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Which, surely they believed, as it had rolled
Thus far uncheck'd, would roll victorious on,
Till, like the Orient, the subjected West
Should bow in reverence at Mahommed's name ;
And pilgrims, from remotest Arctic shores,
Tread with religious feet the burning sands
Of Araby and Mecca's stony soil.
Proud of his part in Roderick's overthrow,
Their leader Abulcacem came, a man
Immitigable, long in war renowned.

Here Magued comes, who on the conquered walls
Of Cordoba by treacherous fear betrayed,
Planted the moony standard: Ibrahim. here,
He, who by Genil and in Darro's vales,
Had for the Moors the fairest portion won
Of all their spoils, fairest and best maintained,
And to the Alpuxarras given in trust
His other name, through them preserved in song.
Here too Alcahman, vaunting his late deeds
At Auria, all her children by the sword

Cut off, her bulwarks rased, her towers laid low,
Her dwellings by devouring flames consumed.
Bloody and hard of heart, he little weened,

Vain boastful chief! that from those fatal flames

The fire of retribution had gone forth

Which soon should wrap him round.

The renegades

Here too were seen, Ebba and Sisibert;

A spurious brood, but of their parents' crimes
True heirs in guilt begotten, and in ill

Trained up.

The same unnatural rage that turned

Their swords against their country, made them seek, Unmindful of their wretched mother's end,

Pelayo's life. No enmity is like

Domestic hatred! For his blood they thirst,
As if that sacrifice might satisfy
Witiza's guilty ghost, efface the shame

Of their adulterous birth, and, one crime more
Crowning a hideous course, emancipate
Thenceforth their spirits from all earthly fear.
This was their only care; but other thoughts
Were rankling in that elder villain's mind,
Their kinsman Orpas, he of all the crew,
Who in this fatal visitation fell,

The foulest and the falsest wretch that e'er

Renounced his baptism. From his cherished views

Of royalty cut off, he coveted

Count Julian's wide domains, and hopeless now To gain them through the daughter, laid his toils Against the father's life,.. the instrument

Of his ambition first, and now designed

Its victim. To this end with cautious hints,
At favouring season ventured, he possessed
The leader's mind; then, subtly fostering
The doubts himself had sown, with bolder charge
He bade him warily regard the Count,

Lest underneath an outward show of faith

The heart uncircumcised were Christian still :
Else, wherefore had Florinda not obeyed

Her dear-loved sire's example, and embraced
The saving truth? Else, wherefore was her hand,
Plighted to him so long, so long withheld,
Till she had found a fitting hour to fly

With that audacious Prince, who now in arms,
Defied the Caliph's power; for who could doubt
That in his company she fled, perhaps

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The mover of his flight? What if the Count

Himself had planned the evasion which he feigned In sorrow to condemn? What if she went

A pledge assured, to tell the mountaineers

That when they met the Musslemen in the heat
Of fight, her father passing to their side

Would draw the victory with him?... Thus he breathed
Fiend-like in Abulcacem's ear his schemes

Of murderous malice; and the course of things,
Ere long, in part approving his discourse,
Aidëd his aim, and gave his wishes weight.
For scarce on the Asturian territory

Had they set foot, when, with the speed of fear,
Count Eudon, nothing doubting that their force
Would like a flood sweep all resistance down,
Hastened to plead his merits;..
.he alone,
Found faithful in obedience through reproach
And danger, when the maddened multitude
Hurried their chiefs along, and high and low
With one infectious frenzy seized, provoked
The invincible in arms. Pelayo led

The raging crew,.. he doubtless the prime spring
Of all these perilous movements; and 'twas said
He brought the assurance of a strong support,
Count Julian's aid, for in his company

From Cordoba, Count Julian's daughter came.

Thus Eudon spake before the assembled chiefs,
When instantly a stern and wrathful voice
Replied, I know Pelayo never made

That senseless promise! He who raised the tale
Lies foully; but the bitterest enemy
That ever hunted for Pelayo's life

Hath never with the charge of falsehood touched His name.

The Baron had not recognized

Till then, beneath the turban's shadowing folds,
Julian's swart visage, where the fiery suns
Of Africa, through many a year's long course,
Had set their hue inburnt. Something he sought
In quick excuse to say of common fame,
Lightly believed and busily diffused,
And that no enmity had moved his speech
Repeating rumour's tale. Julian replied,
Count Eudon, neither for thyself nor me
Excuse is needed here. The path I tread
Is one wherein there can be no return,
No pause, no looking back! A choice like mine
For time and for eternity is made,

Once and for ever! and as easily

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