Nathan the Wise Part 42

SALADIN.

May be, but Nathan -

TEMPLAR.

Must Nathan be the mortal, who unshrinking Can face the moon-tide ray of truth, nor there Betray the twilight dungeon which he crawled from.

SALADIN.

Yes, Nathan is that man.

TEMPLAR.

I thought so too, But what if this picked man, this chosen sage, Were such a thorough Jew that he seeks out For Christian children to bring up as Jews - How then?

SALADIN.

Who says this of him?

TEMPLAR.

E'en the maid With whom he frets me--with the hope of whom He seemed to joy in paying me the service, Which he would not allow me to do gratis - This very maid is not his daughter--no, She is a kidnapped Christian child.

SALADIN.

Whom he Has, notwithstanding, to thy wish refused?

TEMPLAR (with vehemence).

Refused or not, I know him now. There lies The prating tolerationist unmasked - And I'll halloo upon this Jewish wolf, For all his philosophical sheep's clothing, Dogs that shall touze his hide.

SALADIN (earnestly.)

Peace, Christian!

TEMPLAR.

What!

Peace, Christian--and may Jew and Mussulman Stickle for being Jew and Mussulman, And must the Christian only drop the Christian?

SALADIN (more solemnly).

Peace, Christian!

TEMPLAR (calmly.)

Yes, I feel what weight of blame Lies in that word of thine pent up. O that I knew how a.s.sad in my place would act.

SALADIN.

He--not much better, probably as fiery.

Who has already taught thee thus at once Like him to bribe me with a single word?

Indeed, if all has past as thou narratest, I scarcely can discover Nathan in it.

But Nathan is my friend, and of my friends One must not bicker with the other. Bend - And be directed. Move with caution. Do not Loose on him the fanatics of thy sect.

Conceal what all thy clergy would be claiming My hand to avenge upon him, with more show Of right than is my wish. Be not from spite To any Jew or Mussulman a Christian.

TEMPLAR.

Thy counsel is but on the brink of coming Somewhat too late, thanks to the patriarch's Bloodthirsty rage, whose instrument I shudder To have almost become.

SALADIN.

How! how! thou wentest Still earlier to the patriarch than to me?

TEMPLAR.

Yes, in the storm of pa.s.sion, in the eddy Of indecision--pardon--oh! thou wilt No longer care, I fear, to find in me One feature of thy a.s.sad.

SALADIN.

Yes, that fear.

Methinks I know by this time from what failings Our virtue springs--this do thou cultivate, Those shall but little harm thee in my sight.

But go, seek Nathan, as he sought for thee, And bring him hither: I must reconcile you.

If thou art serious about the maid - Be calm, she shall be thine--Nathan shall feel That without swine's flesh one may educate A Christian child, Go. [Templar withdraws.

SITTAH (rising from the sofa).

Very strange indeed!

SALADIN.

Well, Sittah, must my a.s.sad not have been A gallant handsome youth?

SITTAH.

If he was thus, And 'twasn't the templar who sat to the painter.

But how couldst thou be so forgetful, brother, As not to ask about his parents?

SALADIN.

And Particularly too about his mother.

Whether his mother e'er was in this country, That is your meaning, isn't it?

SITTAH.

You run on -

SALADIN.