_Rod._ Come, I offer grace, Honour, dominion: send away these slaves, Or leave them to our sword, and all beyond The distant Ebro to the towns of France Shall bless thy name, and bend before thy throne. I will myself accompany thee, I, The king, will hail thee brother. _Jul._ Ne’er shalt thou Henceforth be king: the nation, in thy name, May issue edicts, champions may command The vassal multitudes of marshall’d war, And the fierce charger shrink before the shouts, Lower’d as if earth had open’d at his feet, While thy mail’d semblance rises tow’rd the ranks, But God alone sees thee. _Rod._ What hopest thou? To conquer Spain, and rule a ravaged land? To compass me around, to murder me? _Jul._ No, Don Roderigo: swear thou, in the fight That thou wilt meet me, hand to hand, alone, That, if I ever save thee from a foe— _Rod._ I swear what honour asks—First, to Covilla Do thou present my crown and dignity. _Jul._ Darest thou offer any price for shame? _Rod._ Love and repentance. _Jul._ Egilona lives: And were she buried with her ancestors, Covilla should not be the gaze of men, Should not, despoil’d of honour, rule the free. _Rod._ Stern man! her virtues well deserve the throne. _Jul._ And Egilona—what hath she deserved, The good, the lovely? _Rod._ But the realm in vain Hoped a succession. _Jul._ Thou hast torn away The roots of royalty. _Rod._ For her, for thee. _Jul._ Blind insolence! base insincerity! Power and renown no mortal ever shared Who could retain, or grasp them, to himself: And, for Covilla? patience! peace! for her? She call upon her God, and outrage him At his own altar! she repeat the vows She violates in repeating! who abhors Thee and thy crimes, and wants no crown of thine. Force may compell the abhorrent soul, or want Lash and pursue it to the public ways; Virtue looks back and weeps, and may return To these, but never near the abandon’d one Who drags religion to adultery’s feet, And rears the altar higher for her sake. _Rod._ Have then the Saracens possest thee quite, And wilt thou never yield me thy consent? _Jul._ Never. _Rod._ So deep in guilt, in treachery! Forced to acknowledge it! forced to avow The traitor!