of thyself: I think
To-day of nothing but the public welfare;
I talk of battles, and thou speakest of love.
My lord, I’ve seen the army of the foe:
Vamir, so fame reports, is armed against us:
From us, I know, he hath long since withdrawn
His valiant troops. I know him not, but hear
He’s of a noble nature: if his soul,
Inspired by duty, and by glory warmed,
Still feels the tender tie that linked your hearts
In earlier years, he may assist us now,
And be the means of making wished-for peace.
My cares—

duke.

Away: I would not be obliged
Thus to a brother: shall I sue for peace,
And ask forgiveness? yet it hurts my soul
To think that Vamir is my foe: I still
Remember our past friendship, and the love
I bore him once; but since he will oppose me,
Since he’s no longer ours, why let him go,
And serve his king.

lisois.

Thy fiery temper braves
Too far the patience of an easy monarch.

duke.

A monarch! the mere phantom of a king,
Unworthy of his race, a royal slave,
In golden chains, and seated on a throne
Subjected to a petty officer:
I’m not afraid of Pepin, their arch-tyrant;
I hate a subject that would frighten me,
And I despise a king who can’t command:
If he permits a rebel to usurp
The sovereign power, I’ll still support my own:
This heart’s too proud to bend beneath the laws
Of these new upstarts who oppress their king:
Clovis, my royal ancestor, ne’er taught
His sons to cringe beneath a haughty master.
At least these faithful Arabs will avenge me;
If I must feel a tyrant, let him be
A stranger.

lisois.

You detest these governors,
But they have saved our empire, which your friends,
The Arabs, but for them had overthrown:
I tremble at this new alliance: Spain
Before you stands a terrible example:
These savage plunderers, these new tyrants dig
Our graves with our own hands. ’Twere better far
To yield with prudence.

duke.

What, fall down and sue
For mercy!

lisois.

Your true interest long forgotten—

duke.

Revenge is my first interest.

lisois.

Love and anger
Too long have ruled the bosom of my friend.

duke.

I know they have, but cannot conquer nature.

lisois.

You may, you ought; nay, I’ll not flatter you,
But even though I condemn, I’ll follow thee;
’Tis a friend’s duty to point out the faults
Of him he loves; to counsel, to exhort,
To save him from the dangerous precipice:
This I have done for thee, but thou wilt fall,
And I must perish with thee.

duke.

O my friend,
What hast thou said?

lisois.

But what I ought to say:
And would to heaven that thou hadst listened to me!
What dost thou purpose?

duke.

When my ardent hopes
Shall be fulfilled, when the ungrateful maid
Shall give sweet peace to my distracted mind,
Then will I hear the counsels of my friend.
What can I purpose now, or what design,
Till I have seen the tyrant who must guide
My future fate? let her determine for me,
Let her save me, and I will save my country.

End of the First Act.

ACT II.

SCENE I.

the duke of foix.

[Alone.
She cannot sure again refuse to see me,
And urge me to despair! she dare not do it:
Fool that I am to give her thus the power;
How weak is my proud heart to yield itself
A voluntary slave! go, throw thyself,
Mean as thou art, beneath the tyrant’s feet;
Go, make thy life dependent on a word,
A look, a smile, from proud Amelia; pass
From love to fury, and from tears to rage;
’Tis the last time I e’er will speak to her.
I go—

SCENE II.

the duke, amelia and thaisadvancing from the upper end of the stage.

amelia.

There’s hope, my Thais; yet I tremble.
Would Vamir hazard this bold enterprise?
’Tis full of danger; ha! what do I see?
[Advancing towards the Duke.

duke.

Amelia, what hath this way led thy steps
I know not, but thy eyes too plainly tell me
That I was not the object of their search:
What! still turn from me, still insult the heart
That dotes upon thee! cruel tyrant, thus
To blast the laurels planted on my brow:
O if Amelia’s hand had placed them there
They might have flourished, but she has forgot
Her plighted faith, and broke her flattering promise.

amelia.

Thou never hadst my faith, I never gave
Thee promise, gratitude is all I owe thee.

duke.

Did I not offer thee my hand?

amelia.

Thou didst:
It was an honor which I could not merit,
And which I never sought, but I received it
With due respect; you thought, no doubt, a rank
So glorious must have dazzled poor Amelia.
At length, my lord, ’tis time to undeceive you;
I do it with regret, because I know
It will offend you, but I must be plain:
In short, my lord, I love my king too well
To think of wedding with his foe: thy blood,
I know, is noble; mine is spotless yet,
Nor will be stained with foul disloyalty,
And I inherit from my ancestors
The fixed abhorrence of my country’s foes:
Nor will I e’er acknowledge for a master
The friend of tyrants, be he e’er so great:
Such is my firm resolve; perhaps, my lord,
It may seem harsh, but you obliged me to it.

duke.

This is a language, madam, which I own
I looked not for; I never could have thought
That angry heaven, to make me doubly wretched,
Would choose Amelia for its instrument
Of vengeance: you have studied long in secret
The arts of black ingratitude, of scorn
And insult, and now open all your heart.
I was a stranger to this patriot zeal,
This most heroic ardor for thy country,
This fetch of policy; but tell me, madam,
Whom have you here but this insulted lover,
The injured Foix, to succor and support you?
Thou hast reproached me with my new alliance,
Those faithful friends on whom I here rely
For all my safety, and for all my power:
Without their aid thou hadst been still a captive;
To them you owed your liberty and life,
And am I thus rewarded?

amelia.

You prolonged
My wretched days; but are they therefore yours,
And may I not dispose them as I please?
Did you preserve me but to make me wretched,
To be a tyrant o’er the life you saved?

duke.

Ungrateful woman, thou deservest the name
Of tyrant most, for now I read thy soul,
See through the thin disguise, behold too plainly
My own dishonor, and thy treacherous falsehood:
I know thou lovest another, but whoe’er
He be that thus hath robbed me of thy heart,
Fear thou my love, and tremble at my rage;
For, if he be on earth, I’ll find the traitor,
And tear him from thee: if amidst its horrors
My soul could feel one momentary joy,
’Twould be to make thee wretched.

amelia.

No: my lord,
Indeed it would not; reason will forbid it:
Thy soul’s too noble to oppress with woe
A life which thou hadst saved; but if thy heart
Should ever stoop so low, thy virtues still,
Thy goodness in my memory shall live,
And only thy unkindness be forgotten.
I pity, and forgive thee; thou wilt blush
Hereafter at the thought of injuring me;
Spite of thy threats, my soul is yet unmoved,
Nor dreads thy anger, nor defies thy power.

duke.

Forgive the transports of a mind disturbed,
The rage of love embittered by despair;
Lisois, I find, holds secret conference with you,
Abets you falsehood, and defends your conduct;
Leans to the royal party, and combines
In vain with you to make a convert of me:
It seems I’m to be governed by your will,
And not my own: your converse is the same,
The same your purpose; but why use these arms
Against me? to persuade my easy heart,
Why must Amelia seek a stranger’s aid?
A word will win me, if ’tis spoke by love.

amelia.

My heart, I own, hath opened to thy friend
Its hopes and fears, but he hath done much more
Than he had promised: pity then my tears,
Pity my sorrows, be thyself again;
Subdue a passion which Amelia must not,
Cannot return: accept my gratitude,
’Tis all I have to give thee.

duke.

Lisois, then,
And he alone, enjoys thy confidence,
Thy friendship, more perhaps; I see it now.

amelia.

You may perhaps hereafter, but at present
You have no right, sir, to control my thoughts,
My actions, or my words; no right to blame me,
Or to complain: I sought thy friend’s assistance,
And he has given it me; I wish, my lord,
That you would learn to act and think like him.

SCENE III.

the duke.

[Alone.
’Tis well: this base, ungrateful, perjured woman,
Without a blush, confesses all her falsehood;
The mystery is unfolded now: one friend,
One only friend, I had, and he destroys me.
Friendship! vain phantom, unsubstantial shade,
So often sought for, and so seldom found,
Thou ever hadst some wholesome draught to pour
Into my cup of sorrow; but at last
Thou, too, like love, hast cruelly deceived me!
For the reward of all my errors past
I have but this, that no allurements now,
No flattering pleasures, henceforth shall betray me;
For from this hour I will be fond—of nothing.
But lo! the traitor comes with cruel hand
To tear my wounds, and make them bleed afresh.

SCENE IV.

the duke, lisois.

lisois.

My lord, I come obedient to thy orders:
But why that frown, those eyes of discontent
That scowl upon me? has thy soul, long time
The sport of passion, weighed in reason’s scale
Thy interest, and thy happiness?

duke.

It has.

lisois.

And what was the result?

duke.

My eyes are opened
To falsehood and deceit; I’ve learned to find
A rival and a traitor in my friend.

lisois.

How’s that!

duke.

It is enough.

lisois.

Too much, my lord:
Who is the traitor?

duke.

Canst thou ask me who?
Who but thyself was privy to the wrongs
I have received, who else must answer for them?
I know, Amelia hath conversed with thee
Here, in the palace; when I mentioned thee
She trembled: this affected silence speaks
Your guilt more plainly, and I know not which
Most to abhor, Amelia, or—my friend.

lisois.

Canst thou yet listen to that friend?

duke.

I can.

lisois.

Thinkest thou I still am anxious for my fame?
Dost thou esteem, and canst thou yet believe me?

duke.

I will: for till this hour I thought thee virtuous,
And held thee for my friend.

lisois.

Those noble titles
Have hitherto conducted me through life;
But wherefore justify myself to thee?
Thou’st not deserved it: know, Amelia’s charms
Long since had touched my heart, before thy hand
Had set her free, and saved her precious life,
But by the ties of gratitude she’s thine;
Thou hast deserved her by thy services:
For me, I’m more the soldier than the soft
And tender lover; I despise the art
Of base seduction, fit for courts alone,
And flattery’s smooth perfidiousness; my soul
Is made of firmer stuff: I talked indeed
Of marriage to her; and that sacred tie,
Knit by esteem and fair equality
Of fortune and condition, might have made her
More happy far than rank and titles could,
That stand upon a dangerous precipice:
But yesternight, you know, I visited
Your ramparts, when your jealous soul alarmed
Discovered all its passion; I observed it:
To-day I saw the object of your grief,
Your loved Amelia, and beheld her charms
With eyes of cold indifference: o’er myself
I gained an easy conquest: I did more,
Pleaded for thee, for an ungrateful friend,
And urged a passion which I can’t approve;
Recalled the memory of thy bounties past,
Thy glory and thy rank, acknowledged faults
I knew you had, and numbered all your virtues;
All this against myself I did for thee;
For my friend’s happiness gave up my own:
And if the sacrifice is still imperfect,
Show me the rival that still dares to oppose thee,
And I will stake my life to do thee justice.

duke.

My friend, thou soarest above me; I am fallen,
Abashed, confounded: who could see Amelia
And not adore her? but to conquer thus
Thy passion! O thou never couldst have loved her.

lisois.

I did: but love, like other passions, acts
With different force on different minds.

duke.

I love
Too well, my friend, and cannot imitate
The virtue I admire: my foolish heart—

lisois.

I ask not for thy praises, but thy love;
And if thou thinkest that I have merited
Aught at thy hands, O do but serve thyself,
Thy happiness is Lisois’ best reward.
Thou seest with what determined hate thy brother
Pursues the Moor, I dread the consequence:
The people groan beneath this foreign yoke,
Soon, I foresee, the empire will unite
Their scattered powers, new enemies still rise
Against us, the pure blood of Clovis still
Is worshipped by the crowd, and soon or late
The branches of this sacred tree, that long
Have bent beneath the storm, again shall rise,
Spring with fresh verdure, and overshade the land.
Placed by thy rank and fortunes near the throne,
Long time thou wert thy king and country’s friend;
But in the days of public discord, fate
Attached thee to another cause; perhaps
New interests now may call for new connections,
And what united may dissolve the tie;
The power of these despotic governors
May be restrained, and weakened by thy hand—

duke.

I wish it were so; thinkest thou then Amelia
Would listen to me? if I should embrace
The royal party, might she still be mine?

lisois.

I am a stranger to Amelia’s heart;
But what are her designs, her views to thee?
Must love alone decide the nation’s fate?
In Touraine’s field, when gallant Clovis fought,
And, o’er the haughty conquerors of Rome
Victorious, stopped the bloody Arian’s hand,
That dealt destruction round us, did he save
His country, thinkest thou, but to please a mistress?
This arm against a rival is prepared
To serve my friend, but I would serve him more,
Would cure him of this fond, destructive passion;
This love deceives us, we’re too fearful of him;
We wound ourselves, and lay the blame on him;
The coward’s tyrant, and the hero’s slave;
He may be conquered; Lisois has subdued him,
And shall he triumph o’er the blood of kings
Who never yet submitted to a foe?
Awake, my friend, and be our great example
In every virtue.

duke.

Yes, I will do all,
All for Amelia; she must yield at last.
Her laws, her king, her master, shall be mine:
I have no will but her, and in her eyes
Will read my duty, and my fate: possessed
Of the dear treasure, will be reconciled
To every foe. O how my heart enjoys
The pleasing hope! I had no cause to fear,
I have no rival; if thou art not loved,
I can have none: who in this court would dare
To cast one look towards Amelia? now
Her vain pretexts are vanished; reason, glory,
My interest, and my birth, the sacred right
Of my great ancestors, all, all unite
To bind the nuptial chain, and make me happy.
Henceforth I am the king’s, and will support him
So virtue bids, and beauty has commanded.
On this blest day will I confirm the oaths
I made to love: away, my friend, I leave
My interest and my fortunes to thy care.

lisois.

Permit me, then, my lord, to seek the king:
I could have wished that this important change
Were to the hero, not the lover due;
But be it as it may, the effect’s too glorious
To blame the cause: I triumph in thy weakness,
And bless for once the lucky power of love.

SCENE V.

the duke, lisois, an officer.

officer.

My lord, the foe advances; we expect
A fierce assault, and wait your orders; time
Is precious.

duke.

Cruel fate! to counteract
My noble purpose! then farewell to peace,
And welcome, victory! I’ll deserve Amelia:
I heed not these rash fools: of all the foes
I have to conquer, there’s but one to fear,
And that’s—Amelia.

End of the Second Act.

ACT III.

SCENE I.

duke of foix, lisois.

duke.

The day is ours; thanks to thy friendly hand
That guided my rash youth; thy noble soul,
In peace or war, is my best counsellor.

lisois.

The glorious fire that animates thy heart
Must always conquer, when ’tis checked by prudence,
As here it was: preserve this happy virtue,
’Twill make thee happy, and ’twill make thee great;
The coward is restless, but the hero calm.

duke.

How is the lover? can he ever taste
Of sweet tranquillity? But say, my friend,
This unknown chief, that mounted on our ramparts,
And with his single arm so long suspended
The doubtful victory: I grow jealous of him:
Where is he? what became of him?

lisois.

Surrounded
By slaughtered friends, alone long time he stood,
And braved opposing legions; but what most
Surprised us, when at length he had escaped
From every danger, wondrous to relate!
He yielded up himself a prisoner to us;
Conceals his rank and name, accuses heaven,
And begs for instant death. One friend alone
Attends him, and partakes his sorrows.

duke.

Lisois,
Who can this bold, this fearless soldier be?
He wore his beaver down: some secret charm
O’erpowered my trembling soul when I opposed him.
Whether this fatal passion that enslaves me
Hath spread its weakness o’er each faculty,
And left the soft impression on my soul,
Or that my bleeding country’s voice alarmed
This conscious heart, and silently reproached me.

lisois.

As for the weakness of thy soul, advice
I know were vain, but sure thy country’s voice
May still be heard; now is the time to show
The greatness of thy soul, and give us peace.
Fortune, that smiled on us to-day, perhaps
May frown to-morrow, and thy pride be forced
To sue for pardon to a haughty foe.
Since thou art happy, and Amelia’s thine,
Now rest thy glory on the common cause,
This brave unknown may forward our designs;
Let us improve the lucky moment.

duke.

Yes,
My friend, I will do all to serve Amelia,
Her cause is mine: I must prepare the minds
Of my brave followers for the change; to thee,
And to thy happy counsels, every bliss,
Glory and peace, and hymeneal joys,
To thee I owe, to friendship and to love.

SCENE II.

lisois, vamir and emarat the farther end of the stage.

lisois.

It is the noble prisoner, and his friend,
If I mistake not: this way they advance;
He seems o’erwhelmed with deep despair.

vamir.

O heaven!
Where am I? whither dost thou lead me?

lisois.

Stranger,
Whoe’er thou art, be comforted; thy fate
Hath thrown thee into noble hands: thou’lt find
A generous master, who can see desert
Even in a foe: may I not ask thy name?

vamir.

I am a poor abandoned wretch, the sport
Of fortune, one whose least affliction is
To be a captive, and from every eye
Would wish to hide the story of my fate:
It is enough to be supremely wretched,
Without this cruel witness of my woe:
Too soon my name and sorrows will be known.

lisois.

Respect is due to misery like thine;
I will not urge thee further, but retire:
Perhaps even here thy soul may find relief
In generous treatment, and a milder fate.

SCENE III.

vamir, emar.

vamir.

A milder fate! I must not hope for it:
O I have lived too long.

emar.

Thank heaven, my lord,
That we are fallen amongst such noble foes,
And shall not groan beneath a stranger’s power.

vamir.

No yoke sometimes so galling as a brother’s.

emar.

But you were bred together, and the ties
Of tenderest friendship linked your hearts.

vamir.

They did:
But O the friendship of our early years
Soon takes its flight: he loved me once, and still
This heart retains a brother’s kindness for him:
I cannot hate him, though he conquered me.

emar.

He knows not yet how great a captive comes
To grace his triumph; knows not that a brother
Is in his power, whom vengeance had inspired.

vamir.

No: Emar, never did a thought of vengeance
Enter my heart; a different passion swayed
The soul of Vamir: can it be, just heaven!
Or is it but the lying voice of fame,
That my Amelia’s false, that she has broke
Her solemn vows? for whom, too? added guilt
To her, and double sorrow to thy friend!
The sacred laws of nature, and the ties
Of tender love, all broken, all betrayed!
Unjust, inhuman brother!

emar.

Knows he then
How dear a treasure he hath robbed thee of
In thy Amelia? did not Vamir say
That he was still a stranger to thy love?

vamir.

But she is not: she knows what solemn ties,
What strict engagements, bound us to each other:
That at the altar, ere we had confirmed
Our mutual vows, the barbarous Moor rushed in,
And tore her from me; the base ravishers
Escaped my vengeance, and my happier brother
Enjoys the precious treasure Vamir lost
Ungrateful woman! came I here, my friend,
But to reproach her? what will it avail?
She will not listen to my fond complaint:
But to my royal master I have lived
A faithful servant, and to false Amelia,
And faithful will I die: when she shall know
How well I loved her, she may shed a tear,
And in a brother’s arms lament my fate.

emar.

Repress thy sorrows; see, the duke approaches.

vamir.

Be still, my heart.

SCENE IV.

duke of foix, vamir, emar.

duke.

This mystery alarms me:
But I must see this noble captive: ha!
He turns aside with horror.

vamir.

Hateful life!
Must I support thee still? must I again
Behold the faithless wretch?

duke.

What do I hear?

vamir.

Dost thou not know me?

duke.

Ha! my brother! Vamir!

vamir.

Alas! too sure I am that wretched brother,
Thy vanquished foe, a poor abandoned captive.

duke.

Thou art my brother still, and I forgive thee;
But ’tis most strange, and most unnatural:
Could the king find no instrument but thee
To execute his vengeance on my head?
What had I done to Vamir?

vamir.

Made his life
Unhappy: would that thou hadst taken it from me!

duke.

Dreadful effects of civil strife!

vamir.

More dreadful
Are the deep wounds that pierce the heart of Vamir.

duke.

Against another foe I might have shown
A soldier’s courage, but I pity thee.

vamir.

Pity thyself, the wretch who has betrayed
His country, and deceived the king that loved him;
A traitor, and unworthy of thy race.

duke.

Brand me not, Vamir, with opprobrious name
Of traitor, lest I should forget myself,
And spurn thee for the insult: no, my brother,
I’m not that base, ungrateful wretch thou thinkest me;
Thou seest me ready to restore fair peace,
And heal the wounds of my divided country.

vamir.

Thou heal our wounds! thou—

duke.

Yes: the day that seemed
So fatal to thy peace shall quench the flames
Of public discord, and unite us all.

vamir.

O ’tis a day of sorrow.

duke.

Of delight
And joy, the day that crowns my wishes—

vamir.

How!

duke.

Yes, Vamir, all is changed, and I am happy.

vamir.

It may be so: I heard indeed thy heart
These three months past has been the slave of love;
And if report say true, most violent
And fierce thy passion.

duke.

Thou hast heard aright;
I love her even to madness: thou art come
In happy hour to make our bliss complete.
Yes: I will lay my friends, my foes, my every claim,
Revenge and glory, all beneath her feet.
Go, tell her two unhappy brothers, long
[To his attendants.
By adverse fate to different interests bound,
Wait but a look from her to be united.
[To Vamir.
Blame not my passion, Vamir, when thou seest
The lovely object, soon thou wilt approve it.

vamir.

[Aside.
And does she love thee? cruel thought!

duke.

At least
She ought: one obstacle alone remained,
And that shall be removed.

vamir.

[Aside.
Inhuman brother!
Knowest thou what led me to this fatal place,
And meanest thou to insult me?

duke.

Let us bury
In deep oblivion every thought of discord;
Behold, the fair Amelia comes.

SCENE V.

duke of foix, vamir, amelia.

amelia.

O heaven!
What do I see? I die.

duke.

Amelia, listen,
And mark how happiness ariseth oft
From our misfortunes; this day I have conquered,
And this day found a brother; thou, my Vamir,
Shalt be a witness to the power of love.
What nor Amelia’s prayers, nor her reproaches,
My generous friend, my country, and my king,
Long time in vain solicited, her charms
At length have won: to them I yield submissive.
Amelia, whilst I was thy sovereign’s foe,
Thou wouldst not listen to my vows: henceforth
I have no laws, no friends, no king, but thine:
So love commands, and love shall be obeyed.
Vamir, thou’rt free: be thou the messenger
Of welcome tidings to the court: away,
And tell the king I hasten to present
His fair ally, the conqueror who subdued
A rebel’s heart, and of a dangerous foe
Hath made a faithful subject; changed by her,
And her alone.

vamir.

[Aside.
’Tis as I wished: my fate
Will soon be known: speak, and pronounce our doom.

duke.

Amelia, speak, art thou not satisfied
With my submission? Is it not enough
To see a conqueror thus humbly kneel
Before thee? Can my life alone content
Thy cruel heart? take it, ungrateful woman!
I wished but to preserve it for thy sake;
For thee alone I lived, for thee will die.

amelia.

I am astonished, and my faltering voice
Will scarce give utterance to my words—my lord,
If thy great soul laments thy country’s fate,
And feels for her distress, thy generous care
Must spring from nobler motives than the wish
To serve Amelia; thou hast heard the voice
Of powerful nature: what hath love to do
Where only honor hath a right to dictate?

duke.

’Tis thy own work, Amelia, all thy own:
O’er every interest, every passion, love
Superior reigns; reproach me, cover me
With shame, no matter: I must force thy heart;
Come to the altar.

vamir.

Darest thou—

amelia.

No, my lord;
I’d sooner die: my life’s at thy command,
But not my heart: there is a fatal bar
Between us, and I never can be thine.

duke.

’Tis well, ungrateful—dost thou hear her, Vamir?
But I’ll be calm: I’ll not complain of thee,
I see thee now: the soft persuasive arts
That call our passions forth, the flattering hope
That’s given but to betray, the subtle poison
Spread o’er our hearts, deceitful all and vain,
No longer shall seduce my easy faith,
The eye of reason hath detected them,
And the same art that bound hath set me free:
I will not blush before thee, Vamir: no,
I will not be despised: but let me see
This hidden rival, bring him here before me,
And I will yield him up the worthless prize;
For know, I have contempt enough for both
To wish you were united; that alone
Should be your punishment.

amelia.

Perhaps, my lord,
’Twere fittest for Amelia to retire
In silence, but I hold my honor dear,
And must defend it: I have been accused
Before thy brother, and must answer thee.
Know, then, I’m destined to another’s arms;
I own my love, my tender passion for him;
Amelia were unworthy of his heart,
Had she e’er given a distant hope to thee:
But thou wouldst seize my faith and liberty,
As if they were by right of conquest thine.
I owed thee much, but injuries like these,
My lord, discharge the debt of gratitude,
And cancel all: I saw, and pitied long
The violence of thy fruitless passion for me;
Do not then make me hate thee: I rejected
Thy proffered vows, but never scorned thy love:
I wished for thy esteem, and gave thee mine.

duke.

Perfidious woman! naught hast thou deserved
But my resentment, which thou soon shalt know
Is equal to my love: thou waitedst then
For Vamir to be witness of my shame!
I should have thought he was himself the traitor,
If—but he ne’er beheld thy fatal charms,
My happier brother never knew Amelia.
Who is this rival? let me know his name,
But think not I will tamely yield to him.
No: I deceived thee there, but cannot long
Dissemble; I will drag thee to the altar,
There, as he dies in torment, shall he see
Our hands united; I will dip in blood
The torch of Hymen: well I know that princes
Have been despised for mean and vulgar slaves,
But I shall find him.

vamir.

Why shouldst thou suppose
This rival so contemptible?

duke.

And why
Shouldst thou excuse him? Didst thou never know her?
’Tis dreadful to conceive it. If thou didst,
Now, traitor, tremble.

vamir.

Vamir tremble? No:
Too long already I have borne in silence
Thy cruel insults; know me now, barbarian,
Know a despair that’s equal to thy own:
Strike here; behold thy brother, and thy rival.

duke.

Thou, Vamir, thou?

vamir.

Yes: for these two years past
We’ve been united in the strictest bonds
Of tender love; the only good on earth
I wished to keep, thy cruel hand hath strove
To ravish from me, made my life unhappy:
Judge of my miseries by thy own: we both
Are jealous, both were born the slaves of passion:
Hatred and love, resentment, and despair,
Possess our souls, and all in the extreme:
Thou wert my rival, therefore I opposed thee:
Furious and blind, I ran, I flew to save
The object of my love; not all thy power
Restrained me, nor my weakness, time nor place,
Not even thy noble courage; love prevailed
O’er friendship, and the ties of blood: be thou
Cruel like me, like me unnatural.
Whilst I have life, thou never canst enjoy
Thy conquest, never canst possess Amelia:
Strike, then, and punish, shed thy brother’s blood;
But when thou draggest her with thee to the altar,
Remember, she’s thy sister, and my wife.

duke.

Guards, seize the traitor, take him from my sight.

amelia.

Stay, cruel prince; art thou inflexible,
Deaf to the voice of nature? O, my lord!

vamir.

Sue not for me, Amelia, Vamir’s fate
Is to be envied: he most claims your pity
Who hath betrayed his king, and injured thee:
I am revenged, the victory is mine;
For thou art hated here, and I’m beloved.

amelia.

[Kneeling to the Duke.
O dearest prince, my lord, see at your feet—

duke.

Away with him: rise, madam, for thy tears
And fruitless prayers to save a traitor’s life
But pour fresh poison o’er my wounded heart
That bleeds for thee; but I will die, Amelia,
Not unrevenged: when thou shalt feel my rage
Accuse thyself; the work is all thy own.

amelia.

I cannot leave thee: O my lord, yet hear—

duke.

If I must hear thee, speak, go on.

SCENE VI.

the duke, vamir, amelia, lisois.

lisois.

My lord,
The people are in arms; at Vamir’s name
They rose tumultuous, and on every side
Disorder reigns; the affrighted soldiers leave
Their colors, and in wild confusion fly:
Meantime the foe unites his scattered powers,
And rushes on us.

duke.

Go, ungrateful woman!
Thou hast not long to glory in thy crimes;
Follow her—
[To one of her attendants.
I must to the factious crowd
And show myself: thou, Lisois, guard this traitor.

SCENE VII.

vamir, lisois.

lisois.

Art thou a traitor? couldst thou thus disgrace
Thy noble blood, to violate the laws
Of nature? could a prince so far forget
His duty and himself?

vamir.

I never did:
The people’s just: my brother is a rebel,
And has betrayed his master.

lisois.

Hear me, Vamir;
My soul desires no greater happiness
Than to unite you: long have I beheld
With deep regret my bleeding country’s woes,
Our fields laid waste, and nature sacrificed
To discord and revenge; the haughty Moor,
Raised on our ruins, menacing the state,
Which we have weakened by our own divisions.
O if thou bearest a heart that’s truly noble,
And worthy of thy race, now save thy country;
Exert thy power to reconcile the king,
Soften thy brother, and put out the flames
Of civil war.

vamir.

Impossible! thy cares
Are fruitless all and vain: if naught but discord,
Revenge and hatred, led me to the field,
Had glory and ambition fired my breast,
Thou mightest have hoped indeed to reunite us;
But there’s a bar more fatal still behind.

lisois.

What could it be! O tell me, Vamir.

vamir.

Love:
Love that has filled this breast with savage fury,
And made my brother cruel and inhuman.

lisois.

Good heaven! that vain caprice should thus destroy
The noblest purposes! Almighty love,
Canst thou reverse the laws of nature, fill
With unrelenting hate the jealous hearts
Of fondest brothers, and in every clime
By private passions work the public ruin?
Vamir, I feel for both, but long have served
Thy brother; I must hence, and second him
Against thy factious friends: the strife is dreadful,
And much I fear will have a bloody end;
But I must fly to succor him: farewell;
Thou art my prisoner, but I leave thee here;
Give me thy word, that shall suffice.

vamir.

I do.

lisois.

Would I could knit you in the bonds of peace!
But much more to be feared than all thy foes
And far more fatal, is the tyrant, love.

End of the Third Act.

ACT IV.

SCENE I.

vamir, amelia, emar.

amelia.

O Vamir, how the hand of heaven hath marked
My life with sad variety of woe!
The chance of war, that tore me from thy arms.
Once more hath joined us; but, alas! we meet
On mournful terms, meet but to part; my Vamir,
Didst thou not say it must be so?

vamir.

It must:
Thou seest me chained by honor’s laws beneath
A rival’s power: my sacred word is given:
Vamir may die, but must not follow thee.

amelia.

Thou who hast dared to fight, art thou afraid
To flee from him?

vamir.

I am: my honor binds me:
Take thou advantage of the general tumult,
Which favors thy retreat: a guard attends
To aid thy flight; heaven will protect thy virtues;
Hope for the best.

amelia.

What can Amelia hope,
When thou art from her?

vamir.

’Tis but for a day.

amelia.

O but that day will be an age to me.
Grant, heaven! my tears and terrors may be vain.
The Moor, I know, thirsts for my Vamir’s blood;
Thinkest thou thy brother will not give it him?
He loves with fury, and he hates with rancor;
His hatred, like his love, is in extreme:
He is thy rival, and the Moor’s ally.
I tremble for thee.

vamir.

He would never dare—

amelia.

O his impetuous passion knows no bounds!

vamir.

He must be taught to know them soon; the king
Comes to avenge us; half his force already
Throngs to the royal standard; if thou lovest me,
Fly, my Amelia, from the impending storm,
From dreadful slaughter, and the din of arms,
And all the terrors of a bloody field;
But, above all, avoid my furious rival,
Whose jealous love despised, will turn to rage;
Avoid an insult Vamir must avenge,
Or perish in the attempt: my dear Amelia,
Hope of my life, the only good on earth
I have to boast, do not expose thyself
To needless dangers, but retire in safety.

amelia.

Why wilt thou hazard then thy precious life,
And stay without Amelia?

vamir.

When thou art safe,
I shall not fear my brother; soon perhaps
Vamir may prove his best support: to-day
I am his prisoner, but perchance to-morrow
May be his patron, and persuade the king
To spare a rebel: to protect my rival
Were noble triumph. Haste, Amelia, leave
This seat of danger.

amelia.

Wheresoever fate
Shall cast my hapless lot, I’ll carry with me
My hatred and my love; ’midst every danger,
In the wild desert, or the gloomy dungeon,
In exile, or in chains, in death itself,
Still shall I think of, still adore my Vamir:
But O I cannot bear to live without thee!

vamir.

It is too much: thy griefs unman my soul.
What noise was that? O thou hast staid too long!

SCENE II.

amelia, vamir, duke of foix,Guards.

duke.

I hear his voice; ’tis he: stay, villain, thou
Who hast betrayed me.

vamir.

I betrayed thee not.
Now satiate thy revenge, and take my life;
Lose not a moment, for the hand of heaven
Is raised against thee: tremble, slave, thy king
Approaches: thou hast conquered none but Vamir:
Thy master comes, take heed.

duke.

He may avenge,
But cannot save thee; for thy blood—

amelia.

O no,
Amelia’s guilty: let Amelia die,
And not my Vamir: I deceived thy guards,
And bartered with them to assist my flight
From hated slavery, and a tyrant’s power:
Punish my crimes, but, O respect a brother,
Respect thyself, thy own unblemished fame!
He ne’er betrayed, but loves and would have served thee,
Even when thy rage had doomed him to destruction.
What crime has he committed? none, my lord,
None but the crime of loving his Amelia.

duke.

The more thou pleadest for him, the more his guilt:
Thou art his murderer: thou, whose fatal charms
Have poisoned all our happiness, and armed
Our hands against each other, may the blood
Of both fall on thee! now thou weepest; thy tears
No longer shall deceive me: I must die,
But Vamir first shall perish. Yet I love thee,
Even yet thou mayest escape the fatal blow:
Accept my hand, attend me to the altar,
And seal his pardon there.

amelia.

Who, I, my lord?

duke.

It is enough.

amelia.

Shall I be false to Vamir?

duke.

Stop—answer me.

amelia.

I cannot.

duke.

Let him die.

vamir.

Amelia, never let his threats o’ercome
Thy noble faith, but love me well enough
To see me perish: leave me to my fate;
Now I shall fall triumphant: shouldst thou yield,
Vamir must die by his Amelia’s hand.

duke.

Guards, drag the traitor to the tower: away.

SCENE III.

duke, amelia.

amelia.

And wilt thou make this horrid sacrifice?
Pollute thee with the blood of innocence?
Thou wilt not!

duke.

Yes: to hate thee, and to die,
Is all I wish; to see thee more unhappy,
More wretched than myself, to shed the blood
That’s dearest to thee, and to make thy days
As full of woe as was that fatal hour
Which hath destroyed us all. Away, and leave me;
The sight of thee distracts me.

SCENE IV.

duke, amelia, lisois.

amelia.

From thy justice,
And, that alone, I can expect relief.
Help me to soften this obdurate heart:
Assist me, Lisois.

duke.

If thou listenest to her,
Thou art not my friend.

amelia.

I call just heaven to witness.

duke.

Hence from my sight: I loathe thee.

amelia.

Tyrant, go,
For I abhor thee; spite of all thy rage,
I thought a woman might at least command
Some cold respect: but love, that softens all,
Hath lost its tender influence o’er thy heart:
I leave thee to thy rage; go, sacrifice
Thy victims, amidst thy crimes be sure thou count
Amelia’s death, and with it count thy own,
For vengeance comes, and in thy punishment
Unites us all; inglorious shalt thou perish,
And unlamented. Die, inhuman savage;
And may that hatred, that contempt of thee,
Which now I feel, pursue thy memory,
And after ages execrate thy name!

SCENE V.

duke of foix, lisois.

duke.

Yes, cruel prophet, I expect the doom
Pronounced by thee, that discord’s fatal hand
Shall seize on all, and join us in the tomb.

lisois.

Rage has o’erpowered him, and his senses fail.

duke.

What says my friend? am I to suffer shame
And insult thus; and shall my haughty rival
Bear off the false, perfidious, dear Amelia?
Wilt thou bear this, or waitest thou till the traitor
Shall raise a powerful faction to enslave me?

lisois.

Too well I see, my lord, the royal party
Hath spread sedition through the multitude,
And shook their faith.

duke.

Vamir lights up the flame:
He has betrayed us all.

lisois.

I never meant
To palliate Vamir’s crimes, for much I dread
The fatal consequence; already France
Is armed against us. If the people seek
Their safety in rebellion, all is lost,
Danger’s on every side.

duke.

What’s to be done?

lisois.

Prevent it; rage and love must be subdued;
Then may we conquer all. We must be firm
And resolute; avoid, or brave the storm,
Do as thou wilt, my hand is ready still
To aid my friend. This morning thou hadst thoughts
Of treating with the king: if thou commandest,
I’ll go, my lord, even now, and sue for peace;
Or if we try the fortune of the day,
The faithful Lisois shall attend thee still:
There, if thou fallest, thy friend shall not survive thee.

duke.

Alone I will descend into the grave:
Live thou, to serve my cause, and to avenge me.
My hour is come, I must fulfil my fate:
Who wishes but for death, is sure to find it;
But mine should come with all his terrors round him;
I must have vengeance; and whene’er I fall,
Will drag my rival with me to the tomb.

lisois.

What horrid thoughts are these!

duke.

In yonder tower
He is confined: ’tis under thy command,
And thou didst promise, that whene’er—

lisois.

Of whom
Speakest thou, my lord? a brother?

duke.

No: a traitor,
My worst of foes, a rival who abhors me;
One who has robbed me of my dearest treasure:
The Moor demands his head, and I have promised
To give it him.

lisois.

Ha! promised to shake off
The bonds of nature and humanity!

duke.

Long since they had proscribed him.

lisois.

And to them,
Thou yieldest his life?

duke.

Not to their vengeance only,
But to my own, which shall be satisfied.
What is the Moor to me, or what my country?

lisois.

To love then you would make the sacrifice,
And I must be the executioner.

duke.

No: I expect not so much justice from thee;
I am a wretch, abandoned and forlorn,
Betrayed by love, deserted by my friend;
But there are those who yet will keep their promise;
Others, perhaps, may serve me, nor allege
Such poor excuses for ingratitude.

lisois.

[After a long silence.
I am resolved; and be it guilt or justice,
Ne’er shalt thou say that Lisois hath betrayed thee:
Thou art unhappy: Vamir is a traitor.
It is enough; I love thee, and consent:
There is a time for desperate extremes,
When duties the most sacred must give way
To hard necessity: at such an hour
I cannot suffer thee to try the faith
Of any heart but mine: success alone
Must prove my friendship: soon shalt thou determine
Whether thy Lisois loved thee, and was faithful.

duke.

Once more in sorrow I behold a friend;
Deserted by the world, in thee I find
My only refuge: thou wilt not permit
A haughty rival to insult my rage,
To trample on my ashes, and enjoy
My kingdom in the arms of my Amelia.

lisois.

I will not; but in recompense for this,
I must demand another sacrifice.

duke.

What is it? speak.

lisois.

I cannot bear the Moor,
Our insolent protector; cannot bear
To see him lord it o’er thy noble subjects.
I would not serve a tyrant, nor submit
To shameful slavery for a poor support
We do not want; ’tis in our power at least
To die without him: leave to me, my lord,
The conduct of this day, perhaps my service
May claim it of thee: Lisois and the Moor
Would ne’er agree: I must command alone,
To the last hour.

duke.

Thou shalt: I’ll give thee all
Thou canst desire, let but Amelia feel
Despair like mine, and weep in tears of blood
Her treacherous lover: let me hear her groans
In my last moments to delight my soul;
And for the rest, ’tis equal all: to thee
I trust my glory; go, dispose, command,
Prepare thee for the field. I hope not now
For victory, nor for honorable death;
For what is honor to a heart like mine,
Sunk in despair! O be the sad remembrance
Of a false mistress, and a cruel rival,
Buried with me in everlasting silence!

lisois.

Eternal night, if possible, should hide
Such dreadful deeds: would death had closed our eyes
Before this day of horrors; but I go
To keep my word, and save my friend. Farewell.

End of the Fourth Act.

ACT V.

SCENE I.

duke of foix, an officer.

duke.

Perpetual misery! am I doomed to see
Nothing but faction, treason, and revolt?
Where are the rebels, do they mutiny?

officer.

At sight of you, my lord, the crowd dispersed.

duke.

On every side I am oppressed by Vamir;
All hearts are his; my miseries are complete;
But what hath Lisois done?

officer.

His watchful courage
Defends our ramparts ’gainst the foe.

duke.

That soldier
You brought to me in secret, has he done
What I commanded?

officer.

Yes, my lord: ere now
He’s at the tower.

duke.

’Tis well: a common arm
Will do it best, and execute my vengeance
Without remorse: Lisois’ uncertain heart
Was not to be depended on; methought
He looked with too much coolness on my rage;
We seldom try to mitigate a grief,
Which we contemn: to other hands I’ll trust
My great revenge.—Go thou, and fetch my standard,
Let it be brought upon the ramparts to me:
New dangers press, and for the field again
We must prepare: let the same zeal inspire thee,
And the same courage, imitate thy master,
And learn of him—to die,
[Exit Officer.
Ere this ’tis done.
A base, ungrateful woman dips my hands
In brother’s blood, and leads me to the tomb:
A guilty murderer, ha! what means my heart?
I’ve nourished vengeance long; and shall I not
Enjoy it now? I tremble: and a voice,
Solemn and sad, cries from my inmost soul,
Stop, Foix, he is thy brother, hapless prince,
Call back the murderer: Vamir was thy friend.
O sweet remembrance of our infant years,
When in the days of innocence our hearts
Spoke nature’s language, and imparted free
Our mutual wishes! O how oft has Vamir
Partook my griefs, and with a brother’s hand,
Wiped off the falling tears! and shall I now
Destroy him? O thou fatal passion, where,
Where hast thou led me? sure I was not born
This savage, this barbarian: Vamir yet
Was guilty; Vamir robbed me of my life,
In my Amelia: still I am unjust;
He loved; was that a crime to merit death?
Alas! nor time, nor war, nor absence, cooled
Their faithful passion; still their guiltless flame
In purest lustre shone, before my heart
Was poisoned by the cruel draught of love:
But Vamir braves my wrath, and is my foe;
Deceives me, hates me; yet he is my brother.
He should have lived, he was beloved, and happy,
And only I should perish: I will die
But as I lived, with honor. Pity melts me,
Nature determines, and I will forgive him.
’Tis time—

SCENE II.

duke of foix, an officer.

duke.

Prevent a parricide: away,
Haste to the tower, reverse my orders: go.
And let my brother—

officer.

O my lord—

duke.

What sayest thou!
Run, fly, obey me.

officer.

Near the gate this moment
I saw a body covered o’er with blood,
Carried in secret forth by Lisois’ orders,
And much I fear—

duke.

O heaven! my brother’s dead
And I yet live: earth hath not swallowed me,
Nor lightning blasted: a base murderer,
Foe to his country, an unnatural brother,
How love has changed me! what a load of guilt
Have I to answer for! the veil’s removed;
And now, alas! I know myself too well;
I cannot be more guilty: O my brother!
I feel I loved thee, yet I slew thee, Vamir.

officer.

Amelia comes, my lord, and begs to speak
In private with you.

duke.

O I must not see her!
Not for the world: I cannot bear it: no,
She will avenge the murder in my blood:
But let her come: I tremble to behold her.

SCENE III.

duke of foix, amelia, thais.

amelia.

My lord, you have prevailed: and since that hatred
(How can I call it by another name?)
Which hath so long pursued me, now requires
A brother’s blood, or his Amelia’s hand,
Take it: the choice is made, and I am thine:
Remember, I’m the purchase of thy guilt:
Loosen his chains, and set my Vamir free,
That I no more may tremble for his life,
And I will give thee all, yield up my hopes
Of happiness with him, and follow thee,
Even to the altar; there the hand that gives
My faith away shall punish all my weakness.
Know, at the temple, where thy bridal vows—
But thou desirest my hand, and that alone
I have to give thee: ha! thou art silent: say,
Is Vamir, is thy brother freed already?

duke.

My brother!

amelia.

Gracious heaven!—remove my fears,
Thy eyes are bathed in tears.

duke.

Thou askest his life

amelia.

What do I hear? didst thou not promise me—

duke.

It is too late.

amelia.

Too late! O Vamir!

duke.

Yes,
It is indeed; would it were not, Amelia;
The cruel Lisois has obeyed my orders
Too faithfully: O live, to punish me;
Pierce this inhuman, this unnatural heart,
That loved thee but too well: I killed my brother,
But for thy sake: revenge on me the crimes
Which but for thee I never had committed.

amelia.

[Falling into the arms of Thais.
Vamir is dead, barbarian!

duke.

And thy hand
Shall shed the murderer’s blood.

amelia.

[Fainting.
And is he gone?
My Vamir—

duke.

Thy reproaches—

amelia.

Spare me, spare me,
I’ll not reproach thee; take thy sorrows hence,
And thy repentance: let me but embrace him,
And die.

duke.

Amelia, thou hast too much cause
To grieve, but O for pity take this life
That’s hateful to me; but I’ve not deserved
To perish by thy hand; but thou shalt guide—

SCENE IV.

duke, amelia, lisois.

lisois.

What would thy rashness do?

duke.

[They disarm him.
An act of justice:
Punish myself.

amelia.

Wert thou his vile accomplice?

duke.

Thou minister of guilt, thou hast obeyed me.

lisois.

I promised you, my lord, and I have done
But what I ought.

duke.

Thy stubborn virtue oft
Hath checked my follies, and opposed my weakness;
But when I bade thee be a murderer,
And kill my brother, then thou wert obedient.

lisois.

When I refused but now to execute
The bloody office, didst thou not employ
Another hand?

duke.

Love, powerful love, that chained
My reason down, and swayed my foolish heart,
Love pleads for me; but thou whose wisdom calms
Each rising passion, whose unaltered soul,
Firm and unshaken, I so oft have feared,
So oft respected, that thou, thus unmoved,
Shouldst suffer such a deed of horror; O
’Tis terrible!

lisois.

Since sorrow and repentance,
Virtue’s best monitors, have pierced thy soul
With just remorse: since, spite of all thy rashness,
To save a brother’s blood thou gladly now
Wouldst give thy own; ye both shall find a friend.
Keep thou thy penitence.
[To the Duke.
Dry up thy tears.
[To Amelia.
This is a day of triumph. Prince, come forth:
Embrace thy brother.
[The Scene opens, and discovers Vamir.

amelia.

O my Vamir!

duke.

Ha!
My brother!

amelia.

Gracious heaven!

duke.

Can it be?
vamir,advancing to the front.
Again I see, again embrace my brother.

duke.

O thy forgiveness makes my crime still greater.

amelia.

O noble Lisois, thou hast given me life.

duke.

Life to us all.

lisois.

A base assassin raised
His arm against Vamir, but I felled the traitor,
And laid him breathless at my feet, then feigned
That I had shed thy brother’s blood: I knew
Thou wouldst repent, and wish the deed undone.

duke.

This was a service I can ne’er reward
But by endeavoring to be worthy of it:
My crime sits heavy on me, and my eyes,
Fixed on the earth, dare not look up to Vamir,
And to the wronged Amelia.

vamir.

We would both
Have served thee with our royal master; both
Are still devoted to thee. What, my brother,
Is thy design? O speak!

duke.

To do you justice:
To expiate, by the greatest punishment,
The greatest crime that love and fierce resentment
Could e’er commit: long I adored Amelia;
Even when I gave her Vamir up to death,
I loved Amelia: I adore her still,
Nay, more than ever, yet I yield her to thee,
And sacrifice my heart to make you blest.
Take her, be happy, and forgive thy brother.

vamir.

Behold me at thy feet, with gratitude
Warm as thy bounty, as thy love sincere.

amelia.

Permit me to embrace thy knees with Vamir,
Accept our tenderest friendship, for thy goodness
Has amply paid for all my sufferings past.

duke.

No more of this, it doubles my misfortunes,
And shows me but what happiness I’ve lost:
But I will learn from you to follow virtue,
My heart is yours: I’m now indeed thy brother,
By thy example I will love my country.
Let us away, and to the king relate
My crimes, my sorrows, and thy happiness:
Let Vamir’s zeal and Vamir’s truth be mine,
Faithful to France, to friendship, and to thee;
Foix shall deserve your pardon and your praise;
Ye shall forget his follies and his crimes,
And henceforth know him only by his virtues.

End of the Fifth and Last Act.

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Return to Title Page for The Works of Voltaire, Vol. VIII The Dramatic Works Part 1 (Mérope, Olympia, The Orphan of China, Brutus) and Part II (Mahomet, Amelia, Oedipus, Mariamne, Socrates).

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AMELIA - Voltaire, The Works of Voltaire, Vol. VIII The Dramatic Works Part 1 (Mérope, Olympia, The Orphan of China, Brutus) and Part II (Mahomet, Amelia, Oedipus, Mariamne, Socrates). [1901]

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AMELIA

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ.

ACT I.

SCENE I.

lisois.

amelia.

lisois.

amelia.

lisois.

amelia.

lisois.

amelia.

lisois.

SCENE II.

amelia.

thais.

amelia.

thais.

amelia.

thais.

amelia.

thais.

amelia.

thais.

amelia.

SCENE III.

duke.

SCENE IV.

lisois.

duke.

lisois.

duke.

lisois.

duke.

lisois.

duke.

lisois.

duke.

lisois.

duke.

lisois.

duke.

lisois.

duke.

lisois.

duke.

ACT II.

SCENE I.

the duke of foix.

SCENE II.

amelia.

duke.

amelia.

duke.

amelia.

duke.

amelia.

duke.

amelia.

duke.

amelia.

duke.

amelia.