Act 3 — Act III

Scene I.—The cloisters of a convent. Athanasios the Patriarch, and the Templar.

Athanasios: Heaven keep you in your valour, good Sir Knight! You seek my counsel? It is yours; say on.

Templar: Suppose, my reverend father, that a Jew Brought up a Christian child, in ignorance Of her own faith and lineage, as his daughter, What then?

Athanasios: Is this mere supposition, sir? If in our diocese such impious act Were done in truth, the Jew should die by fire. You will not name the man? I'll to the sultan, Who will support us.

Templar: I'll to Saladin, And will announce your visit.

Athanasios: Was it then A problem merely? Nay, this is a job For Brother Bonafides. Here, my son!

[Exit Athanasios, talking with the friar.

Scene II.—A room at the palace of Saladin. Slaves bring in money-bags to Saladin and Sittah.

Saladin (to Sittah): Here, pay yourself with that. And look, I found This portrait 'midst the heap of plate and jewels. It is our brother Assad. I'll compare The likeness with our Templar. Ah, who's there? The Templar? Bid him enter.

[Enter the Templar.

Templar: Saladin, Thy captive, sire, who's life is at thy service!

Saladin: Ah, brave young man, I'm not deceived in thee. Thou art indeed, in soul and body, Assad! Came Nathan with thee?

Templar: Who?

Saladin: Who? Nathan

Templar (coldly): No.

Saladin: Why so cold?

Templar: I've nothing against Nathan, But I am angry with myself alone For dreaming that a Jew could be no Jew. He was so cautious of my suit that I, In swift resentment, though unwitting, gave Him over to the Patriarch's bloody rage. Sultan, the maiden is no child of his; She is a Christian whom the Jew hath reared In ignorance of her faith. The Patriarch Foredooms him to the stake.

Saladin: Go to, go to. The case is scarcely hopeless. Summon Nathan, And I shall reconcile you. If indeed You're earnest for the maid, she shall be thine.

Scene III.—The hall in Nathan's house. Nathan and the friar, Bonafides.

Bonafides: The Patriarch hath ever work for me, And some I like not. Listen. He hath heard That hereabouts there dwells a certain Jew Who hath brought up a Christian as his child.

Nathan: How?

Bonafides: Hear me out. I fear me that I gave Occasion for this sin, when I, a squire, Brought you, full eighteen years ago, the babe, The orphan babe of Leonard, Lord of Filnek. He fell at Askalon.

Nathan: Ay so; and I, Bereft by Christians of my wife and sons, Received the infant as a gift from Heaven, And made it mine. And now, belike, I suffer For this my charity. But tell me now, Was not the mother sister to a Templar, Conrade of Stauffen?

Bonafides: Let me fetch a book, In Arabic, I had from my dead lord. 'Tis said to tell the lineage of the babe.

Nathan: Go, fetch it quickly.

[Exeunt.

Scene IV.—A place of palms. Nathan and the Templar.

Nathan: Who hath betrayed me to the Patriarch?

Templar: Alas! 'twas I. You took my suit so coldly That when from Daya I had learned your secret, I fancied you had little mind to give A Christian what from Christians you had taken. I thought to use my knowledge as a lever, And so, not having you, I put the matter In problem-wise before the Patriarch. Suppose he find you out. What then? He cannot Seize Recha, if she be no longer yours. Ah! give her then, to me, and let him come.

Nathan: Too late! You are too late, for I have found Her kinsfolk. Hark you, Recha has a brother.

Templar: Well, he's the man to fit her with a husband. Of thee and me she'll have no longer need.

Scene V.—Saladin's palace. Saladin and his sister, Sittah, are talking with Recha.

Sittah: Ah! I guessed it.

Recha: Guessed it? What? that I Am Christian and not Nathan's daughter?

[She swoons.

Saladin: What! Whose cruelty hath sown this sharp suspicion In thy fond heart? Ah! if there be two fathers At strife for thee, quit both, and take a third. Take Saladin for father! I'll be kind.

Sittah: Brother, you make her blush.

Saladin: In a good hour. Blushing becomes the fair. But see, our Nathan's coming, with another. Canst guess, sweet girl? Ay, when he comes, blush crimson.

[Enter Nathan and the Templar.

Come, stickle not for niceties with him. Make him thy offer, doing for him more, Far more, than he for thee, for what was that But make himself a little sooty. Come!

[Seeks to lead her to the Templar.

Nathan (solemnly): Hold, Saladin; hold, Sittah! There's another Whom I must speak with first—the maiden's brother.

Templar (bitterly): He has imposed a father on her, now He'll shark her up a brother! Where's the man?

Nathan: Patience sir.

Saladin: Christian, such words as yours had never passed My Assad's lips.

Nathan: Forgive him, Saladin. Oh! Christian, you have hid from me your name. Conrade of Stauffen is no name of yours, But Guy of Filnek—mark. I tax you not With falsehood; for your mother was a Stauffen. Her brother's name was Conrade. He perchance Adopted you?

Templar: Even so the matter stands.

Nathan: Your father was my friend. He called himself Leonard of Filnek, but no German he. He had espoused a German.

Templar: Ah! no more, I beg, but tell me who is Recha's brother.

Nathan: Thou art the man!

Templar: What, I? I Recha's brother?

Recha: My brother—he?

Sittah: So near akin—

Recha (offering to embrace him): My brother!

Templar: (withdrawing): Brother to her!

Recha (to Nathan): It cannot be. His heart Knows nothing of it.

Saladin: What! not acknowledge A sister such as she? Go!

Templar: Saladin! Mistake not my amazement. Thy Assad At such a moment, had done likewise. Oh, Nathan, you have taken, you have given— Yes, infinitely more—my sister—sister!

[Embraces Recha.

Nathan: Blanda of Filnek! Guy! My children both!

Sittah: Oh! I am deeply moved.

Saladin: And I half tremble At thought of the emotion still to be. Nathan, you say her father was no German. What was he, then?

Nathan: He never told me that. But ah! he loved the Persian speech and owned He was no Frank.

Saladin: The Persian! Need I more? Twas my Assad!

Nathan: Look in this book!

Saladin: Ay! 'tis his hand, even his. Oh, Sittah, Sittah, they're my brother's children.

[He rushes to embrace them. Sittah also embraces the pair.

Now, now, proud boy, thou canst not choose but love me. (To Recha) And I to thee am all I sought to be, With or without thy leave.

Templar: I of thy blood? Then all the tales I heard In infancy were more than idle dreams.

[Falls at Saladin's feet.

Saladin (raising him): There's malice for you! Knew it all the time, And yet he would have let me murder him. Boy, boy! [They embrace in silence.

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