Savonarola A Tragedy |
 | 1. |
| 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
| 2. |
| 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. | SCENE IV. |
| 5. |
| 6. |
| 3. |
| 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
| 5. |
| 6. |
| 7. |
| 8. |
| 9. |
| 10. |
| 4. |
| 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
| 5. |
| 6. |
| 5. |
| 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
 | Savonarola |  |
98
SCENE IV.
Bettuccio. Letizia.LETIZIA.
Here she comes,
As punctual as a star and yet more pure.
[Enter Candida (right).]
This is the lady Candida, whom I—
BETTUCCIO.
Praising so much, did not yet praise enough.
But I must leave you, momently to hie
To Tornabuoni, and apprise him quick
That matters march awry. 'Twas thought he would
Be present at the Council; but no voice
Could have withstood the torrent of discourse
That foamed 'gainst Piero. Lady, with your leave.
[Letizia embraces him. He salutes Candida, and exit (left).]
CANDIDA.
Is that your lover that you told me of?
99
None else. What think you of him?
CANDIDA.
He is well,
And deft at courtesy. But have a care
You love not overmuch.
LETIZIA.
That cannot be.
He is a poet, hence athirst for love,
And one must make a fountain of one's heart,
And keep it flowing.
CANDIDA.
What if it should well
When he would drink no more?
LETIZIA.
O, you are wrong,
Echoing a common shout. A poet is
The two extremes of our prosaic mean.
Because he gives so much, much he demands;
No partial love contents him. Being large,
100
All that is in this tiny tenement,
And all it vastly longs for.
CANDIDA.
Happy youth,
To have found one woman in this cautious world
Who keeps back nothing! Heaven scarce were Heaven,
To beggar this so prodigal a heart.
Yet have I heard that love was born a cheat,
And in the end will sweep up all your stakes!
LETIZIA.
That's when you play with him; a hellish game
No honest woman tries. Bettuccio's long!
I wish he would return.
CANDIDA.
He scarce has gone.
You think your heart the clock, and that time ticks
With fancy's bounding pulses! How I wish
That your Bettuccio had the grace to choose
A Cause as fair as you. Why does he mate
With Frà Girolamo's worst enemies?
101
I never questioned him on such a thing,
Since alien 'tis to love. Now, now I must,
Since I perceive that danger lies that way.
This Signor Tornabuoni was the friend
Of his convivial seasons in the days
While yet Lorenzo lived. Men's amity
Is pledged above their beakers; and he vows
That braver gallant never kissed a cup.
He hath a noble port.
[Enter Valori (left) breathlessly. Candida plucks at Letizia's gown, to lead her away.]
VALORI.
Nay, do not go!
I am in need of some swift messenger.
CANDIDA.
None is more swift than I will be.
LETIZIA.
No, no!
You are too dainty for such common work.
Trust me, sir, with your message.
102
Both can go.
LETIZIA.
We must not; for Bettuccio would return,
And neither find.
VALORI.
Now, fortune stand by me!
Speed, quick-fledged maiden: I will stand on guard
By this fair lady while your errand runs.
Nor must I quit this place until you bring
Hither the Signory. If in their beds,
Rouse them, and say Valori waits without.
Now quick into the Palace! You must go
Round to the postern entrance.
[Exit Letizia (right).]
CANDIDA.
Sir! you seem
To bear grave tidings.
VALORI.
Grave indeed they are,
But graver not to me than news that you
Could give me, an you would.
103
What may that be?
VALORI.
News, O, so long in coming! Why do you live
Solitary as a swan and as content,
That, on some silent mere sedately moored,
Keeps turning on itself? Yet lone swans have
Somewhere a nest. Oh! make your nest with me,
Deep in the sedges of protecting love,
Where ripples of vexation die away
And winds are barred from coming!
CANDIDA.
With what ease
You ask what is with difficulty given!
You tell me that you love me. That seems much.
If I love you, I do not know it, sir!
VALORI.
O, why do you delay in loving me?
The fruit that ripens slowly is half sour,
While sweetness comes with quick maturity.
CANDIDA.
Hush! or you'll wake the night! Look at the stars,
104
Why do they keep so silent?
VALORI.
Is't not because
Silence alone makes perfect harmony,
And in their concord ne'er a false note strikes
To scandalize the ear?
CANDIDA.
See! One is falling—
VALORI.
Leaving a long trail.
CANDIDA.
Why doth a shooting star shine brightlier far
Than any that keeps fixëd in its seat?
VALORI.
'Tis, its career, being brief, is glorious.
Who would not into jaws of darkness jump,
Traversing first such bright trajectory?
CANDIDA.
Hush! Falling stars are high examples sent
105
Substantial meteors; but that is not so.
They are the merest phantasies of Night,
When she's asleep, and, dimly visited
By past effects, she dreams of Lucifer
Hurled out of Heaven.
VALORI.
How sweetly moralised!
Where did you learn that wisdom?
CANDIDA.
At my prayers:
A fountain of instruction, much I fear
Men dip into but little. You blasphemed,
So I made solemn your profanity.
Stars are the eyes of night, wherewith she sees
What ill we do, and silence is the ear
With which she listens.
VALORI.
You are too pure a strain
To mix with my impurity.
106
That proves
You purer than you think. If I could love,
It would be for the strong humility
That bends as low as I am. See, they come.
Now lend your ear unto the State, nor brood
On private yearnings. Florence wants your heart:
Give it her wholly.
VALORI.
At your bidding, yes;
And she, when saved, will give it back to you.
[Enter Letizia (right), followed by Corsini, Bonsi, and Vespucci. Candida and Letizia retire.]
VALORI.
Forgive me, gentlemen, for treating sleep
As though it were siesta of the day.
But I bear pressing news. All goes amiss.
BONSI.
Come you from Pisa?
VALORI.
Yes, from Pisa straight,
Spurring as fast as hoofs would carry me.
107
Is the King there?
VALORI.
There, and with all his force
Whither the first Ambassadors we sent,
Unknown to Piero, now have followed him.
VESPUCCI.
But they found Charles at Lucca.
VALORI.
So they did;
And there the King showed reasonable mind.
But Piero, bidding higher, foiled their terms,
And now Charles craftily affects to treat
But with the Medici alone.
CORSINI.
Is't true
That Piero hath contracted we shall pay
Two hundred thousand ducats?
VALORI.
So I learned,
Coming along the road. But hear you worse.
108
Sarzana, Sarzanella, are unlocked,
But Piero hath engaged to render up
Pisa.
ALL.
What! Pisa!
VALORI.
Yes, and with them too
Leghorn and Ripafratta.
BONSI.
News the ear
Can scarce think audible.
VESPUCCI.
And ne'er a tongue,
Unless it were Valori's, could announce,
And be believed.
VALORI.
Alas! 'tis positive!
And with it snaps the ultimate frail link
That tied me to the Medici.
109
Yet stay!
What if against the city Charles advance,
Conveying Piero with him?
BONSI.
Never fear!
Fool though he be, he hath the wit to know
That if into the saddle tilted back
By Charles or any other, Florence quick,
When these had gone, would buck him out of it.
He needs must grasp the stirrup for himself,
Or never mount again.
VESPUCCI.
He clutches now.
For the boy Cardinal who should have worn
The plain male garb of statecraft, and have left
The sacristy's adornments epicene
Unto this Piero, in his brother's cause
Works day and night through all the thoroughfares,
Lavishing gold, and plying still the cry
Of Palle! Palle! but no echo finds.
[Enter (left) Marcuccio Salviati in hot haste.]
110
No palliation, gentlemen, I plead,
For breaking on your conference. The news
I bring is my excuse. Not one chime since,
Paolo Orsini, coming from without,
Seized on San Gallo Gate, and occupies
That quarter wholly.
VALORI.
Does he come in strength?
SALVIATI.
Five hundred horse and twice as many foot,
And all the rabble shout for the Medici.
CORSINI.
That is the slum where still the vermin hide.
SALVIATI.
But 'tis believed Piero himself hath set
His face towards the city.
VALORI.
May it be true!
See, Salviati, that your trustiest hands
111
Apprise the Guilds. I will not fail to lend
Assistance opportune. The Signory
Will do the rest.
Salviati retires (left).]
VALORI.
'Tis patent, peril lurks
In this advancëd night, and will unfold
Its tokens with the dawn. Who is't to-day
Is the Proposto?
VESPUCCI.
Intempestively,
Antonio Lorini, who commands
Likewise the Palace Keys; so we took care
He was not woke.
BONSI.
As care too will we take
Out of his hand betimes the keys shall slip,
Should they be wanted.
VALORI.
Let us to our posts,
And sleep no more! The night now nears its term,
112
With freedom's chrism fair Florence shall baptize.
Valori! be familiar with your sword!
[He draws his sword, and kisses the blade, then salutes the three, and they all retire.]
| Savonarola | |