_K._ True, girl: and from the ill there’s good to come: Their victory will lead these devils on. 210 Ay, they will come. They know not of Morocco; They run into a trap. _Al._ Will you make peace? _K._ God bids us smite these hogs: I would that hell Were deeper to receive them. _Enter Sala._ Sala ben Sala, peace be with thee! _SALA._ The peace of heaven be thine, my king! _K._ Thou comest Most swiftly from the battle. _Sa._ With less haste Than needed; but fatigue and wounds delayed me. What see I? The princess here! Alas, alas! O my disaster! _Al._ Now I thank God, Sala, 220 That thou’rt alive. _Sa._ To such shame is not good. Sire, while there’s time, escape; and leave me here To hold the castle for thee as I may. _K._ Have thou no fear, Sala. My daughter, go: Leave us alone: or better sit thou there, And hear what Sala tells: and, Sala, thou Begin the tale, for which thy messenger Hath well prepared my ear. Here is thy seat. _Sa._ Hear then, my liege, what happened, as I tell. (_Aside._) Yet how to tell my shame in Almeh’s ears?— ’Tis the fifth day since thou didst send me forth 231 Against the Christian bands, which as we learned Harassed the plains of Ceuta.—Thither I marched Four thousand strong, besides our cavalry And bowmen: Here and there some small encounters Drove back the foe within the gates, and then I made return, establishing the country And strengthening the garrisons, nor heard That any greater force had come afield: When yesterday at noon our scouts espied 240 The flash of arms and dust of troops moving Among the hills: thither we turned our face, And had no fear but for the foe’s escape, Nor guessed how much the lurking enemy Outmatched our weakened numbers. What surprise,— I blame myself,—then, when our scouts came in At sunset with the tidings that the foe, Whom we thought flying from us, held the pass Against our coming. Straight I chose a spot Such as we might defend, and there encamped, 250 And would have stayed till morn, when suddenly The stragglers on our rear were driven in By horse that fell upon our flank; and soon I heard our front engaged. The moon to them, —That was our peril,—the accursed yellow moon Exposed our camp, while in the shadowy glens The night hid their attack: our disposition Was else not ill. Taking sufficient force, I turned to clear the rear; but in the dark Met with great numbers. How we fought God knows, Surrounded on all hands. If any fled 261 I cannot guess: but battling there till dawn, I saw at daybreak there were left with me But hundreds against thousands. Then to save The needless slaughter, I gave up my sword Unto the Christian leader, Ferdinand Of Portugal; nor ever had here returned