“_Well then, I command it_,” she said, at last, with the naïveté so peculiarly her own.—I made a low bow, and now have the honour of presenting to her my VIRGIN OF THE SUN. At her command the trembling maiden appears with downcast eyes in the anti-chamber, and hopes for permission humbly to wait there, till a friendly invitation shall call her to the toilette of her Patroness. “Come nearer, gentle creature!—thou shalt be welcome to me for the sake of thy father, with whom I have long lived on terms of friendship, and whom I should now be the more scrupulous of depriving of what does remain to him, since he has so little that is desirable left in the world.” Ah, you are but too much in the right, my most amiable friend!—I once possessed a treasure who greatly resembled you, inasmuch as she was one of the best of wives, and of mothers. But she is gone to her proper home, to the society of angels. At the moment when I experienced this most severe of all afflictions, you benignantly embalmed my sorrows with a tear;—for that tear my heart retains a lasting gratitude, and my pen gladly embraces an opportunity, at the same time of dedicating my work to you, and of giving this public testimony of the high esteem entertained for you, by AUGUSTUS VON KOTZEBUE. ADVERTISEMENT. _The Translator has selected the VIRGIN OF THE SUN as the Third of her proposed Series of KOTZEBUE’S Plays. The great reputation this Drama has acquired in its native country gives her hopes that it will not be found less interesting to the English Reader under its present form. It will be followed, as the natural course directs, by THE SPANIARDS IN PERU, or THE DEATH OF ROLLA, which will be published some time in the month of March._ _London, Feb. 25th, 1799._ Lately was published, and may be had of all Booksellers, THE NATURAL SON, (Performing at Covent-Garden under the Title of LOVER’S VOWS), by the same Author and Translator.—_The Sixth Edition._ The COUNT OF BURGUNDY, by the same.—_The Second Edition._ EACH PRICE HALF-A-CROWN. DRAMATIS PERSONÆ. _ATALIBA, King of Quito._ _The HIGH-PRIEST of the SUN._ _XAIRA, another Priest of the SUN._ _TELASCO, an Old Man of the Family of the INCAS._ _ZORAI, his Son._ _CORA, his Daughter, the VIRGIN OF THE SUN._ _ROLLA, formerly General of the Peruvian Army._ _The HIGH-PRIESTESS of the SUN._ _IDALI_, } _VIRGINS OF THE SUN._ _AMAZILI_, } _DON ALONZO MOLINA, a Spaniard._ _DON JUAN VELASQUEZ, his Friend._ _DIEGO, an Attendant on DON ALONZO._ _A CHAMBERLAIN to the King._ PRIESTS OF THE SUN, VIRGINS OF THE SUN, COURTIERS, SOLDIERS, POPULACE. THE VIRGIN OF THE SUN. ACT I.