Piz. By what has he merited that title! Alm. Who is this Roila, joined with Alonzo in com*mand? Ora, I will answer that, for I love to hear and to repeat the hero's name. Rolla, the kinfman of the king, is the idol of our army; in war a tiger, chafed by the hunter's fpear; in peace more gentle than the unweaned lamb. Piz. I fhall meet this favage Rolla foon. Oro, Thou had better not! The terrors of his noble eye would strike thee dead. Dav. Silence or tremble. Oro. Beardless robber! I never yet have trembled before my Creator; why fhould I tremble before man? why before thee, thou lefs than man? Dav. Another word, audacious heathen, and I ftrike! Oro. Strike, Chriftian, then boaft among thy fellows, I too have murdered a Peruvian ! Dav. Vengeance feize the villian! (flabs him.) Dav Couldst thou longer have endured his infults? Oro. True! Obferve, young man, your unthinking rafhnefs has faved me from the rack; and you yourself have loft the opportunity of a ufetul leffon! you might have feen with what cruelty vengeance would have inflicted torments, and with what patience virtue would have + borne them. Elv (Supporting Orozembo.) Oh! ye monsters all! look up thou martyr'd innocence; look up once more, and blefs me ere thou dieft. O how I pity thee! Oro. Pity me! Me! fo near my happiness! Blefs thee, lady! Spaniards, heaven turn your hearts and pardon you as I do. (Orgzembo carried off) Piz, Away! Davilla! If thus rafh a fecond times wit Dav. Forgive the hafty indignation which Piz. No more; unbind that trembling wretch; let him depart; it is well that he should report the mercy which we fhow to infolent defiance.. Hark! our troops are moving. Follow me, friends; each fhall have his post affigned, and ere the fun thall fink beneath the main, the Spanish banner, bathed in blood, fhall float above the walls of vanquished Quito. CHAPTER CV. REVENGE. PIZARRO, ELVIRA, AND ALONZO. SCENE-II. Pix. WHO is there? who dares intrude? wt does my guard negled their duty? Elv. Your guard did what they could, but they knew their duty better than to enforce authority, when I refu ed obedience. Piz And what is it you defire? Elv. To fee how a hero bears misfortune. Thow, Pizarro, art not now collected, not thyself. Piz. Wouldst thou I fhould rejoice that the fpears of the enemy, led by Alonzo, have pierced the bravet hearts of my followers ? Elv. No I would have thee cold and dark as the night that follows the departed ftorm; ftill and fullen as the awful paufe that precedes nature's convulfion. Yet I would have thee feel affured that a new morning shall arife, when the warrior's fpirit fhall ftalk forth, not fear the future, nor lament the past. Piz. Woman! Elvira! why had not all my mea hearts like thine ? Elo. Then would thy brows this day have worn the crown of Quito. Piz. Oh hope fails me, while that fcourge of my life and fame, Alonzo, leads the enemy. Elv. Pizarro, I am come to probe the hero farther; not now his courage, but his magnanimity, Alonzo is your prifoner. Piz How? Elv. It is certain; Valverde saw him even now drag. ged in chains within your camp. I chose to bring you the intelligence myself. Piz. Blefs thee, Elvira, for the news! Alonzo in my power! Then I am the conqueror, the victory is mine! Elv. Pizarro, this is favage and unmanly triumph. Believe me, you raife impatience in my mind to fee the man whofe valor, and whofe genius, awe Pizarro; whose misfortunes are Pizarro's triumph; whofe bondage is Pizarro's fafety. Piz. Guard! (Enter Guard) Drag here the Spanish prifoner, Alonzo! Quick, bring the traitor here. El What fhall be his fate? (Exit Guard) Piz. Death! death in lingering torments! protra&t. ed to the last stretch that burning vengeance can devise, and fainting life fuftain. Elv. Shame on thee! Wilt thou have it faid that the Peruvians found Pizarro could not conquer till Alonzo felt that he could murder? Piz. Be it faid, I care not. His fate is fealed. Elv. Follow then thy will. But mark me; if bafely thou doft fhed the blood of this brave youth, Elvira's Joft to thee forever. Piz. Why this intereft for a stranger? What is Alonzo's fate to thee? Elo His fate nothing! Thy glory, every thing! Thinkeft thou I could regard thee, flript of fame, of honour, and a just renown? Know me better. Pie. Thou fhouldft have known me better. Thou fhouldit have known, that, once provoked to hate, I am forever fixed in vengeance. (Alonzo is brought in chains.) Welcome, welcome, Don Alonzo da Molina; it is long fince we have met; thy mended looks fhould speak a life of rural indolence. How is it that amidst the toils and cares of war thou doft preferve the healthful bloom of careless eafe? Tell me thy fecret. Al. Thou wilt not profit by it. and cares of war, peace is ftill here. his heart.) Piz. Sarcaftic boy! Elv. Thou art aufwered rightly. the unfortunate? Whate'er the toils (Putting his band to Why fport with Piz. And thou art wedded too, I hear; aye, and the father of a lovely boy; the heir, no doubt, of all his father's loyalty of all his mother's faith. Al. The heir, I truft, of all his father's fcorn of fraud, oppreffion, and hypocrify; the heir, I hope, of all his mother's virtue, gentlenefs, and truth; the heir, I am fure, to all Pizarro's hate. Piz. Really Now do I feel for this poor orphan; for tomorrow's fin fhall fee that child fatherless. Alon o, thy hours are numbered. Elv. Prizarro, no! Piz. Hence, or dread my anger. Elv. I will not hence; nor do I dread thy anger. Al. Generous lovelinefs fpare thy unavailing pity. Seek not to thwart the tyger with his prey beneath his fangs. Piz. Audacious rebel! Thou art a renegado from thy monarch and thy God! Al. It is falfe. Piz. Tell me, art thou not a deferter from thy country's legions; and with vile heathens leagued; haft thou not warred against thy native land? Al. No! Deferter, I am none! I was not born among robbers! pirates! murderers! when thofe legions, lured by the abhorred luft of gold, and by thy foul ambition urged, forgot the honour of Caftilians, and forfook the du ties of hunianity, they deferted me. I have not warred against my native land, but against those who have ufurped its power. The banners of my country, when first I followed arms beneath them, were juftice, faith and mercy. If these are beaten down aud trampled under foot, I have no country, nor exifts the power entitled to reproach me with revolt. Piz. The power to judge and punish thee at leaft exifts. Al. Where are my judges ? Piz. Thou wouldst appeal to the war council? Al. If the good Las Cafas have yet a feat there, yes; if not, I appeal to Heaven! Piz. And to impofe upon the folly of Las Calas, what would be the excufes of thy treafon ? Elv. The folly of Las Cafas! Such doubtless, his mild precepts feem to thy hard hearted wifdom! O! would I might have lived as I will die, the sharer of the follies of Las Cafas? Al. To him I should not need to urge the foul barbarities which drove me from your fide; but I would gently lead him by the hand through all the lovely fields of Quito; there, in many a fpot where late was barrennefs and waste, Iwould fhow him how now the opening bloffom, blade, or perfumed bud, fweet bafhful pledges of delicious harveft, wafting their incenfe to the ripening fun, give cheerful promife to the hope of indaftry. This, I would fay, is my work. And prouder yet, at that ftill pause between exertion and repose. belonging not to paf time, labour, or to reft, but unto Him, who fanctions and ordains them all, I would fhow them many an eye, and many a hand, by gentleness from error won, raised in pure devotion to the true, and only God! this too, I could tell him, is Alonzo's work! Then would Las Cafas clafp me in his aged arms: from his uplifted eyes a tear of gracious thankfulness would fall upon my head and that one bleffed drop would be to me at once this world's best proof, that I had acted rightly here, and fureft hope of my Creator's mercy and reward hereafter. Elv. Happy, virtuous Alonzo! And thou, Pizarro, wouldft appal with fear of death, a man who thinks and acts as he does! Piz. Daring, obftinate enthufiaft! But know the pious beffing of thy preceptor's tears does not await thee here; he has fled like thee; like thee, no doubt, to join the foes of Spain. The perilous trial of the next reward you hope, is nearer than perhaps you've thought; for by my country's wrongs, and by my own, to-morrow's fun fhall fee thy death. Elv. Hold! Pizarro, hear me! Name not thy country's wrongs; it is plain they have no fhare in thy refentment. Thy fury against this youth is private hate, and deadly perfonal revenge. If this be fo, and even now thy detected confcience in that look avows it, profane not the name of justice, or thy country's cause, but let him arm, and bid him to the field on equal terms. Piz Officious advocate for treafon, peace! Bear him hence, he knows Lis fentence. Al. Thy revenge is eager, and I am thankful for it; to me thy hafte is mercy. For thee, fweet pleader in misfortune's caufe, accept my parting thanks. This camp is not thy proper fphere. Wert thou among yon favages, as they are called, thou wouldst find companions more congenial to thy heart. Piz. Yes; the fhall bear the tidings of thy death to Cora. Al Inhuman man! that pang at least might have been fpared me; but thy malice fhall not fhake my cou. fancy. I go to death; many fhall blefs, but none will |