Eud. O, say not so!

You have lost nothing; no--you have preserv'd,
Immortal wealth, your faith inviolate

To Heaven and to your country.
Ruin is yonder, in Damascus, now
The seat abhorr'd of cursed infidels.
Infernal error, like a plague, has spread
Contagion through its guilty palaces,
And we are fled from death.

Eum. Heroic maid!

Thy words are balsam to my griefs. Eudocia,
I never knew thee till this day; I knew not
How many virtues I had wrong'd in thee!

Eud. If you talk thus, you have not yet forgiven me. Eum. Forgiven thee!-Why, for thee it is, thee only,

I think, Heaven yet may look with pity on us;
Yes, we must all forgive each other now.
Poor Herbis, too-we both have been to blame.
O, Phocyas!-but it cannot be recall'd.

Yet, were he here, we'd ask him pardon too.
My child! I meant not to provoke thy tears.
Eud. [Aside.] O, why is he not here? Why do I see
Thousands of happy wretches, that but seem
Undone, yet still are bless'd in innocence,
And why was he not one?

Enter an OFFICER.

Offi. Where is Eumenes?

Eum. What means thy breathless haste?
Offi. I fear there's danger:

For, as I kept my watch, I spy'd afar

Thick clouds of dust, and, on a nearer view,
Perceiv'd a body of Arabian horse

Moving this way. I saw them wind the hill,
And then lost sight of them.

Herb. I saw them too,

Where the roads meet on t'other side these hills,
But took them for some band of christian Arabs,
Crossing the country.-This way did they move?
Offi. With utmost speed.

Eum. If they are christian Arabs,

They come as friends; if other, we're secure
By the late terms. Retire a while, Eudocia,

Till I return.

I'll to the guard myself.

Soldier, lead on the way.

[Exit EUDOCIA.

Enter another OFFICER.

2 Offi. Arm! arm! we're ruin'd!

The foe is in the camp.

Eum. So soon!

2 Ofi. They've quitted

Their horses, and with sword in hand have forc'd
Our guard; they say they come for plunder.
Eum. Villains!

Sure Caled knows not of this treachery!

Come on--we can fight still. We'll make them know What 'tis to urge the wretched to despair. [Exeunt.

Enter DARAN.

Dar. Let the fools fight at distance-Here's the harvest.

Reap, reap, my countrymen!-Ay, there-first clear Those further tents- [Looking between the Tents.

What's here? a woman!-fair

She seems, and well attir'd !-It shall be so.

I'll strip her first, and then

[Exit, and returns with EUDOCIA.

Eud. [Struggling.] Mercy! O, spare me! spare me! Heaven, hear my cries!

Dar. Woman, thy cries are vain :

No help is near.

Enter PHOCYAS.

Pho. Villain, thou liest! take that To loose thy hold

Eudocia !

[Pushing at him with his Spear. He falls.

Eud. Phocyas!-O, astonishment!

Then is it thus that Heaven has heard my prayers! I tremble still-and scarce have power to ask thee How thou art here, or whence this sudden outrage? Pho. Sure every angel watches o'er thy safety! Thou seest 'tis death t'approach thee without awe, And barbarism itself cannot profane thee.

Eud. Whence are these alarms?

Pho. Some stores remov'd, and not allow'd by treaty, Have drawn the Saracens to make a search. Perhaps 'twill quickly be agreed-But, Oh! Thou know'st, Eudocia, I'm a banish'd man, And 'tis a crime I'm here once more before thee; Else, might I speak, 'twere better for the present, If thou wouldst leave this place.

Eud. No-I have a father,

(And shall I leave him?) whom we both have wrong'd, And yet, alas!

For this last act how would I thank thee, Phocyas!-
I've nothing now but prayers and tears to give,
Cold, fruitless thanks!-But 'tis some comfort yet,
That fate allows this short reprieve, that thus
We may behold each other, and once more
May mourn our woes, ere yet again we part-
Pho. For ever!

"Tis then resolv'd-It was thy cruel sentence,
And I am here to execute that doom.

Eud. What dost thou mean?

Pho. [Kneeling.] Thus at thy feet-
Eud. O, rise!

Pho. Never-No, here I'll lay my burden down ; I've try'd its weight, nor can support it longer.

Take thy last look; if yet thy eyes can bear
To look upon a wretch accurst, cast off
By Heaven and thee-

Eud. Forbear,

O cruel man! Why wilt thou rack me thus?
Didst thou not mark-thou didst, when last we

parted,

The pangs, the strugglings of my suffering soul;
That nothing but the hand of Heaven itself
Could ever drive me from thee !-

-Dost thou now

Reproach me thus ? or canst thou have a thought
That I can e'er forget thee?

Pho. [Rising.] Have a care!

I'll not be rtur'd more with thy false pity!
No, I renounce it. See, I am prepar'd.

[Showing a Dagger.

Thy cruelty is mercy now-Farewell!

And death is now but a release from torment !

Eud. Hold-Stay thee yet!-O madness of despair! And wouldst thou die? Think, ere thou leap'st the gulf, When thou hast trod that dark, that unknown, way, Canst thou return? What if the change prove worse! O think if then

Pho. No-thought's my deadliest foe;

And therefore to the grave I'd fly to shun it!

Eud. O fatal error -Like a restless ghost,
It will pursue and haunt thee still; even there,
Perhaps, in forms more frightful.

How wilt thou curse thy rashness then! How start,
And shudder, and shrink back! yet how avoid
To put on thy new being?

Pho. I thank thee !

For now I'm quite undone

-I gave up all

For thee before, but this; this bosom friend,

My last reserve-There

Tell me now, Eudocia,

[Throws away the Dagger.

Cut off from hope, deny'd the food of life,

And yet forbid to die, what am I now ?
Or what will fate do with me?

Eud. Oh

Pho. Thou weep'st!

[Turns away, weeping.

Canst thou shed tears, and yet not melt to mercy
O say, ere yet returning madness seize me,

Is there in all futurity no prospect,

No distant comfort?

?

[Here they both continue silent for some time.

Still thou art silent!
Hear then this last,.

This only prayer!-Heaven will consent to this.
Let me but follow thee, where'er thou go'st,
But see thee, hear thy voice; be thou my angel,
To guide and govern my returning steps,
Till long contrition, and unweary'd duty,
Shall expiate my guilt.

-This shakes

Eud. No more-
My firmest thoughts, and if

What shrieks of death!

I fear a treacherous foe-have now

Begun a fatal harvest !

-Haste,

[A Cry is heard.

Prevent-O wouldst thou see me more with com

fort,

Fly, save them, save the threaten'd lives of christians, My father and his friends !—I dare not stay

Heaven be my guide, to shun this gathering ruin! [Exit EUDOCIA.

Enter CALED.

Cal. [Entering.] So-Slaughter, do thy work! These hands look well.

[Looking on his Hands.

[Comes forward.

Phocyas! Thou'rt met-But whether thou art here

A friend or foe I know not; if a friend,