Nathan the Wise Part 59

O Nathan, you have taken, you have given, Both with full hands indeed; and now--yes--yes, You give me more than you have taken from me, Yes, infinitely more--my sister--sister.

[Embraces Recha.

NATHAN.

Blanda of Filnek.

TEMPLAR.

Blanda, ha! not Recha, Your Recha now no longer--you resign her, Give her her Christian name again, and then For my sake turn her off. Why Nathan, Nathan, Why must she suffer for it? she for me?

NATHAN.

What mean you? O my children, both my children - For sure my daughter's brother is my child, So soon as he but will it!

[While they embrace Nathan by turns, Saladin draws nigh to Sittah.

SALADIN.

What sayst thou Sittah to this?

SITTAH.

I'm deeply moved.

SALADIN.

And I Half tremble at the thought of the emotion Still greater, still to come. Nathan, a word

[While he converses with Nathan, Sittah goes to express her sympathy to the others.

With thee apart. Wast thou not saying also That her own father was no German born?

What was he then? Whence was he?

NATHAN.

He himself Never intrusted me with that. From him I knew it not.

SALADIN.

You say he was no Frank?

NATHAN.

No, that he owned: he loved to talk the Persian.

SALADIN.

The Persian--need I more? 'Tis he--'twas he!

NATHAN.

Who?

SALADIN.

a.s.sad certainly, my brother a.s.sad.

NATHAN.

If thou thyself perceive it, be a.s.sured; Look in this book--[Gives the breviary.

SALADIN (eagerly looking.)

O 'tis his hand, his hand, I recollect it well.

NATHAN.

They know it not; It rests with thee what they shall learn of this.

SALADIN (turning over the breviary.)

I not acknowledge my own brother's children, Not own my nephew--not my children--I Leave them to thee? Yes, Sittah, it is they, [Aloud.

They are my brother's and thy brother's children. [Rushes to embrace them.

SITTAH.

What do I hear? Could it be otherwise? [The like.

SALADIN (to the templar).

Now, proud boy, thou shalt love me, thou must love me,

[To Recha.

And I am, what I offered to become, With or without thy leave.

SITTAH.

I too--I too.

SALADIN (to the templar.)

My son--my a.s.sad--my lost a.s.sad's son.

TEMPLAR.

I of thy blood--then those were more than dreams With which they used to lull my infancy - Much more.