University of Virginia Library

SCENE FIRST

—A ROOM OF STATE.
DONNA ISABELLA, BLANCHE.
D. ISABELLA
(seated on a sofa).
I pray thee, Blanche, retire!

BLANCHE.
Insist not, Madam!
I cannot leave you thus.

D. ISABELLA.
Why wilt thou stay?—
I blush that mortal should behold my tears,
Or view the pangs, that rend my anguish'd heart.
Thy feeble pity cannot change my fate,
Nor thy calm reason argue me to peace:
(Rising.)
For I am doom'd to feed a hopeless flame.
Is this to be a Queen? Ah! dear-bought greatness!
A Queen! A wretch in state! chain'd down by prejudice;
A pageant slave! a vassal to a throne,
Great but for others, powerless for myself.

BLANCHE.
Madam, control this grief! think of your Rank—

D. ISABELLA.
Rank! can it root out passion from my soul,
And change my mould of mind? annihilate
The softness from my heart, the cherish'd thoughts,
The oft-recurring hopes of fabled bliss,
I have so fondly form'd, but must not share?—
Pride, guard my mind! and apathy, my heart!
And let my feelings with my fate agree.

BLANCHE.
O Madam! how I trembled for your glory;
For, from the Oath you made your lovers swear,
I thought you fix'd to give your Crown to Carlos.
But you have nobly conquer'd your own heart,
Whilst you sustain'd your regal dignity.

D. ISABELLA.
Say rather, Blanche! that Love usurp'd my throne,
And with a monarch's wrath aveng'd my lover.
I thought that I was master o'er my heart;
I had not plann'd to act, as thou hast seen me,
Although I mean'd to honour Carlos highly:
I only will'd to try the Counts' respect,
And to secure my power, and royal Rights.
For, as, alas! this choice was dreaded by me,
It seem'd like a relief, a sort of pleasure,
To lose a little time, to loiter lingering,
Thus to retard my doom, and put off fate.
Yet I was going to name—I had no choice—
And could Don Manrique have restrain'd his pride,
Castile perhaps, ere this, had hail'd him King.
He urg'd my temper to its utmost bearing;
And scarcely I refrain'd from naming Carlos,
To gall his pride, for daring to insult me.

BLANCHE.
I marvel not that you chastise his insolence,
Which on you cast such shame, and rude reproach.

D. ISABELLA.
Under the specious plea, to avenge my power,
Love found a fair pretence to scatter favours.
I have made Carlos, Marquis, Count, and Governor;
Oh! with what joy could I have hail'd him King!
How my heart pleaded! Yet by these profusions,
I thought to satisfy and silence it;
For to pronounce against him much distress'd me;
And, when I bade him give away my Crown,
'Twas only, that he might himself exclude.
I parley'd with my power to soothe my heart;
And did an outrage, where I seem'd to honour.

BLANCHE.
Fearing to make him King, you make him more.

D. ISABELLA.
My heart, indifferent to all the Three,
Thought, that it best could like, whom Carlos chose;
This sudden fancy sway'd my conduct, Blanche.
But now I wish I had repress'd the thought,
And humbled Manrique by some other means.
For I have err'd in making Carlos Judge;
He bids the sword decide. Ah! does he hope
To gain me thus himself? Does he then love me?—
I dare not trust my thoughts that dangerous length.
I must prevent the sword from being drawn,
And, by my choice, stifle these dreaded feuds.

BLANCHE.
'Twill be an arduous task to wrench the sword
From valour's hand, when custom bids it grasp it.
He who retracts is ignominious held,
And honour, to great souls, is more than life.

D. ISABELLA.
I would not so disgrace my power to affront,
That valour I admire. For when obedience
Is by dishonour stain'd, kings go too far,
And undermine their own omnipotence.
Feigning to grant, I will prevent this combat:
If they remit it, then I hold it broken.
See, Carlos, to obey my order, comes.

(Exit Blanche.)