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• The Works of Voltaire: the Dramatic Works of Voltaire Vol. Ix— Part I
• Alzire
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• Act I.
• Act II.
• Act III.
• Act IV.
• Act V.
• Orestes
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• Act I.
• Act II.
• Act III.
• Act IV.
• Act V.
• SÉmiramis
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• Act I.
• Act II.
• Act III.
• Act IV.
• Act V.
• Catiline
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• Act I.
• Act II.
• Act III.
• Act IV.
• Act V.
• Pandora
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• Act I.
• Act II.
• Act III.
• Act IV.
• Act V.
• The Dramatic Works of Voltaire Vol. Ix—part Ii
• The Scotch Woman
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• Act I.
• Act II.
• Act III.
• Act IV.
• Act V.
• Nanine
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• Act I.
• Act II.
• Act III.
• The Prude
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• Act I.
• Act II.
• Act III.
• Act IV.
• Act V.
• The Tatler
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• Act I.

ACT IV.

SCENE I.

alvarez, guzman.

alvarez.

• Fortune, my son, has crowned thee with success,
• Endeavor to deserve it; do not stain
• The laurel wreath with blood, but let fair mercy,
• That adds new lustre to the conqueror’s glory,
• Inspire thy breast with pity; be a man,
• A Christian, and forgive: Alvarez asks thee
• To pardon Zamor—shall a father plead
• In vain? O Guzman, shall I never soften
• Thy savage manners, never teach my son
• To conquer hearts?

guzman.

• Alvarez has pierced mine
• Most deeply; ask my life, and it is yours,
• But leave my honor, leave me my revenge;
• How can I pardon Zamor, when I know
• Alzire loves him?

alvarez.

• Therefore he deserves
• Thy pity more.

guzman.

• O to be pitied thus,
• And thus beloved, Guzman would die with pleasure.

alvarez.

• With all that fierce resentment, feelest thou too
• The pangs of jealousy?

guzman.

• And canst thou blame
• An injured husband? I have too much cause
• For jealousy, and yet thou pitiest not
• The unhappy Guzman.

alvarez.

• Thou art wild, impetuous,
• And bitter in thy wrath; Alzire’s virtues
• Deserve a milder treatment; when opposed,
• Her open heart, rough as her native soil,
• Resists with stubborn firmness, but would yield
• To soft persuasion; gentle means, my son,
• Are ever the most powerful.

guzman.

• Must I soothe
• The pride of beauty, wear a brow serene,
• And cover my resentment, to expose
• My easy heart to new indignities?
• I should have thought that, jealous of my honor
• You would approve, and not condemn my rage:
• Is it not shame enough that I am wedded
• To a proud slave who hates me, braves my power,
• And owns her heart is given to another?
• Whom yet, to make me more accursed, I love.

alvarez.

• Why blush at that? it is a lawful passion,
• Indulge, but keep it within proper bounds,
• For all excess is guilty—only promise
• You will determine nothing till I’ve seen her
• Once more.

guzman.

• A father’s will must be obeyed;
• I will suspend my wrath, but urge me, sir,
• No further.

alvarez.

• All I want is time: farewell.
• [Exit.

guzman.

• [Alone.
• And have I lived to envy Zamor’s fate,
• To envy a vile slave, who scarce deserves
• The name of man!—What do I see? Alzire!

SCENE II.

guzman, alzire, emira.

alzire.

• ’Tis I, my lord, ’tis the afflicted wife
• Of Guzman; she who honors, who reveres
• And yet has injured thee: I come, my lord,
• To throw me at your feet, to own my crime,
• And beg forgiveness: nought have I disguised,
• My open heart confessed its fatal passion
• For the unhappy Zamor; if he dies,
• He dies because Alzire was sincere;
• But I shall more astonish thee, I come
• To plead for him: I know that Guzman’s proud,
• Resentful, and severe, and yet I hope
• He may be generous, ’tis a conqueror’s pride,
• His glory to forgive: an act like this
• Would gain thee more than conquest can bestow,
• Win every heart, perhaps even change Alzire’s.
• A fawning Spaniard might have promised more,
• Have sighed, and wept, and softened thee with tears,
• Which I disdain; the hand of nature formed
• My plain untutored heart, if ought can move it,
• ’Tis generosity: let Guzman try
• If it is made of penetrable mould.

guzman.

• If you’re so fond of virtue, ’twould become you
• To know and practise it, to study, madam,
• Those manners you condemn, to learn your duty,
• To treat yourself, your honor, and your fame
• With more respect; nor dare to name a rival
• Whom I abhor, but wait in humble silence
• Till I determine what shall be his fate;
• It is enough if I forgive Alzire:
• This heart is not insensible; but know,
• Those who believe shall always find me cruel.

SCENE III.

alzire, emira.

emira.

• He loves you still, and yet may be persuaded.

alzire.

• Ay, but he’s jealous, that destroys my Zamor,
• I lost his life by asking it; but say,
• Emira, canst thou save him? shall he live,
• Though far from his Alzire? didst thou try
• That soldier?

emira.

• Yes; the grand corrupter, gold,
• Has bought him to our interest; he is ready.

alzire.

• Thank heaven, that metal doth not always prove
• The instrument of ill: but haste, Emira.

emira.

• Is Zamor then devoted to destruction?
• Cannot Alvarez save him? have the council—

alzire.

• I have a thousand fears for him: alas!
• These tyrants think the world was made for them,
• That they were born the sovereigns of mankind,
• That Zamor is a rebel and a slave:
• Barbarians as they are—this cruel council—
• But I’ll prevent their murderous purposes:
• That soldier, my Emira, how he lingers!

emira.

• Be not alarmed; night’s friendly shade protects him,
• And he will soon be here with Zamor; sleep
• Hath closed the tyrant’s eyes, and we are safe.

alzire.

• O let him lead me to the prison gate
• That I may set him free.

emira.

• Behold, he comes:
• But should ye be discovered, foul dishonor,
• Disgrace, and infamy—

alzire.

• Attend on her
• Who would betray the man she loves; this shame
• Thou talkest of is a European phantom,
• Which fools mistake for virtue! ’tis the love
• Of glory not of justice, not the fear
• Of vice but of reproach; a shame unknown
• In these untutored climes, where honor shines
• In its own native light, and scorns the aid
• Of such false lustre; honor bids me save
• A lover and a hero thus deserted.

SCENE IV.

alzire, zamor, emira,a soldier.

alzire.

• O Zamor, all is lost, thy punishment
• Already is prepared, and thou art doomed
• To instant death; lose not a moment’s time,
• But haste away, this soldier will conduct thee:
• Alas! thou seest my grief and my despair,
• O save my husband from the guilt of murder,
• Save thy dear self, and leave me to my fate.

zamor.

• Thou bidst me live, I must obey Alzire:
• But wilt thou follow the poor friendless Zamor?
• A desert and this heart are all I now
• Have left to offer; once I had a throne.

alzire.

• What were a throne and empire without thee?
• Alas! my Zamor, to the gloomy desert
• My soul shall follow thee; but I am doomed
• To wander here alone, to drag a life
• Of bitterness and woe, to spend my hours
• In sad reflections on my wretched state,
• To be another’s, and yet burn for thee:
• I bid farewell to Zamor and to joy;
• Away, and leave me to my duty; fain
• Would I preserve my honor, and my love,
• They both are sacred.

zamor.

• What’s this idle honor,
• This European phantom, that deludes thee;
• This Christian altar, those detested oaths
• Extorted from thee, this triumphant God;
• What have they done to rob me of Alzire?

alzire.

• My sacred promise—

zamor.

• ’Twas a guilty vow,
• And binds thee not; perdition on thy oaths,
• And thy false God, whom I abhor! farewell!

alzire.

• O stop, my Zamor.

zamor.

• Guzman is thy husband.

alzire.

• Do not upbraid but pity me.

zamor.

• O think
• On our past loves.

alzire.

• I think but on thy danger.

zamor.

• Thou hast betrayed me.

alzire.

• No; I love thee still:
• If ’tis a crime, I own, nay glory in it;
• But hence, and leave me here to die alone;
• Some dreadful purpose labors in thy breast:
• How thy eyes roll! O Zamor—

zamor.

• ’Tis resolved.

alzire.

• Where art thou going?

zamor.

• Glorious liberty,
• I’ll use thee nobly.

alzire.

• If thou diest remember
• I perish with thee.

zamor.

• In this hour of terror
• Thou talkest to me of love: but time is precious,
• Conduct me, soldier; fare thee well.

SCENE V.

alzire.

• He’s gone;
• But where I know not: dreadful moment! Guzman,
• For thee I quitted Zamor: haste, Emira,
• Follow him, fly, return, and tell me all.
• Thinkest thou that soldier will be faithful to us?
• [Exit Emira.
• I know not why, but something tells me here,
• This day, for me, will be a day of horror.
• O God of Christians, thou all-conquering power,
• Whom yet I know not, O remove the cloud
• From my dark mind; if by my fatal passion
• I have offended thee, pour all thy vengeance
• On me, but spare my Zamor; O conduct
• His wandering footsteps through the dreary desert!
• Is Europe only worthy of thy care?
• Art thou the partial parent of one world,
• And tyrant o’er another? all deserve
• Thy equal love, the victor and the vanquished
• Are all the work of thy creating hand.
• But hark! what dreadful cry is that? methought
• They called on Zamor—hark! again that noise!
• It comes this way: my Zamor’s lost.

SCENE VI.

alzire, emira.

alzire.

• Emira,
• I’m glad thou art come: what hast thou seen, what done?
• Where is he? speak, and ease my troubled soul.

emira.

• O it is past all hope; he cannot live:
• Conducted safely by the faithful soldier
• He passed the guards, then darting from him rushed
• Towards the palace; trembling I pursued him,
• Amidst the horrors of the silent night,
• Almost to Guzman’s chamber; there he escaped me,
• Though oft I called on him, oft looked in vain:
• I heard a dreadful shriek, some cried aloud,
• He’s dead: the palace is in arms: fly, madam,
• And save yourself.

alzire.

• Let us begone, and help
• My Zamor.

emira.

• What can we do for him?

alzire.

• Die.

SCENE VII.

alzire, emira, don alonzo,Guards.

alonzo.

• I’ve orders, madam, to secure you.

alzire.

• Slave,
• What meanest thou? where’s my Zamor?

alonzo.

• That I know not:
• Permit me to conduct you.

alzire.

• Cruel fate!
• I must not die then? Zamor is no more,
• And yet I live, a captive, and in chains:
• O ignominious!—dost thou weep, barbarian?
• I must indeed be wretched, if my woes
• Can touch a heart like thine; I’ll follow thee;
• If death awaits me, I obey with pleasure.

End of the Fourth Act.