griefs. Mandane begs him to urge her no more, that her woes must reft concealed; yet hints to him that, if the tyrant should learn from the captives, that China's orphan is living, for whofe caufe the war began, her blameless fon might perish. MirVan, attributing her apprehenfions to a difordered fancy, bids her compofe her mind, and leave all to the care of her husband Zamti, whom he fees coming towards them. Whereupon the defires him to hafte away to gather the flying news, and acquaint her of each circumftance.-Exit Mirvan.. Enter Zamti. hat fell barbarian-that infatiate wafter Zamti ! fword yonder field of death, where Corea's troops ade their laft ftand for liberty and China, imfons the land with blood.-This battle loft, Mandane! MANDANE. ZAMTI. MANDANE. Ah! what haft thou feen? ZAMTI. then farewell to all.-But, Mirvan, fay, China is no more; ow came the tidings?MIRVAN. S om yon lofty tow'r, s my eyes, ftraining tow'rd the diftant plain, nt forth an anxious look, thro' clouds of duft he favage bands appear'd; the western fun leam'd on their burnish'd helms; and foon a fhout om the glad multitude proclaim'd th` ap proach f Timurkan; elated with new conquest, he tyrant comes, and where his wrath will ftop eav'n only knews. MANDANE. h! there-there lies the thought, t which Imagination starts, appali'd ith horror at the scene her bufy workings ave colour'd to my fight-there lies the thought hat wakens all a mother's fears-alas! tremble for my fon. Mirvan fancying that her fon had not en exposed to the perils of war, Mandane Is him that he knows but little of his nger, which the must keep a fecret from m. He expoftulates with her on her ubts of his honeft zeal; that though he is the tyrant's fervice, and has favours head upon him, yet the cruelties which had en exercifed against his own family, ine him, whenever an occafion fhould of, to ftrike an unexpected blow, and do = country right, and that therefore, as her ongs would add new fuel to his hidden es, he might fafely reveal to him her If fame fay right I've hid him from the world and from him- A bufy murmur ran. —— Beneath that habit lurks a Prince; the la Of China's orphan, who haft taught his steps This relation of Etan, concerning th youth, fills Mandane with terror, and Zam cannot help betraying some inward con flict; yet, to allay Mandane's fears, he fays Thou know'st with Morat I convey'd the Far as the eastern point of Corea's realm; Might mock their bufy fearch.-Then check Retire, my love, a-while. While Mandane is gone to fatisfy her doubts, Etan intimates to Zamti, that perhaps this young captive is the royal or phan, and that, if he fhould prove fo, he would willingly fall a victim for him. Zamti admiring his zeal fo fervid in a ftranger's caufe, Etan replies, A ftranger! he! My King a ftranger! meant it Sir, you never Perhaps you would explore the fiery feeds These tow'rings of the foul, alas! are vain And all be loft for ever. With these a youth, diftinguish'd from the Then at once Proclaim him to the world; each honef Zamti, charmed with Etan's fentiments, to ease his generous fears, tells him that Prince Zaphimri is fafe; and, he defiring to be informed where the royal youth is, Zamti bids him to feek not too foon to know that truth, but difclofes to him the work of vengeance he had meditated againft the tyrant : When Timurkan led forth his favage bands, Unpeopling this great city, I then feiz'd The hour, to tamper with a chofen few, Who have refolv'd, when the barbarians lie Buried in fleep and wine, and hotly dream Their havock o'er again, then, then, my fon, In one collected blow to burft upon 'em ; Like their own northern clouds, whofe midnight horror, Impending o'er the world, at length breaks forth In the vaunt lightning's blaze, in ftorms and thunder Thro' all the redd'ning air, till frighted nature Start from her couch, and waken to a scene Of uproar and destruction. Etan applauds the enterprise, and Zamti concludes the act by charging him to convene his friends Orafming and Zimventi, and all to wait his coming near Olmingti's tomb in the temple. ACT II. Zamti, ftill perplexed about the captive youth, as not knowing who he is, thinks, that, if from his death the empire should rife again in fplendor, he will pay a debt due to his King, Country, and God. While he continues thus mufing, Mirvan enters and acquaints him that a reverend stranger, with impatience in his looks, craves accefs to him. This stranger is Morat, who brings advice, that, as foon as fame had proclaimed the Prince alive, his fon Hamet, indignant of controul, had joined the Coreans who had taken up arms on that account; that he was made prifoner in the battle, and that the tyrant, from the respect borne him by his fellow-warriors, thought him to be the Prince. The news aftonishes and confounds Zamti. What a facrifice muft now be made! He struggles between parental love and what he owes to his Prince, but at laft, notwithstanding Morat's remonftrances for faving Hamet, fays, And canft thou think To fave one yulgar life, that Zamti now Will marr the vast defign?—No;-let him bleed, Let my boy bleed: In fuch a cause as this I can resign my fon - with tears of joy venge and freedom, which by his chofen He apprifes Morat of the defign of reband of patriots will be ripe for execution of warlike mufic, they withdraw and make about midnight. Hearing fome flourishes room for Timurkan, who enters with his train. TIMURKAN. Hail to this regal dome, this glitt'ring palace! Draw forth her phalanx; till this warlike arm Timurkan orders O&tar, his General, to have Hamet, whom he takes to be the Prince Zaphimri, brought before him, and tells him that Zamti, as a falfe infidious flave, fhall pay dearly for his treasons. Octar diffuades him from this purpose, alledging, it were beft to leave unpunished Zamti's crimes, because, as he had won the love of the multitude, his death might be imputed to an intended 'deftruction of the Chinese faith. Timurkan acquiefces to his reafons; mean time Hamet is produced in chains, and, Octar being difpatched in quest of Zamti, Timurkan queftions Hamet about his motive for engaging in the war, and whether he is Zaphimri; which he denying, is threatened with death, but boldly replies, Let death come on; Guilt, guilt alone fhrinks back appall'd the brave Far hence remote, in Corea's happy realmWhere the first beams of day with orient blushes Tinge the falt wave-there on the fea-beat fhore A cavern'd rock yielded a lone retreat There too the fage nurtur'd my greener years; With him and contemplation have I walk'd The paths of wisdom; what the great Confucius Of moral beauty taught,-whate'er the wife, Still wooing knowledge in her secret haunts, Difclos'd of nature to the fons of men, My wond'ring mind has heard-but above all The hermit taught me the most useful science, That noble science, to be brave and good. Timurkan puts other questions to Hamet, as whether Morat ever told him, who his father was; and whether he ever heard of Zamti? He answers that Morat never did, though urged by him; and, as for Zamti, he owns that he was always enraptured on hearing his praises. Finding Zamti to be prefent, from the tyrant's calling him traitor, he is all on fire to adore his venerable form. Thefe and other circumstances confirm Timurkan in the belief of his being the real Prince. He orders O&tar to have him led ftraight to the facred fane, and there, in prefence of his Tartars, to be offered at fun-fet as a victim to their living Lama. As Octar leads him forth, Zamti, in bitter agonies, defires his tears to flow, and eafe his aching breast. Hamet bids him not weep upon his account, and fays that he yields his life freely to procure the happinefs of millions. Mean time Mandane, having intelligence from Morat that her fon is the young captive, runs distracted in queft of Zamti to upbraid him with barbarity for not difcovering who he is. Tho' the finds him depreffed with forrow and bathed in tears, the vehemently vents her rage against him: Think't thou thofe tears, Thofe falfe, thofe cruel tears, will choak the voice Of a fond mother's love, now ftung to madnefs? Thou worse than Tartar, give me back my fon ; Oh! give him to a mother's eager arms, Heav'n knows Which in a fingle hour it works for millions, In copious ftreams faft flow'd the manly And leaves the legacy to after times. [Exit, leading off Mandane. ACT III. Scene, a temple, with feveral tombs in it. Enter Morat; Zamti comes out of a tomb to him, asks after their friends, and whether he has revealed any thing touching Zaphimri. Morat telling him that he waits his will, Zamti replies, Oh! thou art ever faithful. On thy lips Sits penfive filence, with her hallow'd finger Guarding the pure receffes of thy mind. Enter Orafming, Zimventi, and others. Orafming telling Zamti, that all is loft, and that their dreams of liberty are vanifhed in to air, by the captivity, as he thinks, of Zaphimri, Zamti undeceives him, that the captive is his own fon, and that Zaphimri, unconscious of himself, and to the world unknown, walks at large among them. Then calling to Etan within the tomb, who comes forth, he informs him, that he is the orphan of China; no longer Etan, but now Zaphimri. Morat confirms each circumftance. Zaphimri is quite astonished and overpowered by this unexpected shock of royalty. They all kneel to, and hail him. Zamti afks, if all their men are sta. tioned at their pofts, every gate fecured, and the fignal fixed? Orafming answering that they are, Zaphimri fays, Now, bloody spoiler, now thy hour draws nigh, And e're the dawn thy guilty reign shall How my end. ZAMTI. forrow ; While cluft'ring round his knees his little In tears all eloquent, with arms outstretch'd, ZAPHIMRI. Revenge! Revenge! him And at one blow relieve the groaning world. Zamti, recommending caution, as rashnefs may marr a noble caufe, renders up his charge to his friends. A little after their departure he hears a dead march. Octar and guards enter with an intent to put Hamet to death. Mandane rufhes in among them, and, throwing herself on her knees, with frantic looks cries out, Me, me, on me convert your rage. He is my child,-my dear, dear fon.- Hereupon Octar, fufpending the stroke of heart burns within me! Oh! my And wouldst thou see him bleed?. Call now to mind the fcene of defolation, I fee HAMET. 'tis your [She faints. |