_Almah._ The thoughts of death your passion would remove; Death is a cold encouragement to love. _Almanz._ No; from my joys I to my death would run, And think the business of my life well done: But I should walk a discontented ghost, If flesh and blood were to no purpose lost. _Almah._ You love me not, Almanzor; if you did, You would not ask what honour must forbid. _Almanz._ And what is honour, but a love well hid? _Almah._ Yes, 'tis the conscience of an act well done, Which gives us power our own desires to shun; The strong and secret curb of headlong will; The self-reward of good, and shame of ill. _Almanz._ These, madam, are the maxims of the day, When honour's present, and when love's away. The duty of poor honour were too hard, In arms all day, at night to mount the guard. Let him, in pity, now to rest retire; Let these soft hours be watched by warm desire. _Almah._ Guards, who all day on painful duty keep, In dangers are not privileged to sleep. _Almanz._ And with what dangers are you threatened here? Am I, alas! a foe for you to fear? See, madam, at your feet this enemy; [_Kneels._ Without your pity and your love I die. _Almah._ Rise, rise, and do not empty hopes pursue; Yet think that I deny myself, not you. _Almanz._ A happiness so high I cannot bear: My love's too fierce, and you too killing fair. I grow enraged to see such excellence!-- If words, so much disordered, give offence, My love's too full of zeal to think of sense. Be you like me; dull reason hence remove, And tedious forms, and give a loose to love. Love eagerly; let us be gods to-night; And do not, with half yielding, clash delight. _Almah._ Thou strong seducer, opportunity! Of womankind, half are undone by thee! Though I resolve I will not be misled, I wish I had not heard what you have said! I cannot be so wicked to comply; And, yet, am most unhappy to deny! Away! _Almanz._ I will not move me from this place: I can take no denial from that face! _Almah._ If I could yield,--but think not that I will,-- You and myself I in revenge should kill; For I should hate us both, when it were done, And would not to the shame of life be won. _Almanz._ Live but to-night, and trust to-morrow's mind: Ere that can come, there's a whole life behind. Methinks, already crowned with joys I lie, Speechless and breathless, in an ecstasy! Not absent in one thought: I am all there: Still close, yet wishing still to be more near. _Almah._ Deny your own desires; for it will be Too little now to be denied by me. Will he, who does all great, all noble seem, Be lost and forfeit to his own esteem? Will he, who may with heroes claim a place, Belie that fame, and to himself be base? Think how august and godlike you did look, When my defence, unbribed, you undertook; But, when an act so brave you disavow, How little, and how mercenary now! _Almanz._ Are, then, my services no higher prized? And can I fall so low, to be despised?