SCENE VII.

Mahomet, Solus.

Whome’er the hope, still blasted, still renew’d,
Of happiness lures on from toil to toil,
Remember Mahomet, and cease thy labour. 
Behold him here, in love, in war, successful;
Behold him, wretched in his double triumph! 
His fav’rite faithless, and his mistress base. 
Ambition only gave her to my arms,
By reason not convinc’d, nor won by love. 
Ambition was her crime; but meaner folly
Dooms me to loathe, at once, and dote on falsehood,
And idolize th’ apostate I contemn. 
If thou art more than the gay dream of fancy,
More than a pleasing sound, without a meaning,
O happiness! sure thou art all Aspasia’s.

SCENE VIII.

MAHOMET, MUSTAPHA, HASAN, CARAZA.

MAHOMET. 
Caraza, speak—­have ye remark’d the bassa?

CARAZA. 
Close, as we might unseen, we watch’d his steps: 
His hair disorder’d, and his gait unequal,
Betray’d the wild emotions of his mind. 
Sudden he stops, and inward turns his eyes,
Absorb’d in thought; then, starting from his trance,
Constrains a sullen smile, and shoots away. 
With him Abdalla we beheld—­

  MUSTAPHA. 
                         Abdalla!

MAHOMET. 
He wears, of late, resentment on his brow,
Deny’d the government of Servia’s province.

CARAZA. 
We mark’d him storming in excess of fury,
And heard, within the thicket that conceal’d us,
An undistinguish’d sound of threat’ning rage.

MUSTAPHA. 
How guilt, once harbour’d in the conscious breast,
Intimidates the brave, degrades the great;
See Cali, dread of kings, and pride of armies,
By treason levell’d with the dregs of men! 
Ere guilty fear depress’d the hoary chief,
An angry murmur, a rebellious frown,
Had stretch’d the fiery boaster in the grave.

  MAHOMET. 

Shall monarchs fear to draw the sword of justice,
Aw’d by the crowd, and by their slaves restrain’d? 
Seize him this night, and, through the private passage, Convey him to the prison’s inmost depths, Reserv’d to all the pangs of tedious death.
                           [Exeunt Mahomet and Mustapha.

SCENE IX.

HASAN, CARAZA.

HASAN. 
Shall then the Greeks, unpunish’d and conceal’d,
Contrive, perhaps, the ruin of our empire;
League with our chiefs, and propagate sedition?

CARAZA. 
Whate’er their scheme, the bassa’s death defeats it,
And gratitude’s strong ties restrain my tongue.

HASAN. 
What ties to slaves? what gratitude to foes?