[Abdalazis to Julian.
Was he not in thy camp? and in disguise?
Tarik. No: I will answer thee.
Muza. Audacious man!
Had not the Kalif Walid placed thee here,
Chains, and a traitor’s death, should be thy doom.
Speak, Abdalazis! Egilona, speak.
Were ye not present? was not I, myself,
And aided not this Julian his escape?
Jul. ’Tis true.
Tarik. Away then friendship; to thy fate
I leave thee: thou hast render’d Muza just,
Me hostile to thee. Who is safe! a man
Arm’d with such power and with such perfidy!
Jul. Stay, Tarik! hear me; for, to thee alone
Would I reply.
Tarik. Thou hast replied, already.
[Goes.
Muza. We, who were enemies, would not inquire
Too narrowly what reasons urged thy wrath
Against thy sovran lord; beneath his flag
The christians first assailed us from these shores,
And we seized gladly the first aid we found
To quell a wealthy and a warlike king.
We never held to thee the vain pretence
That ’twas thy quarrel our brave youth espoused,
Thine, who hast wrought us much disgrace and woe.
From perils and from losses, here we rest
And drink of the fresh fountain at our feet,
Not madly following such illusive streams
As overspread the dizzy wilderness,
And vanish from the thirst they have seduced.
Ours was the enterprise, the land is ours:
What gain we by our toils if he escape
Whom we came hither solely to subdue?