The Poetical and Dramatic Works of Samuel Tay Lor Coleridge ...

THE POETICAL AND DRAMATIC

WORKS OF SAMUEL TAY

LOR COLER IDGE

FOUNDED ON THE AUTHOR’S LATEST EDITION OF

1 834 WITH MANY ADD ITIONAL P IECES NOW

FIRST INCLUDED AND WITH A COLL-EC

TION OF VARIOUS READINGS

IN FOUR VOLUM E S

VOLUME FOUR

finnbou

M A C M I L LA N AN D C O .

1 880

CONTENTS

REMORSE A TRAGEDY

ZAPOLYA : A CHRISTMAS TALE

REMOR S E.

A TRAGEDY. IN FIVE ACTS .

WRITTEN IN 1 797 .

[ F I RST P UB L I SHED IN

VOL. IV.

[Remorse . A Tragedy . In Five Acts . By S . T. Coleridge.

Lon don : Prin ted for W . POple , 67 , Chan cery Lan e , 18 13 .

Price Three Shillin gs , pp . x11 . , 7 2 . Con s iderab ly altered in

the Secon d an d Third Edition s , which appeared in the same

year.

Osorio . A Tragedy , as origin ally written in 1 797 by

Samu el Taylor Coleridge . Now first prin ted from a copyrecen tly discovered, with the variorum Readings of REMORSE ,an d a M on ograph on the History of the p lay in its earlier an d

laterform , by the Au thor of TENNYSON IANA. Lon don : J ohn

Pearson , 1873 , pp . xxrr. ,

P R E FA C E

T o THE FIRST ED I TI ON .

*

THIS Tragedy was wri tte n in the summ eran d au tumn

of the year 1797 , at Ne ther S towey, in the cou n ty of

S om erse t . By who se re comm e n dation , an d of the

man n er in which b oth the Play an d the Au thor were

tre ated by the recomm e n der, le t m e b e p erm itted to

re late that I kn ew of its hav in g b e e n rec e iv ed on ly b ya third perso n ; that I c o uld procure n e ither an swer

n or the man u script ; an d that b u t for an acc ide n t Ishou ld have had n o c opy of the work itself. That su chtreatm e n t wou ld damp a you n g man

’

s exertio n s may

b e eas ily c on c e ived : there was n o n e ed of after- mis

repre se n tat io n an d c alum n y, as an add ition al sedative .

A portion of the Preface prefixed to the play in man u

script, u n der its origin al n am e of Osorio , has b een preserved ,an d is here given

“ In this sketch of a Tragedy, all is imperfect an d much

ob scure . Am on g other equ ally great defects (m illston es rou n dthe slen der n eck of its m erits) it pre - suppo ses a lon g story ;

an d this lon g story, which yet is n ecessary to the completeu n derstan din g of the play , is n ot half told. Alb ert had sen t

a letter in form in g his fam ily that he shou ld arrive about su cha tim e by ship ; he was Shipwrecked ; an d wrote a privateletter to O sorio , in form in g him alon e of this acc iden t, that hem ight n ot shock Maria . O sorio destroyed the letter an d sen t

assassin s to m eet Alb ert Worse than all, the growth

of O sorio ’s character is n owhere explain ed—an d yet I had

m ost clear an d psychologically acc urate ideas of the whole of

4 PREFACE .

As an amus ing an ecdo te , an d in the wish to pre

pare future Authors, as you n g as I the n was an d as ign o

ran t of the world, of the treatm e n t they may m e e t with,I will add, that the perso n 1

‘

who by a twic e - c o n veyed

re comme n datio n (in the ye ar 1 797 ) had urged m e to

write a Tragedy : who o n my own ob je c tio n that I was

u tterly ign oran t of all stage - tac tic s had prom ised that

he wou ld him self make the n ec e ssary alteratio n s, if

the p ie c e shou ld b e at all repre se n tab le who toge ther

w ith the c opy of the play (has te n ed by his m ean s so

as to preve n t the fu ll deve lopm e n t i of the charac ters )re c e ived a letter from the Au thor to this purport,

it. A man who , from con stitution al calm n ess of appetitesis sedu ced in to pride an d the love of power, by these in to m isan thropism , or rather a con tem pt for man kin d ; an d from

then ce , by the cooperation of en vy, an d a curiou sly m odifiedlove for a b eautiful female (which is n owhere developed in the

play) , in to a m ost atroc iou s gu ilt . A man who is in truth a

weak man , yet always dupin g him self in to the b elief that hehas a soul of iron . Such were som e of my leadin g ideas .

“ In short, the thin g is but an em bryo , an d whilst it t e

main s in man u script, which it is destin ed to do , the criticwou ld judge u n ju stly who shou ld call it a m iscarriage . It

furn ished m e with a mo st importan t le sson , n am ely, that to

have con c eived stron gly , does n ot always im ply the power of

successful execu tion . S . T . C .

”- (Prin ted in Dr. Clem en t

Carlyon’s Early Years an d Late Reflection s , Lon d. 1836 ,

p

The whole of this paragraph of the Preface was om ittedin the later edition s—En .

1' Richard Brin sley Sheridan —En .

i I n eed n ot say to au thors , that as to the e ssen tials of a

poem , little can b e su perin du ced without disson an ce , after thefirst warmth of c on ception an d composition .

PREFACE . 5

that co n sc iou s of his in experie n c e , he had cherishedn o e xpe c tation s, an d should therefore fe e l n o disap

po in tm e n t from the rej e c tio n of the play ; b u t that if

b eyo n d his hope s M r. foun d in it an y capab ilityof b e in g adapted to the stage , it was de livered to himas if it had b e e n his own man u script, to add , om it, o ralter, as he saw o c cas io n an d that (if it were rej e c ted )the Au thor wou ld de em him se lf amply rem u n erated

b y the add ition to his exp erie n c e which he shou ld re

c e iv e , if Mr. wou ld po in t out to him the n ature of

its unfitn ess forpub lic repre se n tation - that this veryperso n re turn ed m e n o an swer, an d, sp ite of repeated

applicat ion s, re tain ed my man u script whe n I was n ot

c on sc iou s of an y o ther c opy b e in g in existe n c e (myduplicate hav in g b e e n de stroyed by an ac c ide n t ) that

he suffered this m an u sc rip t to wan de r ab ou t the townfrom his hou se , so that bu t te n days ago I saw the so n g

in the third Ac t prin ted an d se t to mu s ic , withou t myn am e , by Mr. Carn aby, in the year 1802 likewisethat the same pe rso n asse rted (as I have b e e n assured )that the play was re j e c ted , b e cau se I would n o t subm itto the alteration of o n e lud icrou s lin e ; an d fin ally in

the year 1806 amu sed an d de lighted (as who was e ve r

in his c ompan y, if I may tru st the u n iversal report,withou t b e in g am u sed an d de lighted ? ) a large c om

pan y at the house of a highly re spec tab le M emb er of

Parliam e n t, w ith the rid icule of the Tragedy, as“a

fair spe c im e n”

Of the whole of which he adduc ed a

l in eDrip drip drip l there ’ s n othin g here but drippin g.

In the origin al copy of the Play, in the first S c e n e

Of the fourth Ac t, Is idore had c omm e n c ed his Soliloquy in the Cavern with the words,

Drip ! drip ! a ceaseless sou n d of water- drops ,

6 PREFACE .

as far as I can at pre se n t recolle c t for o n the pos

S ib le lud icrou s assoc iation b e ing po in ted ou t to m e , Iin stan tly an d thankfu lly struck ou t the lin e . An d as

to my ob stin ate te n ac ity, n o t o n ly my o ld acquain tan c e ,b u t (I dare b o ldly aver) b o th the Man agers of Drury

Lan e Theatre , an d every ac tor an d ac tre ss, whom Ihav e rec en tly m et in the Gre e n - ro om , will repel theac cusation , p erhaps n ot withou t surprise .

I thought it right to record the se c ircum stan c e s ; b u t

I turn gladly an d with s in c ere grat itude to the co n verse .

In ‘

the c lo se'

of last year I was adv ised to -

pre se n t the

Tragedy o n c e m ore to the Theatre . Ac c ord in glyhav ing altered the n ame s, I v e n tured to addre ss a

le tter to Mr. Whitb re ad, requ e stin g in formatio n as to :

whom I was to pre se n t my Tragedy . My le tterwas

in stan tly an d m ost kin dly an swered , an d I hav e n ow

n othin g to te ll b u t a tale of than ks . I Shou ld scarc e

kn ow where to b egin , if the goodn e ss of the Man ager,

Mr. ARNOLD ,had n ot c alled for my first ackn owledg

m e n ts . No t m ere ly as an ac tin g Play, b ut as a

dramatic Po em , the REM ORSE has b e e n importan tlyan d man ifo ldly b e n efited by his sugge stio n s . I can

with severe st tru th say, that eve ry hin t he gave mewas the groun d of som e improvem e n t . In the n ext

plac e it is my du ty to m e n tio n Mr. RAYM OND, theS tage Man ager. Had the REM ORSE b ee n his own

Play— n ay, that is say in g too little—had I b e en his

It n ow appears that Co leridge’s m em ory orhis in gen uou s

n ess was somewhat at fault here : for the fourth act of the

play in its origin al shape open ed with the followin g lin esDrip ! drip drip ! drip - in su ch a place as thisI t has n othing e lse to do bu t drip drip I dripI wish it had n ot dripp

’d upon my torch.

”—ED.

PREFACE . 7

b rother, or his dearest frien d, he could n ot have felt

or exerted him self more zealou sly .

As the Pie c e i s n ow ac tin g, it may b e thought presumptu ous in me to speak of the Ac tors : yet how can

I ab stain , feeling, as I do, Mrs . GLOVER’ S powerfulass istan c e , an d kn owing the c ircumstan c e s u n der

which she con se n ted to ac t Alhadra ? A t ime willcome , whe n without pain fu lly oppress in g her

fe e lin gs, I may speak of this more fu lly. To M issSM ITH I have an equal, though d iffere n t ackn owledgm e n t to make , n am ely, for her acc eptan c e of a

charac ter n ot fully deve loped, an d qu ite in adequate toher extraord in ary powers . She e n live n ed an d sup

ported many passage s , which (though n ot perhaps,

wholly un in terestin g in the'

c lo se t) would b ut for her

have hu n g heavy o n the ears of a theatrical audie n c e .

An d in speaking the Ep ilogu e , a compos ition which,I fear, my hurry will hardly excu se , she made a sacrihee , which o n ly her e stab lished charac ter with all

judge s of tragic ac tion , cou ld have ren dered com

patib le with her du ty to herse lf. To Mr. DE CAMP’ Sjudgme n t an d fu ll c on c eptio n of Is idore ; to Mr.

POPE’s accurate repre se n tatio n of the partial, ye t

hon ourab le Father ; to Mr. ELL I STON’ S e n ergy in thecharacter ofAlvar, an d who in more than on e in stan c e

gave it b eaut ie s an d strikin g po in ts, which n ot on ly

d elighted b ut surprised m e ; an d to Mr. RAE, to

whose zeal an d unwearied s tudy of his part I am n o t

The origin al caste was as followsM arqu is Valdez, Mr. Pbpe ; Don Alvar, Mr. Elliston Don

Ordon io , Mr. Rae ; M on viedro , Mr. Powell ; Zu limez, Mr.

Crooke ; Isidore , Mr. De Cam p ; Naomi, Mr. Wallack

Don n a Teresa, Miss Sm ith ; Alhadra, Mrs. Glover.

8 PREFACE .

l'

éss in deb ted as a man , than to his impass ion ed realization of ORDON IO, as an au thor ; to the se , an d to

all con cern ed with the b ringin g ou t of the Play, I canaddre ss but on e word—THANKS —b ut that word i suttered s in cerely ! an d to person s con stan tly b eforethe eye of the pub lic , a pub lic ackn owledgmen tb ecomes appropriate , an d a du ty .

1 defer all an swers to the d iffere n t criticisms on thePiece to an Essay, which I am ab ou t to pub lish immediately, o n Dramatic Po e try, re lative ly to the pre se n tstate of the M etropolitan Theatre s .

*

From the n e c e ss ity of hasten in g the pub lication Iwas ob liged to se n d the man u script in ten ded for theS tage : which is the sole cau se of the n umb er of

d ire c tion s prin ted in italics.

This project, like man y others an n oun ced by Coleridge ,was destin ed n ever to b e executed—ED.

DRAMATIS PERSON/E .

18 13 .

—MARQU I S VALDEz

ALBERT —D0N ALVARO SOR IO —DON ORDON IO .

FRANCESCO =MONVIEDR0

MAURICE —ZULIMEz

FERD I NAND IS I DORE

—NAOMI .—D0NA TERESA An orphan heiress .

ALHADRA I/Vife of IS I DORE .

Familiars of the In qu isition .

IWoors , S ervan ts, we .

Time—The reign of PH I L I P I I . , ju st at the c lose of the cwil

wars again st the M oors , an d during the heat of the perse

cu tion which raged against them ,shortly after the ediél

whichforbade the wearing of M oresco apparel u n der pain

of death.

Father to the two brothers, an d

Don a TERESA’s guardian .

The eldest son .

The youngest son .

A Domin ican an d in quisitor .

The faithfu l atten dan t on

ALVAR .

AM oresco Chieftain , osten siblya Christian .

REMORSE .

ACT I .

SCENE I .— The sea- shore on the coast of Granada.

DON ALVAR,wrap! in a boat- cloak, and

ZULIMEZ (a M oresco) , both as

just lan ded.

ZULIMEZ.

No soun d, n o face of joy to we lcome us

My faithful Zulimez, for on e brief momen tLet m e forge t my anguish an d the ir crime s.If aught on e arth deman d an unmix

’d fe eling,

’Tis sure ly this— after lon g years of exile ,To step forth on firm lan d , an d gazing rou nd us ,To hail at on ce our coun try, an d our birth - place .

Hail, Spain Gran ada

,hail o n ce more I pre ss

Thy san ds with filial awe , lan d of my fathers

ZULIMEZ.

Then claim yourrights in it O,revered Don Alvar,

Yet, yet give Up your all too gen tle purpose .

It is too hazardous reveal yourself,An d let the guilty m ee t the doom of guilt

This Scen e was n ot in the origin al play, as,written in

I 797 .—ED.

12 REM ORSE . [ACT I .

ALVAR.

Remember,Zulimez I am his brother,

In j ured in deed ! O deeply in j ured ! yet

Ordon io’

s brother.

ZULIMEZ.

Nob ly—m in ded Alvar

This sure but give s his guilt a blacker dye .

ALVAR.

The more behove s it I Should rouse within him

Remorse , that I should save him from himself.

ZULIMEZ.

Remorse is as the heart in which it growsIf that b e gen tle , it drops balmy dewsOf true repen tan ce b ut if proud an d gloomy,It is a poison - tree , that pierced to the inmostWeeps on ly tears of poison

An d of a brother,Dare I hold this, un proved ? n ormake on e effortTo save him P—Hearm e

,frien d I have yet to

te ll the e ,That this same life , which he con spired to take ,Himse lf on ce re scued from the an gry floodAn d at the imm in en t hazard of his Own .

Add too my oathZULIMEZ.

You have thrice told alreadyThe years of absen ce an d of secrecy

,

This Speech of Zu lim ez stan ds as a motto on the titlepage of the origin al edition .

—ED.

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

I4 REM ORSE . [ACT I .

Suffused the tear- drops there with ro sy light .

There seem’d a glory roun d us , an d T ere sa

The angel of the vision 1 [Then with agitation .

‘

Hadst thou seen

How in each motion hermost in n ocen t soul

Beam’d forth an d I brighten

’d , thou thyse lf would’st

te ll me,

Guilt is a thin g impo ssible in her

She must b e in n ocen t

ZULIMEZ (with a szgh).

Pro ceed, my lord

'ALVAR .

A portrait which She had pro cured by stealth,

(For even then it seem s her heart foreb odedOr kn ew Ordon io ’s moody rivalry)A portrait of herse lf with thrillin g han d

She tied aroun d my n eck , con juring m e ,

With earn e st prayers, that I wou ld keep it sacredTo my own kn owledge n or did She de sistTill she had won a solemn prom ise from me ,

That,save my own ,

n o eye should e’erbehold it

Till my return . Yet this the assassin kn ew,

Kn ew that which n on e but she courd have disclo sed.

ZULIMEZ.

A damn ing proofALVAR.

My own life wearied meAn d but for the imperative vo ice within

,

With m in e own han d I had thrown off the burthen .

REMORSE . 15

That voice which quell’

d in e , calm’

d me an d Isought

The Be lgic states there join’d the be tter cause

An d there too fought as on e that courted deathWoun ded, I fe ll among the dead an d dying,In death - like tran ce : a lon g imprisonmen t follow

’

d .

The fuln e ss of my an guish by degree sWan ed to a m editative me lan cho lyAn d still the more I mused, my soul becameM ore doubtfu l

,more perplex

’d an d still Tere sa,

Night after n ight, she visited my Sle epNow as a sain tly sufferer, wan an d tearful,Now as a sain t in glory beckon in g to m e

Ye s, still as in con tempt of proof an d reason ,

I cherish the fon d faith that she is guiltle ssHear then my fix

’d re solve : I ’ll linger here

In the disguise of a More sco Chieftain .

The Moorish robes ?

ZULIMEZ.

All, all are in the sea- cave ,Some furlong hen ce . I bade ourmarin ers

Secrete the boat there .

ALVAR.

Above all, the pictureOf the assassin ation

ZULIMEZ.

[Be assured

That it remain s un in jured.

- ALVAR.

Thus disguised

I 6 REM ORSE . [ACT I .

I will first seek to mee t Ordon io ’s—wifeIf possible , alon e too . This was herwon ted walk,An d this the hour ; herwords, her very looks

Will acquit her or con vict.

ZULIMEZ.

Will they n ot kn ow you ?

ALVAR .

With your aid,frien d

,I shall un fearingly

Trust the disguise an d as to my complexion ,My long imprisonmen t, the scan ty food,This scar,— an d to il ben eath a b urn ing sun

,

Have don e already half the busin e ss for us.Add too my you th — sin ce last we saw each other,Man hood has swo ln my che st, an d taught my voiceA hoarser n o te— Be side s, they thin k me dead 5An d what the m in d bel ieve s impossibleThe bodily sen se is slow to recogn ize .

ZULIMEZ.

’Tis yours, sir, to comman d, m in e to obey.

Now to the cave ben eath the vaulted rock,

Where having shaped you to a Moorish Chieftain ,I ’ll seek ourmarin ers ; an d in the duskTran sport whate ’erwe n eed to the small de llIn the Alpujarras— there where Zagri lived.

ALVAR.

I kn ow it we ll it is the obscure st haun tOf all the moun tain s [Both stan d listen ing.

Voice s at a distan ceLet us away [Exeun t

s o . REM ORSE . I 7

SCENE II .

E n ter TERESA an d VALDEz.

TERESA.

I hold Ordon io dear he is your sonAn d Alvar’ s brother.

VALDEz.

Love him for himse lf,Normake the living wre tched for the dead.

TERESA.

I mourn that you should plead in vain,Lord

ValdezBut Heaven hath heard my vow, an d I remainFaithful to Alvar, b e he dead or living.

VALDEZ.

Heaven kn ows with what de light I saw your love s ,An d could my heart

’s blood give him back to thee ,I would die sm iling. But the se are idle thoughtsThy dying father come s upon my soulWith that same look with which he gave thee to

me

I he ld thee in my arms a powerle ss babe ,While thy poormother, with a mute en treaty,Fix

’d her fain t eye s on m in e . Ah 1 n ot for this,

That I should let thee fe ed thy soul with gloom,

An d with Slow anguish wear away thy life ,The victim of a use le ss con stan cy.

I must n ot see thee wre tched.

Here the Tragedy, in its origin al form , commen ced—ED.

VOL. IV.

18 REMORSE . [ACT 1

TERESA.

There are woe s

Ill barter’d for the garishn e ss of joyIf it b e wre tched with an un tired eye

To watch those Skiey tin ts, an d this green ocean

Or in the su ltry hour ben eath some ro ck,My hair dishevell

’d bythe pleasan t sea- bre eze ,

T0 Shape swee t vision s,an d live o

’er again

All past hours of de light If it b e wre tchedTo watch some

'

bark,an d fan cy Alvar there ,

To go through each m in ute st Circum stan ce

Of the blest m e etin g, an d to fram e adven ture sMo st terrible an d stran ge , an d hear him te ll them

(AS on ce I kn ew a crazy Moorish maidWho dre ss’d her in her buried lover’s clo the s,An d o

’er the smoo th Spring in the m oun tain Cleft

Hung with her lute , an d play’d the se lf- sam e tun e

He used to play,an d listen ’d to the shadow

Herse lf had made)— if this b e wre tchedn ess,An d if in deed it b e a wre tched thingTo trick out m in e own death - b ed

,an d imagin e

That I had died, died ju st ere his re turnThen see him listen in g to my con stan cy,Or hover roun d , as he at m idn ight oft"

Sits on my grave , an d'

gazes at the moonOr haply, in some more fan tastic mood ,To b e in Paradise , an d with cho ice flowersBuild up a bowerwhere he an d I m ight dwe llAn d there to wait his coming O my sire 1

An d hover roun d as he at m idn ight ever7 1 797 .

so . REM ORSE. 19

My Alvar’s Sire if this b e wretchedn ess

That eats away the life,what were it

,thin k you

,

If ip a most assured realityHe should re turn

,an d se e a bro ther’s in fan t

Sm ile at him from my arm s Oh what a thought

[Clasping herforehead .

“

VALDEZ.

A thought ? even so m ere thought an emptythought

*

The very we ek he prom ised his re turn

TERESA (abruptly) .

Was it n ot then a busy joy ? to see him,After those thre e years’ trave ls we had n o fearsThe frequen t tidin gs , the n e

’

er failing le tter,Almost en dear’d his absen ce Yet the gladn e ss ,The tumult of ourjoy What then if n ow— T

VALDEZ.

0 power o f youth to feed on pleasan t thoughts,Spite of con viction ! I am old an d heartle ssYes, I am old— I have n o pleasan t fan cie sHectic an d un refresh

’

d with re st

0 what a thought !

’Twas horrible ! it pass’d my brain like lightn in g .

VE LEZ .’Twere horrib le , if but on e doubt remain ’d , 69

’

c .—I 797 .

1‘ Ah, what abu sy joy was ours—to see him

After his three years’travels ! though that ab sen ce

His still - expected, n ever- failin g lettersAlmost en dear

’d to m e Even then what tumult l—ih.


TERESA (with great ten dern ess) .My father

VALDEZ.

The sober truth is all too much form e

I see n o sail which brings n ot to my m in d“The home - boun d bark in which my son was

tured

By the Algerin e— to perish with his captors

TERESA.

Oh n o he did n o t

VALDEZ.

Captured in sight of lan d 7

From yon hill p oin t, n ay, from our castle watch

towerWe might have seen

The dialogue c on tin ues thu s in the origin al draught ofthe play

VELEz .

Ay ,’twas the m orn in g tho u d idst try to cheerm e

With a fon d gaiety. My heart was burstin g ,An d yet I c ould n ot tell m e how my SleepWas thro n g

’d with swarthy faces , an d I saw

The m erchan t - Ship in which my so n was capturedWell, well, en ough

—c aptured in s ight of lan dWe m ight almost have seen it from our hou se - top

MAR IA (abrup tly) .He did n ot perish there !

VELEz (impatien tly) .

Nay, n ay,—how aptly thou forgett

’st a tale

Thou n e’er didst wish to learn—my brave O sorio

Saw them b oth fou n der in the storm that partedHim an d the pirate : both the vessels foun der’d .

Gallan t O sorio 1 797 .

22 REM ORSE . [ACT 1.

His woun ds an d perilous voyages, an d howWith an heroic fearlessn e ss of dangerHe roam

’d the coast of Afric for yourAlvar.

Itwas n ot we ll— You have moved me even to tears.

TERESA.

O pardon me , Lord Valdez pardon m e

It was a foolish an d un grateful spe ech ,A mo st un grateful speech But I am hurriedBeyon d myself, if I but hear o f on eWho aim s to rival Alvar. Were we n ot

Born on on e day, like twin s of the sam e paren t ?Nursed in on e cradle ? Pardon m e , my fatherA Six years’ absen ce is a heavy thing,Yet still the hope survive s

VALDEZ (lcahz'

ng forwaras).

Hush ’Tis Mon viedro .

TERESA.

The In quisitor on what n ew scen t of blood ?

In the origin al draught of the play the dialogue con tin ues

VELEz (lookingforwards) .Hu sh—hush ! Maria

It is Fran cesco , our In qu isitorThat bu sy man , gro ss , ign oran t, an d cruel

En ter FRANCESCO an d ALHADRA.

FRANCESCO (to Va n ) .

Where is your son , my Lord Oh here he c om es .

En ter O soRIo .

s c . REM ORSE . 2 °

E n ter MONVIEDRO with ALHADRA.

MONVIEDRO (havingfirst made his obeisan ce

to VALDEz an d TERESA).Peace an d the truth b e with you Good my Lord,My pre sen t n eed is with your son .

[Loohingforward .

We have hit the tim e . Here come s he Ye s,

’tis he .

E n terfrom the opposite side DON ORDON IO .

My Lord Ordon io , this More sco woman

(Alhadra is her n am e ) asks audie n ce of you .

ORDON IO .

Hail, reveren d father what may b e the busin e ss

MONVIEDRO.

*

My lord , on strong su spicion of re lapse

FRANCESCO .

O the old b u s in ess—a Mohamm edan

The offic ers are in her hu sban d ’s hou se ,

An d wou ld have taken him , b ut that he m en tion ’d

Your fram e , assertin g that you were his frien d,Ay, an d wou ld warran t him a Catholic .

But I kn ow well these children of perditionAn d all the ir idle falseho ods to gain tim e

So should have m ade the o ffic ers proc eed ,But that this wom an with m o st pa ssio n ate outcries

(Kn eelin g an d holdin g forth her in fan ts to m e) ,SO work

’d u pon m e, who (you kn ow ,

m y lord

Have hum an frailtie s , an d am ten der- hearted

That I cam e with her.

OSOR IO .

You are m erc ifu l.

[Looking at ALHADRA.

I would that I cou ld save you , we . 1 797 .


To his false creed, so recen tly abjured ,The secre t servan ts of the In qu isitio n

Have se ized her husban d , an d at my comman dTo the supreme tribun al would have led him ,

But that he made appeal to you ,my lord,

As surety for his soun dn e ss in the faith .

Though lesson’d by experien ce what small trust

The asseveration s of the se Mo ors de serve ,Yet still the deferen ce to Ordon io ’

s n ame ,

Nor less the wish to prove with what high hon ourThe holy Church regards her faithful so ldiers,Thus far prevail

’

d with m e that

ORDON Io .

Reveren d father,I am much beholden to your high opin ion

,

Which so o ’erprizes my light service s .

(Then to ALHADRA. )I would that I cou ld serve you but in truthYour face is n ew to me .

*

Thu s con tin ued in the origin al Osorio[ALHADRA is abou t to speak , but is in terrupted by

FRANCESCO .

Ay, ay,—I thought so ;

An d so I said to o n e of the fam iliars .

A likely story, said I , that O sorio ,The gallan t n ob lem an who fought so bravelySome four years past again st these reb el Moors

Working so hard from out the garden of faith

To eradicate these weeds detestab le ;That he should c ou n ten an c e this v ile Moresco ,

Nay, be his frien d—an d warran t him, forso oth

Well, well, my lord it is a warn in g to m eNow I return .

s c . REM ORSE . 25

MONVIEDRO .

My m in d fore told me ,That such wou ld b e the even t. In truth

,Lord

Valdez,

’Twas little probable that Don Ordon io ,That your illustriou s son

,who fought so brave ly

Som e four years sin ce to que ll the se rebe l Mo ors ,Should prove the patron o f this in fide lThe warran ter of a More sco ’s faithNOW I re turn .

ALHAD RA.

My Lord , my husban d’s n ame

I s I sidore . (ORDON IO starts. )— You may rem em

b er itThre e years ago , three years this very week,You left him at Alm eria.

MONVIEDRO (triumphan tly ).

Palpably falseThis very we ek

,three years ago , my lord ,

(You n e eds must re co llect it by your wo un d)You were at sea, an d there engaged the pirate s ,The murderers doubtle ss ofyour bro therAlvar

[TERESA loohs at MONVIEDRO'with disgust an d

horror. ORDON IO’S appearan ce to he collected

What,is he ill , my Lord ? how stran ge he lo oks

[To VALDEZ an dpoin ting to ORDON IO.

You were at sea an d fought the Moorish fien dsWho took an d m urder’d your po or brotherAlb ert


VALDEz (angrily).

You press’d upon him too abruptly, father,

The fate o f on e , on whom , you kn ow, he doted.

ORDON IO (starting as in sudden agitation ).

O heaven s —I do ted Then as if recovering him

self. ) Yes I doted on him .

[ORDON IO walhs to the en d of the stage, VALDEZ

follows , soothing him .

TERESA (her eyefollowing ORDON IO).

I do n ot,can n o t love him . I S my heart hard ?

I S my heart hard that even n ow the thoughtShou ld forc e itself upon m e —Yet I feel it

MONVIEDRO.

The d10ps did start an d stan d upon his foreheadI will re turn . In very truth

,I grieve

To have been the o ccasion . Ho atten d me , woman

ALHADRA (to TERESA) .

O gen tle lady ! make the father stayUn til my lord re cover. I am sureThat he will say he is my hu sban d

’s frien d.

TERESA.

Stay, father stay, my lord will so on recover.

ORDONIO (as they return,to VALDEz).

Stran ge , that this M on viedro

Should have the power so to distemperm e

VALDEZ.

Nay,’twas an am iable weakn e ss

, son

S c . REM ORSE . 2 7

MONVIEDRO.

My lord, I tru ly grieve

ORDON IO .

Tut n ame it n o t .

A sudden se izure,father thin k n o t of it.

AS to this woman’s husban d

,I do kn ow him .

I kn ow him we ll,an d that he is a Christian .

MONVIEDRO .

I hope , my lord , yourmere ly human pity

Doth n ot prevail T

your sen sib ility—1 79 7 .

1 Here the dialogue thus c o n tin ues in the origin al draughtof the play

OSOR IO .

Nay , n ay , you kn ow m e b etter.

You hearwhat I have said . But ’tis a trifle.

I had som ethin g here of m ore im portan ce .

[Tou ching his forehead as if in the act of recol lec tion .

HaThe Cou n t Mon dejar, our great gen eral ,Writes that the b ishop we were talkin g of

Has sicken ’d dan gerou sly.

FRANCESCO .

Even so .

OSOR IO .

I mu st return my an swer.

FRANCESCO .

When ,my lord ?

OSOR IO .

To - m orrow m orn in g , an d shall n ot forget

How bright an d stron g your zeal for the Catholic faith .

a:8 REM ORSE . [ACT -I . .

ORDON IO .

’Tis certain that he was a catho licWhat chan ge s may have

'

happen’d in thre e years,

I can n o t say ; but gran t m e this , good father

Myse lf I’ll sift him if I fin d him soun d ,You’ll gran t m e your au thority an d n ame

To liberate his hou se .

MONVIEDRO.

Your zeal , my lord,An d your late m erits in this ho ly warfareWould authorize an ampler trust— you have it.

ORDON IO .

I will atten d you hom e within an hour.

VALDEZ .

M ean time re turn with us,an d take refre shmen t .

ALHADRA.

No t till my husban d’s fre e I may n ot do

I will stay here .

TERESA (aside) .

Who is this Isidore ?

VALDEZ.

Daughter

FRANCESCO .

You are too kin d , my lord ! You overwhelm m e .

Os oR I o .

Nay, say n ot so . As for this Ferdin an d,

’Tis certain that he was a Catholic , Eda.


Clo se by the moun tain ’s edge , my soul grew eager;’TwasWith hard to il I made myse lf rememberThat his fam iliars he ld my babe s an d husban d.

T0 have leapt upon him with a tiger’s plunge ,

An d hurl’

d him down the ragged precipice ,0

, it had been mo st swee t

TERESA.

Hush hush,for Shame !

Where is yourwoman ’s heart ?

ALHADRA.

O gen tle lady !

You have n o skill to gue ss my man y wrongs,Man y an d strange . Be side s

, (iron ically) I am aChristian

,

An d Christian s n ever pardon —’tis the ir faith

TERESA.

Shame fall on those who so have shown it to thee

ALHADRA.

I kn ow that man ;’tis we ll he kn ows n ot me .

Five years ago (an d he was the prime agen t),Five years ago the ho ly bre thren se ized me .

TERESA.

What m ight your crime he

ALHADRA.

I was a More sco l i

An d they do n ever pardon—1 797 .

1“ Solely my complexion .

—ib.

5 0° 2 -1 REMORSE . 3 1

They cast me, then a youn g an d n ursing mo ther

,

In to a dun geon of the ir prison houseWhere was n o b ed

,n o fire

,n o ray of light,

No touch , n o soun d of com fort The black air,

It was a to il to breathe it when the door,

Slow open in g at the appo in ted hour,disclo sed

On e human coun ten an ce, the lamp

’s red flameCower

’d as it en ter’d

,an d at on ce san k down .

*

Oh m iserable by that lamp to se e

My in fan t quarre llin g with the coarse hard breadBrought daily : for the little wre tch was sicklyMy rage had dried away its n atural food .

In darkn e ss I remain ’d— the du ll be ll Coun tin g,j'

Which haply to ld m e,that the all- Che erin g sun i

Was risin g on our garden . When I dozed,

My in fan t’s m oan in gs m in gled with my Slumbers,

An d waked m e .— If you were a mo ther, lady,

I should scarce dare to te ll you , that its n o ise s

An d pe evish crie s so fre tted on my brain ,That I have struck the in n ocen t babe in anger.

TERESA.

0 Heaven it is too horrible to hear.

ALHADRA.

What was it then to suffer ?’Tis most right

It was a to il to breathe it I have seen

The gao ler’s lamp , the m om en t that he en ter

’d,

How the flam e su n k at on c e down to the socket—1 79 7 .

cou n tin g the clocks—1 79 7 . cou n tin g the bell—18 13 .

the blessed sun—1 797 - 18 13 .

32 REM ORSE . [A‘CT i.

That such as you should hear it.—Kn ow you n ot,What Nature make s you mourn , she bids you heal?Great evils ask great passion s to redre ss them ,

An d whirlwin ds fitlie st scatter pe stilen ce .

TERESA.

You were at length re leased

ALHADRA.

Yes,at length

I saw the ble ssed arch of the who le heaven’Twas the first tim e my in fan t sm iled . No moreFor if I dwe ll upon that mom en t, Lady,A tran ce Tcome s on which make s m e o

’er again

All I then was— my kn ee s han g loose an d drag,An d my lip falls with such an idiot laugh,That you would start an d Shudder !

TERESA.

But your husban d

ALHADRA.

A mon th’s imprisonmen t would kill him,Lady.

TERESA.

Alas, poorman

ALHADRA.

He hath a lion ’s courage ,Fearless in ac t

, but feeble in en duran ce ; 1

deliver’d—I 797 . 1' A fit—ib .

He hath a lion ’s c ourage ,

But is n ot stern en ough for fortitude—ib.

so . REMORSE . 33

Un fit for boisterous time s, with gen tle heartHe worships Nature in the hill an d valley

,

No t kn owing what he love s, but love s it all.E n terALVAR disgu ised as a M oresco, an d

M oorish garmen ts .

*

TERESAKn ow you that state ly M o or

ALHADRA.

I kn ow him n ot

But doubt n ot ’rhe is some More sco Chieftain,

Who hide s him se lf amon g the Alpujarras i

TERESA.

The Alpujarras Doe s he kn ow his danger,So n ear this seat

In the origin al draught of the play, n ot observin g the

two in terlocutors in the prev iou s dialogu e , he soliloqu izesThree weeks have I b een lo iterin g here , n or everHave summ on

’d up my heart to ask o n e qu estion ,Or stop o n e peasan t passin g on this way.

1' Kn ow you that man

ALHADRA.

His person , n ot his n ame .

I doub t n ot , C9’

c .—1 797 .

I ALHADRA’S speech c on tin ues in the origin al draught

the playA week has scarcely pass

’d s in c e first I saw him

He has n ew - roof’d the desolate old c ottage

Where Zagri lived—who dared avow the prophet

An d died like on e of the faithful There he lives ,An d a frien d with him .

—ib.

VOL. IV.


ALHADRA.

He wears the Moorish robe s too,

AS in defian ce of the royal edict.

[ALHADRA advan ces to ALVAR, who has walhed to

the back of the stage, n ear the rochs. TERESA

drops her veil.

ALHADRA.

Gallan t More sco An in quisitor,Mon viedro , of kn own hatred to our race

ALVAR .

You have mistaken me . I am a Christian .

ALHADRA.

He deems that we are plotting to en sn are him

Speak to him ,Lady— n on e can hearyou speak,

An d n ot be lieve you in n ocen t of guile .

’

r

TERESA.

If aught en force you to con cealmen t, Sir

ALHADRA.

He trembles strangely.

[ALVAR sinhs down,an d hides hisface in his robe.

Gallan t Moresco you are n ear the castle

Of the Lord Velez, an d hard by does dwell

A priest, the creature of the In qu isition .—I 797 .

j‘

(ALBERT on hearing this , pauses an d turn s roun d)—ib.

so . REMORSE . 35

TERESA.

Se e , we have disturb’d him .

[approaches n earer to him .

I pray you thin k us frien ds— un cowl your face ,For you seem fain t

,an d the n ight- breeze blows

healin g.

I pray you,thin k us frien ds

ALVAR (raising his head ).

Calm,very calm I

’Tis all too tran quil for realityAn d She spoke to m e with her in n o cen t vo ice ,That voice , that in n ocen t voice ! She is n o trai

tre ss I"

TERESA.

retire . (haughtily to ALHADRA.)[They advan ce to thefron t of the

ALHADRA (with scorn ).

He is in deed a Christian }L

The speech thu s con tin u es in the origin al draught of the

It was a dream , a phan tom of my sleep ,A lying dream .

[He starts up , an d abrup tly addresses her.

Maria , you are n ot wedded - I 797 .

ALHADRA.

He is in deed a Christian .

Some stray SirKn ight, that falls in love of a sudden .

MAR IA.

What can this m ean ? How should he kn ow my n ame ?

36 REM ORSE . [ACT 1 .

ALVAR (aside).

She de ems me dead , yet wears n o mourn ing gar

men t.Why Should my bro ther

’s wife wearmourn Ing

garm en ts ?

(To TERESA. )Your pardon ,

n oble dame that I disturb ’d youI had ju st started from a frightful dreamflr

TERESA.

Dream s te ll but of the past, an d yet’tis said ,

They prophesyALVAR .

The Past live s o ’er again

In its effects, an d to the guilty SpiritThe ever- frown in g Pre sen t is its image .

It seem s all shadowy.

ALHADRA.

Here he com es again .

ALVAR (aside) .She deem s m e dead

, an d yet n o mourn in g garm en t

I 797

Here follows in OsorioGod of all m ercy, m ake m e , make th e qu iet

[To MAR IA.

Your pardon , gen tle m aid ! fi9’c .—ib .

1 In stead of the three n ext Speeches ALHADRA ob serves , in

the origin al draught of the playThese ren egado Moors—how soon they learn

The crimes an d follies of their Christian tyran ts —ib .

3 8 REM ORSE.I .

An d slight things bring on me the idle mood

We ll,Sir

,what happen ’d then ?

ALVAR.

On a rude rock,

A rock,methought, fast by a grove of firs,

Who se threaddy leave s to the low- breathing gale

Made a soft soun d mo st like the distan t o cean ,

I stay’d , as though the hour of death were pass

’d,

An d I were sitting in the world of SpiritsFor all things seem

’

d un real There I sateThe dews fe ll clammy, an d the n ight descen ded,Black

,sultry

,close an d ere the m idn ight hour

A storm came on , m in gling all soun ds of fear,

That woods,an d sky

,an d moun tain s

, seem’d on e

havock.

The secon d flash of lightn ing show’d a tree

Hard by me , n ewly scathed. I ro se tumultuousMy soul work

’d high , I bared my head to the storm

An d with loud voice an d clam orous agon y,Kn ee ling I pray

’d to the great Spirit that made me

Pray’

d , that Remorse m ight fasten on the ir heaits,An d cling with poison ous tooth , in extricableAs the gored lion

’s bite

7

TERESA (shuddering ).A fearful curse

ALHADRA

But dreamt you n ot that you retum ’

d an d kill’d

them

Dreamt you of n o reven ge

5 0. z.] REM ORSE . 39

ALVAR (his voice trembling, an d in ton es ofdeep distress).

She would have died,Died in her guilt— perchan ce by her own han ds I

An d ben din g o’

er her self- in flic ted woun ds,

I m ight have met the evil glan ce of fren zy,

An d leapt myse lf in to an un ble st grave I

I pray’d for the pun ishmen t that clean se s hearts

For still I loved her !

ALHADRA .

An d you dream t all this ?

TERESA.

My soul is full of vision s all as wild

ALHADRA .

There is n o room in this heart forpuling love - tales .

TERESA (lifts up her veil,and advan ces to

ALVAR).

Stranger, farewe ll I gue ss n o t who you are ,Norwhy you so address’d your tale to m e .

Yourm ien is n oble , an d , I own , perplex’

d m e

With obscure m emory of som ething past,Which still e scaped my efforts

,or pre sen ted

Tricks of a fan cy pamper’d with lon g wishing.

If,as it sometim e s happen s , our rude startlin g,

Whilst your full heart was Shapin g out its dream ,

In the origin al draught of the playALHADRA con tin u es

Lady ! your servan ts there seem seekin g u S .—I 797 .


Drove you to this your n ot ungen tle wildn ess

You have my sympathy, an d so farewe ll I

But if som e un discover’d wrongs oppre ss you ,

An d you n eed strength to drag them in to light,The gen erous Valdez, an d my Lord Ordon io ,Have arm an d will to aid a n oble sufferer,Nor shall you wan t my favourable pleading.

[Exeun t TERESA an d ALHADRA.

ALVAR (alon e) .’Tis stran ge It can n o t b e my Lord Ordon io I

Her Lord Ordon io Nay, I will n ot do itI cursed him on ce— an d on e curse is en ough I

How,

sad she lo ok’d,an d pale b u t n ot like guilt

An d her calm ton e s— swee t as a son g of mercy !

If the b ad Spirit retain ’d his ange l

’s vo ice,

Hell scarce were He ll . An d why n ot in n ocen tWho mean t to murderme

,m ight we ll cheat her ?

Bu t ere she married him ,he had stain

’

d herhon our;Ah there I am hamp er

’d . What if this were a lie

Fram ed by the assassin Who should te ll it him,

If it were truth ? Ordon io wou ld n o t te ll him .

Yet why on e lie all e lse , I kn ow, was truth .

No start, n o je alou sy of stirrin g con scien ceAn d She referred to me— fon dly

,m e thought

Could she walk here if She had been a traitre ssHere , where we play

’

d toge ther in our childho odHere , where we plighted vows where her co ld

cheekRece ived my last kiss, when with suppress

’d fee l

Ings

so . REMORSE. 41

She had fain ted in my arm s It can n o t b e’Tis n ot in n ature I will die be lievin g,That I Shall m ee t herwhere n o evil is

,

No treachery, n o cup dash’d from the lips .

I’ll haun t this scen e n o m ore live she in peaceHer husban d—ay her hu sban d May this an ge l

New mould his can ker’d heart Assist m e,heaven

,

That I may pray formy poor guilty bro ther [Exit

42 REMORSE . [ACT 11.

ACT II .

SCENE I .—A wild and moun tain ous coun try. OR

DONIO an d ISIDORE are discovered, supposed at a

little distan cefrom ISIDORE’S house.

ORDONIO.

Here we may st0p your hou se distin ct in view,Ye t we secured from listen ers.

IS IDORE .

Now in deedMy house an d it looks cheerful as the clustersBaskin g in sun shin e on yon vin e - clad rock

,

That over- brows it I Patron frien d pre server !*Thrice have you saved my life . On ce in the battleYou gave it m e n ext re scued me from suicideWhen formy fo llie s I was made to wan der

,

With mou ths to fe ed, an d n ot a morse l for themNow but for you , a dun geon

’s slimy ston e s

Had be en my b ed an d pillow. i

ORDONIO.

Good Isidore I

Why this to me It is en ough, you kn ow it.

Here the Scen e Open s in the origin al draught of the play.

THad pillow’d my sn apt jo in ts—1 797 .

SC I REM ORSE . 43

ISIDORE.

A common trick of gratitude , my lord,Seeking to ease her own full heart

ORDON IO .

En oughA debt repaid cease s to b e a debt.You have it in your power to serve me greatly.

IS IDORE.

And how,my lord I pray you to

°

n ame the

thin g.

I would climb up an ic e -

glazed precipiceTo pluck a weed you fan cied

ORDON IO (with embarrassmen t an d hesitation ).

Why— that— Lady

IS IDORE.

’Tis n ow three years,my lord , sin ce last I saw you

Have you a son,my lord ?

ORDON IO.

O m iserable [asideIsidore you are a man

,an d kn ow man kin d .

*

I told you what I wish’

d— n ow for the truthShe loved the man you kill’d .

ISIDORE (loohing as sudden ly alarmed ) .

You je st, my lord ?

An d kn ow this world—1 797 .

“

44 REMORSE . [ACT 11 .

ORDON IO.

An d till his death is proved She will n ot wed me .

IS IDORE.

You sport with m e , my lord

ORDON IO .

Come , come this foolery

Live s on ly in thy looks, thy heart disown s it.

ISIDORE .

I can bear this,an d an ythin g more grievous

From you,my lord— but how can I serve you here ?

ORDONIO .

Why,you can utterwith a so lemn ge sture

Oracular sen ten ce s of deep n o—mean in g,*

Wear a quain t garm en t, make mysterious an tics

ISIDORE.

I am dull, my lord I do n ot comprehen d you .

ORDON IO.

In blun t term s, you can play the sorcerer.

She hath n o faith in Ho ly Church,

’tis trueHer lover schoo l’d her in some n ewer n on sen seYet still a tale of spirits works upon her.

She is a lon e en thu siast,sen sitive

,

Shivers, an d can n o t ke ep the tears in her eyeAn d such do love the marve llou s to o we ll.

Why you can m outh set speeches solem n ly—1 797 .

46 REM ORSE . [ACT I I .

ORDONIO.

Where lie s your scruple

ISIDORE (with stammering)Why—why

,my lord

You kn ow you told me that the lady loved you ,Had loved you with in cautious ten dern e ssThat if the youn g man , her be trothed hu sban d,Return

’d,yourself

,an d she

,an d the hon our of

bo thMust perish . Now though with n o ten derer

scruple sThan those which be ing n ative to the heart,Than those

,my lord, which m ere ly be ing a man t

ORDONIO (aloud, though to express his con tempt

he sp eahs in the third person ).

This fellow is a man—he kill’d for hireOn e whom he kn ew n o t

, yet has ten der scruples .

(Then turn ing to ISIDORE.

These two speeches followed here in the origin al draughtOf the play

FERD I NAN D .

That shark Fran cesco .

OSORIO .

Oh ! an o’

ersized gudgeon

I baited, sir, my hook with a pain ted m itre,

An d n ow I play with him at the en d of the lin e .

Well—an d what n ext —1 797 .

yourself, an d She, an d an u n born bab e

Must perish. Now, my Lord ! to b e a man I—ib .

so . REM ORSE .. 47

These doubts , the se fears, thy whin e , thy stamm erin g

Pish, fool thou b lun der’

st through the book of

guflt*

Spelling thy villan y.

IS IDORE .

My lord—my lord,I can bearmuch— ye s, very much from you

But there ’s a poin t where sufl'

eran c e is m ean n e ss .I am n o villain— n ever kill’d for hireMy gratitude

ORDONIO.

O ay—yOIIr gratitude I

’Twas a well- soun ding word— what have you don ewith it P

ISIDORE.

Who proffers his past favours formy virtue

ORDONIO (with bitter scorn ).Virtue

ISIDORE .

Tries to o ’

erreach me— is a very Sharper,An d should n ot speak of gratitude , my lord .

I kn ew n ot’twas your brother

ORDONIO (alarmed ).

An d who told you

Thy b urn s an d ha’s , thy whin e an d stamm ering.

Pish , fool thou b lu n der’st thro’the devil’ s b ook—1797 .


ISIDORE.

He himself told me .

ORDONIO.

Ha you talk’d with him I

An d those , the two More scoe s who were with you ?

ISIDORE.

Both fell in a n ight brawl at Malaga.

ORDON IO (in a low voice) .

My brotherISIDORE.

Yes, my lord, I could n ot tellI thrust away the thought— it drove me wild,But listen to me n ow— I pray you listen

ORDONIO.

Villain n o more . I ’ll hear n o more of it.

ISIDORE.

My lord, it much imports your future safetyThat you should hear It.

ORDONIO (turn ing of from ISIDORE).Am n ot I a man ?

’Tis as it should b e tut— the deed itselfWas idle , an d the se after- pan gs still idler !

ISIDORE.

We met him in the very place you men tion ’d.

Hard b y a grove of firs

ORDON IO.

En ough—en ough

REMORSE . 49

ISIDORE .

He fought us valian tly, an d woun ded all

In fin e , c ompell’

d a parley.

ORDON IO (sighing, as if lost in thought).

Alvar ! brotherI SIDORE.

He ofl'

er’

d m e his purse

ORDONIO.

Yes

ISIDORE.

Yes— I Spum’

d itHe promised us I kn ow n ot what— in vainThen with a lo ok an d vo ice that overawed me ,He said,

“What m ean you , frien ds ? My life is dear:I have a brother an d a prom ised wife ,Who make life dear to m e— an d if I fall,That brother will roam earth an d he ll for ven

gean c e .

There was a liken ess in his face to yoursI ask’d his brother’s n ame he said Ordon io

Son of Lord Valdez I” I had we ll n igh fain ted .

At length I said (if that in deed I said it,An d that n o spirit made my tongue its organ ,)“That woman is dishon our’d by that brother,An d he the man who sen t us to de stroy you .

”

That woman is n ow pregn an t, Eda—1 797 .

VOL. IV.

50 REMORSE. [ACT 11.

He drove a thrust at me in rage . I told him ,

He wore her portrait roun d his n eck. He look’d

As he had been made of the rock that propt hisback

Ay, just as you look n ow— on ly le ss ghastlyAt length recovering from his tran ce , he threwHis sword away

,an d bade us take his life

,

It was n ot worth his keeping.

ORDONIO.

An d you kill’d him ?Oh blood - houn ds may e tern al wrath flame roun d

you I

He was his Maker’s image un defaced i

It se ize s me— by Hell I will go on

What—would’st thou st0p,man ? thy pale looks

won ’t save theeOh cold— cold—cold shot through with icy cold I

ISIDORE (aside) .Were he alive he had return

’d ere n ow.

The con sequen ce the same—dead thro’ his plotting !

ORDONIO.

0 this un utterable dyin g away —hereThis Sickn ess of the heart [apause.

What if I wen tAn d lived in a hollow tomb

, an d fed on weeds ?Ay, that

’s the road to heaven (a pause . ) O foolfool ! foo l !

Hewas the image of the Deity—(a pause) —1 797 - 18 13 .

SC . REMORSE . 5 1

What have I don e but that which Nature destin ed,Or the blin d e lemen ts stirr’d up within meIf -

good were m ean t, why were we made thesebe in gs

An d if n ot m ean t

ISIDORE.

You are disturb ’d , my lord I

ORDON IO (starts loohs at him wildly then,after

apause,during which his features are

forced in to a smile).

A gust of the soul i’faith it overse t me .

O’twas all folly— all idle as laughter

Now,Isidore I swear that thou shalt aid me .

ISIDORE (in a low voice).

I ’ll perish firstORDONIO.

What dost thou mutter o f

ISIDORE.

Some of your servan ts kn ow me , I am certain .

ORDON IO.

There’s some sen se in that scruple ; but we’ll

mask you.

In the origin al draught of the play the speech con tin ue sShame on my coward heart

That I must slink away from wickedn ess

Like a cow’d dog 1—1 797.

REM ORSE.

ISIDORE.

They’ll kn ow my gait : but stayI last n ight I

watch’d

’

A stranger n ear the ruin in the wood,Who as it se em ’

d was gathering herbs an d wild

flowers .I hadffollow’

d him at distan ce , se en him scaleIts western wall, an d by an easier en tran ce

Sto le after him un n o ticed . There I mark’d

That mid the chequer—work of light an d ShadeWith curiou s cho ice he plu ck

’d n o o ther flowers

But those on which the moon light fe ll an d on ce

But stay of late I have‘

watch’

d

A stran ger that lives n igh, still pickin g weeds ,

Now in the swam p , n ow on the walls of the -ru in ,

Now clamb erin g , like a ru n away lun atic ,Up to the summ it of our highe st m oun t .

I have watch’d him at it m orn in g - tide an d n oon ,

O n ce in the moon light. Then I stood so n ear

I heard him mutterin g o’er the plan t. A wizard

Some gau n t slave prowlin g out for dark employm en ts .

Oso RI o .

What may his n ame b e

FERD I NAND .

That I can n ot tell you :

O n ly Fran cesco bade an offic er’

Speak in your n am e, as lord of this domain .

So he was qu estion’d

, who an d what he was .

This Was his an swer, Say to the Lord O sorio ,He that can brin g the dead to life again .

"


Trace its course backward thro’ a n arrow open ingIt leads you to the place .

ORDONIO .

How shall I kn ow it ?

ISIDORE.

You can n ot err.

“It is a small green de llBuilt all aroun d with high off- slopin g hills,An d from its shape our peasan ts aptly call itThe Gian t’s Cradle . There ’s a lake in the m idst,An d roun d its ban ks tall wood that bran che s over,An d make s a kin d of faery fore st growDown in the water. At the further en d

A pun y cataract falls on the lake

An d there , a curious sight you see its shadowFor ever curling, like a wreath of smoke

,

Up through the foliage of those faery tre es.His cot stan ds oppo site You can n o t m iss it.

ORDON IO (in retiring stops sudden ly at the

edge of the scen e,an d then turn ing

roun d to ISIDORE).

Ha l—Who lurks there Have we been overheardThere where the smooth high wall of slate -rock

glittersISIDORE.

’Neath tho se tall ston e s , which propping each theo ther,

You can’t m istake . It is a small green dal e—1 797 .

so . REM ORSE . 55

Form a mock portal with the ir poin ted arch ?Pardon my sm ile s

’Tis a poor idiot boy,Who sits in the sun

,an d twirls a bough about

,

His weak eye s see thed in most unmean ing tears .An d so he sits, swayin g his con e - like head

,

An d, starin g at his bough from mom to sun - set,

See - saws his voice in in articulate n oise s .

ORDONIO.

’Tis well an d n ow for this same Wizard’s lair.

ISIDORE.

Some three stride s * up the hill , a moun tain ash

Stre tches its lower boughs an d scarle t clusters

O’

er the Old thatchfl“

ORDONIO.

I shall n ot fail to fin d it.

[Exeun t ORDONIO and ISIDORE .

SCENE II . —The in side of a Cottage, aroun d which

flowers and plan ts of various hin ds are seen .

Discovers ALVAR, ZULIMEZ and ALHADRA,as on thepoin t of leaving.

ALHADRA (addressing ALVAR).

Farewell then an d though man y thoughts perplex

me ,

yards—1 797 . 1

"

the n ew thatch .—ib .


Aught evil or ign oble n ever can I

Suspect of thee If what thou seem’st thou art

,

The oppre ssed brethren of thy blood have n eed—Of such a leader.

ALVAR.

Nobly-m in ded woman I

Long time again st Oppression have I fought,An d for the n ative liberty o f faithHave bled an d suffer

’d bon ds . Of this b e certain

Time , as he course s onward, still un ro llsThe vo lume of con cealmen t. In the Fu ture ,As in the optician ’s glassy cylin der,The in distin guishable blo ts an d co lours

Of the dim Past co llect an d Shape them selve s,Upstartin g in the ir own comple ted image ,To scare or to reward .

I sought the guilty,An d what I sought I foun d but ere the spearFlew from my han d, there ro se an an ge l formBe twixt me an d my aim . With b aflied purpo seTo the Aven ger I leave ven gean ce , an d depart !Whate ’er be tide , if aught my arm may aid

,

01 power pro tect, my word is pledged to the eForman y are thy wron gs, an d thy soul n oble .

On ce more , farewe ll. [Exit ALHADRA.

Yes, to the Belgic state sWe will re turn . The se robe s, this stain

’d c om

plexion ,

Akin to falsehood, we igh upon my spirit.Whate’erbefall us , the hero ic Maurice

so . REM ORSE . 57

Will gran t us an asylum,in remembran ce

Of our past service s.

ZULIMEZ.

An d al l the wealth,power, in fluen ce which is yours ,

You let a murdererho ld

ALVAR.

O faithful Zulim ez I

That my re turn in volved Ordon io’

s death,

*

I trust, would give m e an unm ingled pan g,Yet bearable —~bu t when I see my father

Strewin g his scan t gray hairs , e’

en on the groun d,Which soon mu st b e his grave , an d my Tere sa

Herhusban d proved a murdererfi an d her in fan ts

In the origin al draught of the play, the sc en e Open s thu s

ALBERT an d MAUR I CE.

ALBERT .

He doth b elieve him self an iro n sou l,

An d therefore pu ts he on an iron ou tward

An d tho se sam e m ock hab ilim en ts of stren gth

Hide his own weakn e ss from him self

MAUR I CE .

His weakn ess

Come , com e, speak ou t Your brother is a v illain

Yet al l the wealth , power, in fluen c e , which is yoursYou suffer him to hold

ALBERT ,

Maurice ! dearMaurice !That my return in volved O sorio ’s death, £9

’

c .- I 797 .

‘

f'

a mon ster—ib.


His in fan ts—poor Tere sa —all would perish,All perish— all ! an d I (n ay bearwith me)Could n ot survive the complicated ruin

ZULIMEZ (much afi’ected )

Nay n ow I have distre ss’d you— you‘

well kn ow,I n e ’erwill quit your fortun e s . True ,

’tis tire some I

*You are a pain ter,on e of man y fan cie s I

The follo'

win g lin es I have preserved in this place, n ot so

much as explan atory of the picture of the assass in ation , as

(if I may say so withou t d isrespect to the pu b lic) to gratifymy own feelin gs , the passage b e in g n o m ere fan cy portrait ;b u t a s light, yet n ot un faithful, profile of the late Sir GeorgeBeaumon t.

ZULIMEZ (speaking of ALVAR in the third p erson ) .

Such was the n ob le Span iard’s own relatio n .

He told me , too , how in his early you th,

An d his first travels , ’twas his cho ice or chan ce

To make lon g sojourn in sea -wedded Ven iceThere won the love of that divin e old man ,

Courted by m ightiest kin gs , the fam ou s Titian !Who , like a sec on d an d more lovely Nature ,By the sweet mystery of lin es an d c o lours

Chan ged the b lank can vass to a magic m irror,That made the ab sen t presen t ; an d to shadows

Gave light, depth , sub stan ce , b loom , yea, thought an d

m otion .

He loved the old m an , an d revered his art

An d though of n ob lest b irth an d ample fortun e ,The youn g en thus iast thought it n o scorn

But an in alien ab le orn amen t,

To b e his pupil, an d with filial zealBy prac tice to appropriate the sage lesson s ,

so . REMORSE . 59

You can call up past deeds, an d make them liveOn the blan k can vass an d each little herb

,

That grows on moun tain bleak, or tan gled fore st,

You have learn t to n am e

Hark heard you n ot some footsteps ?

ALVAR .

What if it were my brother com ing on wards ?I sen t a most mysterious m e ssage to him .

Wh ich the gay, sm iling o ld man gladly gave .

The art, he hon ou r’d thu s , requ ited him

And in the followin g an d calam itou s yearsBeguiled the hours o f his captivity .

ALHADRA.

An d then b e framed this pic ture an d u n aidedBy arts u n lawful, spell, or tal isman

ALVAR .

A poten t Spell , a m ighty talisman l

The imperishable m emory of the deed,

Sustain ’d by love , an d grief, an d in dign ation 1So vivid were the forms within his b rain ,His very eyes , when shu t, made pic tures of them !

[Note in Appen dix to the later edition s of Rem orsej

You ’ve learn t to n am e—bu t IALBERT .

Well, to the Netherlan ds

We will return , the hero ic Prin ce of Oran geWill gran t u s an asylum ,

in rem em bran c e

Of our past service .

MAUR I CE ,Heard you n ot som e steps

ALBERT .

What if it were my brother c om in g onward ?


E n ter ORDON IO .

ALVAR (starting).It is he

ORDONIO (to himself as he en ters) .

If I distinguish’d right her gait an d stature ,

Not very wisely (but his creature teased m e)I sen t a m ost mysteriou s m e ssage to him .

MAUR I CE .

Would he n ot kn ow you

ALBERT.

I u n fearinglyTrust this disgu ise . Beside s he thin ks m e dead

An d what the m in d b elieves impo ssib leThe b odily sen se is slow to recogn ize .

Add too my youth when last we saw each other ;

Man hood has swell’d my chest, an d taught my vo iceA hoarser n ote .

MAUR I CE .

Mo st tru e I an d Alva ’s Duke

Did n ot improve it by the u nwho le som e v ian dsHe gave so scan tily in that fou l du n geonDurin g our lo n g imprison m en t.

En ter O sow o .

ALBERT .

It is he 1

MAUR I CE .

Make yourself talk you’ll feel the less . Com e

, speak.

How do you fin d yourself ? Speak to m e , Alb ert .

ALBERT (placing his han d on his heart) .A little flu tterin g here bu t m ore of sorrow l

o som o .

You kn ow my n ame, perhaps, b etter than m e .

1 797°


When a few odd prayers have been mutter’dthem

Then they work miracle s I warran t you ,There ’s n ot a leaf, but un dern eath it lurksSome serviceable imp .

There ’s on e of you

Hath sen t me a strange me ssage .

ALVAR.

I am he .

ORDON IO .

With you,then , I am to speak

[Haughtily waning his hand to Zulimez.

An d mark you , alon e .

*

[Exit ZULIMEZ.

He that can bring the dead to life again l”

Such was yourme ssage , sir You are n o dullard,But on e that strips the outward rin d of things

ALVAR.

’Tis fabled there are fruits with temptin gThat are all dust an d rotten n e ss within .

Would’st thou I should strip such

ORDONIO.

Thou quibbling fool,What dost thou mean Think’st thou I joum ey

’d

hither'

To sport with thee P

I will speak with you , an d by yourself.~ - I 797 .

sc . REMORSE . 63

ALVAR.

0 n o , my Lord to sportBest suits the gaiety of in n ocen ce .

ORDON IO (aside) .

0 what a thin g is man the wise st heartA fool a fool that laughs at its own folly,Yet still a fool [Looks round the

You are poor 11

What follows then ce P

ORDONIO.

That you wou ld fain b e richer.

The In quisition , too— You comprehen d me ?

You are po or, in peril . I have wealth an d power, !

Can quen ch the flame s , an d cure your povertyAn d for the bo on I ask of you but this

,”That you should serve me— on ce —for a few hours.

Best fits—1 797 .

1‘

(Draws back as if stung an d embarrassed, then folding hisarms) .

—«ib.

i It strikes me you are poor - ih.

5 That you wou ld fain be richer.

Besides , you do n ot love the rack, perhaps,Nor a b lack dungeon , n or a fire of faggots .

The In qu isition—hey ? You u n derstan d me .

An d you are poor. Now I have wealth an d power—ih.

I] An d for this service , all I ask you is , Eda—ih.


ALVAR (solemn ly )Thou art the son of Valdez ! would to Heaven

That I could truly an d for ever serve thee .

ORDONIO.

The slave begin s to soften . [asideYou are my frien d,

He that can brin g the dead to life again

Nay, n o defen ce to m e The ho ly bre threnBe lieve the se calumn ie s— I kn ow thee be tter.

(Then with great bittern ess. )Thou art a man

,an d as a man I ’ll trust thee

ALVAR (aside).

Alas this hollow m irth— Declare your busin ess .

ORDONIO .

I love a lady,an d she wou ld love me

But for an idle an d.

fan tastic scruple .

Have you n o servan ts here,n o listen ers

[ORDON IO steps to the door.

ALVAR .

What,faithless too False to his an ge l wife

To such a wife ? We ll m ight’st thou look so wan ,

Ill- starr’d Tere sa — Wre tch my softer soulIs pass

’d away, an d I will probe his con scien ce

ORDON IO.

In truth this lady loved an otherman,

But he has perish’

d .

The can tin g scoun drel soften s—1 797 .

sc . REMORSE . 65

ALVAR.

What you kill’

d him ? hey

ORDON IO.

I ’ll dash thee to the earth,if thou but think’st it

In solen t slave how daredst thou

[Turn s abruptly from ALVAR , and then to himself.Why, what

’s this P’Twas idiocy I ’ll tie myse lf to an aspen

,

An d wear a fool ’s cap

ALVAR (watehing his agitation ).

Fare thee wellI pity thee , Ordon io , even to anguish .

[ALVAR is retiring.

ORDON IO (having recovered himself ).

[calling to ALVAR .

ALVAR .

Be brief, what wish you

ORDON IO.

You are deep at barterin g— You charge yourse lf

At a roun d sum . Come,come , I spake unwise ly.

I listen to you .

ORDON IO .

In a sudden tempe st,

Thou slave ! thou galley- slave ! thou moun tebank

I leave thee to the han gman 1—1797 .

VOL. IV. E

66 REMORSE . [ACT 11.

Did Alvar perish—he , I mean— the lover

The fellowALVAR.

Nay, speak out’twill ease your heart

To call him villain —Why stan d’st thou aghast ?Men think it n atural to hate the ir rivals .

ORDON IO (hesitating ).

Now,till she kn ows him dead, she will n otwed me .

ALVAR (with eager vehemen te).

Are you n ot wedded,then ? Merciful Heaven

Not wedded to Teresa ?

ORDONIO.

Why,what ails thee ?

What, art thou mad why look’st thou upward so ?Dost pray to Lucifer, Prin ce of the Air?

ALVAR (reeolleeting himself ).

Proceed . I shall b e silen t.

[ALVAR sits, and lean ing on the tahle, hides hisfate.

ORDONIO.

To Tere saPolitic wizard ere you sen t that me ssage ,You had coun ’d your lesson , made yourself pro

ficien t

In all my fortun es . Hah you prophe siedA go lden crop We ll, you have n ot m istakenBe faithful to me, an d I

’ll pay thee n obly.

Art mad or drun k — I 797.

SC . REM ORSE . 67

ALVAR (lifting up his head ) .Well an d this lady

ORDONIO.

Ifwe could make her certain o f his death,

She n eeds must wed me . Ere her lover leftShe tied a little portrait roun d his n eck

,

En treating him to wear it

ALVAR (sighing ) .

Yes he did so

ORDON IO.

Why n o he was afraid of acciden ts,

Of robberies, an d shipwrecks, an d theIn secrecy he gave it me to keep ,Till his re turn .

ALVAR.

What he was your frien d then ?

ORDON IO (woun ded . an d emharrassed ).

I was his frien d .

Now that he gave it me,This lady kn ows n ot. You are a m ighty wizard.

Can call the dead man up—he will n ot come .

He is in heaven then— there you have n o in fluen ce .

Still there are token s— an d your imps may bringyou

Somethin g he wore about him when he died.

An d when the smoke of the in cen se on the altar

Is pass’d,your spirits will have left this picture .

What say you n ow

68 REM ORSE . [ACT 11 .

ALVAR (after apause).

Ordon io , I will do it.

ORDONIO.

We’ll hazard n o delay. Be it to - n ight,

*

In the early even ing. Ask for the Lord Valdez .

I will prepare him . Music too , an d in cen se ,

(For I have arran ged it— mu sic, altar, in cen se)All shall b e ready. Here is this same picture ,An d here , what you will value more , a purse .

Come early for yourmagic c eremon ies }L

ALVAR .

I will n ot fail to m ee t you .

ORDON IO.

Till n ext we mee t, farewe ll [Exit ORDONIO.

ALVAR (alon e, in dign an tlyflings thepurse away ,and gazespassion ately at theportrait) .

An d I did curse theeAt m idn ight on my kn ee s an d I be lievedThee perjured, thee a traitre ss ! thee dishon our’d ! IO blin d an d credu lous foo l O guilt of follyShould n ot thy in articulate fon dn e sse s,Thy in fan t love s— should n o t thy maiden vowsHave come upon my heart An d this swee t image

Delays are dangerou s . It shall b e to -m orrow—I 797 .

1‘ In stead of the last lin e the speech breaks off in the

original draught of the play with the words ,Before the dusk.

” —ih.

I Thee perjured, thee polluted, thee a murderess -ih.

70 REMORSE . [ACT I I I

ACT III .

SCENE I .—AHall of armoury ,

back of the stage. Soft music an in strumen t

of glass or steel:

VALDEz, ORDON IO ,

an d ALVAR in a Sorcerer’s

robe,are discovered.

ORDON IO .

This was too melan choly, father.

VALDEZ.

Nay,

My Alvar loved sad music from a child .

On ce he was lost ; an d after weary searchWe foun d him in an open place in the wood,To which spot he had follow’

d a blin d b oy,Who breathed in to a pipe o f sycamoreSome strangely moving n ote s an d the se , he said ,Were taught him in a d ream . Him we first saw

Stretch’d on the broad top of a sun n y heath - ban k 3

An d lower down ,po orAlvar

,fast asleep ,

His head upon the blin d boy’s dog. It pleased me

To mark how he had fasten ’d roun d the pipeA silver toy his gran dam had late given him .

A silver toy his gran dmother had given him .— I 797 .

SC . L ] REM ORSE . 7 1

Methin ks I see him n ow as he then look’dEven so —He had outgrown his in fan t dre ss ,*

Yet still he wore it.

ALVAR (aside).

My tears must n ot flowI must n ot clasp his kn e e s

,an d cry, My father

E n ter TERESA an d Attendan ts.

TERESA.

Lord Valdez, you have ask’

d my pre sen ce here ,An d I submit but (Heaven bear witn e ss forme)My heart approve s it n ot

’tis mo ckery.

ORDONIO .

Believe you then n o pretem atural in fluen ceBelieve you n ot that spirits throng aroun d us

TERESA.

Say rather that I have imagin ed itA possible thing ; an d it has so o thed my soul

As o ther fan cie s have but n e ’er seduced m e

To traffic with the black an d fren zied hope ,That the dead hear the vo ice of witch orwizard .

(To ALVAR . )Stranger, I mourn an d blush to see you here ,On such employmen t With far other thoughtsI left you .

ORDON IO (aside).

Ha he has been tampering with her

His in fan t dress was grown too short for him ,—I 797 .

72 REM ORSE . [ACT I I I .

ALVAR.

O high - soui’d maiden an d more dear to me

Than suits the stranger’s n ame

I swear to thee

I will un cover all con cealed guilt.

Doubt,but decide n o t ! Stan d ye from the altar.

*

[Here a strain of music is heardfrom behind

the seen o.

’

t

ALVAR.

With n o irreveren t voice or un couth charm

I call up the departedSoul of Alvar

Hear our soft suit, an d heed my m ilder spell

So may the gate s o f Paradise , un b arr’d ,

Cease thy swift toils Sin ce haply thou art on e

Of that in n umerable compan yWho in broad circle , love lier than the rain bow,

Girdle this roun d earth in a dizzy m o tion ,With n oise too vast an d con stan t to b e heard 3Fitliest un heard For oh, ye n umberle ss ,An d rapid travellers what earun stun n ’

d,

What sen se unmadden’

d, m ight bear up again stThe rushing of your con gregated win gs

[M usic expressive of the movemen ts an d images

thatfollow.

Even n ow your livin g whe e l turn s o’ermy head

Ye , as ye pass, toss high the desart san ds ,

Stan d from off the altar.—I 797 .

1'

from an in strume nt of glass or steel—the harmon ica or

Ce lestin a stop , or Clagget’s m etallic organ .

—ih.

SC . I .] REMORSE . 73

That roar an d whiten,like a burs t of waters

,

A swee t appearan ce , but a dread illusionTo the parch

’

d caravan that roam s by n ightAnd ye upbuild" o n the becalm ed wave sThat whirlin g pillar, which from earth to heavenStan ds vast, an d move s in blackn e ss Ye too splitThe ice -moun t, an d with fragmen ts man y an d hugeTempe st the n ew- thaw

’d sea

,who se sudden gulfs

Suck in , perchan ce , some Laplan d Wizard’s skiff

Then roun d an d roun d the whirlpo o l’s marge ye

dan ce ,Till from the blue swoln corse the soul to ils out,An d j oin s yourm ighty army.

[Hére behin d the scen es a voice sings the three

words,“Hear

,sweet spirit. ”

Sou l of Alvar !Hear the m ild spell , an d tempt n o blacker charmBy sighs un quiet, an d the sickly pan gOf a hal f- dead

, yet still un dyin g hope ,Pass visible before ourmortal sen seSo shal l the Church’s clean sin g rite s b e thin e ,Herkn ells an d masse s that rede em the dead

"rSONG—Behin d the Scen es, accompan ied by the

same I n strumen t as before .

Hear, swe e t spirit, hear the spe ll,Le st a blacker charm compe l

build up—I 797 .

‘

f‘

This song it appears was prin ted an d set to music by Mr.

Carn aby in 1802 . (vide supra, p .—ED .


So shall the m idn ight breeze s swe llWith thy de ep long- lin gering kn ell.

And a t even ing evermore ,I n a chape l on the Shore ,Shall the chaun ters sad an d sain tly,Ye llow tapers burn in g fain tly,Doleful masses chaun t for thee ,M iserere D omin e

Hark the caden ce die s away

On the quie t moon light sea

The boatmen re st the ir oars an d say

M'

serere D omin o

ORDONIO.

The in n ocen t obey n or charm n or spe llMy brother is in heaven . Thou sain ted spirit,Burst o n our sight, a passing visitan t

On ce more to hear thy vo ice , on ce more to see thee ,O ,

’twere a joy to m e

ALVAR .

A joy to theeWhat if thou heard ’

st him n ow ? What if his spiritRe - en ter

’d its co ld corse

,an d came upon thee

With man y a stab from man y amurderer’s po ign ard ?What if (his steadfast eye still beam in g pity

O n the yellow m oon light sea;

SC . I .] REM ORSE . 75

An d brother’s love) he turn’d his head aside

,

Lest he should look at thee,an d with on e look

Hurl thee beyon d all power of pen iten ce

VALDEZ.

These are un holy fan cie s

ORDON IO (struggling with hisfeelings).

Yes, my father,He is in H eaven

ALVAR (still to ORDONIO).

But what if he had a brother,Who had lived even so , that at his dying hour,The n ame ofHeaven wou ld have con vulsed his

face ,More than the death- pan g

VALDEZ.

Idly prating manThou hast guess

’d ill : Don Alvar’s on ly brother

Stan ds here before thee —a father’s ble ssin g on himHe is most Virtuou s .

ALVAR (still to ORDON IO).

What,if his very virtue s

Had pamper’d his swo ln heart an d made him proud ?An d what if pride had duped him in to guiltYet still he stalk

’d a se lf- created god ,

Not very bold,but exquisite ly cun n in g

An d on e that at his mother’s lookin g-

glassWould force his feature s to a frown ing stern n e ss


Young lord ! I te ll thee , that there are suCh be ingsYea

, an d it give s fierce m errimen t to the damn’d,

To see the se mo st proud m en , that loathe man kind,At every stir an d buzz of coward con scien ce ,Trick

,can t

, an d lie , mo st whin in g hyprocrites

Away,away ! Now le t m e hearmore music.

[M usic again .

TERESA.

’Tis stran ge , I tremble at my own con jecturesBut whatsoe ’er it m ean ,

I dare n o longerBe pre sen t at the se lawle ss mysterie s,This dark provokin g of the hidden PowersAlready I affron t— if n o t high HeavenYet Alvar’s memory —Hark I make appealAgain st the un ho ly rite , an d hasten hen ceTo ben d" before a

_

lawful shrin e , an d seekThat voice which whispers

,when the still heart

listen s,

Comfort an d faithful hope . Le t us retire .

ALVAR (to TERESA anxiously).

0 full of faith an d gu ilele ss love , thy spiritStill prompts thee wise ly. Let the pangs of guiltSurprise the gu ilty : thou art in n ocen t

[Exeun t TERESA an d Attendan t. M usic as

The spe ll is mutter’d— Come , thou wan deringshape ,

To kn eel—18 13 .


Shall hear his first words . —Look you pale , LordValdez ?

Plain eviden ce have we here ofmo st foul sorcery.

There is a dungeon un dern eath this castle ,An d as you hope form ild in terpre tation ,Surren der in stan tly the keys an d charge of it.

ORDONIO (recovering himself asfrom stupor,

to the servan ts).

Why haste you n ot ? Off with him to the dungeon .

[All rush out in tumult.

Yet my weak fan cy, an d these b odily creepin gs ,Would fain give sub stan ce to the Shadow .

VELEz (advan cing to the altar) .Hah

A picture !MAR IA.

O God my pictureALBERT (gazing at MAR IA with wild impatien t distress

Pal e—pale—deadly paleMAR IA.

He grasp’d it when he died .

[She swoon s . ALBERT rushes to her an d supports her.

ALBERT .

My love ! m y wife !Pale—pale , an d cold ! My love ! my wife ! Maria ![VELEz is at the altar. Oso RI o remain s n ear him in a

of stupor.

O soRIo (rousing himself) .Where am I ? ’Twas a lazy chillin ess .

VELEz (takes an d con c eals the picture in his robe) .Thisway, my son She mu st n ot see this picture .

so . REMORSE . 79

SCENE II .— ] n terior of a chapel, with pain ted

win dows .

E n ter TERESA.

When first I en ter’d this pure spot,forebodings

Press’d heavy on my heart but as I kn e lt,

Such calm unwon ted bliss po ssess’

d my Spirit,

A tran ce so cloudle ss, that those soun ds, hard by,Of trampling uproar fe ll upon m in e ear

As al ien an d un n oticed as the rain - storm

Go , call the atten dan ts Life will soon ebb back I

[VELEz an d O so RIo leave the stage .

ALBERT .

Her pulse doth flutter. Maria I m y MariaMAR IA (recovering—looks roun

I heard a vo ice—but often in my dream s ,

I hear that vo ice , an d wake an d try , an d try,

To hear it waking—but I n ever cou ldAn d ’

tis so n ow—even so Well, he is dead,

Murder’d perhaps an d I am fain t, an d feelAs if itwere n o pain ful thin g to die !

ALBERT (eagerly) .Believe it n ot, sweet maid ! believe it n ot,

Beloved woman I ’Twas a low im po stureFramed by a guilty wretch .

MAR IA.

Ha ! who art thou 7‘

ALBERT (exceedingly agitated) .My heart bursts over thee

MAR IA.

D idst thou murder him ?

80 REMORSE . [ACT I I I .

Beats on the roof of some fair ban que t- room ,

While sweetest‘

melodies are warbling

E n ter VALDEZ.

VALDEZ.

Ye pitying sain ts, forgive a father’s blin dn ess,An d extricate us from this n et of peril

TERESA.

Who wake s an ew my fears , an d speaks of peril ?

VALDEZ .

0 be st Tere sa,wise ly wert thou prompted

This was n o feat of mortal agen cyThat picture— Oh, that picture te lls me all

An d do st thou n ow repen t P Poor troub led man

I do forgive thee , an d may Heaven forgive thee !ALBERT (aside) .

Let m e b e gon e .

MAR IA.

If thou didst m urder him ,

His spirit ever, at the thron e of God,

Asks m ercy for thee , prays for m ercy for thee ,

With tears in heaven !ALBERT .

Alb ert was n ot murder’d.

Your fo ster- m other

MARIA.

An d do th she kn ow aught?

ALBERT .

She kn ows n ot aught—but haste thou to her cottage

To - m orrow early—brin g Lord Velez with thee .

There ye must meet me—but your servan ts com e .

SC . REM ORS E. 81

With a flash o f light it came , in flame s it van ish’d ,Self- kin dled, se lf- con sumed bright as thy life ,Sudden an d un expected as thy fate

,

Alvar My son my son — The In quisitor

TERESA.

Torture me n ot But Alvar— Oh ofAlvar?

VALDEZ.

How often would he plead for the se More scoe sThe brood accurst ! remorse le ss, coward murderers !

MAR IA (wildly) .Nay—n ay

—bu t tell m e

[A pause—then presses herforehead.

Ah ’tis lo st again

This dead c on fused pain[A pause—she gazes at ALBER

'

D.

Mysteriou s man !

Methin ks, I can n ot fear thee—for thin e eyeDoth swim with pity—I will lean on thee .

[Exeun t ALBERT an d MAR IA.

Re - en ter VE LEZ an d O so RIo .

VELEz (sportively) .

You shall n ot see the picture , till you own it.

OsoR I o .

This mirth an d raillery, sir, b eseem your age .

I am con ten t to b e more seriou s .

VE LEZ .Do you thin k I did n ot scen t it from the first ?An excellen t schem e

, an d excellen tly m an aged .

’Twill blow away her doubts, an d n ow she ’ll wed you .

l’faith, the liken ess is most adm irable .

VOL. IV.

REMORSE . [ACT II I .

TERESA (wildly .

So ? so - I comprehen d you—he is

VALDEz (with averted coun tenan ce).

He is n o more

O sorrow ! that a father5 voice Should say this,A father’s heart believe it

VALDEZ.

A worse sorrow

Are fan cy’s wild hope s to a heart de spairing

I saw the trick—yet these old eyes grew dimm er

With very foolish tears, it look’d so like him !

o som o .

Where should I get her portrait

VELEz .

Get her portrait ?

Portrait ? You m ean the picture At the pain ter’sNo difficu lty then—but that you lit uponA fellow that could play the sorcerer,

With such a grace an d terrible majesty ,It was mo st rare good fortun e . An d how deeplyHe seem ’d to sufferwhen Maria swoon ’d,

An d half made love to her ! I suppo se you ’ll ask m e

Why did he so

ORDON I O (with deep ton es of suppressed agitation ) .

Ay, wherefore did he so

VELEz.

Because you bade him—an d an excellen t thought

A m ighty man , an d gen tle as he is m ighty.

REM ORSE.

TERESA.

The se rays that slan t In through those gorgeouswin dows

,

From yon bright orb— though co lour’d as they pass

,

Are they n ot light — Even so that vo ice , LordValdez,

Which whispers to my soul, though haply variedBy man y a fan cy, man y a wishful h0pe ,Speaks yet

’fthe truth an d Alvar live s forme

He ’ll win d in to her c on fiden c e , an d rout

A host of scruples—Come , con fess , Osorio !o som o .

You pierce through mysteries with a lynx’s eye ,

In this yourmerry m o od ! You see it all !

VELEz .

Why n o —n ot all. I have n ot yet discover’d,

At least n ot wholly, what his speeches m ean t.

Pride an d hypocrisy, an d gu ilt an d c un n ingThen when he fix’d his ob stin ate eye on you ,

An d you preten ded to look stran ge an d tremb le .

Why—why—what ails you n ow

O so RIo (with a stupid stare) .Me ? why what ails m e

A pricking of the blood—it m ight have happen’d

At any other tim e . Why scan you m e

VELEz (clappin g him on the shou lder) .’Twon ’t do—’

twon’t do—I have lived too lon g in the world.

His speech about the c orSe an d stab s an d murderers,

Had referen ce to the assassin s in the pic tureThat I made out.

OsoRI o (with afran tic eagern ess) .

Assassin s what assassin s ?

84 REMORSE . [ACT m .

VALDEZ.

Ye s, fer three wasting years, thus an d n o other,He has lived for the e— a spirit for thy spiritMy child, we must n ot give re ligious faithTo every vo ice which make s the heart a listen erTo its own wish .

TERESA.

I breathed to the Un err'ing

Permitted prayers . Mu st tho se remain un an swer’d,

Yet impious sorcery,that ho lds n o commun e

Save with the lying spirit, claim be lief P

VE LEZ .Well acted, o n my life ! Your curio sityRun s open - m outh’d , raven ou s as win terwolf.I dare n ot stan d in its way .

[He shows O SOR IO the picture.o som o .

Du ped—duped—dupedThat villain Ferdin an d

VE LE Z .Duped—duped—n o t I .

As he swept by m e

o so n ro .

Ha l what did he say9

VBLEZ .

He caught his garm en t u p an d hid his face .

It seem ’d as he were strugglin g to suppresso som o .

A laugh a laugh I 0 hell ! he laughs at m e

VE LEZ .It heaved his chest m ore like a violen t sob .


TERESA (withfain t shrieh).O heaven s my portrait !

An d he did grasp it in his death- pang !Off, false demon ,

That b eat’st thy black wings clo se above my head

[ORDON IO en ters with the heys of the dun

geon in his han d.

Hush who come s here The wizard Moor’s em

ployerMoors were his murderers , you say ? Sain ts shield

u s

From wicked thoughts

[VALDEZ moves towards the bath of the stage to

meet ORDON IO, an d during the con cluding

lin es of TERESA’S speech appears as

con versing with him .

Is Alvar dead ? what then ?

0 this was delicate flatteryTo poorMaria, an d I love thee for it !

O som o (in a slow voice , with a reason ing laugh) .Love—love—an d then we hate—an d what ? an d wherefore ?

Hatred an d love . Stran ge thin gs b oth stran ge alikeWhat if on e reptile stin g an o ther reptile ,Where is the crime ? The goodly face of Nature

Hath on e trail less of s limy filth u pon it .Are we n ot all predestin ed rotten n ess

An d cold dishon our? Gran t it that this han dHad given a m orsel to the hu n gry worm s

Somewhat too early. Where ’s the gu ilt of thisThat this m u st n eeds brin g on the idio tcyO f mo ist- eyed pen iten ce—

’

tis like a dream

so . REMORSE . 87

The n uptial rite s an d fun eral shall b e o n e

Here ’s n o abiding- place for thee , Tere sa.

Away they se e m e n o t— Thou see st me , AlvarTo thee I ben d my course — But first on e que stion ,

On e question to Ordon io — My limbs trembleThere I may sit unmark

’d— a momen t will restore

me . [Retires out of sight.

ORDON IO (as he advan ces with VALDEZ).

The se are the dungeon - keys . Mon viedro kn ewn o t

That I too had rece ived the Wizard’s me ssage ,He that can bring the dead to life again .

”

But n ow he is satisfied I plan n’

d this schemeTo work a full co n viction on the culprit,An d he en trusts him wholly to my keeping.

VELE z .

Wild talk, my child 1 but thy exc ess of fee lin g[Turn s of from O SOR IO .

Sometimes I fear it will u n hin ge his brain

o so n ro .

I kill a man an d lay him in the su n ,

An d in a mon th there swarm from his dead b ody

A thou san d—n ay , ten thou san d sen tien t b e in gsIn place of that on e m an whom I had kill

’d .

Now who shall tell me , that each on e an d all

Of these ten thou san d lives , is n o t as happyAs that on e life , which b ein g shoved as ideMade room for these ten thousan d ?

VE LE Z .Wl ld as madn ess I

88 REM ORSE . [ACT in .

VALDEZ.

’Tis well,my son But have you yet discover

’d

(Where is Teresa ?) what tho se speeche s mean tPride

,an d hypocrisy, an d guilt, an d cun n ing

Then when the wizard fixed his eye on you,An d you

,I kn ow n o t why, lo ok

’d pale an d

trembledWhy—why

,what ails you n ow ?

o som o .

Come, father you have taught m e to b e merry ,

An d merrily We’

ll pore u pon this pic ture .

VE LEZ (ho lding the pic ture before OSORIO) .That Moor, who po in ts his sword at Alb ert’s breast

Oso n ro‘

(abrup tly) .A ten der- hearted, scrupu lous , grateful villain ,Whom I will strangle

VE LEZ .An d these other two

OSOR IO .

Dead—dead already—what care I for the dead

VE LE Z .The heat of brain an d your too s tron g affectionForAlbert, fightin g with yo ur other pass ion ,Un settle you , an d give realityTo these your own c on trivin gs .

o s o rn o .

Is it so ?

You see through all thin gs with your pen etration .

Now I am calm . How fares it w ith Maria ?My heart doth ache to see her.

VE LE Z .Nay

- defer it

Defer it, dearOsorio I will go . [Emit VELEz .

so . REMORSE . 89

ORDONIO (confused ).

Me what ails me ?

A prickin g of the blood—It m ight have happen’d

At any other time —Why scan you me

VALDEZ.

His speech about the corse , an d stabs an d murderers,

Bore referen ce to the assassin s

ORDON IO .

Duped duped duped

The traitor Isidore [Apause, then wildly .

I tell thee , my dear fatherI am most glad of this .

o so aro .

Arim of the su n lies yet upo n the sea

And n ow ’tis go n e I all may b e don e this n ight

E n ter a S ervan t.

OSOR IO .

There is a man , on ce a Moresco chieftain ,On e Ferdin an d .

SERVANT .

He lives in the Alpuxarras ,

Ben eath a s late rock .

o so n ro .

Slate rock

SERVANT .

Yes , my lord

If you had s ee n it, you m ust have rem emb er’d

The flight of s teps his children had worn up it

With often c lamb erin g .

90 REM ORSE . [ACT m .

VALDEZ (confused ) .

True— sorceryMerits its doom an d this perchan ce may guideTo the discovery of the murderers .I have the ir stature s an d the ir several facesSo pre sen t to m e , that but on ce to mee t themWould b e to recogn ize .

OSOR I O .

Well, it may b e so .

SERVANT .

Why, n ow I think on’t, at this time of the year

’Tis hid by Vin es .

O SORIO (in a mu ttering voice) .The cavern—ay

—the cavern .

He can n ot fail to fin d it.

(To the Servan t.)Where an go in g

You m u st deliver to this Ferdin an dA letter. Stay till I have written it . [Exit the S ervan t.

O SOR I O (alon e) .The ton gue can

’t s tirwhen the m ou th is fill’d with m ou ld .

A little earth s tops u p m ost e loquen t m ou ths ,

An d a square ston e with a few piou s textsC ut n eatly on it, keeps the earth down tight.

Scen e chan ges to the space before the castle.

FRANCESCO an d a Spy.

FRANCESCO .

Yes yes I I have the key of all the ir lives .

If a man fears m e , he is forc ed to love m e .

An d if I can , an d do n ot ru in him ,

He is fast b oun d to serve an d hon our m e

[ALBERT en tersfrom the castle,an d is crossing

SC 2 REMORSE . 9 1

ORDON IO.

Ye s yes we recogn ize them .

I was b en umb ’

d, an d stagger

’

d up an d downThrough darkn e ss without light— dark— dark

dark

My fle sh crept chill, my limbs fe lt man acled ,

AS had a sn ake c oil’d roun d them - Now ’tis

sun shin e,

An d the blood dan ce s fre ely through its chan n e ls

[Turn s ofi’

abruptly : then to himself .

This is my virtuou s, gratefu l I sidore

[Then mimiching ISIDORE’S man n er an d voice.

A common trick of gratitude , my lordOld Gratitude a dagger wou ld dissectHis “own full heart ” ’twere good to see its colour.

S PY .

There—there—your Reveren ce ! That is the sorc erer.

[FRANCESCO ru n s up an d rudely catches ho ld q LBERT .

ALBERT dashes him to the earth. FRANCESCO an d the

SPY make an uproar, an d the Servan ts rushfrom ou t

the castle .

FRANCESCO .

Seize , se ize an d gag him or the Church curses you

[The S ervan ts seize an d gag ALBERT .

En ter VELEz an d O SOR IO .

OSOR IO (aside) .This is most lucky I

FRANCES CO (in articu late with rage) .

See you this , Lord Ve lez ?

Good eviden ce have I of m os t fou l sorc ery,

An d in the n ame of Ho ly Church c omman d you

92 REMORSE. [ACT m .

VALDEZ.

These magic sights 0 that I n e ’er had yieldedTo your en treatie s Ne ither had I yie lded

,

But that in spite of your own seem ing faithI he ld it for som e in n ocen t stratagem,

Which love had prompted, to remove the doubtsOf wild Tere sa— by fan cie s que lling fan cies D

To give me up the keys—the keys , my lord

O f that same dun geon- hole b en eath yo ur castle .

This imp of hell—bu t we delay in qu iryTill to Gran ada we have c on voy’d him .

Osom o (to the S ervan ts) .

Why haste you n ot ? Go , fly an d dun geon him !

Then brin g the keys an d give them to his Reveren c e.

[The S ervan ts hurry of ALBERT . OSOR IO goesFRANCESCO , an d poin ting at ALBERT.

OSOR IO (with a laugh)He that can b ring the dead to life again .

FRANCESCO .

What ? did you hear it ?O SOR IO.

Yes , an d plan n’

d this scheme

To bring con vic tion o n him . Ho I a wizard,Thought I

—bu t where ’s the proof ? I plan n’

d this scheme .

The schem e has an swer’d—w e have proof en ough.

FRANCESCO .

My lord, your pious policy astou n ds m e .

I trust my hon est zeal

OSOR IO .

Nay, reveren d father

It has but raised my ven eration for you .

REMORSE . [ACT 111.

VALDEZ.

Wild talk. my son But thy excess of fee ling[averting himself.

Almo st I fear it hath un hinged his brain .

ORDONIO ( n ow in soliloquy , an d n ow addressing his

father : andjust after the speech has commen ced,TERESA reappears an d advan ces slowly).

Say, I had laid a body in the sun

We ll in a mon th there swarm forth from the corseA thousan d, n ay, ten thousan d sen tien t be ingsIn place of that on e man .

— Say, I had kill’d him

[TERESA starts an d stops listen ing.

Yet who shall te ll me,that each on e an d all

Of these ten thou san d live s is n o t as happyAs that on e life , which be ing pu sh

’d aside,

Made room for the se un n umb er’

d

An d his dearAlbert ! Yea, she wou ld have loved him.

He that can s igh out in a woman’s ear

Sad recollection s of her perish’d lover,An d sob an d sm ile with veerin g sympathy,An d, n ow an d then , as if by acc iden t ,Pass his mou th close en ough to tou ch her cheek

With tim id lip, he takes the lover’s place ,He takes his place , for certain Dusky rogu e ,

Were it n ot sport to whimperwith thy m is tress ,Then steal away an d roll u pon my grave ,Till thy s ides shook with laughter? Blood b lood b lood !

They wan t thy b lood thy b lood, Osorio

S C . REM ORSE . 95

VALDEZ.

O m ere madn e ss

[TERESA moves hastily forwards,an d places

herself directly before ORDON IO .

ORDON IO (checking the feeling of surprise,an d for

cinghis ton es in to an expression ofplayful courtesy .

Teresa ? or the phan tom o f Tere sa

TERESA.

Alas the phan tom on ly,if in truth

The substan ce of her be in g, her life’s life ,

Have ta’en its flight through Alvar’s death-woun d

(Apause. ) Whereven coward murder gran ts the dead a grave)

0 tell me , Valdez — an swerme, Ordon io

Where lie s the corse ofmy be tro thed husban d

ORDON IO .

There , where Ordon io likewise wou ld fain lieIn the sle ep - compellin g earth

,in un pierced dark

n e ssForwhile we liveAn inward day that n ever, n ever se ts,Glares roun d the sou l, an d mocks the closing eye

lids

Over his rocky grave the fir—grove sighs

A lullin g cease le ss dirge’Tis we ll with him .

[Strides of in agitation towards the altar, but re

turn s as VALDEZ is sp eahing.


TERESA (recoiling with the expressionappropriate to thepassion ).

The rock the fir-

grove

(To VALDEZ. )Didst thou hearhim say

Hush I will” ask him

VALDEZ.

Urge him n ot— n ot n ow

This we behe ld. Norhe n or I kn ow moreThan what the magic imagery reveal

’

d .

The assassin,who pre ss

’d foremost of the three

ORDONIO.

A ten der- hearted , scrupulous , grateful villain ,Whom I will strangle

VALDEZ (loohing with anxious disquiet at his

son, yet attempting to proceed with his

description ) .

While his two compan ion s

ORDONIO.

Dead dead already ! what care we for the dead

VALDEZ‘

(to TERESA).

Pity him soo the him disen chan t his spiritThe se supern atural shows, this stran ge disclo sure ,An d his too fon d affection ,

which still bro ods

O’erAlvar’s fate , an d still burn s to aven ge it

The se , struggling with his hope le ss love for you ,Distemper him ,

an d give reality

To the creature s of his fan cy.

98 REM ORSE . [ACT in .

TERESA.

To the on ly placeWhere life yet dwells forme , an d ease of heart.These walls se em threaten ing to fall in upon meDe tain m e n ot a dim power drive s me hen ce,An d that will b e my guide .

VALDEZ .

To fin d a loverSu its that a high- born maiden ’s mode styO fo lly an d shame Tempt n ot my rage , Teresa

TERESA.

Hope less , I fear n o human be ing’s rage .

An d am I hasten in g to the arms—O Heaven !I haste but to the grave of my be loved

[Exit, VALDEZfollowing afterher.

ORDONIO.

This, then , is my reward an d I must love herScorn

’d shudder

’

d at yet love her still ? yes i

ye s

By the de ep fee lings of revenge an d hateI will still love her— woo her—win her too

[Apause.Isidore safe an d silen t, an d the portraitFoun d on the wizard—he

,be like

,se lf- poison

’d

This an d the prec eding speech of Teresa are tran sferred

almost verbatim from the scen e b etween Thekla an d LadyNeubrun n (Ac t iv . sc . 5 of The Death of Wallenstein ) . See

vo l . iii . pp .- 380 .

- ED .

so . REMORSE . 99

To e scape the crue llerflames —My soul shou tstriumph

The m in e is un derm in ed blood blood bloodThey thirst for thy blood thy blood

, Ordon io !

[Apause.

The hun t is up an d in the m idn ight woodWith lights to dazzle , an d with n e ts they seekA tim id prey an d lo the tiger

’s eyeGlare s in the red flame of his hun ter’s torch

To Isidore I will de spatch a me ssage ,An d lure him to the cavern ay, that cavern

He can n o t fail to fin d it . Thither I ’ll lure himWhen ce he shall n ever, p evermore re turn

[Looks through the side-win dow.

A rim of the sun lie s ye t upon the sea,

An d n ow’tis gon e All shall b e don e to - n ight.

[E ocit.

roo REM ORSE. [ACT IV .

ACT IV.

SCENE I .—A cavern , darh, except where a gleam of

moon light is seen on on e side at the further end ofit supposed to be cast on it from a crevice in a

part of the cavern out of sight.

ISIDORE alon e,an extinguished torch in his hand.

Faith ’twas a m oving le tter— very movingHis life in danger, n o place safe but this

’Twas his turn n ow to talk o f gratitude .

An d yet— b ut n o there can ’t b e such a villain .

It can n ot b eThan ks to that little crevice ,

Which lets the moon light in I’

ll go an d sit by it.To peep at a tre e , or se e a he -

goat’s beard ,

Or hear a cow or two breathe loud in the ir sleepAn ythin g but this crash o f water- dropsThe se dull abortive soun ds that fre t the silen ceWith puny thwartings an d mock Opposition

The three lin es with which this Act origin ally Open ed ,an d which gave rise to Sheridan ’

s fam ou s jest, have already

appeared in a n ote to the Preface (p . 6)—ED.

REMORSE . [ACT r-v.

But first perm it me

[Lights his torch at ORDON IO’S , an d while

A lighted torch in the han d

Is n o un pleasan t object here— on e’s

‘

breathFloats roun d the flame

,an d make s as man y co lours

As the thin clouds that trave l n ear the moonYou see that crevice thereMy torch extinguish

’d by the se water- drops

,

An d marking that the moon light came from then ce ,I stept in to it

,m ean in g to sit there 5

Bu t scarce ly had I measured twen ty pace sMy body ben din g forward , yea o

’

erbalan c ed

Almo st beyon d reco il, on the dim brin kOf a huge chasm I stept. The shadowy moon shin eFilling the vo id so coun terfe ited substan ce ,That my foo t hun g aslan t adown the edge .

Was it my own fear?

Fear to o hath its in stin cts

(X

An d ye t such den s as the se are wildly to ld of,

An d there are be in gs that live , ye t n ot for the eye)An arm of fro st above an d from behin d me

-Pluck’d up an d sn atch

’

d me backward. M ercifulHeaven

You sm ile alas, even sm ile s lo ok ghastly hereMy lord , I pray you , go yourself an d View it.

ORDON IO.

It mu st have sho t som e pleasan t fe e lings through

you .

ISIDORE.

If every atom of a dead man ’s flesh

S C I -l REM ORSE . 103

Should creep , each on e with a particular life,

Ye t all as cold as ever— ’twas just soOr had it drizzled n e edle - poin ts of fro stUpon a feverish head made sudden ly bald

ORDON IO (in terrupting him).

Why,Isidore

,

I blush for thy cowardice . I t m ight have startled,I gran t you , even a brave man for a mom en tBut su ch a pan ic

ISIDORE.

When a b oy, my lordI cou ld have sate who le hours be side that chasm

,

Pu sh’d in huge ston e s an d heard them strike an d

rattleAgain st its horrid side s then hun g my headLow down

,an d listen ’d till the heavy fragmen ts

San k with fain t crash in that still groan in g we ll,Wh ich n ever thirsty pilgrim ble st, which n ever

A livin g thin g came n ear— un le ss , perchan ce ,Some blin d- worm batten s o n the ropy mould

Close at its edge .

ORDON IO.

Art thou more coward n ow

ISIDORE.

Call him that fears his fe llow-man a coward

I fear n ot man — but this in human cavern ,

It were too b ad a prison - hou se for goblin s .

Be side , (you’ll sm ile , my lord) b ut true it is ,

My last n ight’s sle ep was very sorely haun ted

104 REMORSE'

. [ACT IV.

By what had pass’d be twe en us in the morn in g.

0 sleep of horrors Now run down an d stared at

By forms so hideous that they mo ck remembran ceNow see ing n o thing an d imagin ing n othing,But on ly be in g afraid— stifled with fear

While every go odly or fam iliar formHad a stran ge powerof breathing terrorroun d me !I saw you in a thousan d fearfu l shape sAn d I en treat your lordship to believe me ,In my last dream

I was in the act

Of falling down that chasm,when Alhadra

Waked me she heard my heart beat.

ORDONIO.

Strange en oughHad you been here before

IS IDORE.

Never,my lord

But m in e eye s do n ot see it n ow more clearly,Than in my dream I saw— that very chasm .

ORDONIO (stan ds lost in thought, then aftera pause) .

I kn ow n ot why it shou ld be ye t it is

I saw you in a thousan d hideou s ways ,An d dozed an d started, dozed again an d started—1 797 .

106‘

REMORSE . [ACT Iv .

Is n ot a place where you could perpetrate ,No, n or propose a wicked thin g. The darkn ess,When ten stride s offwe kn ow ’tis cheerful moon

light,Collects the gu ilt, an d crowds it roun d the heart.

It must b e in n ocen t.

[ORDONIO darhly ,an d in thefeeling of self-justifi

cation,tells what he con ceives of his own cha

racter an d actions,speaking of himself in

third person .

ORDONIO.

Thyself b e judge .

On e of our fam ily kn ew this place we ll.

IS IDORE.

Who ? when my lord ?

ORDON IO.

What boots it,who orwhen ?

Hang up thy torch— I’ll tell his tale to thee .

[They hang up their torches on some ridge in

the cavern .

He was a man differen t from other m en ,

An d he de spised them, ye t revered himse lf.

ISIDORE (aside) .

He ? He de spised ? Thou ’rt speakin g of thyself

I am on my guard , however n o surprise .

(Then to ORDON IO. )What

,he was mad

SC I REM ORSE. 107

ORDON IO.

All m en seem’d mad to him

Nature had made him for some o ther plan e t,

An d pre ss’

d his sou l in to a human shapeBy acciden t ormalice . In this worldHe foun d n o fi t compan ion .

ISIDORE .

Of him se lf he speaks . [asideAlas poorwre tch

Madmen are mo stly proud.

ORDON IO .

He walk’d alon e,

An d phan tom thoughts j‘

un sought- fortroubled him .

Some thin g within wou ld still b e shadowin g out

All po ssibilitie s an d with the se shadowsHis m in d he ld dallian ce . On ce , as so it happen

’d,

A fan cy cro ss’d him wilder than the re stTo this in moody murmur an d low vo iceHe yielded utteran ce

,as som e talk in sle ep .

The man who heard himWhy didst thou look roun d ?

ISIDORE.

I have a prattler thre e years o ld, my lord

All men seem ’d mad to him ,

The ir ac tion s n o isom e folly, an d the ir talkA goose

’s gab b le was m ore mu s ical.—I 79 7 .

'

f'

phan tasies—ib .

108 REMORSE . [ACT iv .

I n truth he is my darlin g. As I wen tFrom forth my door, he made a moan in sleepBut I am talkin g idly— pray proce edAn d What did this man ?

ORDONIO .

With his human han dHe gave a substan ce an d reality"

To that wild fan cy of a'

po ssible thing.

We ll it was don e

(Then very wildly .)Why b ab b lest thou of gu ilt ?

The deed was do n e,an d it pass

’d fairly Off.

An d he who se tale I te ll the e— do st thou listen ?

IS IDORE.

I would,my lord, you were by my fire - side ,

I ’d listen to you with an eager eye ,

Though you began this cloudy tale at m idn ight .But I do listen— pray proce ed

,my lord.

ORDON IO.

Where was IIS IDORE .

He of whom you te ll the tale

ORDON IO .

Surveying all things with a qu ie t scorn,

Tamed himse lf down to livin g purposes,The o ccupation s an d the semblan ce s

a be in g an d reality—1 79 7 .

1 I O REMORSE . [ACT iv

I SIDORE.

No the fool

He had n o t wit en ough to b e a traitor.

Poor thick- eyed be etle n o t to have fore seen

That he who guil’d thee with a whimper

’d lie

To murder his own bro ther, would n ot scruple

To murder thee , if e’er his guilt grew j ealous ,

An d he could steal upon thee in the dark

ORDON IO .

Thou wouldst n ot then have come,if

ISIDORE.

Oh yes, my lordI would have m et him arm

’d,an d scared the coward.

[ISIDORE throws of his robe shows himselfarmed

,an d draws his sword .

ORDON IO.

Now this is exce llen t, an d warm s the bloodMy heart was drawin g back, drawing m e backWith weak an d woman ish scruple s . NOW my

vengean ceBeckon s me onwards with a warrior’s m ien ,

An d claim s that life my pity robb’

d her o f

Now will I kill the e , than kle ss slave , an d coun t itAmong my comfortable thoughts hereafter.

ISIDORE.

An d all my little on e s fatherlessDie thou first.

With woman ish pu les of pity. Dusky slave ,

Now I will kill thee pleasan tly, an d c oun t it, &c .—1797 .

so . L ] REM ORSE . I I I

[Theyfight, ORDON IO disarms ISIDORE, andin disarming him throws his sword up that

recess opposite to which they were stan d

z'

flg.

’6 ISIDORE hurries in to the recess withhis torch

, ORDON IO follows him a loud

cry Of Traitor 1 M on ster ! is heard

from the cavern,an d in a momen tORDONIO

ORDON IO .

I have hurl’d him down the chasm treason fortreason .

He dream t of it hen ceforward let him sleepA dreamle ss sle ep , from which n o wife c an wake

him . ]L

His dream too is made out— Now for his frien d .

[Exit ORDON IO.

Here came the two followin g speeches in the origin al

FERD INAND (springing wildly towards O SOR IO) .Still I can stran gle thee

Os o Rio .

Nay, fool stan d off .

I’

ll kill thee—bu t n ot so Go fetch thy sword—1 797 .

1‘ In the origin al play Osorio exc laims , in lieu of the ab ove

three lin esNow—this was lu ck No b lood- stain s , n o dead b ody 1

ib

1 12 REM ORSE. [ACT iv .

SCENE II .— The in terior Court of a Saracen ic or

Gothic Castle,with the iron gate of a dungeon

visible ?“

TERESA.

Heart- chillin g Superstition thou can st glazeEven Pity’s eye with her own frozen tear.

In vain I urge the torture s that await himEven Se lma

,reveren d guardian of my childhood,

My secon d mo ther,shuts her heart again st me

The whole of the scen e b etween Maria an d her foster

m otherwhich occurred in this plac e in the origin al Osorio , wasom itted as u n fit for the s tage in the ac ted Remorse, but the

sub stan c e of it was afterwards prin ted in an appen dix to thelater edition s an d in Sibyl lin e Leaves , 18 1 7 . All of it b ut

the first Speech origin ally appeared, un der the title of The

Fo ster-Mother’s tale ; a Dramatic Fragmen t ,”

as on e of

Coleridge’s con tribu tion s to the Lyrical Ballads, 1798 , an d

c on tin ued to appear there , with s om e further om iss ion as

regards the Open in g part, in the later edition s of 1800, 1802 ,

an d 1805 . Cottle in his E arly Recollection s of Coleridge

(Lon d . 183 7 , vo l. i. , pp . 234 , prin ts a vers ion of it, withsom e s light variation s , from a Copy in Co leridge ’s own writin g,given to him by the poet in the summer of 1 797 .

—ED .

SCENE chan ges to the court before the Castle of Va n .

MAR IA an d her FOSTER -MOT HER.MAR IA.

An d when I heard that you des ired to see m e ,

I thought your bu s in ess was to tell m e of him .

FOST ER - MOTHER .

I n ever saw the Moor, whom you describ e .

1 14 REM ORSE . [ACT IV .

I doubt n ot that'

Ordon io had sub orn’d him

To ac t some part in some un ho ly fraud 5As little doubt

,that for some un kn own purpo se

He hath baffled his sub om er,terror- struck him

,

An d that Ordon io m editate s reven geBu t my re so lve is fix’d myse lf will re scue him

,

An d learn if haply he kn ew aught ofAlvar.

Which props the han gin g wall of the o ld chapel ?Ben eath that tree , while yet it was a tree ,

He fou n d a b aby wrapt in m osses , lin edWith thistle - b eards , an d such small locks of wool

As han g o n b rambles . Well, he brought him home ,

An d rear’d him at the then Lord Ve lez’ co st.

An d so the b ab e“

grew up a pretty boy.

A pretty boy, b ut m ost u nreachab le

An d n everlearn t a prayer, n or to ld a b ead,

But kn ew the n ames of b irds , an d mock’d the ir n otes ,An d whistled, as he were a b ird him self.

An d all the au tum n’twas his on ly play

To get the seeds of w ild flowers , an d to plan t themWith earth an d wateron the s tumps of trees .

A friarwho gather’d s imples in the wood,

A gret air’d man -he loved this little b oy,The boy loved him

—an d, when the friar taught him ,

He soon cou ld write with - the pen ; an d from that tim e

Lived chiefly at the c on ven t or the castle .

So he b ecam e a very learn ed you th .

But O 1 poorwretch—he read , an d read, an d read ,

T ill his brain turn ’d—an d ere his twen tieth year,He had un lawfu l thoughts of m an y thin gs .

An d though he pray’d , he n ever loved to pray

With holy men , n or in a ho ly place .

But yet his Speech, it was so soft an d sweet,

S C . REM ORSE . I 15

E n ter VALDEZ.

VALDEZ.

Still sad — an d gazin g at the massive doorOf that fe ll dungeon which thou n e

’er hadst

sight of,

The late Lord Velez n e’erwas wearied with him ,

An d on ce as by the n orth s ide of the chape lThey stood together, chain

’d in deep discourse ,The earth heaved u n der them with such a groan ,

That the wall totter’d, an d had we ll- n igh fall

’n

Right on the irheads . My lord was sore ly frighten’d ;

A fever se ized him ; an d he made c on fess ionOf all the heretical an d lawles s talkWhich brought this judgm en t : s o the youth was se izedAn d cast in to that hole . My husban d

’s father

Sobb ’d like a child—it almo st b roke his heart.

An d on ce as he was workin g in the c ellar,

He heard a vo ice distin ctly ;’twas the you th

’s ,

Who sun g a dolefu l son g ab ou t green fields ,How sweet it were on lake orwild savan n ah

To hun t for food, an d b e a n aked man ,

An d wan der up an d down at lib erty.

He always do ted on the you th, an d n ow

His love grew desperate ; an d defyin g death,He made that c un n in g en tran ce I describ ed ;An d the voung man escaped .

MAR IA.

’Tis a sweet tale

Su ch as would lull a listen in g child to sleep ,His rosy face b esoil

’d with unwiped tears .

An d what became of him ?

FOSTER - MOTHER .

He wen t on Shipboard

1 REMORSE . [ACT N .

Save what,perchan ce , thy in fan t efan cy shaped it

When the n urse still’d thy crie s with unmean t

threats.Now by my faith , girl this same wizard haun ts

theeA state ly man

,an d e loquen t an d ten der

[with a sn eer.

Who then n eed won der if a lady SighsEven at the thought of what the se stern Domin i

can s

With those b old voyagers , who made discoveryOf go lden lan ds ; Leon i

’s youn ger brother

Wen t likew ise , an d when he return’d to Spain ,

He told Leon i that the poormad you th,

So on after they arrived in that n ew world,

In spite Of his dissuas ion se ized a boat,

An d all alon e set sail by s ilen t m oon light,Up a great river, great as an y sea ,

An d n e'

erwas heard of more ; b u t’tis supposed

He lived an d died am ong the savage men .—I 79 7 .

VELEz .

Still sad, Maria ? This sam e wizard haun ts you .

MAR IA.

O Christ the tortures that han g o’erhis head

If ye b etray him to the se ho ly b rethren

VELEz (with a kin d of sn eer) .

A portly man , an d eloquen t, an d ten der

In tru th, I shall n ot won der if you mourn

That their rude grasp . shou ld seize on such a vic tim .—ib .

I.I 8 REMORSE . [ACT W .

What ifMon viedro Orhis creature s hear usI dare n ot listen to you .

TERESA.

My hon our’d lord,

The se were my Alvar’s le sson s, an d when e

’er

I ben d me o’er his portrait

,I repeat them

,

As if to give a vo ice to the mute image .

VALDEZ.

We have moum’d forAlvar.

Of his sad fate there n ow remain s n o doubt.

Have I n o o ther son

TERESA.

Speak n o t of him

That low impo sture That mysteriou s pictureIf this b e madn e ss

,mu st I wed a madman

An d if n o t madn e ss,there is mystery

,

An d gu ilt do th lurk behin d it.

VALDEZ.

I S this we ll

With more de light than in my fon dest hourI b en d m e o

’

er his portrait.VELEz (to the Foster - M other) .

My good woman ,

You may retire . [Exit the Foster-M other .— I 797 .

Have I n o livin g son

MAR iA.

Speak n ot of him

That low imposture—my heart s icken s at it, 69’

c .—ib.

s o . REM ORSE . I 19

TERESA.

Ye s, it is truth saw you his coun ten an ce ?How rage , remorse , an d scorn , an d stupid fearDisplaced each o ther with swift in terchange s0 that I had in deed the sorcerer’s power.

I would call up before thin e eye s the image

Of my be tro thed Alvar, of thy first- born

iHiS own fair coun ten an ce , his kin gly forehead,His ten der sm ile s

,love ’s day- dawn on his lips

That spiritual an d alm o st heaven ly lightI n his comman ding eye

— his m ien hero ic,Virtue ’s own n ative heraldry to man

Gen ial, an d pleasan t to his guardian an ge l .When e ’er he gladden

’d,how the gladn e ss spread

Wide roun d him an d when oft with swe llin g tears ;Flash

’d through by in dign ation , he b ewail

’d

The wron gs of Be lgium’s martyr

’d patrio ts,

Oh, what a griefwas there— forjoy to en vy,Or gaze upon en amour

’

d

O my father

Re call that morn in g when we kn e lt toge ther,

The five followin g lin es c losed the speech in the origin aldraught of the play

If this were all as sum ed, as you b elieve ,He mu st n eeds b e a m ost con summ ate ac tor ;

An d hath so vast a power to dece ive m e ,

I n evercou ld b e safe . An d why assum e

The sem b lan c e of such execrable feelin gs —1 797 .

‘

f' The sub stan ce of the se lin e s , in a som ewhat amplified

form , appears am on g the Poetical Fragm en ts ( v ol. ii . p . 364

ED.

120 REMORSE . [ACT IV.

An d thou didst ble ss our love s 0 even n ow,

Even n ow,my sire to thy m in d’s eye pre sen t him,

AS at that momen t he ro se up before thee ,Stately

,with beam ing lo ok Place , place be sidehim

Ordon io’s dark perturbed coun ten an ce

Then bid m e (oh thou couldst n ot) bid me turnFrom him

,the joy, the triumph o f our kin d

To take in exchange that broodin g man,who n ever

Lifts up his eye from the earth, un le ss to scowl .

VALDEZ.

Ungratefu l woman

”

I have tried to stifleAn o ld man

’s passion was it n ot en ough,That thou hast made my son a re stle ss man

,

Ban ish’d his health, an d half un hinged his reason

But that thou wilt in sult him with suspicion ,

An d toil to blast his hon our? I am old,A comfortle ss o ld man

A comfortless o ld man Thou shalt n ot s tay

Ben eath my roof !

[FRANCESCO en ters an d stan ds listen ing.

Repen t an d marry him

Or to the con ven t.

FRANCESCO (muttering) .Good 1 good very good

MAR IA.

Nay, gran t me some small pittan ce of my fortun e ,

An d I will liy e a solitary woman ,

Ormy poor fos ter-motheran d hergran dson s

May b e my household.

122 REMORSE. [ACT IV .

Nay, that they dare n ot ! Ho ! co llect my servan ts,I will go thither— let them arm them se lves .

[Exit VALDEZ.

TERESA (aten e).

The moon is high in heaven ,an d all is hu sh’d .

Yet, anxiou s listen er I have seem

’d to hear

A low dead thun dermutter thro’ the n ight,As

’twere a gian t angry in his sle ep .

0 Alvar Alvar that they cou ld returnTho se ble ssed days that im itated heaven

When we two won t to walk at even tideWhen we saw n ought b ut beauty ; when we heardThe voice of that Alm ighty On e who loved usIn every gale that breathed, an d wave that mur

mur’d li

0 we have listen ’d,even till high-wrought pleasure

Hath half assumed the coun ten an ce ofgrief,

An d the de ep sigh seem’

d to heave up a we ightOf bliss that pre ss

’d too heavy on the heart .*

[Apause.

In the origin al draught of the play the scen e thu s con

tin ues

FRANCES CO .

But in the c on ven t, lady, you wou ld have

Such aids as m ight preserve you from perdition .

There m ight you dwe ll.MAR IA.

With tame an d credulou s faith,Mad melan choly, an tic m errimen t,

Lean n ess , disqu ietude , an d secret pan gsO God I it is a horrid thin g to kn ow

S C . REMORSE . 123

An d this maje stic Moor,se em s he n o t on e

Who oft an d lo n g commun in g with my Alvar,Hath drun k in kin dred lu stre from his pre sen ce ,An d gu ide s m e to him with reflected light PWhat if in yon dark dun ge on coward TreacheryBe gropin g for him with en ven om

’

d pon iard

Hen ce , woman ish fears, traitors to love an d dutyI ’ll fre e him . [Exit TERESA.

That each pale wretch who s its an d drops her b eadsHad on ce a m in d, which m ight have given herwingsSuch as the an gels wear

FRAN CES CO (stgfling his rage) .Where is your son , my lord

VELEZ .I have n ot seen him , father, s in ce he left you .

FRANCES CO .

His lordship ’s gen erou s n ature hath dec e ived him .

That Ferdin an d (o r if n o t he his w ife)I have fresh ev iden ce—are in fidels .

We are n ot safe u n til they are rooted ou t .

MAR IA .

Thou m an , who call’st thyse lf the m in isterOf Him whose law was love u n u tterab le

Why is thy sou l so parch’d with cru elty,

That s till tho u thirstest for thy b rother’s b lood ?

VELEz (rapidly) .

Father ! I have lon g s u spec ted it —her brainHeed it n ot , father

FRANCESCO .

Nay— b u t I m u st heed it .

MAR IA.

Thou m iserab le man I fearthee n ot ,

I 24 REMORSE . [ACT IV .

SCENE I II — Tne nzean taz'

n s by moon lzg/zt.

ALHADRA alon e in a'

M oon'

s/z a’

ress .

ALHADRA.

Yon hangin g woods , that tou ch’d by autumn seem

As they were blo ssom in g hue s of fire an d go ldThe flower- like wo ods

,mo st love ly in decay,

The man y clouds,the sea

,the rock

, the san ds,Lie in the silen t moon shin e an d the owl

,

(Strange very stran ge the scritch - owl on lywake s

Sole voice,sole eye of all this world of beauty

Nor prize a life wh ich soon may weary me .

Bearwitn ess , Heaven I n e ither scorn n or hate him

But O ’tis wearis om e to m ourn for evils ,

Still mourn , an d have n o power to remedy

[Exit MAR IA.

FRANCESCO.

My lord I shall presume to wait on youTo - morrow early.

VELEZ .Be it so , good father

[Exit FRANCESCO .

VELEZ (alon e) .I do wan t solace , b ut n o t such as thin eThe moon is high in heaven , an d my eyes ache ,

But n ot with s leep . Well— It is ever so .

A child. a child is b orn an d the fon d heart

Dan ces an d yet the childless are m ost happy.- I 797 .

This so liloquy occurred in the firs t Sc en e of Ac t V. in the

origin al draught of the play.—ED .

126 REM ORSE . [ACT IV.

[Sue fixes ner eye on tlze eartfi. Tnen drop

in on e after an otner, from dzyj

’

eren t parts

of the stage, a con siderable n umoer ofM orescoes, all in M ooris/z garmen ts an d

M oorish armour.

a distan ce round ALHADRA, and remain

silen t till NAOM I en ters.

NAOM I .

Woman May Alla an d the prophe t ble ss theeWe have obey’d thy call . Where is our chief PAn d why didst thou en jo in the se Moorish gar

m en ts P

ALHADRA (raising lzer eyes an d looking roun d

Warriors ofMahome t faithful in the battleMy coun trymen Come ye prepared to workAn hon ourable de ed ? An d would ye work itIn the slave ’s garb Curse on tho se Christian

robe s

F IRST MORES CO .

The law which forc ed these Christian dresses on u s ,

’Twere pleasan t to c leave down the wretch who framed

S ECOND MORES CO..Yet ’

tis n o twell to trample o n it idly.

F IRST MORES CO .

Our cou n try rob es are dear.

SECOND MO RESCO .

An d like dear frien dsMay Chan ce to prove mos t perilou s in formers .

—1797 .

S C . REM ORSE. 12 7

They are spe ll- blasted an d whoeverwears them ,

His arm shrin ks wither’d,his heart me lts away

,

An d his bon e s soften .

NAOM I .

Where is Isidore P

ALHADRA (in a deep low voice) .

This n ight I wen t from forth my house , andHis children all asle ep an d he was livingAn d I return ’

d an d foun d them still asleep ,But he had perish

’

d

ALL MORESCOES .

Perish’d P

ALHADRA.

He had perish’d

Sle ep on,po or babe s n o t on e of you do th kn ow

That he is fatherle ss— a de so late orphanWhy should we wake them P Can an in fan t’s armReven ge his murder P

ONE MORESCO (to an otlzer) .

Did she say his murder?

NAOM I .

Murder P Not murder’d P

ALHADRA.

Murder’d by a Christian .

[Taey all at on ce draw tneir saores .

ALHADRA (to NAOM I , zono advan cesfrom tlze

Brother of Zagri fling away thy sword

I 28 REM ORSE . [ACT W .

This is thy chieftain ’s

[He stepsforward to take it.Do st thou dare rece ive it P

For I have sworn by Alla an d the Prophe t,No tear shall dim the se eye s

,this woman ’s heart

Shall heave n o groan ,till I have seen that sword

Wet with the life - blood of the son of Valdez

[Apause.

Ordon io was your chieftain ’s murderer

Wet with the b lood ofall the hou se ofVelez —I 797 .

The followin g passage here followed in the origin al draughtof the play 2

E n ter MAUR I CE.

ALL.

A spy a Spy [They seize him .

MAU R I CE.

Ofl‘

ofl'

u n han d m e , slaves

[After much struggling , he disengages himself , an d drawshis sword.

NAOM I (to ALHADRA) .Speak shall we kill him ?

MAU R ICE .

Yes ye can kill a man ,

Some twen ty of you But ye are Span ish slaves

An d slaves are always cruel, always cowards .

ALHADRA.

That man has Spoken truth. When ce an d who art thou P

MAUR ICE .

I seek a dear frien d, whom for aught I kn ow

The son of Velez hath hired on e of you

To murder ! Say, do ye kn ow aught of Alb ert ?

130 REM ORSE ; [ACT Iv .

NAOM I .The cavern ?

ALHADRA.

Yes the mouth of yon der cavern .

After a while I saw the son of ValdezRush by with flarin g torch he likewise en ter

’d.

There was an otheran d a lon ger pau seAn d on ce

,methought I heard the clash of swords

An d soon the son o fValdez re - appear’d

He flun g his torch towards the moon in sport,An d seem

’d as he were mirthful I stood listen ing,

Impatien t for the foo tsteps ofmy husban d

NAOM I .Thou called’st him ?

ALHADRA.

I crept in to the cavern’Twas dark an d very silen t.

—What said’st thou PNo n o I did n o t dare call, Isidore ,Le st I should hear n o an swer A brief while ,Belike

,I lo st all thought an d memory

Of that forwhich I cam e After that pau se,

ALHADRA.

Yes , I ask’d it .

He an swer’d me , Alhadra thou art worthy

A n ob ler secret ; bu t I have b een faithfulTo this bad man , an d faithfu l I will b e .

”

He said, an d arm’d himse lf, an d lit a torch

Then kiss’d his children , each on e on its pillow,

An d hurried from me , £9’

c .

so . REMORSE . 13 1

0 Heaven I heard a groan ,an d follow

’

d itAn d yet an other groan ,

which guided meIn to a stran ge rece ss— an d there was light,A hideous light his torch lay on the groun dIts flame burn t dim ly o ’

er a chasm ’s brin k :I spake ; an d whilst I spake , a feeble groan

Cam e from that chasm it was his last his death

groanNAOM I .

Comfort her, Alla

ALHADRA.

I stood in un imagin able tran ceAn d agon y that can n ot b e rem emb er

’

d ,

Listen in g with horrid hope to hear a groanBut I had heard his last my hu sban d

’s death

groanNAOM I .

Haste le t us onward .

ALHADRA.

I lo ok’d far down theMy sight was boun ded by a juttin g fragmen tAn d it was stain ’

d with blood. Then first Ishriek

’d,

MAU R I C E .

Comfort her, comfort her, Alm ighty Father—1 797 .

In the first edition of Remorse here follows a speech after

wards om ittedALL.

Hasre , let us seek the m urderer —18 13 .

I 32 REM ORSE . [ACT Iv .

My eye- balls burn t

,my brain grew hot as fire ,

An d all the hangin g drops of the wet roof

Turu ’d in to blood— I saw them turn to bloodAn d I was leaping wildly down the chasm ,

When on the farther brin k I saw his sword,An d it said

,Ven gean ce — Curse s on my tongu e 1

The moon hath moved in Heaven , an d I am here ,An d he hath n ot had vengean ce IsidoreSpirit o f Isidore thy murderer live sAway ! away 1

ALL.

Away ! away !

[She rushes ojiallfollowing her.

134 REMORSE . [ACT v .

Is this the on ly cure P Merciful GodEach pore an d n atural outle t shrivell’d upBy ign oran ce an d parchin g poverty,His en ergie s ro ll back upon his heart,An d stagn ate an d corrupt

,till

,chan ged to

NAOML

She moved steadily on

Un swervin g from the path of her resolve .

Yet each stran ge Ob jec t fix’d her eye for griefDoth love to dally with fan tastic shapes ,An d sm iling, like a s ickly m oralist ,Gives some resemb lan ce of her own con cern s

To the straws Of chan ce , an d thin gs in an imate .

I seek her here ; stan d thou upo n the watch.

[Exit MORESCO .

NAOM I (loo/cin g wistfu l ly to the distan ce) .

Stretch’d on the rock It mu st b e she—Alhadra

[ALHADRA risesfrom the rock, an d advan ces slowly, as

if mu sing.

NAOM I .

On ce m ore , well met what pon der’

s t thou so deeply P

ALHADRA.

I scarce can te ll thee Formy man y tho ughts

Troub led me , till with b lan k an d n aked m in dI on ly listen

’d to the dashin g b illows .

It seem s to m e , I c ou ld have c losed my eyes

An d waked withou t a dream of what has pass’d ;

So well it cou n terfe ited qu ietn e ss ,This wearied heart of m in e

NAOML

’Tis thus by Natu re

Wisely ordain’d, that so excess of sorrow

Might brin g its own cure with it.

ACT REMORSE . 135

They break out on him,like a loathsome plague

spotThen we call in our pamper

’d moun teban ks

An d this is the ir be st cure un comfortedAn d frien dle ss so litude, groan in g an d tears ,

ALHADRA.

Would to HeavenThat it had brought its last an d c ertain c ure

That m in in the wood .

NAOM I .

It is a placeOf om in ous fam e ; b u t

’twas the shortest road,

Nor c ou ld we else have kept Clear of the v illage .

Ye t som e amon g u s , as they sealed the wall,

Mu tter’d old rhym in g prayers .

ALHAD RA.

O n that broad wall

I saw a Sku ll ; a poppy grew b es ide it,There was a ghastly solace in the s ight

NAOML

I mark’d it n ot, an d in good tru th the n ight- b irdCurdled my b lood, even till it prick

’d the heart .

Its n ote c om es drearies t in the fall of the year

[Looking rou n d impatien tly .

Why don’

t they c om e ? I will go forth an d m eet them .

Exi t NAOM I .

[Here follows the soliloquy of Alhadra , afterwards tran s

ferred to the b egin n in g of Act iv . Sc .

[A n oise— en ter a part of the M orescoes an d from. the

opp osite side of the stage a M oorish S eaman .

M OOR I SH S EAMAN .

The b oat is on the shore , the ves se l waits .

Yourwives an d chi ldren are

136 REM O'

RSE . [ACT v .

An d savage face s , at the clan king hour,Seen through the steam an d vapours of his dungeon

By the lamp ’s dismal twilight So he lie s

I left them prattlin g of the Barbary c oast,

Of m osqu es , an d m in arets , an d go lden cresc en ts .

Each had her separate dream , bu t all were gay,

Dan c in g, in thought , to fin ger- b eaten timb re ls

En ter MAUR ICE an d the rest of the M orescoes , dragging

in FRANCES CO .

FRANCES CO .

0 Spare m e , spare m e on ly spare my lifeAN OLD MAN .

All hail , Alhadra ! 0 that thou hadst heard him

When first we dragg’d him forth [Then turn ing to the ban d .

Here in her presen ce[He advan ces with his sword , as abou t to kil l him . MAUR ICEleap s in an d stan ds with his drawn sword between FRAN

CESCO an d the M orescoes .

MAUR I CE.

Nay, b u t. ye shall n ot !

OLD MAN .

Shall n o t ? Hah P Shall n ot ?

MAU RI C E .

What, an un arm ’d m an ?

A m an that n everwore a sword ? A priest ?

It is u n soldierly I say, ye shall n ot

OLD MAN (turn ing to the ban ds) .

He b ears him self most like an in so len t Span iardMAUR I CE .

An d ye like s laves , that have des troy’d the irmaster,

Bu t kn ow n o t yet what freedom mean s how holy

An d j u s t a thing it is He ’s a fall’n foe

Com e , come , forgive him

“I 38 REM ORSE. [ACT v .

Thy me lodie s of woods, an d win ds, an d watersTill he re len t, an d c an n o more en dureTo b e a jarring an d a d isson an t thin gAm id this gen eral dan ce an d m in stre lsyBut

,burstin g in to tears , Win s back his way,

His an gry spirit heal’d an d harmon ized

By the ben ign an t touch of love an d beauty.

*

I am chill an d weary Yon rude ben ch of ston e ,In that dark an gle , the sole re stin g- place

NAOM I (who turn s toward FRANCESCO with his sword) .Speak

ALL (to ALHADRA) .Speak

ALHADRA.

Is the m urderer of your chieftain dead ?Now as God liveth , who hath sufl

'

er’d him

To make my children orphan s , n on e shall dieTill I have s een his b lood

Off with him to the vessel

[A part of the M orescoes hurry him of :The tiger, that with u n qu en ch

’d c ru elty,

Still thirsts for b lood, leaps o n the hu n ter’s Spear

With prodigal courage .

’Tis n ot so with m an .

MAUR ICE.

It is n ot so , rememb er that , my frien dsCowards are crue l, an d the cruel c owards .

ALHADRA.

Scatteryourselves , take each a s eparate way,An d move in s ilen ce to the house of Ve lez . [Exeun h

1 797

The ab ove soliloquy was pub lished in Lyrical Ballads

u n der the title of The Dungeon—ED .

REMORSE . 139

But the self- approvin g m in d is its own light,An d life ’s be st warm th still radiate s from the heartWhere love sits bro oding, an d an hon e st purpose .

[R etires ou t of sight.

E n ter TERESA with a taper

TERESA.

It has chill’

d my very life — my own vo ice scare sm e 5

Ye t when I hear it n ot I se em to lo seThe substan ce of my be in g— my stron ge st graspSen ds inwards but weak witn e ss that I am .

I seek to cheat the echo .—How the half soun ds

Blen d with this stran gled light Is he n ot here ?

[As in a dream I ask,if it b e a dream P ]

[Loohing rou n d .

0 for on e human face here— but to se e

On e human face here to sustain m e .

—Courage !

It is b ut my own fear The life within m e,

It sin ks an d wavers like this con e of flam e ,

Beyon d which I scarce dare lo ok o nward Oh

[ShuddersIf I fain t P If this in human den should b eAt on ce my death - b ed an d my burial vau lt ?

[Fain ily screams as ALVAR emerges from the

recess,an d moves hastily toward her.

ALVAR (rushes towards her, and catches her as

she is falling) .

O gracious heaven ! it is, it is Tere sa

life - b lood I 8 I 3

I4o REM ORSE . [ACT v .

Shall I reveal myse lf P The sudden sho ckOf rapture will blow out

"this spark of life ,An d J oy comple te what Terror has begun .

O ye impetuous beatin gs here , b e stillTere sa

,be st be loved pale

,pale

,an d co ld !

Her pu lse do th flutter Tere sa my Teresa

TERESA (recovering, loohs roun d wildly ).

I heard a vo ice but o ften in my dream sI hear that vo ice an d wake an d try

— an d try

To hear it waking b ut I n ever couldAn d

’tis so n ow— even so Well he is deadMurder

’d perhaps An d I am fain t

,an d fe el

As if it were n o “pain fu l thin g to die

ALVAR (eagerly ) .

Be lieve it n o t,swee t maid Be lieve it n ot

Be loved woman’Twas a low impo sture

Framed by a gu ilty wre tch .

TERESA (retires from him,an dfeehly supports

herself again st a pillar of the du ngeon ).Ha Who art thou P

ALVAR (exceedingly afiected) .

Sub orn’d by his bro ther

TERESA.

Didst thou murder him Pdo st thou n ow repen t ? Po or tro ubled man

,

forgive thee , an d may Heaven forgive thee

ALVAR.

Ordon io— he

142 REM ORSE . [ACT v .

ALVAR .

Beloved Tere sa

It told but half the truth. 0 let this portraitTell all— that Alvar live s— that he is hereThy much dece ived b ut ever faithfu l Alvar.

[Tahes herportraitfrom his n ech, an d gives it her.

TERESA (receiving the portrait ).

The same— it is the sam e . Ah ! Who art thou ?Nay, I will call thee , Alvar [Shefalls on his n ech.

ALVAR .

0 joy un utterableBut hark a soun d as of removing barsAt the dun geon

’s outer door. A brief,brief while

Con ceal thyse lf,my love It is Ordon io .

For the hon our of our race , for our dear father

O for him se lf too (he is still my bro ther)Let m e recall him to his n obler n ature ,That he may wake as from a dream of murder0 let me recon cile him to himself

,

Open the sacred source o f pen iten t tears,An d b e on ce more his own beloved Alvar.

TERESA.

O my all virtuous love I fear to leave theeWith that obdurate man .

ALVAR.

Thou dost n o t leave meBut a brief while re tire in to the darkn ess

0 that my joy could spread its sun shin e roun dthee

ACT v REMORSE'

. 143

TERESA.

The soun d of thy voice shall b e my musicAlvar ! my Alvar am I sure I ho ld the e PI s it n o dream P thee in my arm s

,my Alvar

[They embrace, an d she retires .

*

[A n oise at the dungeon door. I t open s,an d

ORDON IO en ters,with a goblet in his han d .

ORDON IO .

Hail,po ten t wizard in my gayermood

I pour’d forth a libatio n to o ld Plutofi

An d as I b rimm ’d the bowl

,I thought o n thee i

! Thou hast con spired again st my life an d hon our,

Hast trick’d m e fou lly ye t I hate the e n o t.

Why shou ld I hate the e P this same world of ours ,’Tis but a po o l am id a storm o f rain

,

An d we the air- bladders that course up an d down,

An d j oust an d tilt in m erry tourn am en t 3

The above Scen e was n ot in the origin al draught of theplay .

—ED .

‘

f‘

to ob livion—18 13 .

Here in the origin al sketch of the play Alb ert in terposes ,a low vo ice :

I have n o t s ummon’d up my heart to give

That pan g which I must give thee , son o fVe lez — I 79 7 .

(bl/2th af ected levity)— I 797 . (With afi cted gravity)18 13 .

It is a puddle in a s torm of rain— 1 797 .


An d when on e bubble run s fou l o f an other,

[waving his han d to ALVAR.

The weaker* n eeds must break.

ALVAR.

I see thy heart

There is a frightfu l glitter in thin e eye

Which do th be tray the e . In ly- tortured man,

This is the reve lry o f a drun ken an guish ,1'

Which fain would sco ff away the pang of guilt,An d quell each human fe e lin g.

ORDON IO .

Fe e ling feeling !

The death of a man— the breaking of a bubble’Tis true I can n o t sob for such m isfortun e s 3But fain tn e ss , co ld an d hun ger— curse s on meIf willingly I e

’er in flicted them

Com e, take the beverage 3 this chill place deman dsit. i [ORDON IO prmj

’

ers the goblet.

ALVAR.

Yon in sect on the wall,Which move s this way an d that its hun dred limbs, !

The lesser— I 79 7—18 13 .

Crazy- c on scien ced man ,

This is the gaiety of drun ken an gu ish—1 797 .

This is the wildn ess of a drun ken an gu ish—18 13 .

I“ Frien dship an d w in e ! ” adds Osorio , in the origin al

sketch of the play, b efore profl'

erin g the gob let .

legs—179 7 .


ALVAR.

I kn ow him n ot.

An d yet m e thin ks , I have heard the n ame butlate ly.

M ean s he the husban d of the Moorish woman

Isidore P Isidore P

ORDONIO.

Good good that lie by heaven it hasrestoredm e .

Now I am thy master Villain thou shalt drin kit,

Or die a bitterer death .

ALVAR .

What strange so lution

Hast thou foun d ou t to satisfy thy fears ,An d drug them to un n atural sle ep P

[ALVAR tab es the goblet, an d throws it to the

groun d.

MymasterORDON IO.

Thou m oun teban kALVAR.

M oun teba‘

n k an d villainWhat then art thou ? For shame , put up thy

swordWhat boots a weapon in a wither

’

d arm P

I fix m in e eye upon thee , an d thou tremb le stI speak, an d fear an d won der crush thyrage ,An d turn it to a mo tion le ss distractionThou blin d self-worshipper ! mypride , thy cun n in g,

ACT v .] REMORSE . 147

Thy faith in un iversal villan y,

Thy shallow sophism s,thy pre ten ded scorn

For all thy human bre thren— out upon themWhat have they don e for thee P have they given

the e peace ?Cured thee o f startin g in thy sleep P ormadeThe darkn e ss pleasan t when thou wakest at mid

n ight PArt happy when alon e ? Can st walk by thyse lfWith even step an d qu ie t cheerfuln e ss PYet, ye t thou may ’s t b e saved

ORDON IO (vacan tly repeating the word ) .Saved P saved P

ALVAR.

On e pangCould I call up on e pan g of true Rem orse

ORDON IO.

He to ld me of the babe s that prattled to him ,

His fatherle ss little on e s Remorse remorseWhere gott

’st thou that fool’s word ? Curse on Re

morse

Can it give up the dead , or recompactA mangled body P man gled— dash

’d to atom s

Not all the blessin gs of a ho st of an ge ls

Can blow away a de so late wido'

w’s curseAn d tho

’ thou spill thy heart’s blood foraton emen t ,

It will n ot we igh again st an orphan’ s tear

But Alvar

148 REMORSE. [ACT v .

ORDONIO.

Ha it choke s thee in,

the throat,Even thee ; an d ye t I pray the e speak it out.

Still Alvar —Alvar— howl it in m in e ear

Heap it like coals of fire upon my heart,An d shoot it hissing through my brain

ALVAR.

AlasThat day when thou didst leap from off the rockIn to the wave s

,an d grasp

’d thy sin kin g bro ther,

An d bore him to the stran d 5 then ,son ofValdez

How swee t an d mu sical the n ame of AlvarThen , then , Ordon io , he was dear to thee ,An d thou wert dear to him Heaven on ly kn owsHOW very dearthou wert ! Why didst thou hate him !0 heaven how he would fall upon thy n eck,An d weep forgiven e ss

ORDON IO .

Spirit of the dead !Methin ks I kn ow thee ha my brain turn s wildAt its own dreams — off— off, fan tastic shadow

ALVAR (seizing his han d ) .

I fain would tell thee what I am,but dare n ot

ORDON IO .

Cheat villain traitor whatsoe ’er thou b eI fear thee , man

I fear thee , man

[He starts, an d stan ds in the attitude of listen ing.

An d is this too my madn ess P

150 REMORSE. [ACT v .

ALVAR .

Doe s then this thin disguise impen etrablyHide Alvar from thee P To il an d pain ful woun ds ,An d long imprisonmen t in un who lesome dungeon s,Have marr

’

d perhaps all trait an d lin eamen tOf what I was But chiefly, chiefly, brother,My an guish for thy gu ilt

Ordon io— brother

Nay, n ay, thou shalt embrace me .

ORDONIO (drawing back an d gazing at ALVARwith a coun ten an ce of at on ce awe

Touch me n ot

Touch n ot pollution ,Alvar I will die .

[He attempts tofall on his sword, ALVAR andTERESApreven t him .

ALVAR .

We will fin d m ean s to save your hon ourqL Live ,

Oh live , Ordon io for ourfather’s sakeSpare his gray hairs

TERESA.

An d you may yet b e happy.

ORDON IO.

O horror n ot a thousan d years in heaven

In the origin al draught of the _play, he co n tin u esSpo tless Maria ,

I thought thee gu ilty too —1 797 .

1" We will in ven t some tale to save your hon o ur.

ACT v .] REMORSE . 15 I

Could recompose this m iserable heart,

Ormake it capable of on e brief‘j oyLive live Why yes

’Twere we ll to live with youFor is it fit a villain shou ld b e proud ?My brother I w ill kn ee l to you

,my brother

[Kn eelingForgive me

,Alvar — Curse me with forgiven ess

ALVAR.

Call back thy sou l, Ordon io , an d look roun d thee

Now is the time forgreatn e ss Thin k that heaven

TERESA.

0 mark his eye he hears n o t what you say.

ORDON IO (poin ting at vacan cy ).

Yes, mark his eye there ’s fascin ation in itThou said’st thou didst n o t kn ow him—ThatHe come s upon m e

ALVAR.

Heal, O heal him ,heaven

ORDON IO.

Nearer an d n earer an d I can n ot stirWill n o on e hear the se stifled groan s, an d wake me ?

He would have died to save m e,an d I kill’d him

A husban d an d a father

TERESA.

Some secre t poison

Drin ks up his spirit

ORDONIO (fiercely recollecting himself ).

Let the Etern al Justice


Prepare“

my pun ishmen t in the obscure worldI will n ot bear to live— to live— O agon yAnd b e myse lf alon e my own sore tormen t

[The doors of the dungeon are broken open,and

in rushALHADRA, an d the ban d of M orescoes.

ALHADRA.

Se ize first that man

[ALVARpresses onward to defend ORDONIO.

ORDONIO.

Off, ruffian s I have flung away my sword .

Woman,my life is thin e to thee I give it

Off he that tou che s m e with his han d of fle sh,

I ’ll ren d his limbs asun der I have strengthWith this bare arm to scatter you like ashe s .

ALHADRA.

My husban dORDON IO.

Yes, I murder’d him most foully.

ALVAR and TERESA.

O horribleALHADRA.

Why didst thou leave his children ?Demon ,

thou should’st have sen t thy dogs of he ll

To lap the ir blo od. Then , then I m ight haveharden

’

d

My soul in misery, an d have had comfort.I would have stood far ofl

'

, quie t though dark,An d bade the race of m en raise up a mourn in g

154 4,REM ORSE . [ACT v .

ALHADRA.

Why had 1be such a son ?

[Shouts from the distan ce of, Re scue ! Re scue !

Alvar, ! Alvar and the voice of VALDEZ heard.

Re scue P— an d Isidore ’s s'

pirit'

un avenged

The deed b e m in e [Sudden ly fstabs'

ORDONIO.

Now take my life

ORDONIO (staggeringfrom the woun d ).

Aton emen t

ALHADRA.

An d is it then

An e n v iab le lot to waste a wayWith inward woun ds , an d like the Spirit of chaosTo wan der on disqu ietly thro

’the earth,

Curs in g all lovely thin gs ? to let him liveIt were a deep reven ge I

All the ban d cry out NO mercy ! n o mercy

[NAOMI advan ces with the sword towards O SOR IO.

ALHADRA.

Nay,b earhim forth Why should.

this innocen t maidBeho ld the uglin ess of death P

O SOR IO (with great majesty) .O woman

1 have stood sil-en t like a s lave b efore thee , Eda—1 797 .

In the first edition o f Remorse, afterthe cry of No m ercy

Naom i advan ces with the sword an dAlb adra sn atches it fromhim an d sudden ly stab s

'

Ordon io . Alvar rushe s through the

Moors an d catches him in his arms . After Ordon io ’s dyin gSpeech, there are shou ts of Alvar Alvar b ehin d the

scen es . A Moor rushes in .

”

MOOR .

We are surprised ! Away ! away ! this in stan t !

ACT v .] REM ORSE . 155

ALVAR (while with TERESA supportingORDON IO).

Arm of aven gingHeaven ,

Thou hast sn atch’d from me mymost cherish’d

hopeBut go my word was pledged to thee .

ORDON IO.

AwayBrave n ot my father

’s rage I than k thee Thou

[Then turn ing his ey es languidly to ALVAR .

She hath aven ged the blood of IsidoreI stood in silen ce like a slave before herThat I might taste the worv Ood an d the gall ,An d satiate this self- accu sin g heartWith bitterer agon ie s than death can give .

Forgive me,Alvar !Oh couldst thou forget m e [Dies

[ALVAR an d TERESA ben d over the body ofORDON IO.

The coun try is in arm s Lord Valdez heads them ,

An d Still cries out , My so n my Alvar livesHaste to the Shore thev com e the oppo s ite road .

Yourw ives an d children are already safe .

The b oat is on the shore— the ves se l waits .

ALHADRA.

Thou then art AlvarP to my aid an d safe tyThy word S tan ds pledged.

ALVAR .

Arm of aven gin g Heaven !I had two cherish

’d hopes—the on e remain s ,The other thou hast sn atch

’d from m e b ut my word

Is pledged to thee n or shall it b e retrac ted—18 13 .

156 R EMORSE. [ACT v .

ALHADRA (to theMoors) .

I than k thee , Heaven thou hast ordain ’d it wise ly,

That still extreme s bring the ir own cure . That

po in tIn m isery

,which make s the oppre ssed man

Regardle ss of his own life , make s him too

Lord of the Oppressor’s— Kn ew I a hun dred menDe spairin g, b ut n o t palsied by de spair,This arm should shake the kin gdoms of the world 5The deep foun dation s of

“

in iquityShould sin k away, earth groan ing from ben eath

them 5

The strong ho lds of the crue l m en should fall,

The ir temples an d the ir moun tain ous towersshouldfall 5

Till desolation seem’d a beautiful thin g,

An d all that'were an d had the spirit of life ,

Sang an ewsong to her.who had gon e forth,Con quering an d still to co n quer

[ALHADRA hurries of with the M oors the stage

fills with armed peasan ts,and servan ts, ZULI

MEZ an d VALDEZ at their head. VALDEZrushes in to ALVAR’S arms.

ALVAR.

Turn n ot thy face that way, my father hideO hide it from his eye

‘

Oh let thy joyFlow in unm ingled stream through thy first blessing.

[Both kn eel to VALDEZ.

H'

ere en ded the origin al draught of the play.—ED .

EPILOGUE TO REMORSE .

E P I LO G U E .

*

Written by the Au thor, an d spoken by M ISS SM I TH in

the character of TERESA.

Oh the pro crastin atin g idle rogue ,The Poe t has just sen t his Epilogue 5Ay,

’tis just like him — an d the -han d

[Poring over the man uscript.

The stickI cou ld as soon decipherArabicBut, hark my Wizard

’s

'

own po e tic elfBids me take courage , an d make on e myse lf

An he iress,an d with

'

sighin g Swain s In plen tyFrom bloom ing nin e teen to full- blown five - an d

twen ty,Life beating high, an d youth upon the win g,A six years’ absen ce was a heavy thingHeavy —n ay, le t

’s de scribe thin gs as they are ,With sen se an d n ature ’twas at open warM ere affectation to b e singular.

Yet ere you overflow in con demn ation,

Thin k first o f poor Tere sa’s education 5M id moun tain s wild, n ear billow—beaten rocks ,

Prin ted in the M orn in g Chron ic le, Thursday, J an uary28 , 18 13 .

EPILOGUE TO REM ORSE . 159

Where sea-

gale s play’d with her dishevel’d locks

,

Bred in the spot where first to light she sprun g,With n o Academ ie s for ladie s youn gAcademieS

'

— (swe e t phrase that we ll may claimFrom Plato ’s sacred grove th

’appropriate n am e

NO morn in g visits , n o swee t waltzin g dan ce sAn d then for readin g— what b u t huge roman ce s

,

With as stiff m oral s, leavin g earth behin d ’em

,

As the brass - clasp’d,brass- c orn er’d boards that

bin d ’em .

Kn ights, chaste as brave,who strange adven ture s

seek,

An d faithfu l love s of ladie s , fair as meek 5Or sain tly herm its’ won der- raisin g acts

,

In stead o f— n ove ls foun ded upon factsWhich

,decen tly immoral

,have the art

To spare the blu sh,an d un dersap the heart

Oh, thin k of the se , an d hun dreds worse than

the se ,D ire disimprovin g disadvan tage s ,An d groun ds for pity, n o t for blame , you

’ll se e ,E

’

en in Tere sa’s six years’ con stan cy.

[Looking at the man uscript.

But stop what’s this P— Our Poe t bids m e say,

That he has woo ’d your fee lin gs in this PlayBy n o too real woe s, that make you groan ,

Re callin g kin dred griefs , perhaps your own ,

Ye t with n o image compen sate the m in d,Nor leave on e j oy formemory behin d .

He’

d wish n o loud laugh , from the sly, shrewd

sn eer,

160 EPILOGUE TO REM ORSE.

To un settle from your eye s the quie t tear

That Pity had brought, Wisdom would leavethere .

Now calm he waits your judgm en t (win ormiss),By n o loud plaudits saved, damn

’d by n o factious

hiss.

[Zapolya : A Christmas Tale , in Two Parts The Prelude

en titled The Usurper’ s Fortun e ; an d the Sequel en titled The

Usurper’s Fate . By S . T . Coleridge , Esq. Lon don : Prin tedfor Rest Fen n er, Patern o ster- row,

ADVERTISEMENT .

THE form of the fo llowin g dramatic po em is in humb leim itat ion of the W in ter’ s Tale of Shake spe are , exc ept

that I have c alled the first part a Pre lude in ste ad of a

first Ac t, as a som ewhat n e arer re semb lan c e to the

plan of the an c ie n ts, of which o n e spe c im e n is left u s

in the ZEschylean Trilogy of the Agam emn o n , the

O re stes , an d Eum e n ide s . Though a matter of form

m ere ly, ye t two plays , o n d iffe re n t periods of the sam e

tale , m ight s e em le ss b old, than an in terval of twe n tyyears b e twe e n a firs t an d se c o n d ac t . This is, however, in m ere ob ed ie n c e to c u stom . The effec t doe s

n ot, in reality, at all depe n d o n the t im e of the in terval 5b u t o n a very d ifferen t prin c iple . There are cases in

which an in terval of twe n ty hou rs b e twe e n the ac ts

wou ld have a worse efle c t ( i . e . re n der the imagin at ion le ss d isposed to take the po s itio n requ ired ) thantwe n ty years in o ther case s . For the rest, I shall b ewell c on te n t if my readers will take it up, read an d

judge it, as a Christmas tale .

CHARACTERS .

EMER ICK, Usurping King of I llyria.

RAAB KI UPRI LI , an Illyrian Chieftain .

CAS IM I R , Son of KI UPR I LI .CHEF RAGOZ Z I , a M ilitary Comman der.

ZAPOLYA, Q ueen of I llyria.

166 ZAPOLYA. [PRELUDE.

For ceremon ious due s . The summon in g drum ,

Th’ air- shatterin g trumpe t, an d the horseman ’s

clatter,

Are in sults to a dying sovere ign’s ear.

Soldiers,’tis we ll re tire your Gen eral greets

you ,

His loyal fe llow-warriors . [Guards retire.

RAGOZZI .

Pardon my surprise .

sudden from the camp, an d un atten dedmay the se won ders prophe sy P

KIUPRILI .

Tell me first,

How fare s the kin g ? His maje sty still live s ?

RAGOZZI .

We kn ow n o o therwise 5 b ut Emerick’s frien ds

(An d n on e but they approach him) scoff at hope .

KIUPRILI .

Ragozzi I have rear’d the e from a child

,

An d as a child I have rear’

d the e . When ce this airOf mystery ? That face was won t to openClear as the morn in g to me

,showing all things.

Hide n othing from m e .

RAGOZZI .

0 mo st loved,most hon our’d ,

The mystery that struggle s in my looksBetray

’d my who le tale to the e , if it told thee

That I am ign oran t 5 b ut fear the worst.An d mystery is con tagious . All things here

SC . I .] ZAPOLYA. 167

Are full of motion : an d yet all is silen tAn d b ad men

’s hope s in fect the good with fears .

KIUPR ILI (his han d to his heart) .

I have tremblin g proof within how true thousp eak

’st.

RAGOZZI .

That the prin ce Emerick feasts the soldiery,Give s splen did arm s

,pays the comman ders’ debts

An d (it is whisp er’d) by sworn prom ises

Make s him se lf debtor— hearin g this , thou hastheard

All (then in a subdued an d sadden ed voice. )But what my lord will learn too soon him self.

KIUPRILI .

Ha ! well then , let it“com e ! Worse scarce c an

com e .

This le tter written by the trembling han dOf royal An dreas calls m e from the campT0 his imm ediate pre sen ce . It appo in ts me ,The Queen ,

an d Em erick, guardian s of the realm

An d of the royal in fan t . Day by day,Rob b

’d of Zapo lya

’s so o thin g care s, the kin g

Yeam s on ly to beho ld on e precious boon ,An d with his life breathe forth a father’s ble ssin g.

RAGOZZI .

Rem ember you ,my lord that Hebrew leech

Who se face so much distemper’

d you ?

KIUPRILI .

Barzon i P

168 ZAPOLYA. [PRELUDE .

I held him for a spy 5 but the proof failing

(More courteously, I own , than pleased myse lf),I sen t him from the camp.

RAGOZZI .

To him in chief

Prin ce Emerick trusts his royal brother’s health .

KIUPRILI .

Hide n othin g, I con jure you What of him ?

RAGOZZI .

With pomp of words beyon d a soldier’s cun n ing,An d shrugs an d wrin kled brow,

he sm ile s an dwhispers 5

Talks in dark words of women ’s fan cie s 5 hin tsThat ’twere a useless an d a crue l zealTo rob a dying man o f any hope ,However vain , that soothe s him an d, in fin e

Den ie s all chan ce of offspring from the Queen .

KIUPRILI.

The ven omous sn ake My hee l was on its head,An d (fool I did n ot crush it

RAGOZZI .

Nay, he fearsZapolya will n ot long survive her husban d.

KIUPRILI .

Man ife st treason Even this brief de lay

Half make s me an accomplice (If he live ,)[l s moving toward thepalace.

If he but live an d kn ow m e , all may


Did my King love m e ? Did I earn his love ?

Have we embraced as bro thers would embrace ?

Was I his arm,his thun der

- bo lt P An d n ow

Must I,hag

- ridden , pan t as in a dream POr, like an eagle , who se stron g win gs press upAgain st a co iling serpen t

’s fo lds, can IStrike but formockery, an d with re stle ss beakGore my Own breast P— Ragozzi, thou art faithful ?

RAGOZZI .

Here before Heaven I dedicate my faithTo the royal lin e o f An dreas .

KIUPRILI .

Hark , RagozziGuilt is a timorous thin g ere perpe trationDespair alon e make s wicked m en be bo ld.

Come thou with m e They have heard my voicein flight,

Have faced roun d,terror- struck

,an d fear

’d n o

longerThe whistling javelin s of the ir fe ll pursuers.Ha what is this P

[Blackfiag displayed from the tower of thePalace : a death- bell tolls

, 69 m

Vengean ce of heaven ! He is dead.

RAGOZZI .

At length then’tis an n oun ced . Alas I fear

,

That these black death - flags are b ut treason ’ssign als .

SC . I .] ZAPOLYA. 17 1

KIUPRILI (looking forwards anxiously) .A prophecy too soon fulfill’d See yon der0 ran k an d raven ous wo lve s the death- be ll echoesStill in the doleful air— an d se e they come .

RAGOZZI .

Precise an d faithful in the ir villain yEven to the m om en t that the master traitorHad pre

- ordain’d them .

KIUPR ILI .

Was it over haste,

Or is it scorn ,that in this race o f treason

The ir gu ilt thus drops its mask,an d blazon s forth

The ir in famous plot even to an idiot’s sen se ?

RAGOZZI .

Doubtle ss they deem Heaven too usurp’d

Heaven ’s ju sticeBought like them se lve s

[D uring this con versation music is heard,

first solemn an d fu n eral , an d then chang

ing to spirited an d triumphal.

Be ing equal all in crime,

Do you pre ss on , ye spo tted parricide s

For the on e sole pre - em in en ce yet doubtfu l ,The prize o f foremo st impuden ce in gu ilt ?

KIUPRILI .

The b ad man’s cun n in g still prepare s the way

For its own ou twitting. I applaud , Ragozzi

[Al using to himself, thenRagozzi, I applaud,

172 ZAPOLYA.- [PRELUDE .

In thee, the virtuous hope that dare s look onward

An d keeps the life - spark warm of future actionBen eath the cloak o f patien t sufferan ce .

Ac t an d appear, as time an d pruden ce promptthee

I shall n ot m iscon ce ive the part thou playest.M in e is an easier part— to brave the usurper.

[E n ter a procession of Emerick’s adheren ts,

n obles,chieftain s, an d soldiers

,with music.

They advan ce toward thefron t of the stage.KIUPRILI makes the sign al for them to

stop — The music ceases.

LEADER OF THE PROCESSION .

The Lord Kiuprili —We lcome from the camp.

KIUPRILI .

Grave magistrate s an d chieftain s of Illyria,In good time come ye hither, if ye comeAs loyal m en with ho n ourable purpo seTo mourn what can alon e b e mourn

’d 5 but chiefly

To en force the last comman ds of royal An dreasAn d shie ld the Queen , Zapo lya haply makingThe mother’s joy light up the widow

’s tears .

LEADER.

Our purpo se dein an ds speed. Grace our proces

sron 5A warrior be st will gree t a warlike king.

K-

IUPRILI .

This paten t written by your lawful king,

1 74 ZAPOLYA. [PRELUDE

Her coun ten an ce twice lighted up with glory,As if I had charm

’d a godde ss down from Heaven ?

But the se will flee abhorren t from the thron eOf usurpation

[M urmurs in crease— an d cries of Onward

Onward

Have you then thrown off shame,

An d shall n o t a dear frien d, a loyal subj ect,Throw Off all fear ? I tell ye , the fair trophiesValian tly wre sted from a valian t fo e

,

Love ’s n atural offerin gs to a rightfu l king,Will hang as ill on this u surpin g traitor,This bro ther- blight, this Em erick

,as robe s

Of gold pluck’d from the image s of gods

Upon a sacrilegious robber’s back .

D uring the lastfour lin es en ter Lord CASIMIR,with expression s of anger an d alarm.

CASIM IR.

Who is this factious in so len t,that dare s bran d

The elected Kin g, our cho sen Em erick ?

[Starts— then approaching with timid respect.My father

KIUPRILI (turn ing away ).

Casim ir He,he a traitor !

T OO soon , in deed, Ragozzi have I learn t it . [Aside

CASIMIR (with reveren ce) .

My father an d my lord

KIUPRILI .

I kn ow thee n ot

S C . ZAPOLYA. 175

LEADER.

Yet the rem embran cin g did soun d right filial .

KIUPRILI .

A holy n ame an d words of n atural dutyAre blasted by a than kle ss traitor’s utteran ce .

CASIM IR.

O hear m e,sire n o t lightly have I sworn

Homage to Em erick. Illyria’s sceptreDeman ds a man ly han d

,a warrior’s grasp .

The qu e en Zapo lya’

s se lf- expe cted OffspringAt least is doubtfu l an d of all our n oble s ,The king, in heritin g his bro ther

’s heart,Hath hon our’d us the mo st. Your ran k

,my lord

Already em in en t,is— all it can b e

Con firm’d an d m e the kin g

’s grace hath appoin tedChief Of his coun cil an d the lord high steward.

KIUPRILI .

(Bought by a bribe I kn ow thee n ow still le ss .

CASIM IR (struggling with his passion ).

So mu ch of Raab Kiuprili’s blo od flows here ,

That n o power, save that holy n am e of father,Could shield the man who so dishon our

’d m e .

KIUPRILI .

The son of Raab Kiuprili a bought bon d - slave ,Guilt’s pan der

,Treason ’s mouth- piece , a gay parrot,

School’d to shrill forth his fe eder’s usurp

’d title s ,

An d scream , Long live king Emerick

1 76 ZAPOLYA. [PRELUDE

LEADERS .

Ay, kin g Emerick !

Stan d back,my lord Lead us, or let us pass.

SOLDIER.

Nay, let the gen eral speak

SOLDIERS .

Hear him hearhim !

KIUPRILI .

Hearme,

Assembled lords an d warriors of Illyria,Hear, an d aven ge me Twice ten years have IStood in your pre sen ce , hon our

’d by the kin g 5

Be loved an d trusted . Is there on e among you

Accuse s Raab Kiuprili of a bribe P

Or on e false whisper in his sovere ign’s ear?

Who here dare s charge m e with an orphan ’s rightsOutfaced

,orwidow’s plea left un defen ded ?

An d shall I n ow b e bran ded by a traitor,A bought, bribed wre tch , who , be ing c all

’d my son ,

Doth libe l a chaste matron ’s n ame , an d plan tHen sban e an d acon ite on a mo ther’s grave ?The un derling accomplice o f a robber

,

That from a widow an d a widow’s o ffsprin gWould steal their heritage ? To God a rebel,An d to the common father o f his coun tryA recrean t ingrate

CASIM IR.

Sire your words grow dangerous.High -flown roman tic fan cie s ill- be seem

178 ZAPOLYA. [PRELUDE

KIUPRILI .

’Twould be st excuse him,

Were he thy son ,Prin ce Emerick. I abjure him.

EMERICK.

This is my than ks , then ,that I have commen ced

A re ign to which the free voice of the n oblesHath call

’d me , an d the people , by regards

Of love an d grace to Raab Kiuprili’s house .

KIUPRILI .

What right hadst thou , Prin ce Emerick, to bestowthem P

EMERICK.

By what right dare s Kiuprili que stion me ?

KIUPRILI .

By a right common to all loyal subjectsTo me a du ty As the realm ’s cO- regen t ,Appoin ted by our sovere ign

’s last free act,

Writ by him self. [Grasping the

EMERICK (with a con temptuous sneer).

Ayl— writ in a delirium

KIUPRILI .

I likewise ask, by who se authority

The access to the sovere ign was refused me ?

EMERICK .

By whose authority dared the gen eral leaveHis camp an d army, like a fugitive ?

SC . ZAPOLYA. 179

KIUPRILI .

A fugitive , who , with victory for his comrade ,Ran

, open - eyed,upon the face of death

A fugitive , with n o o ther fear, than bodem en tsTo b e be lated in a loyal purposeAt the comman d

,Prin ce of my king an d thin e ,

Hither I cam e 5 an d n ow again requireAudien ce of Que en Zapolya 5 an d (the State sForthwith con ven ed) that thou do st Show at large ,On what groun d of defect thou ’

st dared'

an n ulThis thy Kin g

’s last an d solemn ac t— hast dared

Ascen d the thron e , of which the law had n amed,An d con scien ce should have made thee a protector.

EMERICK.

A sovere ign’s ear ill brooks a subject’s que stion in g

Yet for thy past we ll - do in g— an d becau se’Tis hard to erase at on ce the fon d be liefLon g cherish

’d,that Illyria had in thee

No dreamin g prie st’s slave , b u t a Roman lover

Of her true weal an d freedom— an d for this , too ,That

,hoping to call forth to the broad day- light

An d fo stering breeze of glory all de servin gs,I still had placed thee foremo st.

KIUPRILI .

Prin ce I listen .

EMERICK.

Unwillin gly I tel l thee , that Zapolya,Madden

’

d with grief, her erring hope s proved idle


CASIM IR.

Sire ! speak the whole tru th ! Say, her‘

fraudsde tected !

EMERICK.

According to the sworn atte sts in coun cil

Of her physician

KIUPR ILI (aside).

Yes ! the J ew, Barzon i

EMERICK.

Un der the immin en t risk of death she lie s,Or irrecoverable loss of reason ,If kn own frien d’s face or voice ren ew the fren zy.

CASIM IR (to KIUPRILI).

Trust me , my lord a woman ’s trick has duped

YOU

Us too— but mo st of all the sain ted An dreas .Even for his own fair fam e

,his grace prays hourly

For herrecovery, that (the State s con ven ed)She may take coun se l of her frien ds .

EMERICK .

R ight, Casimir

Rece ive my pledge , lord gen eral . It shall stan dIn herown will to appear an d vo ice her claims 5Or (which in truth I ho ld the wiser course)With all the past pass

’

d by, as fam ily quarrels,Le t the Queen Dowager, with un b len ch

’d hon ours,

Resume her state , our first Illyrian matron .

I 82 ZAPOLYA. [PRELUDE

An d the blin d law of lin eage That whe ther

in fan t,

Orman matured,a wise man or an idiot,

Hero or n atural coward, shall have guidan ce

Of a free people ’s de stin y, should fall outIn the mere lo ttery of a reckless Nature ,Where few the prize s an d the blan ks are coun tless ?Or haply that a n ation ’s fate shou ld han gOn the bald acciden t of a m idwife ’s han dlingThe un closed suture s of an in fan t’s skull P

CASIM IR.

What be tter claim can sovere ign wish or_n eed

Than the free voice ofmen who love the ir coun try ?Tho se—chieflywho have fought for

’t ? who by right,Claim for the irmon arch on e , who havin g obey

’d,

So hath be st learn t to govern ; who havin g sufler’

d,

Can fee l for each brave sufferer, an d reward him?When ce spran g the n ame of Emperor ? Was it n otBy Nature ’s fiat P In the storm o f triumph ,’Mid warriors’ shouts

,did her oracu lar vo ice

Make itse lf heard Let the comman din g SpiritPossess the station of comman d

KIUPRILI .

Prin ce Emerick,Your cause will pro sper be st in your own pleading.

EMERICK (aside to CASIM IR).

Ragozziwas thy schoo l-mate— a bo ld spiritBin d him to us l—Thy father thaws apace

[Then aloud.

s o . ZAPOLYA. 183

Leave us awhile , my lord —Your frien d , Ragozzi,Whom you have n o t yet seen sin ce his re turn ,Comman ds the guard to - day.

[CASIM IR retires to the Guard-house and

after a time appears before it with CHEFRAGOZZI .

We are alon e .

What further pledge or proof de sires Kiuprili PThen , with your assen t

KIUPR ILI .

M istake n ot for assen tThe un quie t silen ce of a stern re solveThrottlin g the impatien t vo ice . I have heard thee ,

Prin ce

An d I have watch’d thee , too 5 but have small

A plausible tal e told with a flittin g eye .

[EMERICK turn s as about to callfor the Guard.

In the n ext momen t I am in thy power,In this thou art in m in e Stir but a step ,Ormake on e sign —I swear by this good sword ,Thou die st that in stan t.

EMERICK.

Ha,ha — Well

,sir — Con clude your hom ily.

KIUPRILI (in a somewhat suppressed

voice) .

A tale which, whe ther true or false , com e s guarded

Again st all m ean s of proof, de tects itself.

TheQueen mew’d up—this too from anxious care


An d love brought forth of a sudden , a twin birthWith thy discovery of her plot to rob thee

Of a rightful thron e —Mark how the scorpion,

falsehood,

Coils roun d in its own perplexity, an d fixe sI ts sting in its own head

EMERICK.

Ay to the mark !

KIUPRILI (aloud : he and EMERICK stand

ing at egui—distan cefrom the Palace

and the Guard- house).

Hadst thou believed thin e own tale , hadst thoufan cied

Thyse lf the rightful successor of An dreas,Wouldst thou have pilfer

’d from our school- boys’

theme sThe se shallow sophism s of a popular choice ?What people P How con ven ed ? or, if con ven ed,Must n ot the magic power that charm s toge therM illion s of men in coun cil, n eeds have powerTo win or wie ld them P Be tter, 0 far be tterShout forth thy title s to yon circling moun tain s,An d with a thousan d- fo ld reverberationMake the rocks flatter thee , an d the volleying air,Un bribed, shout back to thee , King Emerick !By whole some laws to emban k the sovere ign power,To deepen by re strain t, an d by preven tionOf lawle ss will, to amass an d guide the flo odIn its maje stic chan n e l, is man

’s task

I 86 ZAPOLYA. [PRELUDE

Of laurel- leaves looks green er an d more sparklingThro’ the gray olive - bran ch 5 if the se , Prin ce

EmerickGive the true title to the thron e , n ot thouN0 ! (let Illyria, let the in fide l en emyBe judge an d arbiter be tween us I ,I were the rightful sovere ign

EMERICK.

I have faithThat thou both think’st an d hopest it. FairZapolya,A providen t lady

KIUPRILI.

Wretch ben eath all an swer

EMERICK.

Offers at on ce the royal b ed an d thron e

KIUPRILI.

To b e a kingdom’s bu lwark

,a king

’s glory,Yet loved by both, an d trusted, an d trust-worthy,Is more than to b e king 5 but see thy rageFights with thy fear. I will re lieve thee Ho

[To the Guard.

EMERICK.

Not for thy sword, b u t to en trap thee , ruflianThus long I have listen

’d— Guard—ho from the

palace .

[The Guard post from the Guard- house with

CHEF RAGOZZI at their head,and then a

n umberfrom the Palace— CHEF RAGOZZI . de

mands KIUPRILI’s sword an d apprehen ds him.

s e . L ] ZAPOLYA. 187

CASIM IR.

O agon y

(ToSire , hearm e

(To KIUPRILI , _ who turn sfrom him. )Hear m e

,father !

EMERICK.

Take in arre st that traitor an d assassin

Who pleads for his life , strike s at m in e , his sovere ign

’s .KIUPRILI .

As the CO- regen t of the realm ,I stan d

Amen able to n on e save to the State sMet in du e course of law. But ye

'

are bon d- slaves ,Yet witn e ss ye that before God an d man

I here imp each Lord Emerick of foul treason ,

An d on stron g groun ds attain t him with suspicionOfmurder

EMERICK.

Hen ce with the madman

KIUPRILI .

Your Queen ’s murder,The Royal orphan ’s murder : an d to the deathDefy him

,as a tyran t an d usurper.

[ff urried of by RAGOZZI an d the Guard.

EMERICK.

Ere“

twice the sun hath risen ,by my sceptre

This in solen ce shall b e avenged .

CASIM IR.

O ban ish him


This in famy will crush me . O formy sake ,Ban ish him

,my liege lord

EMERICK (scornfully).

What P to the army ?Be calm

,young frien d Nought shall b e don e in

anger.

The child o ’erpowers the man . In this emergenceI must take coun se l for us bo th . Re tire .

[Exit CASIM IR in agitation .

EMERICK (alon e, looks at a Calen dar).

The changefu l plan e t, n ow in her decay,Dips down at m idn ight, to b e seen n o more .

With her shall sin k the en emie s of Emerick,Cursed by the last look of the wan in g moon

An d my bright de stin y, with sharpen’d horn s

,

Shall greet me fearle ss in the n ew- born crescen t.

[Exit

SCENE II .

Changes to an other view,n amely ,

the back ofthe Palace— a wooded park an d moun tain s.

E n ter ZAPOLYA, with an infan t in arms .

ZAPOLYA.

Hush,dear on e hush my trembling arm disturbsthee

Thou, the protector of the he lple ss thou,

The widow’s husban d an d the orphan ’s father,

190 ZAP YA. [PRELUDE

Tyran t I owe thee than ks , an d in good hourWill I repay thee , for that thou thought

’st me too

A serviceable villain . Could I n owBut gain some sure in te lligen ce of the queenHeaven bless an d guard her

ZAPOLYA (comingfearfully forward )Art thou n ot Ragozzi?

RAGOZZI .

The Queen ! Now then the m iracle is fullI see Heaven ’s wisdom is an over—matchFor the devil’s cun n ing. This way, madam,

haste

ZAPOLYA.

Stay ! Oh, n o Forgive m e if I wron g theeThis is thy sovere ign

’s child Oh, pity us,An d b e n ot treacherous

RAGOZZI (raising her) .

Madam ! formercy’s sake

ZAPOLYA.

But tyran ts have a hun dred eye s an d arms

RAGOZZI .

Take courage , madam’Twere too horrible ,

(I can n ot do’t) to swear I

’m n o t a mon ster

Scarce had I barr’d the door on Raab Kiuprili

ZAPOLYA.

Kiuprili How ?RAGOZZI.

There is n ot time to te ll it,

S C . ZAPOLYA. 19 1

The tyran t call’d me to him ,

praised my zeal

(And b e assured I overtopt his cun n in gAn d seem

’

d right zealous . ) But time waste s in

fin e,

Bids me de spatch my trustie st frien ds, as couriersWith le tters to the army. The thought at on ceFlash

’

d on me . I disguised my prison er

ZAPOLYA.

What,Raab KiupriliP

RAGOZZI .

Yes my n oble gen eralI sen t him off, with Emerick’s own pacque t,Haste , an d post haste—prepared to follow him

ZAPOLYA.

Ah,how P Is it j oy or fearP my limbs seem

sin kin g

RAGOZZI (supporting her) .

Heaven still b e - frien ds us . I have left my charger,A gen tle beast an d flee t, an d my boy

’s mule ,On e that can sho o t a pre cipice like a bird ,Just where the wood begin s to climb the moun tain s .

The course we ’ll thread will m ock the tyran t’s

gue sse s ,Or scare the followers . Ere we reach the main

roadThe Lord Kiuprili will have sen t a troopTO e scort m e . Oh, thrice happy when he fin ds

The treasure which I con voy


ZAPOLYA.

On e brief moment,

That praying for strength I may have strength.

This babe ,Heaven ’s eye is on it, an d its in n ocen ceIs

,as a prophe t’s prayer, stron g an d prevailing

Through thee , dear babe , the in spiring thought

po ssess’d me ,

When the loud clamour rose , an d all the palaceEmptied itself— ( they sought my life , RagozziLike a swift shadow glidin g, I made wayTo the de serted chamber of my lord

(Then to the infan t.)An d thou didst kiss thy father’s life less lips

,

An d in thy he lple ss han d, sweet slumbererStill c lasp

’d’st the Sign e t of thy royalty.

As I removed the seal, the heavy armDropt from the couch aslan t

,an d the stiff finger

Seem’d po in ting at my fe e t. Providen t Heaven

LO I was stan din g o n the secre t door,Which, through a lon g de scen t where all soun d

perishes ,Led out beyon d the palace . We ll I kn ew itBut An dreas framed it n ot He was n o tyran t

RAGOZZI .

Haste , madam Let m e take this precious burden

[He kn eels as he takes the child.

ZAPOLYA.

Take him An d if we b e pursued, I charge thee,

ZA PO LY A .

THE SEQ UEL ENTITLED

FATE.

”

USURPER’S

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS.

O LD BATHORY, a M oun tain eer.

BETHLEN BAT HORY, the young Prin ce An dreas , supposed sonof Old BATHORY .

LORD RU DO LPH , a Courtier , but frien d to the Quee n’s party.

LASKA, S teward to CAS IM IR , betrothed to G LYC I NE.

an Assassin , in EMER I CK’S emp loy .

LADY SARO LTA, Wif e of LORD CAS IM I R .

G LYCI NE, Orphan Daughter of CHEF BAGOZZ I .

Between theflight of the Q u een , an d the civil war which immediately fo l lowed, an d in which EMER ICK remain ed the

victor, a space of twen ty years is supposed to have elapsed.

This n am e is b orrowed from Schiller’s “ Death Of Wal

len stein (see vol. iii . pp . 359 ,—ED .

198 ZAPOLYA. [ACT 1.

GLYCINE.

There

[Poin ting to Bathmy’s dwelling. SAROLTA an

swering, poin ts to where she then stands.

SAROLTA.

Here For on this spot Lord Casim irTook his last leave . On yon dermoun tain - ridgeI lo st the m isty image which so lon gLinger

’d, or seem

’d at least to lin ger on it.

GLYCINE .

An dWhat if even n ow,on that same ridge ,

A speck should rise , an d still en larging, lengthen ing,As it clomb downwards

,shape itse lf at last

To a n umerou s cavalcade , an d spurring foremost,Who but Sarolta’s own dear lord return ’

d

From his high embassy ?

SAROLTA.

Thou hast hit my thoughtAll the long day, from ye ster—mom to even ing,The restle ss hope flutter’d abou t my heart.

Oh we are qu eru lous creature s Little le ssThan all things can suffice to make us happy

An d little more than n o thin g is en oughTO discon ten t us.

— Were he come , then should I

Repin e he had n ot arrived just on e day earlier

T0 ke ep his birth- day here , in his own birth - place .

GLYCINE .

But our be st sports be like , an d gay proce ssion s

ACT ZAPOLYA. 199

Would to my lord have se em’

d but work- day sightsCompared with those the royal court affords .

SAROLTA .

I have small wish to see them . A spring morn in gWith its wild gladsome m in stre lsy o f birds,An d its bright j ewelry of flowers an d dew- drops

(Each orbed drop an orb of glory in it)Would put them all in e clipse . This swee t re tire

m en tLord Casim ir’s wish alon e would have made sacredBut

,in good truth, his lovin g j ealousy

Did but comman d what I had e lse en treated .

GLYCINE .

An d yet had I been born Lady Sarolta,Been wedded to the n oble st o f the realm ,

SO beautifu l be side s, an d yet so state ly

SAROLTA.

Hush in n ocen t fiatterer

GLYCINE .

Nay to my poor fan cy

The royal court wou ld seem an earthly heaven ,Made for such stars to shin e in ,

an d b e graciou s .

SAROLTA.

SO d o th the ign oran t distan ce still de lude u s

Thy fan cied heaven ,dear girl, like that above thee ,

In its mere se lf a cold, drear, colourle ss vo id,Seen from be low an d in the large , become s

The bright blue ether, an d the seat of gods


Well ! but this broil that scared you from the

dan ceAn d was n o t Laska there— he , your betrothed ?

GLYCINE.

Yes, madam he was there . So was the maypole,Forwe dan ced roun d it.

SAROLTA.

Ah,Glycin e

Why did you then be troth yourse lf ?

GLYCINE .

BecauseMy own dear lady wish’

d it ’twas you ask

’d me

SAROLTA.

Yes,at my lord

’s reque st, b ut n ever wish’d,

My po or affection ate girl, to se e thee wretched.

Thou kn ow’st n ot ye t the du tie s of a wife .

GLYCINE .

Oh, yes It is a wife ’s chief duty,madam I

To stan d in awe Of her husban d,an d Obey

An d,I am sure , I n ever shall see Laska

But I shall tremble .

SAROLTA.

No t with fear,I thin k

,

For you still mock him . Bring a seat from the

co ttage .

[Exit GLYCINE in to the cottage, SAROLTA eon

tin n es her speech loching after her.

Something above thy ran k there han gs about thee ,

202 ZAPOLYA. [ACT

LASKA (to BATHORY).

We have n o con cern with you What n eeds your

pre sen ce

BATHORY.

What Do you thin k I ’ll suffermy brave boyTo b e slan der

’

d by a set Of coward rufiian s,An d leave it to the irmalice ,— yes, m ere maliceT0 tell its own tale

[LASKA an d servan ts how to Lady SAROLTA,

SAROLTA.

Laska What may this mean ?

LASKA (pompously , as commen cing a set speech).

Madam an d may it please your ladyshipThis Old man

’s son ,by n am e Bethlen Bathory,

Stan ds charged, on we ighty eviden ce , that he ,On ye ster—eve , be ing his lordship

’s birth- day,

Did traitorou sly defame Lord Casim irThe lord high steward of the realm ,

moreover

SAROLTA.

Be brief we kn ow his title s

LASKA.

An d moreoverRaved like a traitor at our liege Kin g Emerick.

An d furthermore , said witn e sse s make oath,Led on the assau lt upon his lordship’s servan tsYea

,in so len tly tore from this your hun tsman

His badge of livery of your n oble house,

An d trampled it in scorn .

ACT I ZAPOLYA. 203

(to the servan ts who mf er to speak).

You have had your spoke smanWhere IS the youn g man thus accused

BATHORY.

I kn ow n o t

But if n o ill be tide him on the moun tain s ,He will n ot long b e absen t

SAROLTA.

Thou art his fatherP

BATHORY.

Non e everwith more reason prized a son

Yet I hate falsehood more than I love him .

But more than on e,n ow in my lady

’s pre sen ce ,Witn ess’d the affray

,be side s the se men of malice 3

An d if I swerve from truth

GLYCINE.

Ye s good old man

My lady pray believe him

SAROLTA.

Hush,Glycin e

Be silen t,I comman d you .

(Then to BATHORY. )Speak we hear you

BATHORY.

My tale is brief. Durin g our fe stive dan ce ,Your servan ts

,the accusers of my son ,

Offer’d gross in sults, in unman ly sort ,

To our village maiden s . He (could he do le ss ? )


Rose in defen ce of ou traged modesty,An d so persuasive did his cudge l prove ,

(Your hectorin g sparks so over brave to womenAre always cowards) that they soon took flight,An d n ow in m ere revenge , like baffled boasters, .

Have framed this tale , ou t of some hasty wordsWhich the ir own threats provoked .

SAROLTA.

Old man you talkToo blun tly ! Did your son owe n o respectTo the livery of our house P

BATHORY.

Even such respectAs the sheep’s skin should gain for the hot wolf

That hath begun ! to worry the poor lambs

LASKA.

Old in solen truffian

GLYCINE.

Pardon ! pardon , madam !

I saw the who le affray. The good old man

M ean s n o offen ce , swee t lady — You , yourself,Laska kn ow we ll, that the se men were the ruf

fian s

Shame on you

SAROLTA (speahs with afi eted anger).

What Glycin e P go , re tire

[Exit GLYCINE mournfully.

Be it then that these m en faulted . Yet yourself,Or be tter still belike the maiden s"paren ts ,

206 ZAPOLYA. [ACT I .

SAROLTA.

Brutal aggressors first, then baffled dastards,That they have sought to piece out the ir revengeWith a tale of words lured from the lips of angerStamps them mo st dan gerous an d till I wan tFit mean s forwicked en ds , we shall n ot n eedThe ir service s . Discharge them You

,Bathory

,

Are hen ceforth of my househo ld I shall place youNear my own person . When your son re turn s

,

Presen t him to us.

BATHORY.

Ha what strangers here !What bu sin e ss have they in an o ld man

’s eye ?Yourgoodn ess, lady— an d it came so suddenI can n o t—must n ot— let you b e dece ived.

I have yet an other tale , but

(Then to SAROLTA aside. )—n ot for all ears

SAROLTA.

I oft have pass’d your co ttage , an d still praised

Its beauty, an d that trim orchard - plot,who se blos

somsThe gusts of April shower

’d aslan t its thatch.

Come , you shall show it m e An d, while you bid itFarewe ll, b e n ot ashamed that I shou ld Witn ess

Refers to the tearwhich he feels starting in his eye . The

following lin e was b orrowed u n con sc iously from Mr. Words

worth’s Excursion . [Note by S . T . C .]

ACT I . ] ZAPOLYA. 207

The oil of gladn ess glitterin g on the waterOf an ebbing grief.

[BATHORY bowing, shows her in to his cottage.

LASKA'

(alon e).

Vexation baffled school’

d

H0 Laska wake why ? what can all this mean ?She sen t away that cockatrice in anger

Oh the false witch It is to o plain ,she love s him .

An d n ow,the o ld man n earmy lady

’s person,

She ’ll see this Bethlen hourly

[LASKAflings himself in to the seat.

GLYCINE peeps in timidly .

GLYCINE .

Laska ! LaskaIs my lady gon e P

LASKA (surlily).

Gon e .

GLYCINE.

Have you yet seen him P

Is he return’

d P [LASKA starts up from his seat.

Has the seat stung you , Laska ?

No,serpen t ! n o 5 you

What you would

Bethlen Bethlen

LASKA.

’tis you that stin g me

cling to him again P

GLYCINE.

Whom P

LASKA.

208,

ZAPOLYA. [ACT 1.

Yes gaze as if your very eye s embraced him !Ha ! you forget the scen e of ye sterdayMute ere he came , but then— Out on yourscreams,An d your pretended fears

GLYCINE.

Your fears,at least

,

Were real,Laska

"

! or your tremblin g limbsAn d white cheeks play

’d the hypocrites most vilely

LASKA.

I fear whom P what P

GLYCINE .

I kn ow what I shouldWere I in Laska’s place .

LASKA.

What P

GLYCINE.

My own con scien ce ,For having fed my j ealousy an d en vyWith a plot, made out of o therm en

’s revenges,Again st a brave an d in n ocen t youn g man

’s lifeYe t

, yet, pray te ll me

LASKA

You will kn ow too soon .

GLYCINE .

Would I could fin d my lady though she chid meYe t this suspen se

2 10 ZAPOLYA. [ACT I .

An d say her n ay ? As far back as I wot of

All her comman ds were gracious , swe et requests.How could it b e then , but that her requestsMust n eeds have soun ded to me as comman ds ?An d as for love

,had I a score of love s,

I ’d keep them all formy

‘

dear,kin d, good mistress.

LASKA.

No t on e forBethlen P

GLYCINE.

Oh that’s a differen t thing.

To b e sure he ’s brave , an d han dsome , an d so piousTo his good old father. But for loving himNay

,there , in deed you are m istaken ,

Laska !Poor youth I rather thin k I grieve for him

For I sigh so deeply when I thin k of himAn d if I see him , the tears come in my eyes, .An d my heart beats an d all becau se I dream’

d

That the war- wo lf had gored him as he hun tedIn the haun ted fore st

LASKA.

You dare own all this ?Your lady will n ot warran t prom ise - breach.

M in e, pamper’d m iss you shall b e 3 an d I

’ll make

you

Grieve for him with a vengean ce . Odd’s, myfingers

Tingle already [Mahes threaten ing signs.

For the b est accou n t of the War-wolf or Lycan thropus,

see Brayton’s M con - calf.

ACT ZAPOLYA. 2 1 1

GLYCINE. (aside).Ha Bethlen com ing this way 1

[GLYC INE then cries out as if afraid of being

save me save me Pray don ’t kill me,Laska

E n ter BETHLEN in a Hun ting D ress.

BETHLEN .

What,beat a woman

LASKA (to GLYCINE) .

O you cockatriceBETHLEN .

Unman ly dastard,ho ld

LASKA (pompously ).

Do you chan ce to kn owWho— I— am

,sirP howblack he looks

BETHLEN .

I have started man y stran ge beasts in my tim e ,

But n on e le ss like a man than this before m eThat lifts his han d again st a tim id female .

LASKA.

Bo ld youth she ’s m in e .

GLYCINE.

No n o t my master

But on ly is to b e an d all, because

Two years ago my lady ask’d me , an d

I prom ised her, n ot him an d if she ’ll let me ,I’ll hate you , my lord

’s steward.

2 12 ZAPOLYA. [ACT 1.

BETHLEN .

Hush,Glycin e !

GLYCINE.

Ye s,I do, Bethlen ; for he just n ow brought

False witn e sse s to swear away your lifeYour life , an d old Bathory

’s to o .

BETHLEN .

Bathory’

s

Where is my father? An swer, or Ha ! gon e !

[LASKA during this time retiresfrom the Stage.

if

GLYCINE.

Oh, heed n ot him I saw you pressing onwardAn d did b ut fe ign alarm . Dear gallan t youth,It is your life they seek

BETHLEN .

My life

GLYCINE .

Lady Saro lta even

BETHLEN .

She do e s n o t kn ow me !

GLYCINE .

Oh that she did she could n o t then have spokenWith such stern coun ten an ce . But though she

spurn me ,I will kn ee l, Be thlen

stin ks of the stage , usin g threaten ing gestures to Glycin e.

18 1 7 .


E n terfrom the Cottage SAROLTA and BATHORY.

SAROLTA.

Go, seek your son I n eed n ot add , b e speedyYou here , Glycin e P [Exit BATHORY.

GLYCINE.

Pardon , pardon ,madam

I f you but saw the old man’s son

,you would n ot,

You could n ot have him harm’

d .

SAROLTA.

Be calm,Glycin e !

GLYCINE.

No , I shall break my heart. [Sohhing

SAROLTA (tahing her han d ).

Ha is it so ?

O strange an d hidden power of sympathy,

That of like fate s, though all un kn own to each,Dostmake blin d in stin cts, orphan

’s heart to orphan ’sDrawing by dim disqu ie t

'

!

GLYCINE.

Old BathorySAROLTA.

Seeks his brave son . Come , wipe away thy tears.Yes, in good truth, Glycin e , this same BethlenSeems a most n oble an d de servin g youth.

GLYCINE.

My lady does n ot mock me P

SAROLTA.

Where is Laska PHas he n ot told thee P

ACT L] ZAPOLYA. 2 15

GLYCINE.

No thin g. In his fearAnger, I mean— stole off— I am so flutter’dLeft me abruptly

SAROLTA.

His shame excuse s himHe is somewhat hardly task’d ; an d in dischargingHis own tools, con s a le sson for him self.Bathory an d the youth hen ceforward liveSafe in my lord

’s protection .

GLYCINE.

The sain ts ble ss you

Shame on my grace le ss heart How dared I fearLady Sarolta could b e crue l ?

SAROLTA.

Be yourself, girl !GLYCINE.

O ,

’tis so full here ! (at her heart. )

An d n ow it can n ot harm him if I te ll you,That the old man ’s son

SAROLTA.

Is n ot that old man’s son

A destin y, n o t un like thin e own , is his.

Forall I kn ow of thee is, that thou art

A soldier’s orphan : left when rage in te stin e

Shook an d engulph’d the pillars of Illyria.

This otherfragmen t, thrown back by that same

earthquake ,This

,so mysteriously in scribed by Nature,


Perchan ce may piece ou t an d in terpre t thin e .

Comman d thyself Be secre t His true fatherHear’st thou ?

GLYCINE (eagerly).

0 te ll

BETHLEN (who had overheard the lastfew words,n ow rushes out).

Yes,te ll m e

,shape from heaven

Who is my fatherP

SAROLTA (gazing with surprise).

Thin e P thy father? rise

GLYCINE.

Alas he hath alarm’d you ,

my dear lady

SAROLTA.

His coun ten an ce,n o t his ac t

GLYCINE.

Rise , Bethlen

BETHLEN .

No 3 kn ee l thou to o an d with thy orphan ’s tonguePlead forme I am roo ted to the earth

,

An d have n o power to rise Give m e a fatherThere is a prayer in tho se uplifted eye sThat seeks high Heaven But I will overtake it,An d bring it back, an d make it plead formeIn thin e own heart Speak speak Restore to

me

A n ame in the world


GLYCINE.

Madam,that wood is haun ted by the war-wolves,

Vampire s,an d mon strous

SAROLTA (with a smile).

Moon - calve s, credulous girl !Haply some o

’ergrown savage of the fore st

Hath his lair there , an d fear hath framed the rest.

(Then speaking again to BETHLEN. )After that last great battle , (0 youn gman !Thou wakest an ew my life

’s sole anguish) thatWhich fix’d Lord Emerick on his thron e , BathoryLed by a cry, far inward from the track,In the ho llow of an oak, as in a n e st

,

Did fin d thee , Bethlen , then a he lple ss babe .

The robe that wrapp’d thee , was a widow

’s man tle.

BETHLEN .

An in fan t’s weakn ess do th relax my frame .

0 say— I fear to ask

SAROLTA.

An d I to te ll thee .

BETHLEN .

S trike O strike quickly See, I do n ot shrink.

[Strihing his breast.I am ston e , cold ston e .

SAROLTA.

Hid in a brake hard by,Scarce by both palms supported from the earth,A woun ded lady lay, whose life fast wan ing

ACT I ZAPOLYA. 2 19

Seem’d to survive itse lf in her fixt eye s ,

That strain’

d towards the babe . At len gth on e arm

Pain fully from her own we ight disen gagin g,She po in ted firs t to heaven ,

then from her bosomDrew forth a go lden caske t . Thu s e n treatedThy fo ster- father took thee in his arm s

,

An d kn e e lin g spake If aught of this world’s

comfortCan reach thy heart, re ce ive a poorman ’s troth.

That at my life’s risk I will save thy child

Her coun ten an ce work’d , as on e that seem’

d pre

parin gA loud voice , but it died upon her lips

In a fain t whisper, Fly save him hide— hideall ? 7

BETHLEN .

An d did he leave her ? What , had I a mother?

An d left her bleedin g, dyin g P Bought I vile life

With the de sertion of a dyin g mother P

Oh agon yGLYCINE.

Alas thou art b ewilder’d ,

And dost forge t thou wert a he lple ss in fan t

BETHLEN .

What e lse c an I rem ember, but a mother

Mangled an d left to perish P

SAROLTA.

Hush , Glycin e

It is the groun d- swell of a teem ing in stin ct

Let it but lift itse lf to air an d sun shin e ,


An d it will fin d a m irror in the watersIt n ow make s boil above it. Check him n ot

BETHLEN .

O that I were diffused amon g the watersThat pierce in to the secre t depths of earth,An d fin d the irway in darkn e ss Would that ICould spread myself upon the homele ss win ds !An d I wou ld seek her ! for she is n o t deadShe can n o t die O pardon , graciou s ladyYou were abou t to say, that he return

’d

SAROLTA.

De ep Love,the godlike in us

,still believes

Its obj ects as immortal as itself I

BETHLEN.

An d foun d her still

SAROLTA.

Alas he did re turn ,

He left n o spo t un search’d in all the fore st,Bu t she (I tru st m e by som e frien dly han d)Had be en born e off.

BETHLEN .

O whitherP

GLYC INE .

Deare st BethlenI wou ld that you could we ep like me O do n o t

Gaze so upon the air

SAROLTA (con tin uing the story ).

While he was absen t,

2 22 ZAP -0LYA. [ACT 1.

That in each n oble deed , achieved or suffer’d

Thou solvest best the riddle of thy birthAn d may the light that stream s from thin e own

hon ourGuide thee to that thou seeke st

GLYCINE.

Must he leave us ?BETHLEN .

An d for such goodn e ss can I re turn n othingBut some ho t tears that stin g m in e eye s ? some

sighsThat if n ot breathed would swe ll my heart to

stifling PMay heaven an d thin e own virtues, high- b om lady,Be as a shie ld o f fire

,far

,far aloof

To scare all evil from thee Yet,if fate

Hath de s tin ed thee on e doubtfu l hour of danger,From the uttermo st region of the earth, methinks,Swift as a spirit in voked, I should b e with thee !

An d then , perchan ce , I m ight have power to umbo som

The se than ks that struggle here . Eye s fair as thin eHave gazed on me with tears of love an d anguish,Which these eye s saw n o t

, or behe ld un con scious 3An d ton e s of anxious fon dn ess

,passion ate prayers,

Have been talk’d to me But this tongue n e’

er

soothed

A mother’s ear, lisping a mother’s n ameO ,

at how dear a price have I been lovedAn d n o love could return On e boon then , lady

ACT ZAPOLYA 2 23

Where’

er thou b idd’

st,I go thy faithful so ldier,

But first must trace the spo t where she lay bleedingWho gave m e life . No m ore shall beast of ravin eAffron t with baser spoil that sacred fore st

Or if aven gers more than human haun t there ,Take they what shape they list

,savage or heaven ly

,

They shall make an swer to me , though my heart’s

blood

Should b e the spell to bin d them . Blood calls forblood [Exit BETHLEN.

SAROLTA.

Ah it was this I fear’d . To ward off thisDid I withhold from him that o ld Bathory

Return ing, hid ben eath the se lf- same oak,

Where the babe lay, the man tle,an d some j ewe l

Boun d on his in fan t arm .

GLYCINE.

Oh, le t me fly

An d stop him Mangled limbs do there lie scat

ter’d

Till the lured eagle bears them to her n est

An d voice s have been heard An d there the plan t

growsThat be in g eaten give s the in human wizard

Power to put on the fe ll hyaen a’s shape .

SAROLTA.

What idle tongue hath b ewitch’d thee , Glycin e

I hoped that thou hadst learn t a n obler faith .


GLYCINE.

O chide me n ot,dear lady 3 question Laska,

Or the o ld man .

SAROLTA.

Forgive me , I spake harshly.

It is in deed a m ighty sorceryThat do th en thral thy youn g heart, my poor girl.An d what hath Laska to ld thee P

GLYCINE.

Three days pastA courier from the kin g did cro ss that wood 3A wilfu l man

,that arm ’d him self on purpo se

An d n ever hath be en heard of from that time

[Soun d of horn s without.

SAROLTA.

Hark do st thou hear it ?

GLYCINE .

’Tis . the soun d of horn s !

Our hun tsmen are n ot out

SAROLTA.

Lord CasimirWou ld n ot come

‘

thu s

GLYCINE .

Still louder

SAROLTA.

Haste we hen ce !

For I be lieve in part thy tale o f terror !But

,trust me ,

’tis the in n erman tran sform ’d


EMERICK .

Two gen tle dame s made o ff at our approach.

Which was your lady ?

LASKA.

My liege lord , the taller.The other, please your grace , is herpoorhan dmaid,Long sin ce betro thed to me . But the maid’s

frowardYet would your grace but speak

EMERICK.

Hum,master steward !

I am ho n our’a with this sudden con fiden ce .

Lead on . [To LASKA, then to RUDOLPH.

Lord Rudolph, you’ll an n oun ce our coming.

Gree t fair Saro lta from me,an d en treat her

Tob e our gen tle ho ste ss . Mark you add

How much we grieve that bu sin e ss of the stateHath forced us to de lay her lord’s return .

RUDOLPH (aside).

Lewd , ingrate tyran t ! Yes, I will an n oun ce thee.

EMERICK.

Now onward all. [Exeu'

n t attendants.

A fair on e,by my faith !

If her face rival but her gait an d stature ,My good frien d Casim ir had his reason s too .

Her ten der health, her vow of strict re tiremen t,Made early in the con ven t— his word pledged

All fiction s, all fiction s of j ealousy.

We ll If the moun tain move n ot to the prophet,

ACT L ] ZAPOLYA. 2 2 7

The prophe t must to the moun tain In this LaskaThere ’s somewhat of the kn ave mix’d up with dolt.Through the tran sparen ce of the fool , me thought,I saw (as I could lay my finger on it)The crocodile ’s eye , that peer

’d up from the bottom .

This kn ave may do us service . Hot ambition

Won me the husban d . Now let van ity

And the resen tm en t for a forced seclusion

Decoy the wife Le t him b e deem’d the aggressor

Whose cun n ing an d distrust began the game


ACT II .

SCENE. A savage wood. At on e side

overhung with ivy . ZAPOLYA and K1UPR1L1

discovered both,especially the latter, in rude

an d savage garmen ts .

KIUPRILI .

Heard you then‘ aught while I was slumbering ?

ZAPOLYA.

No thin g.

On ly your face became con vu lsed. We miserable !Is Heaven ’s last m ercy fled ? Is sleep grown trea

cherou s P

KIUPRILI .

O for a sleep for sle ep itse lf to re st inI dream t I had me t with food ben eath a tree ,An d I was seeking you , when all at on ceMy fee t became en tan gled in a n et,

Still more en tangled as in rage I tore it.At length I fre ed myse lf, had sight o f you ,But as I hasten ’d eagerly, againI foun d my frame en cumb er

’

d a huge serpen tTwin ed roun d my chest, but tightest roun d my

throat.

2 30 , ;ZAPOL‘

YA. [ACT 11.

ZAPOLYA.

Hunger’s tooth has

Gn awn itself blun t. O ,I c ould queen it well

O’

ermy own sorrows as my rightful subjects.But wherefore

, O revered Kiuprili whereforeDid my importun ate prayers, my hopes an d fancies,Force thee from thy secure though

'

sad retreat ?Would that my ton gue had then cloven to my

mou thBut Heaven is just With tears I con quer

’d thee,

An d n ot a tear is left me to repen t with !Hadst thou n ot don e already— hadst thou n otSuffer

’d—oh

,more than e

’erman feign

’d of friend

ship PKIUPRILI .

Yet b e thou comforted What hadst thou faithWhen I turn ’

d back in credulous P ’Twas thy lightThat kin dled m in e . An d shall f it n ow go out,An d leave thy sou l in darkn e ss P Yet look up,An d thin k thou seest thy sain ted lord c ommission

’d

An d on his way to aid us When ce those latedream s

,

Which after such long in terval of hopelessAn d silen t re sign ation all at on ceNight after n ight comman ded thy returnHither? an d still pre sen ted in clear visionThis wood as in a scen e P this very cavern ?Thou darest n ot doubt that Heaven ’s especial hand

Work’

d in those sign s. The hour o f thy deliverance

Is on the stroke z— form isery can n ot addGrief to thy griefs, or patien ce to thy sufl

'

eran ce !

ACT ZAPOLYA. 23 1

ZAPOLYA.

Can n ot O, what if thou wert taken from me ?

Nay, thou said’st well for that an d death were on e .

Life ’s grief i s at its he ight in de ed 3 the hardNece ssity of this in human stateHath made our deeds in human as our ve stmen ts.Housed in this wild wood , with wild usage s,Dan ger ourgue st, an d fam in e at our portalWo lf- like to prowl in the shepherd’s fo ld by n ight 3At on ce for food an d safe ty to affrighten

The trave ller from his road

[GLYCINE is heard singing withou t.

KIUPRILI .

Hark heard you n o t

Adistan t chaun t ?

SONG

BY GLYCINE.

‘

A sun n y shaft did I beho ld,From sky to earth it slan ted 3

An d poised there in a bird so bold

Swee t bird, thou wert en chan ted

He san k,* he rose , he twin kled, he troll’d

Within that shaft of sun n y m ist 3His eye s of fire , his beak of gold,All e lse of ame thyst

sun k—18 1 7 .

232 ZAPOLYA. [ACT

An d thus he sang : Adieu adieuLove ’s dreams prove se ldom true .

The blossoms theyMake n o de lay 3

The sparkling dew- drops will n ot stay.

*

Swee t mon th of May,

We must away 3Far

,far away

To - day to- day

ZAPOLYA.

Sure ’tis some blest spiritFor sin ce thou slew

’st the usurper’s emissary

That plunged upon us, a more than mortal fearIs as a wall, that wards off the beleaguerer

An d starve s the poor besieged.

KIUPRILI .

It is a maiden ’s vo ice qu ick to the cave

ZAPOLYA.

Hark her vo ice falters [Exit ZAPOLYA.

KIUPR ILI .

She must n ot en ter

The cavern ,e lse I will remain un seen

[KIUPRILI retires to on e side of the - stage.

GLYCINE en ters singing.

GLYCINE (fearfully)A savage place Sain ts shie ld me Bethlen ! Beth

len

These three lin es do n ot appear in the first edition .—ED .

234 ZAPOLYA. [ACT n .

Speak with a stran ge vo ice . Wound s ca‘

use thirstan d hoarsen e ss

Speak, Bethlen ! or but moan . St— St—n o

Bethlen

If I turn back an d he shou ld b e foun d dead here,

n earer an d n earer to the cavern .

I should go mad —Again L—’twas my own heart !Hu sh , coward heart be tter beat loud with fear,Than break with shame an d an gu ish

[As she approaches to en ter the cavern , KIUPRILIstops her. GLYCINE shrieks .

Sain ts protect me !KIUPRILI .

Swear then by all thy hope s, by all thy fears

GLYCINE.

Save m e

KIUPRILI .

Swear secrecy an d silen ce

GLYCINE .

I swearKIUPRILI .

Te ll what thou art, an d what thou seekest ?

GLYCINE.

On ly

A harmle ss orphan youth, to bring him food

KIUPRILI .

Wherefore in this wood ?

GLYCINE.

Alas it was his purpose

ACT ZAPOLYA. 235

KIUPRILI .

With what in ten tion came he ? Would ’st thou save

1

Hide n othingGLYCINE.

Save him O forgive his rashn e ssHe is good, an d did n ot kn ow that thou wert

human

K1UPR1L1 (repeats the word ).Human P

(Then stern ly . )With what de sign P

GLYCINE .

To kill the e,or

If that thou wert a spirit,to compe l the e

By prayers , an d with the sheddin g of hisTo make disclosure of his paren tage .

But mo st o f all

ZAPOLYA (rushing outfrom the cavern ).

Heaven ’s blessing on thee speak

GLYCINE.

Whe ther his mother live , or p erish’d here

ZAPOLYA.

Ange l of m ercy, I was perishing,An d thou didst bring me fo od an d n ow thou

brin g’st

The swee t, swe e t food of hope an d con so lation

To a mo ther’s famish’d heart His n ame , swee t

maiden


GLYCINE.

E’

en till this morn ingwe were wont to n ame himBethlen Bathory

ZAPOLYA.

Even till this morn ing ?This morn ing ? when my weak faith fail

’d me

whollyPardon , O thou that portion

’st out our sufferance ,

An d fill’st again the widow’s empty cruse

Say on

GLYCINE.

The false on e s charged the valian t youthWith treason ous words of Emerick

ZAPOLYA.

my son !

GLYCINE.

And of Lord Casim ir

KIUPRILI (aside) .

O agon y my son

GLYCINE.

But my dear lady

ZAPOLYA an d KIUPRILI .

Who P

GLYCINE.

Lady Sarolta

Frown’d an d discharged these bad men .

KIUPRILI (turn ing of ; and to himself ).

Righteous Heaven


GLYCINE.

A woun ded lady

[ZAPOLYA fain ts— they both support her.

GLYCINE.

Is 111118 1118 mother?

KIUPRILI .

She would fain be lieve it,Weak though the proofs b e . Hope draws towards

itse lfThe flame with which it kin dle s .

[Horn heard without.

To the cavern !

Quiék ! quickGLYCINE.

Perchan ce some hun tsmen of the king’s.

KIUPRILI.

Emerick PGLYCINE.

He cam e this morn ing[They retire to the cavern , bearing ZAPOLYA.

Then en ter BETHLEN,armed with a boar- spear.

BETHLEN .

I had a glimpse

Of some fierce shape an d but that Fan cy often

Is Nature ’s in termeddler, an d crie s halve sWith the outward sight, I should be lieve I saw itBear off some human prey. O my pre serverBathory father yes, thou deservest that n ame !Thou didst n ot mock m e ! these are blessed

fin dings

ACT ZAPOLYA . 239

The secre t cypher of my de stin y

[Looking at his sign et.Stan ds here in scribed it is the seal of fate

[Observing the cave.

Ha — Had evermon ster fittin g lair,’tis yon der

Thou yawn in g den , I we ll rem ember theeMin e eye s dece ived m e n o t. Heaven leads me onNow for a blast, loud as a kin g

’s defian ce,

To rouse the mon ster couchan t o ’

erhis ravin e

[B lows the horn— then a pause.

An o ther blast an d with an other swe llT0 you , ye charm ed watchers of this wood

If haply I have come , the rightful he ir

Of vengean ce : if in m e survive the spirit

Of those , whose guiltle ss blo od flow’d stream ing

here [Blows again louder.

Still silen t Is the mon stergorged ? Heaven

shield me

Thou,faithful spear b e bo th my torch an d guide .

[As BETHLEN is abou t to en ter,K1UPR1L1 speaks

from the cavern un seen .

KIUPRILI .

Withdraw thy foot Re tract thin e idle spear,An d wait obedien t

BETHLEN (in amazemen t).

Ha What art thou ? speak

KIUPRILI (still un seen ).Avengers

BETHLEN .

By a dyin g m o ther’

s pangs

E’en such am I . Re ce ive m e

ZAPOLYA. [ACT 11.

KIUPRILI (still un seen).

Wait bewareAt thy first step , thou tread

’st upon the light,

Then ceforth must darkling flow,an d sin k in dark

n e ssBETHLEN .

Ha see my boar- spear tremble s like a reed

Oh, fool m in e eye s are duped by my own shuddering.

Those piled thoughts, built up in solitude ,Year fo llowing year, that press

’d upon my heart

As on the altar of som e un kn own God,Then , as if touch

’d by fire from Heaven de scending,

Blazed up within me at afather’s n ameDo they de sert me n owP— at my last trial ?Vo ice of comman d an d thou

, 0 hidden LightI have obey’d Declare ye by what n ameI dare in voke you Te ll what sacrificeWill make you graciou s .

K1UPR1L1 (still un seen ).Patien ce Truth Obedien ce !

Be thy whole soul tran sparen t so the Light,Thou seekest, may en shrin e itse lf within thee

Thy n ame PBETHLEN.

Ask rather the poor roam ing savage ,Whose in fan cy n o ho ly rite had blest,To him ,

perchan ce , rude spoil or ghastly trophy,In chase or battle won , have given a n ame .

I have n on e—but like a dog have an sweredTo the chan ce soun d which he that fed me , call

’dme.

ZAPOLYA.

Was it the soften’d e cho of m in e own ?

Sad echo but the hope it kill’d was sickly, _

An d ere it died it had been moum’d as dead !

On e o ther hope yet live s within my soulQuick letme ask —while ye t this stiflingfear,This stop of the heart, leave s utteran ce l—Are

are the seThe so le remain s of her that gave me life P

A

Have I a mother?

[ZAPOLYA rushes out to embrace him.

BETHLEN starts.

Ha

ZAPOLYA (embracing him).

My son my son

A wre tched—Oh n o , n o a blest—a happy mother !

[ I key embrace. K1UPR1L1 an d GLYCINE

comeforward, and the curtain drops.

ACT ZAPOLYA.

ACT III .

SCENE I .—A stately room in LORD CAs1M1R’

s

E n ter EMERICK an d LASKA.

EMERICK .

I do perce ive thou hast a ten der con scien ce,

Laska, in all thin gs that con cern thin e own

In tere st or safe ty.

LASKA.

In this sovere ign pre sen ceI can fear n othin g, b u t your dread displeasure .

EMERICK .

Perchan ce , thou think’st it stran ge , that I of all men

Should cove t thus the love of fair Sarolta,Dishon ourin g Casim ir?

LASKA.

Far b e it from me

YourMaje sty’s lo ve an d choice brin g hon ourwith

them .

EMERICK .

Perchan ce , thou hast heard that Casim ir is myfrien d ,

Fought forme , yea, formy sake , ‘set at n ought

A paren t’s ble ssing 3 braved a father’s curse P


LASKA (aside).

Would I but kn ew n ow,what his Majesty mean t !

Oh yes, Sire’tis our common talk, how Lord

Kiuprili, my Lord’s father

EMERICK.

’Tis your talk,

Is it, good statesman Laska ?

LASKA.

No, n ot m in eNot m in e , an please yourMaj esty There areSome in solen t malcon ten ts in deed that talk thusNay worse, mere treason . As Bathory

’s son ,

The fool that ran in to the mon ster’s jaws.

EMERICK.

We ll,

’tis a loyal mon ster if he rids us

Of traitors But art sure the youth’s devour’d ?

LASKA.

Not a limb left, an please yourMaje styAn d that un happy girl

Into the wood P

That jealousy can

LASKA.

Scarce had I got the first glimpse of her ve il,When ,

with a horiid roar that made the leaves

Of the'

wood shake

EMERICK .

Thou fo llowed’st her

[LASKA bows assen t.Hen ceforth then I ’ll believemake a hare a lion .


Babbler ! Lord Casim ir did,as thou an d all men .

He loved himself, loved hon ours, wealth, domin ion ,All these were set upon a father’s headGood truth a mo st un lucky acciden tFor he but wish’d to hit the prize ; n ot grazeThe head that bore it so with steady eyeOff flew the parricidal arrow— EvenAs Casim ir loved Emerick , EmerickLove s Casim ir

,in ten ds him n o dishon our.

He wink’d n ot then

,for love of me forsoo th

For love of me n ow let him win k ! Or ifThe dame prove half as wise as she is fair,He may still pass hisnhan d , an d fin d all smooth.

[Passing his han d across his brow.

LASKA.

YourMaje sty’s reason ing has con vin ced me .

EMERICK (with a slight start, as on e who had

been talking aloud to himself : then

Thee’Tis we ll an d more than mean t. For by my faithI had half forgotten thee .

—Thou hast the key?

[LASKA bows.

An d in your lady’s chamber there ’s full space ?

LASKA.

Be tween the wall an d arras to con ceal you .

EMERICK.

Here This purse is but an earn est of thy fortun e ,If thou provest faithfu l. But if thou b etray

’st me ,

5 0° ZAPOLYA. 247

Hark you —the wolf that shall drag thee to his denShall b e n o fiction .

[Exit EMERICK . LASKA man et with a keyin on e han d

, an d a purse in the other

LASKA.

We ll then Here I stan d,

Like Hercule s, o n e ither side a godde ss .Call this Prefermen t 3 this Fidelity

[Looking at thepurse— holding up the key .

An d first my go lden godde ss what bids she P

On ly ' “ This way, your Maj e sty ! hu sh ! Thehouseho ld

Are all safe lodged .

— Then,put Fide lity

Within her proper wards,j ust turn her roun d

So— the do or open s— an d for all the re st,

’Tis the kin g’ s de ed , n ot Laska

’s. Do but this

An d “ I’m the m ere earn e st of your future for

tun e .

”

But what says the otherP— Whisper on ! I hear

you [P u tting the key to his ear.

All very true — b u t, good Fidelity

If I refu se King Emerick , will you prom ise ,An d swear n ow,

to un lo ck the dun geon do or,An d save m e from the hangman ? Ay you

’

re

silen tWhat

,n ot a word in an swer P A clear n on suit

Now for o n e look to se e that all are lodged

At the due distan ce— then— yon der lie s the road

For Laska an d his royal frien d , Kin g Em erick

[Exit LASKA. Then en ter BATHORY and

BETHLEN .

248 [ACT 111.

BETHLEN}

He look’d as if he were som e God disguised

In an old warrior’s ven erable shapeTo guard an d guide my mo ther; Is there n otChapel or oratory in this man sion ?

BATHORY.

Even so .

BETHLEN .

From that place then am I to takeA helm an d breast- plate , bo th in laid with go ld,An d the good sword that on ce was Raab Kiuprili

’s.

BATHORY.

Those very arm s this day Saro lta show’d me

With wistfu l look. I’m lost in wild con j ectures

BETHLEN.

O tempt m e n ot, e’en with a wan dering guess,

To break the first comman d a mo ther’s willImpo sed , a mo ther

’s vo ice made kn own to me 1

Ask n o t,my son ,

” said she, our n am e s orthin e .

The shadow of the eclipse is passin g off

The full orb of thy de stin y AlreadyThe victor Cre scen t glitters forth an d sheds

O’

er the yet lingering haze a phan tom light.Thou can st n o t hasten it Leave then to HeavenThe work of Heaven an d with a silen t spirit

Sympathize with the powers that work in silen ceThus spake she , an d she look

’d as she were then

Fresh from some heave n ly visio n


LASKA.

No n earer, pray con sider !

should prove his gho st, the touch wouldfre eze m e

a tombston e . No n earer

BETHLEN .

The foo l is drunk !

LASKA

We ll n ow I love a brave man to my heart.I myse lf braved the mon ster, an d wou ld fainHave saved the false o n e from the fate she tempted.

BATHORY .

You, Laska P

BETHLEN (to BATHORY).

Mark Heaven gran t it may b e soGlycin e P

LASKA.

She I traced her by the vo ice .

You’ll scarce be lieve m e , when I say I heard

The clo se of a son g : the poorwre tch had beensin gin g

As if she wish’d to complimen t the war-wo lf

At on ce with mu sic an d a m eal

BETHLEN (to BATHORY).

Mark thatLASKA .

At the n ext mom en t I behe ld her run n ing,Wringing her han ds with , Bethlen 0 poor

Bethlen

so . ZAPOLYA. 25 1

I almost fear, the sudden n o ise I made,

Rushin g impe tuou s through the brake , alarm’d her.

She stopp’d, then mad with fe ar

,turu ’d roun d an d

ran

In to the m on ster’s gripe . On e piteous screamI heard. There was n o secon d— I

BETHLEN .

Stop thereWe

’ll spare yourmode sty Who dare s n o t hon ourLaska

’s brave tongue , an d high heroic fan cy P

LASKA.

You too, sirkn ight, have come back safe an dsoun d !

You play’d the hero at a cautious distan ce

Orwas it that you sen t the po or girl forwardTo stay the mon ster’s stomach P Dain ties qu icklyPall on the taste an d cloy the appe tite

BATHORY.

Laska, beware Forge t n o t what thou artShould’st thou but dream thou

’rt valian t, cross thy

se lf !An d ache all over at the dan gerou s fan cy

LASKA.

What then you swe ll upon my lady’s favour,

High Lords an d perilous of on e day’s growth

But other judge s n ow sit on the ben ch

An d haply Laska hath foun d audien ce there ,Where to defen d the treason of a son

Might en d in liftin g up bo th son an d father


Still higher3 to a he ight from which in de edYou bo th may drop , but, spite of fate an d fortun e ,Will b e secured from fallin g to the groun d .

’Tis po ssible too , young man that royal Emerick,

At Laska’

s rightful suit, may make in quiryBy whom seduced

, the maid so stran ge ly m issing

BETHLEN .

Soft my good Laska m ight it n o t suffice ,If to yourse lf

,be ing Lord Casim ir

’s steward,I should make record of Glycin e’s fate ?

LASKA.

"I“is well it shall con ten t m e though your

Has all the credit of the se lower’d ton e s .

(Zhen very pompously . )First we deman d the man n er of her death ?

BETHLEN .

Nay that’s superfluou s Have you n ot ju st to ldu s

That you yourse lf, led by impetuous valour,Witn e ss’d the who le ? My tale

’s of later date .

After the fate , from which your valour strove

In vain to re scue the rash maid,I saw her

LASKA.

Glycin e ?BETHLEN .

Nay dare I accuse wise Laska,Whose words fin d acce ss to a mon arch’s ear,Of a base , braggart lie P It must have be en

Her spirit that appear’

d to m e . But haply


‘

BETHLEN .

E’

en this reproves my lo itering. Say where liesThe oratory P

BATHORY.

Ascen d yon flight of stairsM idway the corridor a silver lampHan gs o

’er the en tran ce o f Sarolta

’s chamber,

An d facing it, the low arch’d oratoryM e thou’lt fin d watching at the outward gateFor a pe tard m ight burst the bars un heardBy the dren ch’d porter, an d Saro lta hourlyExpects Lord Casim ir

,spite of Emerick’s message

BETHLEN .

There I will meet you An d till then good n ightDear good old man , good n ight

BATHORY.

0 yet on e momen t !What I repell

’d,when it did seem my own ,

I cling to , n ow’tis parting— call me father

It can n ot n ow m islead thee . O my son ,

Ere yet our tongue s have learn t an other n ame ,Bethlen —‘

say—father to me

BETHLEN .

Now,an d for ever

My father ! other sire than thou , on earthI n everhad, a dearer cou ld n o t haveFrom the base earth you raised me to your arms,An d I would leap from off a thron e

,an d kn eeling,

Ask Heaven ’s blessing from thy lips. My father !

SC . ZAPOLYA. 255

BATHORY.

[BETHLEN breaks ‘

oyf an d exit. BATHORY looks afi ction ately after him.

May every star n ow shin ing overus,

as an ange l’s eye , to watch an d guard him

[Exit BATHORY.

SCENE II .

SCENE changes to a splen did B edchamber,hung with

tapestry . SAROLTA in an elegan t n ight- dress,and

an Atten dan t.

ATTENDANT .

We all did love her,madam

SAROLTA.

She de served itLuckle ss Glycin e rash

,un happy girl !

’Twas the first tim e she e’er dece ived m e .

ATTENDANT .

She was in love , an d had she n o t died thus,

With grief for Be thlen’

s loss,an d fear of Laska

,

She would have pin ed herse lf to death at home .

SAROLTA.

Has the youth ’s fatherCom e back from his search ?

ATTENDANT .

He n everwill, I fear m e . O dear ladyThat Laska did so triumph o

’er the old man

256 Z APOLYA. [ACT 1m

It was quite cru e l You ’ll b e sure,said he

,

To mee t with part at least of your son Bethlen,

Or the war- wolf must have a qu ick digestionGo search the wood by all mean s go I pray

youSAROLTA.

In human wre tchATTENDANT.

An d Old Bathory an swer’dWith a sad sm ile , It is a witch’s prayer,An d may Heaven read it backwards . ” Though

she was rash ,’Twas a small fault for such a pun ishmen t

SAROLTA.

Nay’twas my grief, an d n o t my anger spoke .

small fault in deed but leave me , my good girl !I fe e l a we ight that on ly prayer can lighten .

[Exit Attendant.O they were in n ocen t, an d yet have perish

’d

In the irMay of life ; an d Vice grows o ld intriumph .

Is it Mercy’s han d that for the bad man ho ldsLife ’s closing gate P

Still passing then ce pe tition ary HoursTo woo the obdurate spirit to repen tan ce ?

Orwould this chiln e ss tell m e,that there is

Guilt too en ormous to b e duly pun ish’

d ,

Save by in crease of gu ilt ? The Powers of Evil

Are jealous claiman ts . Guilt too hath its ordeal,An d He ll its own probation —Merciful Heaven ,Rather than this, pour down upon thy supplian t


SAROLTA.

Strengthen me, Heaven I must n ot seem afraid !

The king to- n ight then de ign s to play the masker.What seeks yourMaje sty P

EMERICK .

Sarolta’s love 3

An d Emerick’s power lie s prostrate at her feet.

SAROLTA.

Heaven guard the sovere ign’s power from such de

basemen tFar rather, Sire , let it descen d in vengean ce

On the base villain ,

*on the faithless slave

Who dared un bar the doors of these retiremen tsForwhom P Has Casim ir deserved this in sult ?

O my m isgivin g heart If— ii— from Heaven ,Yet n ot from you , Lord Emerick !

EMERICK.

Chiefly from me .

Has he n ot like an ingrate rob b’d my court

Of Beau ty’s star, an d kept my he art in darkn ess ?First then on him I will adm in ister ju sticeIf n o t in mercy, yet in love an d rapture

SAROLTA.

Help Treason he lp I

On the base ingrate—18 1 7.

SC ZAPOLYA. 259

Here ’s n on e

EMERICK .

Nay, why this rage ? Who be st de serve s you PCasim ir

,

Emerick’s bought implem en t, the j ealous slaveThat mews you up with bolts an d bars P or Em

erick

Who proffers you a thron e ? Nay, m in e you shallb e .

Hen ce with this fon d re sistan ce Yie ld 3 then liveThis mon th a widow

,an d the n ext a queen

SAROLTA.

Yet, yet for on e brief m omen t [strugglingUnhan d me , I con j ure you .

[She throws him oyf, and rushes towards a toilet.

EMERICK follows, an d as she takes a dagger,

he grasps it in her han d.

EMERICK .

Ha ha a dagger 3A se emly orn am en t fora lady’s caske t’Tis held

,devotion is akin to love ,

But yours is tragic Love in war It charms me

An d make s your beauty worth a kin g’

s embrace s

[D uring this speech BETHLEN en ters armed.

EMERICK .

Call louder scream againhear you

SAROLTA.

Hearme,hearme

,Heaven


BETHLEN .

Ruflian,forbear Turn

,turn an d fron t my sword

EMERICK .

Pish who is this ?SAROLTA.

O sleeple ss eye of Heaven !A blest, a ble ssed spirit When ce came st thou ?May I still can thee Bethlen ?

BETHLEN .

Ever, lady,Your faithful so ldier

EMERICK.

In solen t slave departKn ow

’st thou n ot me P

BETHLEN .

I kn ow thou art a villainAn d coward that thy devilish purpose marks

thee !What e lse , this lady must in struct my sword

SAROLTA.

Mon ster, re tire O touch him n o t,thou blest on e !

This is the hour that fien ds an d damn ed spiritsDo walk the earth, an d take what form they listYon devil hath assumed a kin g

’s

BETHLEN .

Usurp’d it

EMERICK.

The king will play the devil with thee in deed


But with a foul usurping cypher on itThe light hath flash

’d from Heaven

, an d I mustfo llow it

O cursed usurper O thou brother-murderer !That made st a star- bright que en a fugitive widow !

Who fill’st the lan d with curse s, be ing thyselfAll curses in on e tyran t se e an d trembleThis is Kiuprili

’s sword that n ow hangs o

’er thee

Kiuprili’s blastin g curse , that from its poin t

Shoo ts lightn ings at the e . Hark in An dreas’ name,

He ir o f his vengean ce , he ll- houn d I defy thee .

[Theyfight, an d just as EMERICK is disarmed, inrush CASIMIR, OLD BATHORY, and Attendan ts.

CASIM IR run s in between the combatan ts, and

parts them in the struggle BETHLEN’S sword

CASIM IR .

The kin g disarm’d to o by a stranger ! Speak

What may this mean P

EMERICK.

Dece ived,dishon our

’d lord

Ask thou yon fair adu ltere ss She will tell theeA tale ,which would

’st thou b e bo th dupe an d traitor,Thou wilt be lieve again st thy frien d an d sovereignThou art presen t n ow, an d a frien d’s duty ceasesTo thin e own justice leave I thin e own wrongs .

Of half thy vengean ce I perforce must rob thee ,For that the sovere ign claims. To thy allegianceI n ow comm it this traitor an d assassin .

[Then to the Attendants.

SC . ZAPOLYA 263

Hen ce with him to the dungeon an d to -morrow,

Ere the sun rise s,—Hark your heads or his

BETHLEN .

Can He ll work m iracle s to mock Heaven ’s justice ?

EMERICK .

Who speaks to him die s The traitor that hasm en aced

His kin g, must n ot pollu te the breathin g air,

Even with a’

word

CASIM IR (to BATHORY).

Hen ce with him to the dungeon

[Exit BETHLEN ,hurried of by BATHORY and

Attendan ts.

EMERICK .

We hun t to -m orrow in your uplan d forestThou (to CASIM IR) wilt atten d us an d wilt then

explainThis sudden an d mo st fortun ate arrival.

[Exit EMERICK 3 M an en t CASIM IR an d SAROLTA.

SAROLTA.

My lord my husban d lo ok whose sword liesyon der !

[Poin ting'

to the sword which BETHLEN had been

disarmed of by the Atten dan ts .

It is Kiuprili’s,Casim ir3

’tis thy father’s

An d wielded by a striplin g’s arm , it baffled,

Yea,fell like Heaven ’s own lightn ings on that

Tarquin .


CASIMIR.

Hush hushI had de tected ere I left the cityThe tyran t’s cursed in ten t. Lewd, damn ed ingrateForhim did I bring down a father

’s curseSwift, swift must b e ourmean s To-morrow’s sunSets on his fate orm in e O blest Sarolta !

[Embracing her.

No o ther prayer, late pen iten t, dare I offer,But that thy spotless virtues may prevailO

’

er Casim ir’s crimes, an d dread Kiuprili’s curse !

[Exeun t consulting.

266 ZAPOLYA. [ACT iv.

CASIM IR.

The word forme was this The royal Leopard

Chases thy milk-white dedicated [ fin d

RUDOLPH.

Your an swer?CASIMIR.

As the word prove s false

Ca51m1r cross the hun t, or jo in the

LORD RUDOLPH .

even t redeem ’d the ir pledge ?

CASIM IR.

It did, an d thereforeHave I sen t back both pledge an d in vitation .

The spo tle ss Hin d hath fled to them for shelter

An d bears with hermy seal of fe llowship

[They take hands.

RUDOLPH.

But Emerick how when you reportedSarolta

’s disappearan ce , an d the flight

Of Bethlen with his guards P

CAS IM IR.

O ,he rece ived it

As eviden ce of the ir mutual gu ilt. In fin e ,

With cozen ing warmth con do led with, an d dismiss

’d m e .

RUDOLPH .

I en ter’d as the doorwas clo sin g on youHis eye was fix

’d, yet seem

’d to fo llow you

With such a look of hate , an d scorn an d triumph,

sC . L ] ZAPOLYA. 267

As if he had you in the to ils already,

An d were then choosin g where to stab you first.But hush draw back

CASIM IR.

This n ook is at the furthe stFrom any beaten track.

RUDOLPH.

There mark them

[Poin ts to where LASKA and PESTALUTZ cross

the S tage.

CASIM IR.

LaskaRUDOLPH.

On e of the two I recogn ised this morn ing ;His n ame is Pestalu tz a trusty ruflian ,

Whose face is prologue still to some dark murder.

Beware n o stratagem ,n o trick of me ssage ,

Dispart you from your servan ts .

CASIM IR (aside).I de serve it.

The comrade of that ruflian is my servan tThe on e I trusted most an d most preferr

’d .

But we must part. What make s the king so late ?

It was his won t to b e an early stirrer.

RUDOLPH .

An d his main policy too.

To en thral the sluggard n ature in ourse lve sIs

,1n good truth , the be tter half of the secre t

To en thral the world for the will govern s all .

268 ZAPOLYA. [ACT 1v .

See , the sky lowers the cro ss -win ds waywardlyChase the fan tastic masse s of the cloudsWith a wild mo ckery of the com ing hun t

CASIM IR.

Mark yon dermass Imake it wear the shapeOf a huge ram that bu tts with head depress

’d.

RUDOLPH (smiling).

Be like , some stray sheep of the c ozy flock,Which

,if bards lie n o t, the sea- shepherds tend,

Glaucu s or Pro teus . But my fan cy shapes itA mon ster couchan t on a rocky she lf.*

CASIM IR.

Mark too the edge s of the lurid massRe stle ss

, as if some idly- vexin g Sprite ,On swift wing coasting by, with tetchy han dPluck

’d at the rin gle ts of the vaporous fle ecesl

The se are sure sign s of con flict n igh at han d,An d e lemen tal war

[A single trumpet heard at some distance.

RUDOLPH .

That sin gle blastAn n oun ce s that the tyran t’s pawing courser

The two precedin g speeches are n ot in the origin al edition .

1' Mark too the edge s of you lurid mass

Restless an d vext, as if som e an gerin g han dWith fitful, tetchy sn atch , u n roll

’d an d plu ck’d

The jetting ringlets of the vaporou s fleec e —18 1 7.

2 70 ZAPOLYA. [ACT 1v ..

With fire an d sword,pursue a patrio t father,

A widow an d an orphan . Darest thou then ,

(Curse - laden wre tch) put forth these han ds to raiseThe ark

,all sacred, of thy coun try

’s cause ?Look down in pity on thy son, KiupriliAn d let this deep abhorren ce of his crime ,Un stain

’d with se lfish fears, b e his aton emen t

O strengthen him to n obler compen sation

In the deliveran ce of his bleedin g coun try

[Exit CASIMIR.

SCENE II .

Scen e changes to the mouth of a Cavern ,

Act I ] .

ZAPOLYA an d GLYCINE discovered.

ZAPOLYA.

Our frien d is gon e to seek some safer cave

Do n ot then leave m e long alon e , Glycin eHaving enjoy

’d thy commun e

,lon elin ess,

That but oppress’d me hitherto , n ow scares

You will ken Bethlen ?

Here , in the hitherto rec eived text the speech of Zapolya

en ds, an d Glyc in e repliesI shall kn ow Bethlen at the furthest distan ce.

The four lin es that follow are n ow first prin ted. These cor

rec tion s an d addition s, in the well - kn own han dwritin g of the

Poet, are scored in ink b etween the prin ted lin es an d in

the m argin of a c opy of the origin al edition of Zapolya,

n ow in the possession of the Publisher of these volumes.ED.

so . ZAPOLYA. 27 1

GLYCINE.

O at farthe st distan ce ,Yea, oft where Light

’s own courier- beam exhaustedDrops at the thre shold

,an d forge ts its m e ssage ,

A somethin g roun d m e o f a wider reachFee ls his approach, an d tremble s back to tell me . ]An d the same mom en t I de scry him

,lady

,

I will return to you . Exit GLYCINE.

E n ter BATHORY , speaking as he en ters .

BATHORY.

Who hears P A frien d

Ame ssenger from him who bears the sign e t !

[ZAPOLYA,who had been gazing af

f

ection ately

after GLYCINE , starts at BATHORY’s voice.

ZAPOLYA.

He hath the watch -word — Art thou n ot Bathory P

BATHORY.

O n oble lady greetings from your son

[BATHORY kn eels.

ZAPOLYA.

Rise rise Or shall I rather kn ee l be side thee ,An d call down ble ssings from the wealth of Heaven

Upon thy hon our’d head P When thou last saw’

st

me

I would full fain have kn e lt to thee , an d could n ot,Thou dear old man How oft sin ce then in dream s

Have I don e worship to the e , as an ange lBearing my he lple ss babe upon thy wmgs

2 72 ZAPOLYA. [ACT 1v .

BATHORY.

0 he was born to hon our Gallan t deedsAn d perilous hath he wrought sin ce yester—eve .

Now from Temeswar (for to him was tru stedA life , save thin e , the cleare st) he hastes hither

ZAPOLYA.

Lady Sarolta, m ean’st thou P

BATHORY.

She is safe .

The royal brute hath overleapt his prey,An d when he turu ’d

,a sworded Virtue faced

My own brave boy—O pardon ,n oble lady

Your 5011ZAPOLYA.

Hark is it he ?

BATHORY.

I hear a v01ce

Too hoarse for Bethlen ’s !

’Twas his scheme and

hope ,Long ere the hun ters could approach the forest,To have led you hen ce—Re tire .

ZAPOLYA.

O life of terrors !BATHORY.

In the cave ’s mouth we have such ’van tage groundThat even this old arm

[Exeun t ZAPOLYA an d BATHORY in to the Cave.

E n ter LASKA and PESTALUTZ.

LASKA.

Not a step further !

2 74 ZAPOLYA. [ACT IV.

PESTALUTz (with a sn eer).

0

What ! the girlWhom Laska saw the war- wo lf tear in pieces ?

LASKA (throwing down a bow and arrows

Well take my arms Hark ! should yourjavelinfail you

,

These poin ts are tipt with ven om .

[Starts an d sees GLYCINE without.By Heaven ! Glycin e !

Now as you love the kin g, he lp me to se ize her !

[They run out afterGLYCINE, an d she shrieks

without. Then en ter BATHORY from the

BATHORY.

Re st, lady, re st ! I fee l in every sin ewA young man

’s strength re turn ing ! Which waywen t they P

The shriek came then ce .

[Clash of swords and BETHLEN’S voice heard

from behin d the scen es GLYCINE en ters

alarmed then,as seeing LASKA

’s bow

GLYCINE.

weapon s here ? Then Bethlen,thy Glycin e

die with thee or save the e

[She seizes them an d rushes out,BATHORY

following her. Lively an d irregular music,and peasan ts with hun ting spears cross the

There ’s my arm s 1—18 1 7 .

so . ZAPOLYA. 2 75

CHORAL SONG.

Up, up ye dam e s, ye lasse s gay !

To the meadows trip away.

’Tis you must ten d the flocks this morn,

An d scare the small birds from the corn .

Not a soul at home may stayFor the shepherds must goWith lan ce an d bow

To hun t the wolf in the woods to- day.

Leave the hearth an d leave the houseTo the cricke t an d the mouseFin d gran n am out a sun n y seat,With babe an d lambkin at her fee t.Not a soul at home may stayFor the shepherds must goWith lan ce an d bow

To hun t the wolf in the woods to- day.

[Exeun t Hu n tsmen .

Re- en ter, as the hun tsmen pass mf ,BATHORY,

BETHLEN,an d GLYCINE.

GLYCINE (lean ing on BETHLEN) .

An d n ow on ce more a woman

BETHLEN.

Was it then

That timid eye , was it those maiden han dsThat sped the shaft, which saved me an d avenged

me

BATHORY (to BETHLEN exultingly).’Twas as a vision b lazon

’d on a cloud

2 76 . ZAPOLYA. [ACT 1v .

By lightn ing, shaped in to a passion ate schemeOf life an d death I saw the traitor, Laska,Stoop an d sn atch up the javelin of his comrade ;The p oin t was at your back , when her shaft reach

’d

The coward turu ’d, ‘an d at the self- same in stan t

The braver villain fe ll ben eath your sword.

E n ter ZAPOLYA.

ZAPOLYA.

Bethlen my child an d safe too

BETHLEN .

Mo ther Queen !Royal Zapolya n am e m e An dreasNor blame thy son

,if be in g a kin g, he yet

Hath made his own arm min ister of his justice .

So do the Gods who laun ch the thun derbolt

ZAPOLYA.

O Raab Kiuprili ! frien d pro tector ! guide !In vain we tren ch’d the altar roun d with waters,A flash from Heaven hath touch’

d the hidden inc en sea

BETHLEN (hastily) .

An d that majestic form that sto od beside theeWas Raab Kiuprili

ZAPOLYA.

It was Raab Kiuprili3As sure as thou art An dreas

,an d the king.

BATHORY.

Hail An dreas hail my king [Triumphan tly.


Are in full cry, an d scare with arrowy fireThe guilty Hark ! n ow here , n ow there , a hornSwells singly with irregular blast the tempestHas scatter’d them

[Horn s heardfrom difi ren tplaces at a distance.

ZAPOLYA.

O Heaven s where stays Kiuprili?

BATHORY.

The wood will b e surroun ded leave me here .

ANDREAS .

My mother ! let me see thee on ce in safety,I too will hasten back

,with lightn ing

’s speed,To seek the hero

BATHORY.

Haste my life upon itI ’ll guide him safe . [Thunder again .

ANDREAS .

Ha what a crash was thereHeaven seem s to Claim a m ightier crim in al

[Poin ting without to the body of PESTALUTZ.

Than yon vile subaltern .

ZAPOLYA.

Your behe st,high Powers,

LO, I obey To the appoin ted spirit,

That hath so long kept watch roun d this drear

cavern ,In ferven t faith, Kiuprili, I en trust thee

[Exeun t ZAPOLYA, ANDREAS, an d GLYCINE.

ANDREAS having in haste dropt his sword.

M an et BATHORY.

ZAPOLYA. 2 79

BATHORY.

Yon bleeding corse may work us mischief still

[Poin ting to PESTALUTZ’S body .

On ce seen ,’twill rouse alarm an d crowd the hun t

From all parts towards this spot . Stript of itsarmour

,

I ’ll drag it hither. [Exit BATHORY.

After awhile several Hun ters cross the Stage,as scattered. Some time after, en ter KIUPRILI

,in his disguise, fain ting withfatigu e

and as pursued.

K1UPR1L1 (throwing of his disgu ise).

Sin ce Heaven alon e can save m e,Heaven alon e

Shall b e my trust.

(Then speaking as to ZAPOLYA in the cavern .)Haste haste Zapolya, flee

[He en ters the cavern,an d then return s in alarm.

Gon e se ized perhaps ? Oh n o,le t me n o t perish

Despairin g of Heaven’s justice Fain t, disarm

’d ,

Each sin ew powerless 3 sen se le ss rock, sustain meThou art parce l of my n ative lan d .

[Then observing the sword .

A swordHa ! an d my sword Zapo lya hath e scaped,The murderers are bafl‘led , an d there live s

An An dreas to avenge Kiuprili’s fall

There was a time , when this dear sword did flash

As dreadful as the storm - fire from m in e arm

I can scarce raise it n ow— yet com e , fell tyran t

An d bring with thee my shame an d bitter*an guish,

b itterer—18 1 7

2 80 ZAPOLYA. [ACT IV.

To en d his work an d thin e“

! Kiuprilil n ow

Can take the death- blow as a soldier should.

Re—en ter BATHORY, with the dead body ofPESTALUTz.

BATHORY.

Poor tool an d victim o f an other’s guilt !Thou follow’

st heavily a reluctan t we ightGood truth

,it is an un deserved hon our

That in Zapolya an d'

Kiuprili’s cave

A wre tch like thee should fin d a burial- place .

[Then observing KIUPRILI.’Tis he — In An dreas’ an d Zapolya

’

s n ame

Fo llow m e,reveren d form Thou n eed’st n ot speak,

For thou can st b e n o o ther than Kiuprili !

KIUPRILI .

An d are they safe ? [Noise without.

BATHORY.

Con ceal yourself, my lordI will m islead them

KIUPRILI .

Is Zapolya safe ?

BATHORY.

I doubt it n ot 3 but haste , haste , I con jure you !

[As he retires, in rushes CASIMIR.

CASIM IR (en tering) .Mon ster !

Thou shalt n ot n ow escape me

BATHORY.

Stop, lord Casimir !I t 18 n o mon ster.


CAS IMIR.

Thou art Heaven ’s immediate min ister,spirit

O for swee t mercy take some other form ,

An d save me from perdition an d de spair !

BATHORY.

He live sCASIM IR.

Lives ? A father’s curse can n ever die

KIUPRILI .

O Casimir Casimir ! [in a ton e of pity.

BATHORY.

Look he doth forgive you !

Hark ’tis the tyran t’s vo ice .

[EMERICK’S voice without.

CASIM IR.

I kn ee l, I kn eel !

Re tract thy curse ! O ,by my m other

’s ashes,Have pity on thy self- abhorrin g childI f n ot forme , yet formy in n ocen t wife ,Yet formy coun try

’ s sake , give my arm strength,Perm ittingme again to call thee father !

KIUPRILI .

Son , I forgive thee Take thy father’s sword ;When thou shalt lift it in thy coun try’s cause ,In that same in stan t do th thy father ble ss thee !

[KIUPRILI and CASIM IR embrace ; they all

retire to the Cavern supporting KIUPRILI .

SC 2 ] ZAPOLYA. 233

CASIMIR as by acciden t drops his robe, andBATHORY throws it over the body ofPESTALUTz.

E n ter EMERICK.

EMERICK.

Fools cowards follow —or by Hell I ’ll make youFin d reason to fear Emerick

,m ore than all

The mumm er-fien ds that evermasqueradéd

As gods or wood- n ymphs

[Then sees the body of PESTALUTZ, covered

with CAS IM IR’S cloak.

Ha ’tis don e then

Our n ece ssary villain hath proved faithful,An d there lie s Casim ir

,an d our last fears

Well — ay, wellAn d is it n ot we ll P For though grafted on us,An d fill

’d too with our sap , the deadly power

Of the paren t po ison - tre e lurk’d in its fibre s

There was too much of Raab Kiuprili in him

The old en emy look’d at me in his face ,E

’en when his words did flatterme with duty.

[As EMERICK moves towards the body ,en ter

from the cavern CASIM IR an d BATHORY.

BATHORY (poin ting to where the n oise is,and aside to CASIM IR).

This way they come

CASIM IR (aside to BATHORY).

Hold them in check awhile ,

The path is n arrow ! Rudo lph will assist thee .


EMERICK (aside, n ot perceiving CASIM IR and

BATHORY an d looking at the dead body).

An d ere I rin g the alarum of my sorrow,I ’ll scan that face o n ce more , an d murmur- HereLie s Casim ir

,the last of the Kiuprilis

Un covers theface an d starts.

He ll ’tis Pe stalutz !

CAS IM IR (comingforward).

Ye s,thou ingrate Emerick !

’Tis Pe stalutz ’tis thy trusty murdererTo que ll thee more , see Raab Kiuprili

’

s sword !

EMERICK.

.

Curse s on it an d thee Thin k’st thou that petty

omenDare whisper fear to Emerick’s destin y P

Ho ! Treason ! treason !

Betray’d baffled

CASIM IR (triumphan tly) .

Hear, hear, my fatherThou shou ld’st have witn e ss’d thin e own deed.

father,Wake from that en vious swoon ! The tyran t’s

fall’u ;Thy sword hath c on quer

’d As I lifted it

CASIM IR .

Then have at thee,tyran t !

[Theyfight. EMERICK falls.

EMERICK .

by min e'

own fo o l

ZAPOLYA. [ACT IV.

With such short in terspace , c at fast as soun d

Can trave l to us, we shall learn the even t

E n ter an other Confederate.

What tidings from Teme swar P

SECOND CONFEDERATE.

With on e voiceTh’ assembled chieftain s have depo sed the tyran t 3He is proclaim

’d the public en emy,

An d the pro tection of the law withdraw n ;

FIRST CONFEDERATE.

Just doom for him who govern s without lawIs it kn own on whom the sovere ign ty will fall P

SECOND CONFEDERATE.

Nothing is yet decided : but reportPo in ts to Lord Casim ir. The gratefu l memoryOf his ren own ed father

E n ter SAROLTA.

Hail to Sarolta

SAROLTA.

Con federate frien ds I brin g to you a j oyWorthy your n oble cause Kiuprili live s,An d from his obscure exile hath re turn

’d

To bless our coun try. More an d greater tidingsM ight I disclo se 3 but that a woman

’s voiceWould mar the won drous tale . Wait we forhim,

The partn er o f the glory—Raab Kiuprili3For he alon e is worthy to an n oun ce it.

[Shouts of Kiuprili ! Kiuprili and The Ty

so . ZAPOLYA. 287

ran t’s fallen, without. Then en ter K1UPR1L1

,

CASIMIR, RUDOLPH , BATHORY, and Atten d

an ts,after the clamour has subsided.

KIUPRILI .

Spare yet your j oy, my frien ds ! a higher waitsyou

Behold your Que en

E n terfrom opposite side ZAPOLYA an d ANDREASroyally attired

,with GLYCINE.

CONFEDERATE.

Com e s she from heaven to ble ss us P

OTHER CONFEDERATES .

It is it ISZAPOLYA.

Heaven ’s work of grace is fullKiuprili, thou art safe

KIUPR ILI .

Royal Zapo lya .

To the heaven ly Powers pay we our duty first ;Who n o t alon e pre served thee , but for the eAn d for our coun try

,the o n e precious bran ch

Of An dreas’ royal house . 0 coun trymen ,

Behold yourKin g An d than k our coun try’s

gen ius ,That the same m ean s which have pre served our

sovere ign ,

Have likewise rear’d him worthier of the thron e

By virtue than by birth . The un doubted proo fs

Pledged by his royal mother, an d this oldman

ZAPOLYA. [ACT xv.

(Who se n ame hen ceforth b e dear to all Illyrian s),We haste to lay before the assembled Coun cil.

ALL.

Hail,An dreas Hail, Illyria

’s rightfu l kin g

ANDREAS.

Supported thus, O frien ds ’twere cowardice

Unworthy of a royal birth , to shrin kFrom the appo in ted charge . Yet

,while we wait

The awfu l san ction of con ven ed Illyria,In this brief while

, O let m e fee l myselfThe child

,the frien d

,the debtor l— Hero ic mo

therBut what c an breath add to that sacred n ame ?

Kiuprili gift of Providen ce , to teach usThat loyalty is b u t the public formOf the sublime st frien dship

,le t my you th

Climb roun d thee , as the vin e aroun d its elmThou my support an d I thy faithfu l fru itage .

My heart is fu ll, an d the se poorwords express n ot,They are but an art to Check its overswelling.

Bathory shrin k n ot from my filial armsNow,

an d from hen ceforth thou shalt no t forbid me

To call thee father An d dare I forge tThe powerfu l in terce ssion o f thy virtue ,Lady Saro lta ? Still ackn owledge m e

Thy faithfu l so ldier —But what in vo cationShall my fu ll sou l addre ss to . thee

,Glyc in e ?

Thou sword that l'

eap’st forth from a b ed o f roses,

Thou falcon - hearted dove P

While mad Ambition.ever doth caress

sure in its own restle ssn ess !

ROBERT ROBERTS , PRINTER, BOSTON .

The Poetical and Dramatic Works of Samuel Tay Lor Coleridge ...

Documents

Transcript of The Poetical and Dramatic Works of Samuel Tay Lor Coleridge ...