 | Alfonso, King of Castile |  |
SCENE I.
A chamber in the palace.Enter OTTILIA and INIS.
OTTILIA.
Was it so sudden?—What! no cause assigned,
And so severe a shock too?—Trust me, Inis,
Thy tale alarms me!
INIS.
On the earth we found her
Senseless and cold: we raised and bore her hither,
Where she revived only to sigh and sorrow,
Wring her fair hands, and shriek her father's name.
OTTILIA.
'Tis wondrous strange!—Mourning my own afflictions,
This rumour reached me; straight all else forgotten,
Hither by love and duty urged I sped,
Nor come I trust in vain.—This phial holds
Drops of most precious power.—Good Inis, take it,
And in your lady's drink infuse this liquid:
My life upon her cure.
INIS.
Obedience best
Will speak my thanks, nor doubt .... Lo, where approaches
My lady's ghostly father, holy Bazil!
49
BAZIL.
Pardon that rudely thus I break your parley,
But from the King I come, to bid the Infanta
Attend him here.—Good Inis, lead me to her.
INIS.
Here lies our way—Again I thank you, lady;
Ere night I'll use your gift.
[Exit with Bazil.
OTTILIA.
And if thou dost,
Go ring a funeral knell, and get thee mourning,
And gather flowers to strow thy lady's grave:
Thou'lt gather none so sweet, as that I wither!
—Hark! 'twas her voice.—How at the sound seemed ice
To seize my every vein!—My victim comes!
—I cannot bear her sight!—So young to die!
So young, so fair, so gentle, and so good!
With such an angel's life, and my soul's quiet. ....
Oh, God! Cæsario, thou art purchased dearly.
[Exit.
Enter AMELROSA, BAZIL, ESTELLA, INIS, and Attendants.
BAZIL.
No passion flushed his cheek; his voice, his manner
Though solemn, were not stern; and when he named you,
A tear gushed forth, ere he could turn him from me.
Then droop not thus, nor doubt paternal love. ....
50
Oh! 'tis that love distracts me, for his love
Was love so great! 'Twas but this morn he termed me
The only tie which chained him still to life!
And I have broke that tie!
BAZIL.
Nay, gentle Princess!
AMELROSA.
Perhaps have broke his heart too! from his lips
Have dashed Joy's last poor lingering drop, and shown him,
His only prop was frail as all the former!
Could I but think he felt like common parents,
That when he sound my fault, affection died,
Then I were blest! then I alone should suffer,
And, when his hatred broke my heart, could seek
Some lone sad place, and lay me down and die!
Alas! alas! I know, I was his darling!
Know, by the joy I gave him once, too well
How sharp the grief must be, I cause him now!
BAZIL.
That partial love which cherished thus your virtues,
Will now absolve your fault.
AMELROSA.
But when he frowns?
I ne'er yet saw him frown,—but sure he's dreadful!
Oh! ere I meet those eyes (which yet ne'er viewed me
But their kind language spoke uncounted blessings)
And find them dark with gloom, and dread with lightnings,
Closed be my own in death!—Hark! hark! he comes
51
For ever from his sight.—His frown will kill me!
Shield me, Estella, shield me!
ALFONSO enters, followed by RICARDO and Courtiers.
ALFONSO.
[Aside, looking at Amelrosa.]
Can it be!
Can she too have deceived .....!—Retire awhile!
[Exeunt Estella, &c.
Manent ALFONSO and AMELROSA.
ALFONSO.
Princess .....!
AMELROSA.
[Advancing with timidity, then rushing forward, and falling prostrate at his feet.]
My Father!—Oh! my Father!
ALFONSO.
Rise!
Nay rise: what fear'st thou? Wherefore weep, and tremble?
Thou hast no cause for grief! The poisoned arrow
Has pierced no heart, but mine! These eyes alone
Need weep for what they've seen! Thou hast not felt
What 'tis to lose all saith in man! to see
Joy and hope die together; and to find,
When all thy soul loved best hung on thy neck,
Each kiss was false, and each sweet smile was hollow!
Well! well! 'Tis past grief's curing! wondrous bitter,
But must be borne! A few short months, and then
The grave mends all.
52
[Aside.]
Pangs of the dying sinner,
Are ye more sharp than mine!
ALFONSO.
More tears?—Perhaps
You tremble, left my regal wrath should crush
The audacious slave, who stole his sovereign's daughter?
No, Princess, no! I can excuse the youth,
Nor look from mortals for divine forbearance.
A fairer fruit, than ever dragon guarded,
Courting his hand, and hung within his grasp,
He could not choose but pluck it.
AMELROSA.
Oh! I would
My heart could spring before thine eyes, and show thee
Each word thou utter'st, written there in blood!
That it could speak .....!
ALFONSO.
What could it say? but plead
The youth's fair form, high fame, and great acquirements!
Gratitude that from russian hands he saved thee,
Feelings too fond, and thus excuse thy love!
But could it e'er excuse thy long dissembling,
Thy seeming confidence, thy vows all broken,
Thy arts to lull me in a blissful dream,
From which the waking's dreadful? Why deceive me?
Why hide as from a foe thy thoughts from me?
Why banish me thy bosom? Didst thou fear me?
53
Was I so harsh a father, Amelrosa?
AMELROSA.
[Aside.]
Heart, sure thy strings are steel, or they would break!
ALFONSO.
Yet 'tis deserved! I was too fond! too partial!
Still loved thee better than my son, whose heart
Perhaps this partial love has turned against me—
If so, my pain is just!—Daughter, I'll chide
No more; nor came I here to chide, but bless thee.
This parchment gives thy lord Medina's dukedom,
With all its fair domains; the dowry promised,
When my fond bosom hoped that princely Arragon. ......
But that's now past!—Take it—farewell—be happy—
We meet no more!
AMELROSA.
[Covering her face with her hands.]
Oh! heaven!
ALFONSO.
'Twere vain, 'twere cruel,
To make thee toil to fan thy love's faint embers,
Since faith is dead; and though I still dote on thee,
I'll trust no more—Thy choice is made, and may
That choice prove all thy fondest dreams e'er pictured!
Blest be thy days as the first man's in Eden,
Before sin was! Be thy brave lord's affection
Firm as his valour, lovely as thy form!
And shouldst thou ever know, with thy whole soul
What 'tis to love a child, and hold it dearer!
Than freedom, light, or life ..... Oh! may that darling
Show thee more faith, than thou hast shown to me.
I've done—Have there the deed—Farewell!
54
[Grasping the hand which he extends with the parchment, and pressing it to her lips.]
Have mercy!
ALFONSO.
Mercy?—On whom?
AMELROSA.
An humbled, breaking heart,
But which, though breaking, loves thee dearly, dearly!
Throw me not from thee!
ALFONSO.
Hast not all thy wishes?
Thy husband's pardon, honour, wealth, and freedom
To live with whom, and how, and where thou wilt?
What wouldst thou more?
AMELROSA.
That, without which all these
Are nothing, and each seeming grace true curses!
Thy heart! thy heart, my father! Give me that!
Thy whole, whole heart, such as I once possess'd it,
Soft—kind—indulgent—open—feeling—fond!
'Tis this I ask,—or, this denied, to die.
Yes! strike me at your foot; spurn, trample, crush me!
Twist in my streaming locks your hand, and drag me,
Till from my wounded bosom streams of blood
Gush forth, and dye the marble red!—All this
Were far less anguish to a generous soul,
Than this so torturing love, so cruel kindness!
ALFONSO.
I will not hear. ....
55
Oh! leave me not, my father,
Nor bid me leave thee! Let my anguish move thee;
Let not, though great, a single error lose me
The fruits of twenty years pass'd in thy service,
Which in thy service pass'd seemed short as moments.
ALFONSO.
It must not be. ....
AMELROSA.
You would, but cannot hide it;
I still am dear! Each look, each feature speaks it,
Speaks too a softening heart—Oh! hear its pleading,
And bid me stay! I'll only stay to love thee!
Look on me! mark my altered form! observe
The strong convulsions of my gasping bosom!
See my wan cheeks, eyes swoln, lips trembling! feel
How scalding are the tears with which I dew
This dear, dear hand! Judge by thy own my sufferings,
And bid me cease to suffer; when with force,
Such as despair alone can give, and louder
Than fiends implore from their volcanic prisons
The Arch-angel's grace, I cry to thee—“Have mercy.”—
ALFONSO.
My child ..... No, no!—'Twere weakness .....
AMELROSA.
Weakness, said'st thou?
Oh! glorious fault! Oh! fair defect!—Oh! weakness
Passing all strength! If to forgive be sin,
How deeply then must Heaven have sinned to man!
Oh! be thy faults like Heaven's! Relent, my father!
Pardon .....! Oh! speak that word!
56
My heart! my heart!
My bursting heart!
AMELROSA.
That word, that blessed word,
So quickly said, so easy, as 'twere magic
Breaks sorrow's spell, and bids her phantoms fly!
That word, that word, that one, one little word,
And I am blest!—
ALFONSO.
[Yielding to his emotions, and clasping her eagerly to his bosom.]
Be blest then!
[Exit.
AMELROSA.
Now, ye stars,
Which nightly grace the sky, if ye love goodness,
Pour dews celestial from your golden vials
On yon dear gracious head!—Oh! why is now
My husband absent?—Lend thy doves, dear Venus,
That I may send them where Cæsario strays;
And while he smooths their silver wings, and gives them
For drink the honey of his lips, I'll bid them
Coo in his ear, his Amelrosa's happy!
Joy, joy, my soul! Bound, my gay dancing heart!
Waft me, ye winds! To bear so blest a creature
Earth is not worthy! Loved by those I love,
I've all my soul e'er wished, my hopes e'er fancied,
My father's friendship, and Cæsario's heart!
Leave me but these, and, fortune, I defy thee!
[Exit.
| Alfonso, King of Castile | |