Thou know'st it well-tall pines wave over it,
Darkening the heavy banners, and the tombs-
Is not the Cross upon thy fathers' tombs?—
Christian! what dost thou here?

Aym. (starting up indignantly.) Man! who art thou?
Thy voice disturbs my soul. Speak! I will know
Thy right to question me.

Rai. (throwing off his disguise, stands before him in the full dress of a Crusader.) My birthright!-look! Aym. (Retreating from him with horror.) Her blood is on your hands!-keep back! Rai. (scornfully.) Nay, keep the Paynim's garb from touch[ing mineAnswer me thence !-what dost thou here?

You shrink

Aym.
From your own work!-you, that have made me thus
Wherefore are you here? Are you not afraid

To stand beneath the awful midnight sky,

And you a murderer? Leave me.

Rai.

No murderer's brow to Heaven!

Aym. You dare speak thus!

I lift up

Do not the bright stars, with their searching rays,

Strike through your guilty soul? Oh, no:-'tis well,

Passing well! Murder! Make the earth's harvests grow
With Paynim blood!-Heaven wills it!-The free air,
The sunshine-I forgot-they were not made
For infidels. Blot out the race from day!

Who talks of murder? Murder! when you die
Claim your soul's place and happiness i' the name
Of that good deed!

[In a tone of deep feeling.

If you had loved a flower

I would not have destroy'd it!
Rai. (with emotion.)

Brother!

Aym. (impetuously.)

No!

No brother now!-she knelt to you in vain;

And that hath set a gulf-a boundless gulf

Between our souls. Your very face is changed

There's a red cloud shadowing it: your forehead wears

The marks of blood-her blood! [In a triumphant tone. But you prevail not! You have made the dead

The mighty-the victorious! Yes! you thought

To dash her image into fragments down,

And you have given it power-such deep sad power

I see nought else on earth!

Rai. (aside.) I dare not say she lives.

[To AYMER holding up the cross of his sword. Yo

ou see not this!

Once by our father's grave I ask'd, and here,
I' the silence of the waste, I ask once more
Have you abjured your faith?

Aym.
Why are you come
To torture me? No, no, I have not. No!

But you have sent the torrent through my soul,
And by their deep strong roots torn fiercely up
Things that were part of it-inborn feelings, thoughts-
I know not what I cling to!

Rai.

Aymer! yet

Heaven hath not closed its gates! Return, return,
Before the shadow of the palm-tree fades

I' the wan.ag moonlight. Heaven gives time. Return,
My brother! By our early days--the love

That nurtured us!-the holy dust of those

That sleep i' the tomb!-Sleep! no, they cannot sleep!
Doth the night bring no voices from the dead

Back on your soul?

Aym. (turning from him.) Yes-hers!

Rai. (indignantly turning off.) Why should I strive?

Why doth it cost me these deep throes to fling

[come

A weed off? (Checking himself.) Brother, hath the stranger Between our hearts for ever? Yet return

Win back your fame, my brother!

Aym.

Fame again!

Leave me the desert!-leave it me! I hate

Your false world's glittering draperies, that press down

The overlabor'd heart! They have crush'd mine. Your vain And hollow-sounding words are wasted now:

You should adjure me by the name of him

That slew his son's young bride!-our ancestor

That were a spell! Fame! fame !-your hand hath rent
The veil from off your world! To speak of fame,
When the soul is parch'd like mine! Away!

I have join'd these men because they war with man
And all his hollow pomp! Will you go hence?
(Fiercely,) Why do I talk thus with a murderer? Ay,
This is the desert, where true words may rise
Up unto Heaven i' the stillness! Leave it me!-
The free wild desert!

(Arab Chief enters.)

Stranger, we have shared
The spoil, forgetting not-A Christian here!
Ho! sons of Kedar!-'tis De Chatillon!

This way!-surround him! There's an Emir's wealth
Set on his life! Come on!

[Several Arabs rush in and surround RAIMER, who, after
vainly endeavoring to force his way through them, is
made prisoner. As they are leading him away, AYMER,
who has stood for a moment as if bewildered, rushes
forward, and strikes down one of the Arabs.

Rai.
T'o see me bought and sold!
Aym. Off from my brother,

(Recollecting himself.)
Is just!-So! now I see it!

And he stands there
Death, death!-not chains!
infidel!

[The others hurry RAIMER away,
Why, then, Heaven

Blood for blood!

[Again rushing forward.

No! he shall feel remorse !-I'll rescue him,

And make him weep for her!

ACT V.

[He goes out.

SCENE I.--A Hall in the Fortress occupied by DE CHATILLON'S followers.

Knights listening to a Troubadour.

Her. No more soft strains of love. Good Vidal, sing
The imprison'd warrior's lay. There's a proud tone
Of lofty sadness in it.

(TROUBADOUR sings.)

""Twas a trumpet's pealing sound,

And the knight look'd down from the Paynim's tower,
And a Christian host in its pride and power,
Through the pass beneath him wound.
Cease awhile, clarion! clarion, wild and shrill,
Cease! let them hear the captive's voice-be still.
"I knew 'twas a trumpet's note !

And see my brethren's lances gleam,

And their pennons wave by the mountain stream,
And their plumes to the glad wind float.
Cease awhile clarion! clarion, wild and shrill,
Cease! let them hear the captive's voice-be still
"I am here with my heavy chain !

And I look on a torrent sweeping by,
And an eagle rushing to the sky,

And a host to its battle-plain!

Cease awhile, clarion! &c., &c.

"Must I pine in my fetters here?

With the wild wave's foam, and the free bird's flight,
And the tall spears glancing on my sight,

And the trumpet in mine ear?

Cease awhile, clarion!" &c., &c.

[AYMER enters hurriedly.

Aymer, here!

Aym. Silence, thou minstrel, silence!

Her.

And in that garb! Seize on the renegade!

Knights, he must die!

Aym. (scornfully) Die! die!-the fearful threat!

To be thurst out of this same blessed world,

Your world-all yours! (Fiercely.) But I will not be made

A thing to circle with your pomps of death,

Your chains, and guards, and scaffolds! Back! I'll die
As the free lion dies!-

Her.

[Drawing his sabre.

What seek'st thou here?

Aym. Nought but to give your Christian swords a deed Worthier than where's your chief? in the Paynim's bonds! Made the wild Arabs' prize!-Ay, Heaven is just!

If

ye

will rescue him, then follow me:

I know the way they bore him!

Her.
Follow thee!
Recreant! deserter of thy house and faith!
To think true knights would follow thee again!
'Tis all some snare-away!

Aym.
Is my name sunk to this? Must men first crush
My soul, then spurn the ruin they have made?

Some snare!-Heaven! Heaven!

-Why, let him perish!-blood for blood!-must earth cry out In vain ?-Wine, wine, we'll revel here!

On, minstrel, with thy song!

66

[Minstrel continues the song.

They are gone, they have all pass'd by!

They in whose wars I had borne my part,
They that I loved with a brother's heart,
They have left me here to die!

Sound again, clarion! clarion, pour thy blast!
Sound for the captive's dream of hope is past!"

Aym. (starting up.) That was the lay he loved in our boyisk days

And he must die forsaken!-No, by Heaven

He shall not!-Follow me! I say your chief

Is bought and sold!-Is there no generous trust
Left in your souls? Du Foix, I saved your life
At Ascalon! Du Mornay, you and I

On Jaffa's wall together set our breasts

Against a thousand spears! What! have I fought
Beside you, shared your cup, slept in your tents,
And ye can think-

Dashing off his turban.

Look on my burning brow!

Read if there's falsehood branded on it-read

The marks of treachery there!

Knights (gathering round him, cry out.) No, no, come on To the rescue! lead us on! we'll trust thee still! Aym. Follow, then!-this way-If I die for him, There will be vengeance !-He shall think of me To his last hour!

[Exeunt.

SCENE II-A Pavillion in the Camp of Melech.

MELECH and SADI.

Mel. It must be that these sounds and sights of war

Shake her too gentle nature. Yes, her cheek

Fades hourly in my sight! What other cause

None, none!-She must go hence! Choose from thy band The bravest, Sadi! and the longest tried,

And I will send my child

Voice without.

Where is your chief?

[Arab and Turkish Soldiers enter with DE CHATILLON. Arab Chief. The sons of Kedar's tribe have brought to the

son

Of the Prophet's house a prisoner!

Mel. (half drawing his sword.) Chatillon!

That slew my boy! Thanks for the avenger's hour!
Sadi, their guerdon-give it them-the gold!

And me the vengeance!

[Looks at RAIMER, who holds the upper fragment of his sword, and seems lost in thought.) This is he

That slew my firstborn!

Rai. (to himself.)

Surely there leap'd up

A brother's heart within him! Yes, he struck

To the earth a Paynim

Mel. (raising his voice.) Christian! thou hast been Our nation's deadliest foe!

Rai. (looking up and smiling proudly.) 'Tis joy to hear I have not lived in vain!

Mel.

Thou bear'st thyself

With a conqueror's mien! What is thy hope from me?
Rai. A soldier's death.

Mel. (hastily.)

Then thou would'st fear a slave's? Rai. Fear!-As if man's own spirit had not power To make his death a triumph! Waste not words;

Let my blood bathe thine own sword. Infidel!

I slew thy son! (Looking at his broken sword.) Ay, there's the red mark here!

Mel. (approaching him.) Thou darest to tell me this!

[A tumult heard without, voices crying-A Chatillon! Rai. My brother's voice! He is saved!

Mel. (calling.)

What, ho! my guards!

[AYMER enters with the knights fighting their way through MELECH'S soldiers, who are driven before them.

Aym. On with the war-cry of our ancient house,

For the Cross-De Chatillon!

(Knights shout.) For the Cross-De Chatillon !

[RAIMER attempts to break from his guards. SADI enters with more soldiers to the assistance of MELECH. AyMER and the Knights are overpowered. AYMER is wounded and falls.

Mel. Bring fetters-bind the captives!

Rai.

No! he is saved!

Lost-all lost!

[Breaking from his guards, he goes up to AYMER. Brother, my brother! hast thou pardon'd me

That which I did to save thee? Speak!-forgive!

Aym. (turning from him.) Thou see'st I die for thee!-She is avenged!

Rai. I am no murderer!-hear me !-turn to me!
We are parting by the grave!

[MORAIMA enters veiled, and goes up to MELECH.
Mor. Father!-O! look not sternly on thy child,
I came to plead. They said thou hadst condemn'd
A Christian knight to die-