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Conspires against us. Danger must attend

Each step thou tread'st from hence; and shall I spend
Those hours in mirth, each of whose minutes lay
Wait for my life? When fame proclaims the day
Wherein your battles join, how will my fear
With doubtful pulses beat, until I hear

Whom victory adorns! Or shall I rest

Here without trembling, when, lodg'd in thy breast,
My heart's expos'd to ev'ry danger that,
Assails thy valour, and is wounded at

Each stroke that lights on thee-which absent I,
Prompted by fear, to myriads multiply.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"The sea through which we sail

Works high with woe, nor can our prayers prevail
To calm its angry brow-the glorious freight
Of my unwelcome honours, hangs a weight
Too pond'rous on me for to steer the way
Thy humbler fortunes do; else, ere I'd stay
To mourn without thee, I would rob my eyes
Of peaceful slumbers, and in coarse disguise,
Whilst love my sex's weakness did controul,
Command my body to attend my soul.'
Look how a bright and glorious morning, which
The youthful brow of April doth enrich,

Smiles, till the rude winds blow the troubled clouds
Into her eyes, then in a black veil shrouds
Herself and weeps for sorrow-so wept both
Our royal lovers-each would, and yet was loth
To bid farewell, till stubborn time enforced
Them to that task. First his warm lips divorc'd
From the soft balmy touch of hers; next parts
Their hands, those frequent witnesses o' th' heart's
Indissoluble contracts; last and worst,

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Not long after this tender separation, the Princess was surprized reading a letter from Argalia, by her father, who had been asleep in a neighbouring grove,

"Where he had pluck'd from off the wings of time

Some of its softest down."

The king, silent with passion, for awhile regarded her ere he blamed the frailty of affection; but his anger gather

ing additional force by being impeded, burst forth in the following energetic lines:

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My greatest curse, on which my hopes ordain'd

To raise my happiness? Have I refrain'd

The pleasures of a nuptial bed, to joy
Alone in thee; nor trembled to destroy
My name, so that, advancing thine, I might
Live to behold my sceptre take its flight
To a more spacious empire? Have I spent

My youth till, grown in debt to age, she hath sent
Diseases to arrest me, that impair

My strength and hopes e'er to enjoy an heir
Which might preserve our name: which only now
Must in our dusty annals live; whilst thou
Transferr❜st the glory of our house on one,
Which, had not I warm'd into life, had gone,
A wretch forgotten of the world, to th' earth

From whence he sprung? But tear this monstrous birth
Of fancy from thy soul, quick as thou'dst fly
Descending wrath, if visible—or I

Shall blast thee with my anger, till thy name
Rot in my memory; not as the same
That once thou wert behold thee, but as some
Dire prodigy, which to foreshew should come
All ills, which through the progress of my life
Did chance were sent. I lost a queen and wife,
(Thy virtuous mother) who for goodness might
Have here supplied, before she took her flight
To heaven, my better angel's place; have since
Stood storms of strong affliction; still a prince
Over my passions until now, but this

Hath prov'd me coward. Oh! thou dost amiss
To grieve me thus, fond girl."

Pharonnida clung to her father, and appealed to all his dearest and most tender feelings, but in vain she could make no impression on him-he tore himself from her grasp, muttering threats of vengeance against Argalia. The princess, overpowered by contending feelings, sunk on the ground in a swoon. The King immediately dispatched a messenger to Zoranza, to whom he intimated that Argalia was aiming both at his crown and life, and hinting, that it was equally the interest of the Epirot, as of himself, that such a rival should be disposed of. Little was necessary to set the growing envy of Zoranza in a blaze, and he entered

into the scheme with alacrity. The better to effect his purpose, he conferred the government of the town of Ardenna upon Argalia, at the same time giving secret instructions to the deposed governor to murder him. The intended victim was at midnight awakened by a band of assasins, who seized and bound him; they did not, however, attempt to murder him in his chamber, for there was an old traditional prophecy, that when the rights of hospitality should be violated within the town, it should be surprized by foes. To cozen this prophecy, therefore, they carried him to a neighbouring hill, which overlooked the sea, but at the moment they were preparing to fulfil their instructions, they were surprized by a party of Turks. They left their prisoner and fled into the town, whither the Turks pursued them, and planted their standards on the walls. The latter, however, were soon driven back, and retreated hastily to their ships, taking Argalia with them. The scheme for the destruction of Argalia having thus failed, the King did not think Pharonnida's present residence sufficiently secure, and he accordingly removed her, amidst the murmurs of his subjects to a sort of high treason prison, called the prince's tower, within the walls of the city. Her old guard was discharged, and replaced by a band of mountain soldiers, commanded by Brumachus, a hard unpolished barbarian. Meanwhile the

Turks, after encountering a tremendous storm, joined some other Turkish Ships, which were soon afterwards attacked by a Rhodian fleet. A bloody engagement followed, and the Rhodians having begun to give way, Argalia contrived to free himself, and the rest of the Christians, who had been chained to the oar, and unexpectedly turning upon the Turks, decided the fate of the day in favour of their enemies. Argalia accompanied the victors to Rhodes, which the Turks, in order to revenge their defeat at sea, soon after invaded, and laid siege to the city. During the siege many brave single combats were fought between the hostile parties, amongst whom a Turkish warrior had highly distinguished himself in three successive victories. To combat this redoubted Turk, Argalia was selected. They fought, and the infidel fell. The Turks enraged at the defeat of their champion, made an attack upon the Rhodians in breach of the truce, and surprized and took the town.

Amongst the captives was Argalia, whom the Turkish commander sent to his wife Janusa, that she might sacrifice him to the manes of her brother, the deceased champion.Janusa no sooner beheld, than she became enamoured of the prisoner; she appointed a day for his execution; she repented, and had him lodged within the castle, under pretence

of inflicting greater torments. One day Janusa's confidential woman Manto came to his prison, and conducted him to a room,

"In whose delights joy's summer seemed to Bloom ;"

where, amidst costly baths, rich wines, and splendid apparel, she left him. Having refreshed himself and changed his garments, he was introduced to Janusa; she was beautiful, and received him in all the voluptuousness of languishing passion, and with a magnificence that outdid the Koran tales of paradise. Argalia repulsed her advances with disdain, and was carried back to prison. The fair intidel was dreadfully afflicted at her disappointment. "The rose had lost his ensigns on her cheek," and "the lilly set his pale banners up." Manto, fearing this passion might prove of fatal consequence to her mistress, wrote her a letter in Argalia's name, in which he blamed himself for his first uncivil denial. This had the desired effect-and joy,

"On the wings

Of airy hope (that wanton bird that sings
As soon as fledg'd) advanced her to survey

The dawning beauties of a long'd-for day."

Ammurah, her husband, unexpectedly making his appearance at this time, Janusa fainted, and the letter dropped from the bed. Ammurah hastened to question Manto on the subject of this letter, who being taken by surprise, made a full confession. Under the pretext of unavoidable absence, Ammurah left home, but immediately returned, and was concealed by Manto in a closet, from which he could see into Janusa's room. Amidst all the fascinations of eastern luxury, Argalia was again introduced to the fair Janusa, and he again slighted the gilded pomp. Finding all her blandishments fruitless, she threw herself at his feet; and in this situation was surprised by her husband, who plunged his scymitar into her bosom. Struck with the virtue of Argalia, Ammurah gave him his signet to facilitate his escape-he then stabbed himself. Argalia having contrived to assemble the Christians in the Bassa's name, as if intended for execution, set them at liberty, recovered the city, and was chosen Prince by the Senate. A fleet was prepared, and the newelected Prince departed on a voyage to some neighbouring powers to form alliances. They had not been long at sea before they saw two Christian galleons chased by a Turkish squadron. The Rhodian ships made towards the Turks, who

imagining them to be friends, from the crescent which they had hoisted, were not prepared for such an attack.

"Sudden and swift

As inundations, whose impetuous drift

Swallows a sleeping city,"

did Argalia bear down upon the Turkish squadron-and with almost as much speed vanquished them. This timely assistance, it appeared, was afforded to Amindor the young Prince of Cyprus, then on his way to the Spartan court to seek Pharonnida in marriage. Argalia accompanied him to Cleander's court, where the scars which he had received in his several recent encounters completely effected his object of remaining unknown. One day Amindor spoke so largely to the princess in his praise, that she requested to see him. Amindor accordingly took an opportunity of gratifying that wish-Argalia approached the princess with great emotion; but she did not recognise him, until the well known jewel caught her eye.

"But the rushing tide

O'erflows so much, that love's fresh rivers glide

Over sweet nature's banks."

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The Cyprian prince, seeing their confusion at having betrayed their mutual passion, generously resolved to sacrifice love to friendship, and offered them his assistance. Glad of the co-operation of so powerful a friend, they immediately began to contrive plans for their escape; "but fear doth oft untie the golden webs of fancy" they had but slight hopes of deceiving the vigilance of her surly guardian. On the day on which a tournament takes place,

"The black-brow'd night, to court the drowsy world,
Had put her stainy mantle on-and hurl'd

Into the sea (their spacious breasted mother)
Her dark attendants.".

Argalia, attended by Amindor, swam the fosse of the tower in which Pharonnida was confined; and after disposing of the sentries, made a vigorous attack upon the guards, in which the Cyprian prince was desperately wounded. The alarm was given; but whilst the citizens were hastening towards the castle, they were diverted by a fire which had broken out in the Cyprian's tent, and which was fast spreading over the whole city.

Meanwhile Argalia, favoured by the confusion produced by this event, made his way to the princess, and seizing a boat half hid amongst the willows, escaped with her.

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