And tho' thou spill thy heart's blood for atonement, It will not weigh against an orphan's tear!

Alv.
Ord.

But Alvar

Ha! it chokes thee in the throat,
Even thee; and yet I pray thee speak it out.
Still Alvar!-Alvar-howl it in mine ear!
Heap it like coals of fire upon my heart,
And shoot it hissing through my brain !

Alv.
Alas!
That day when thou didst leap from off the rock
Into the waves, and grasped thy sinking brother,
And bore him to the strand; then, son of Valdez,
How sweet and musical the name of Alvar!
Then, then, Ordonio, he was dear to thee,
And thou wert dear to him: heaven only knows
How very dear thou wert! Why did'st thou hate
him!

O heaven! how he would fall upon thy neck,
And weep forgiveness!

Ord.
Spirit of the dead!
Methinks I know thee! ha! my brain turns wild
At its own dreams!—off—off, fantastic shadow!
Alv. I fain would tell thee what I am, but dare
not!

Ord. Cheat! villain! traitor! whatsoever thou beI fear thee, man!

Ter. (rushing out and falling on Alvar's neck.)
Ordonio! 'tis thy brother.

[Ordonio runs upon Alvar with his sword.

Teresa flings herself on Ordonio and arrests his arm.

Stop, madman, stop!

Alv. Does then this thin disguise impenetrably Hide Alvar from thee? Toil and painful wounds And long imprisonment in unwholesome dungeons, Have marred perhaps all trait and lineament Of what I was! But chiefly, chiefly, brother, My anguish for thy guilt!

Ordonio-brother!

Nay, nay, thou shalt embrace me.

Ord. (drawing back and gazing at Alvar.)

Touch me not!

Touch not pollution, Alvar! I will die.

[He attempts to fall on his sword, Alvar and Teresa prevent him.

[Live,

Alv. We will find means to save your honour. Oh live, Ordonio! for our father's sake!

Spare his gray hairs!

Ter.

And you may yet be happy.

Ord. O horror! not a thousand years in heaven

Could recompose this miserable heart,

Or make it capable of one brief joy!

Live! live! Why yes! 'twere well to live with you: For is it fit a villain should be proud?

My brother! I will kneel to you, my brother!

[kneeling. Forgive me, Alvar!- -Curse me with forgiveness!

[thee! Alv. Call back thy soul, Ordonio, and look round Now is the time for greatness! Think that heavenTer. O mark his eye! he hears not what you say.

Ord. Yes, mark his eye! there's fascination in it! Thou saidst thou didst not know him-That is he! He comes upon me!

Alv.

Heal, O heal him, heaven!

Ord. Nearer and nearer! and I cannot stir!

Will no one hear these stifled groans, and wake me? He would have died to save me, and I killed himA husband and a father!

Ter.

Drinks up his spirits!

Ord.

Some secret poison

Let the eternal justice
Prepare my punishment in the obscure world—
I will not bear to live-to live-O agony!
And be myself alone my own sore torment!

[the doors of the dungeon are broken open, and
in rush Alhadra, and the band of Morescoes.
Alh. Seize first that man!

Ord.

[Alvar presses onward to defend Ordonio. Off, ruffians! I have flung away my sword.

Woman, my life is thine! to thee I give it!
Off! he that touches me with his hand of flesh,
I'll rend his limbs asunder! I have strength
With this bare arm to scatter you like ashes.
Alh. My husband-

Ord.

Yes, 1 murdered him most foully.

Alv. and Ter. O horrible!

Alh.

Why didst thou leave his children?

Demon, thou should'st have sent thy dogs of hell To lap their blood. Then, then I might have hardened

My soul in misery, and have had comfort.
I would have stood far off, quiet though dark,
And bade the race of men raise up a mourning
For a deep horror of desolation,

Too great to be one soul's particular lot!
Brother of Zagri! let me lean upon thee.
The time is not yet come for woman's anguish ;
I have not seen his blood-Within an hour

Those little ones will crowd around and ask me,
Where is our father? I shall curse thee then!
Wert thou in heaven, my curse would pluck thee
thence!

Ter. He doth repent! See, see, I kneel to thee! O let him live! That aged man, his father

Alh. Why had he such a son ?

[Shouts from the distance of, Rescue! Rescue! Alvar! Alvar! and the voice of Valdez heard. Rescue ?—and Isidore's spirit unavenged?— The deed be mine!

[suddenly stabs Ordonio.

Now take my life!

Ord. (staggering from the wound.) Atonement! Alv. (while with Teresa supporting Ordonio.) Arm of avenging heaven,

Thou hast snatched from me my most cherished

hope

But go! my word was pledged to thee.

Ord.

Away!

Brave not my father's rage! I thank thee! Thou

[then turning his eyes languidly to Alvar.

She hath avenged the blood of Isidore!
I stood in silence like a slave before her

That I might taste the wormwood and the gall,

And satitate this self-accusing heart

With bitterer agonies than death can give.

Forgive me, Alvar!

Oh! couldst thou forget me!

[Dies.

[Alvar and Teresa bend over the body of Ordonio.

Alh. (to the Moors.) I thank thee, heaven! thou hast ordained it wisely,

That still extremes bring their own cure. That point

In misery, which makes the oppressed man
Regardless of his own life, makes him too

Lord of the oppressor's-Knew I a hundred men
Despairing, but not palsied by despair,

This arm should shake the kingdoms of the world;
The deep foundations of iniquity
[them;

Should sink away, earth groaning from beneath
The strong-holds of the cruel men should fall,
Their temples and their mountainous towers should
fall,

Till desolation seemed a beautiful thing,

And all that were and had the spirit of life,
Sang a new song to her who had gone forth,
Conquering and still to conquer !

[Alhadra hurries off with the Moors; the stage
fills with armed peasants, and servants, Zuli-
mez and Valdez at their head. Valdez rushes
into Alvar's arms.

Alv. Turn not thy face that way, my father! hide,