Boab. O heaven, what do I hear!

Almanz. Let her go on.

Lyndar. And how,—­then murmured in a bigger tone
Another voice,—­and how should it be known? 
This hour is from your court attendants free;
The king suspects Almanzor, but not me.

Zul. I find her drift; Hamet, be confident; [At the door. Second her words, and fear not the event.

  ZULEMA and HAMET enter.  The King embraces them.

Boab. Welcome, my only friends;—­behold in me,
O kings, behold the effects of clemency! 
See here the gratitude of pardoned foes! 
That life, I gave them, they for me expose!

Hamet. Though Abdelmelech was our friend before, When duty called us, he was so no more.

Almanz. Damn your delay!—­you torturers, proceed!  I will not hear one word but Almahide.

Boab. When you, within, the traitor’s voice did hear, What did you then?

Zul. I durst not trust my ear;
But, peeping through the key-hole, I espied
The queen, and Abdelmelech by her side;
She on the couch, he on her bosom lay;
Her hand about his neck his head did stay,
And from his forehead wiped the drops away.

Boab. Go on, go on, my friends, to clear my doubt; I hope I shall have life to hear you out.

Zul What had been, sir, you may suspect too well;
What followed, modesty forbids to tell: 
Seeing what we had thought beyond belief,
Our hearts so swelled with anger and with grief,
That, by plain force, we strove the door to break. 
He, fearful, and with guilt, or love, grown weak,
Just as we entered, ’scaped the other way;
Nor did the amazed queen behind him stay.

Lyndar. His sword, in so much haste, he could not mind; But left this witness of his crime behind.

Boab. O proud, ungrateful, faithless womankind!  How changed, and what a monster am I made!  My love, my honour, ruined and betrayed!

Almanz. Your love and honour! mine are ruined worse:—­
Furies and hell!—­What right have you to curse? 
Dull husband as you are,
What can your love, or what your honour, be? 
I am her lover, and she’s false to me.

Boab. Go; when the authors of my shame are found,
Let them be taken instantly and bound: 
They shall be punished as our laws require: 
’Tis just, that flames should be condemned to fire. 
This, with the dawn of morning shall be done.

Aben. You haste too much her execution. 
Her condemnation ought to be deferred;
With justice, none can be condemned unheard.

Boab. A formal process tedious is, and long; Besides, the evidence is full and strong.

Lyndar. The law demands two witnesses; and she Is cast, for which heaven knows I grieve, by three.