University of Virginia Library

SCENE, The Queen's Anti-chamber.
Alphonso, Pedro.
Alph.
When saw you my Lorenzo?

Ped.
I had a glimpse of him; but he shot by me
Like a young Hound upon a burning scent:
He's gon a Harlot-hunting.

Alph.
His foreign breeding might have taught him better.

Ped.
'Tis that has taught him this.
What learn our Youth abroad; but to refine
The homely Vices of their native Land?
Give me an honest homespun countrey Clown
Of our own growth; his dulness is but plain;
But their's embroider'd: they are sent out Fools,
And come back Fopps.

Alph.
You know what reasons urg'd me;
But now I have accomplish'd my Designs,
I shou'd be glad he knew 'em:—his wild Riots
Disturb my Soul; but they wou'd sit more close,
Did not the threatn'd down-fall of our house,
In Torrismond, o'erwhelm my private Ills.

Enter Bertran attended; and whispering with a Courtier, aside.
Bertr.
I wou'd not have her think he dar'd to love her;
If he presume to own it, she's so proud
He tempts his certain ruin.

Alph.
to Ped.
Mark how disdainfully he throws his Eyes on us.
Our old imprison'd King wore no such Looks.

Ped.
O, wou'd the General shake off his Dotage to th'usurping Queen,
And re-inthrone Good; Venerable Sancho,
I'll undertake, shou'd Bertran sound his Trumpets,
And Torrismond but whistle through his Fingers,
He draws his Army off.

Alph.
I told him so:
But had an Answer louder then a Storm.

Ped.
Now Plague and Pox on his Smock-loyalty!
I hate to see a brave bold Fellow sotted,
Made sour and sensless; turn'd to Whey by Love:
A driveling Hero; fit for a Romance.
O, here he comes; what will their greeting be!

Enter Torrismond attended. Bertran and he meet and justle.
Bertr.
Make way, My Lords, and let the Pageant pass.

Torr.
I make my way where e'er I see my Foe:
But you, My Lord, are good at a Retreat:
I have no Moores behind me.

Bertr.
Death and Hell!
Dare to speak thus when you come out again?

Torr.
Dare to provoke me thus, insulting man?

[Enter Teresa
Ter.
My Lords, You are too loud so near the Queen:
You, Torrismond, have much offended her:
'Tis her Command you instantly appear,
To answer your demeanour to the Prince.

Exit Teresa; Bertran with his company follow her.
Torr.
O Pedro, O Alphonso, pity me!
A Grove of Pikes
Whose polish'd Steel from far severely shines,
Are not so dreadfull as this beauteous Queen.

Alph.
Call up your Courage timely to your aid:
And, like a Lion press'd upon the Toyles,
Leap on your Hunters: Speak your Actions boldly;
There is a time when modest Vertue is
Allow'd to praise it self.

Ped.
Heart, you were hot enough; too hot, but now;
Your Fury then boil'd upward to a Fome:
But since this Message came, you sink and settle;
As if cold water had been pour'd upon you.

Torr.
Alas, thou know'st not what it is to love!
When we behold an Angel, not to fear,
Is to be impudent:—no I'm resolv'd,
Like a led Victim, to my Death I'll goe;
And, dying, bless the hand that gave the blow.

[Exeunt.
The SCENE draws; and shews the Queen sitting in state, Bertran standing next her: then Teresa, &c.
She rises, and comes to the Front.
Qu. Leonora
to Bert.
I blame not you, My Lord, my Father's will,
Your own Deserts, and all my People's Voice,
Have plac'd you in the view of Sovereign Pow'r.
But I wou'd learn the cause, why Torrismond,
Within my Palace Walls, within my Hearing,
Almost within my Sight, affronts a Prince
Who shortly shall command him.

Bertr.
He thinks you owe him more then you can pay;
And looks, as he were Lord of humane kind.

Enter Torrismond, Alphonso, Pedro. Torrismond bows low: then looks earnestly on the Queen, and keeps at distance.
Teresa.
Madam, The General.—

Qu.
Let me view him well.
My Father sent him early to the Frontiers;
I have not often seen him; if I did,
He pass'd unmark'd by my unheeding Eyes.
But where's the Fierceness, the Disdainful Pride;
The Haughty Port, the Fiery Arrogance?
By all these Marks, this is not sure the man.

Bertr.
Yet this is he who fill'd your Court with Tumult,
Whose Fierce Demeanour, and whose Insolence
The Patience of a God cou'd not support.

Qu.
Name his Offence, My Lord, and he shall have
Immediate punishment.

Bertr.
'Tis of so high a nature, shou'd I speak it,
That my Presumption then wou'd equal his.

Qu.
Some one among you speak.

Ped.
(Aside.)
Now my Tongue itches.

Qu.
All dumb! on your Allegiance, Torrismond,
By all your hopes, I do command you, speak.

Torr.
(kneeling.)
O seek not to convince me of a Crime
Which I can ne'er repent, nor can you pardon.
Or, if you needs will know it, think, oh think,
That he, who thus commanded dares to speak,
Unless commanded, wou'd have dy'd in silence.
But you adjur'd me, Madam, by my hopes!
Hopes I have none; for I am all Despair:
Friends I have none; for Friendship follows Favour
Desert I've none; for what I did, was Duty:
Oh, that it were! that it were Duty all!

Qu.
Why do you pause? proceed.

Torr.
As one condemn'd to leap a Precipice,
Who sees before his Eyes the Depth below,
Stops short, and looks about, for some kind Shrub
To break his dreadful Fall—so I;—
But whither am I going? if to Death,
He looks so lovely sweet in Beauties Pomp,
He draws me to his Dart.—I dare no more.

Bertr.
He's mad beyond the Cure of Hellebore.
Whips, Darkness, Dungeons, for this Insolence.—

Torr.
Mad as I am, yet I know when to bear.—

Qu.
You're both too bold. You, Torrismond, withdraw:
I'll teach you all what's owing to your Queen.
For you, My Lord,—
The Priest to morrow was to join our hands;
I'll try if I can live a day without you.
So, both of you depart; and live in Peace.

Alph.
Who knows which way she points!
Doubling and turning, like an hunted Hare.
Find out the Meaning of her mind who can.

Pedr.
Who ever found a Woman's! backward and forward,

The whole Sex in every word. In my Conscience when she was
getting, her Mother was thinking of a Riddle.

[Exeunt all, but the Queen and Teresa.
Queen,
Hast, my Teresa, hast; and call him back.

Teresa,
Whom, Madam?

(Queen,)
Him.

(Ter.)
Prince Bertran?

(Qu.)
Torrismond.
There is no other He.

Ter.
(Aside.)
A rising Sun;
Or I am much deceiv'd.
[Exit Teresa.

Queen,
A change so swift, what heart did ever feel!
It rush'd upon me, like a mighty Stream,
And bore me in a moment far from Shore.
I've lov'd away my self: in one short hour
Already am I gon an Age of Passion.
Was it his Youth, his Valour, or Success?
These might perhaps be found in other men.
'Twas that respect; that awfull homage pay'd me;
That fearfull Love which trembled in his Eyes;
And, with a silent Earthquake, shook his Soul.
But, when he spoke, what tender words he said!
So softly, that, like flakes of feather'd Snow,
They melted as they fell.—

Enter Teresa, with Torrismond.
Ter.
He waits your pleasure.

Qu.
'Tis well; retire—Oh Heaven's, that I must speak
So distant from my heart—
(aside.)
To Torr.
How now! What Boldness brings you back again?

Torr.
I heard 'twas your Command.

Qu.
A fond mistake,
To credit so unlikely a Command.
And you return full of the same Presumption
T'affront me with your Love?

Torr.
If 'tis Presumption for a Wretch condemn'd
To throw himself beneath his Judge's feet:
A Boldness, more then this, I never knew:
Or, if I did, 'twas onely to your Foes.

Qu.
You wou'd insinuate your past Services;
And those, I grant, were great: but you confess
A Fault committed since, that cancels all.

Torr.
And who cou'd dare to disavow his Crime,
When that, for which he is accus'd and seiz'd,
He bears about him still! my Eyes confess it.
My every action speaks my heart aloud.
But, oh, the Madness of my high attempt
Speaks louder yet! and all together cry,
I love and I despair.

Qu.
Have you not heard,
My Father, with his dying voice, bequeath'd
My Crown and me to Bertran? And dare you,
A private man, presume to love a Queen?

Torr.
That, that's the Wound! I see you set so high,
As no Desert, or Services, can reach.
Good Heav'ns, why gave you me a Monarch's Soul,
And crusted it with base Plebeian Clay!
Why gave you me Desires of such extent,
And such a Span to grasp 'em? Sure my lot
By some o'er-hasty Angel was misplac'd
In Fate's Eternal Volume!—But I rave,
And, like a giddy Bird, in dead of night,
Fly round the Fire that scorches me to death.

Qu.
Yet, Torrismond, you've not so ill deserv'd,
But I may give you Counsel for your Cure.

Torr.
I cannot, nay, I wish not to be cur'd.

Qu.
(aside.)
Nor I, Heav'n knows!

Torr.
There is a Pleasure sure
In being Mad, which none but Madmen know!
Let me indulge it: let me gaze for ever!
And, since you are too great to be belov'd,
Be greater, greater yet; and be ador'd.

Qu.
These are the words which I must onely hear
From Bertran's mouth; they shou'd displease from you;
I say they shou'd: but women are so vain,
To like the Love, though they despise the Lover
Yet, that I may not send you from my sight
In absolute despair—I pity you.

Torr.
Am I then pity'd! I have liv'd enough!
Death, take me in this moment of my Joy;
But when my Soul is plung'd in long oblivion,
Spare this one Thought: let me remember Pity;
And so deceiv'd, think all my life was bless'd.

Qu.
What if I add a little to my Alms?
If that wou'd help, I cou'd cast in a Tear
To your Misfortunes.—

Torr.
A Tear! You have o'erbid all my past Sufferings,
And all my future too!

Qu.
Were I no Queen—
Or you of Royal Bloud—

Torr.
What have I lost by my Fore-father's fault?
Why was not I the Twenty'th by descent
From a long restive race of droning Kings?
Love! What a poor omnipotence hast thou
When Gold and Titles buy thee?

Qu.
(sighs.)
Oh, my torture!—

Torr.
Might I presume, but, oh, I dare not hope
That Sigh was added to your Alms for me!

Qu.
I give you leave to guess; and not forbid you
To make the best construction for your love.
Be secret and discreet; these Fayery favours
Are lost when not conceal'd;—provoke not Bertran.—
Retire: I must no more but this,—Hope, Torrismond.
[Exit Queen.

Torr.
She bids me hope; oh Heav'ns; she pities me!
And pity still soreruns approching love;
As Lightning does the Thunder! Tune your Harps
Ye Angels to that sound; and thou, my Heart,
Make room to entertain thy flowing Joy.
Hence all my Griefs, and every anxious Care:
One word, and one kind Glance, can cure despair.
[Exit Torrismond.