inestimable person. I come, therefore, to tell you that I return thanks
to Heaven, that you are rescued from the hands of an odious tyrant. But,
in the midst of that happiness, I feel that I shall always be tortured
with the thought that envious fate deprived me of the honour of
performing such a noble deed, and has unjustly given to my rival the
chance of venturing his life pleasantly to render you so great a
service. Yes, Madam, my readiness to free you from your chains was
undoubtedly equal to his; I should have gained the victory for you, if
Heaven had not robbed me of that honour.

ELV. I know, my Lord, that you possess a heart capable of overcoming the
greatest dangers; I doubt not but this generous zeal which incited you
to espouse my quarrel, would have enabled you, as well as any one else,
to overcome all base attempts; but even if you have not performed this
noble deed--and you could have done it--I am already under sufficient
obligations to the house of Castile. It is well known what a warm and
faithful friend the Count, your father, was of the late King, and what
he did for him. After having assisted him until he died, he gave my
brother a shelter in his states; full twenty years he concealed him, in
spite of the cowardly efforts to discover him, employed by barbarous and
enraged enemies; and now to restore to his brow a crown, in all its
splendour, you are marching in person against our usurpers. Are you not
satisfied, and do not these generous endeavours place me under strong
obligations to you? Would you, my Lord, obstinately persist in swaying
my whole fate? Must I never receive even the slightest kindness unless
from you? Ah! amidst these misfortunes, which seem to be my fate, suffer
me to owe also something to another, and do not complain that another
arm acquired some glory, when you were absent.

ALPH. Yes, Madam, I ought to cease complaining; you are quite right when