A forgery, my lord would disbelieve me;

Nay, more would disbelieve, the more I swore:
But is the picture happily dispos'd of?

It is.

ISABELLA.

ZANGA.

That's well-Ah! what is well? O pang to think;
O dire necessity! is this my province ?

Whither, my soul, ah! Whither, art thou sunk
Beneath thy sphere? E'er while, far, far above
Such little arts, dissemblings, falshoods, frauds,
The trash of villainy itself, which falls

To cowards, and poor wretches wanting bread:
Does this become a soldier? This become
Whom armies follow'd, and a people lov'd?
My martial glory withers at the thought:
But great my end; and since there are no other,
These means are just; they shine with 'borrow'd light,
Illustrious from the purpose they pursue.

And greater sure my merit, who, to gain

A point sublime, can such a task sustain ;
To wade through ways obscene, my honour bend,
And shock my nature to attain my end:
Late time shall wonder; that my joys will raise;
For wonder is involuntary praise.

ACT IV.

SCENE I.

Enter ALONZO and ZANGA.

ALONZO.

WHAT a pain to think! when every thought,
Perplexing thought, in intricacies runs,
And reason knits th' inextricable toil,
In which herself is taken! I am lost;
Poor insect that I am, I am involv'd,

And bury'd in the web myself have wrought!
One argument is balanc'd by another,
And reason reason meets in doubtful fight,
And proofs are countermin'd by equal proofs.
No more I'll bear this battle of the mind,
This inward anarchy; but find my wife,
And, to her trembling heart presenting death,
Force all the secret from her.

ZANGA.

You totter on the very brink of ruin.

O forbear!

ALONZO.

What dost thou mean?

ZANGA. [Aside.]

That will discover all,

And kill my hopes: What can I think or do?

ALONZO.

What dost thou murmur?

ZANGA.

Force the secret from her!

What's perjury to such a crime as this?
Will she confess it then; O groundless hope!
But rest assur'd, she'll make this accusation,
Or false or true, your ruin with the king;
Such is her father's power.

Rather than groan beneath this load, I'll die.

ZANGA.

But for what better will you change this load?
Grant you should know it, would not that be worse?

ALONZO.

No; it would cure me of my mortal pangs,

By hatred and contempt: I should despise her;
And all my love-bred agonies would vanish.

ZANGA.

Ah! were I sure of that, my lord

ALONZO.

What then?

ZANGA.

You should not hazard life to gain the secret.

ALONZO.

What dost thou mean? Thou know'st I'm on the

rack:

I'll not be play'd with; speak, if thou hast aught,
Or I this instant fly to Leonora.

ZANGA.

That is, to death. My lord, I am not yet

Quite so far gone in guilt to suffer it ;

Tho' gone too far, heav'n knows.-'Tis I am guilty—
I have took pains, as you I know observ'd,
To hinder you from diving in the secret,

And turn'd aside your thoughts from the detection.

ALONZO.

Thou dost confound me.

ZANGA.

I confound myself;

And frankly own, though to my shame I own it,
Nought but your life in danger could have torn
The secret out, and made me own my crime.

ALONZO.

Speak quickly; Zanga, speak.

ZANGA.

Not yet, dread Sir

First I must be assur'd, that if you find

The fair one guilty, scorn, as you assur'd me,

Shall conquer love and rage, and heal your soul.

O! 'twill, by heav'n.

ALONZO.

ZANGA.

Alas! I fear it much,

And scarce can hope so far; but I of this

Exact

your solemn oath, that you'll abstain From all self-violence, and save my lord.

ALONZO.

I trebly swear.

ZANGA.

You'll bear it like a man?

ALONZO.

A god.

ZANGA.

Such have you been to me; these tears confess it;

And pour'd forth miracles of kindness on me:
And what amends is now within my pow'r,
But to confess, expose myself to justice,
And, as a blessing, claim my punishment?
Know then, Don Carlos-

ALONZO.

Oh!

ZANGA.

You cannot bear it.

ALONZO.

Go on; I'll have it, though it blast mankind :
I'll have it all, and instantly.- -Go on.

ZANGA.

Don Carlos did return at dead of night

Enter LEONORA.

LEONORA.

My lord Alonzo, you are absent from us,

And quite undo our joy.