University of Virginia Library

SCENE I.

—A GRAND SALOON IN THE DUKE'S COUNTRY PALACE, NEAR MANTUA.
The Duke and Azzo Durazzo discovered.
DUKE.
Her perseverance is most strange!

AZZO.
Most strange,
My liege, to those who like ourselves, perchance,
Have slight acquaintance with the ways of virtue!

DUKE
(aside).
Insolent flouter! yet must I endure it!
He is just now the soul and master-mover
Of all my schemes! (Aloud.)
Ha! ha! thou'rt right, good Azzo!
Thy sense is keen, good Azzo—troth, thou'rt right,
Thou bear'st a brain!

AZZO.
A poor one,—at your service!
Now as regards that rank disease called Virtue!

DUKE.
Ha! ha! thou'rt right, good Azzo—ever right!—

AZZO.
It varies in its symptoms very strangely!—
This same meek Virtue—put not from her path,
May be a sociable good soul enough;
But touch her in her points of honour—plaff!
Off—off she goes like trains but newly-fired!
By all the saints—a girl of gunpowder!

DUKE.
Aye! such explosions I could bear and echo,
But fix'd resistance Rock-like—

AZZO.
Would'st thou know
A scheme I have late devised?

DUKE.
At once!—speak!—speak!—

AZZO.
Hold! not so fast!—The forfeited estates
Of Count di Moria—those large sums squeezed out,
By false accusal, from the old Jew Demetrio—
Half Campeodoria's confiscated lands—
The administration of the affairs of Mantua,—
All must be promised me, and promised safely,
Writ, sign'd, and seal'd! What think'st thou, gracious Duke,
All men must be rewarded, bribed, enrich'd,
Except thy faithfullest and best of servants?

DUKE
(aside).
High-souled, disinterested,—infernal miscreant!
(Aloud.)
Content! All, all, and guaranteed to thee
Without a chance of failure or of flaw.
I swear to thee—by mine own soul I swear it!—
Now quick,—thy plan!

AZZO.
A forced, pretended marriage!
I—Prince!—will ably personate the priest!—

DUKE.
Most excellent! I thank thee—ha!—I thank thee!
Tho' forced—when once, poor fool! she deems and dreams
That sacred knot is tied, she will not dare
Resist her lawful lord—her wedded spouse,
No longer mounted on that mettled steed
(Whose caracolling shakes all earth beneath it)
Of rampant Virtue! She will change her tone,—
Will by degrees forget Hippolito,
For him she shall imagine she is bound
To love, obey, and honour!

AZZO.
Is it good?

DUKE.
The best! I thank thee—thank thee.—Who is here?

[Enter an Attendant.
ATTENDANT.
A man from Mantua, may it please your Highness,
Who, driven by urgent business, and despising
Representations and remonstrances,
Insists on instant audience of yourself.

LUIGI
(rushing in and embracing the Duke's knees).
Most gracious Duke! I come for right—for justice!
Oh! justice—justice—Duke!

DUKE.
Thy wrong?—what is't?

LUIGI.
A villain, Duke!—a foul, pernicious villain,
Hath stolen my daughter from my hearth away!
Think, mighty Duke!—my daughter—my sole child!
In midst of all her beauteous, blossoming youth,
Her maidenly light-heartedness and joyaunce,
And glowing hopes! She loves him not, great Duke!
I know she is detain'd 'gainst her sweet will.
The villain is a man of wealth and power,
And I an humble handicraftsman,—thus
He hoped to silence my complaints—blind wretch!—
All earth and heaven shall hear—shall right my wrongs!
Grace—justice—Duke! afford the father help
To rescue the innocent—the cherish'd darling,—
From such foul grasp of lawless love! Haste—speak—
And give me instant justice—special help,
And spare at once the father and the child!
The impious contemner of the laws—great Duke,
Just Duke!—good Duke!—avenger of the oppress'd!—
Is Count di Sforza—let him feel thy power!
Avenge!—spare!—save!—protect!—give justice!—justice!—

DUKE
(who has shrunk away during this speech, plucks his robes from the man's hands, and exclaims)
Away! thou dragg'st me, ruffian!—dragg'st me down,
Into the dust thou'lt drag me! Loose thy hold!
Hence! I am ill!—Hence, hence, thou dost me harm!
I cannot comprehend thee! I am ill—
Oh, I am very ill—my temples throb—
A dizziness hath seized me! I am poison'd!
A chilliness comes o'er me! I am murder'd!
Drag hence the man—I know not what he says—
How dared ye bring the maniac to our presence?
He raves!—

LUIGI.
I rave! aye, reasoning I may rave—
I well may rave in reasoning o'er my wrongs!
Oh! if thou'rt ill, great, gracious Prince!—at least
(Lest thou should'st die, as every mortal must,)
Let thy last act an act of justice be!—

DUKE.
Ho! varlets—villains—whither have ye 'scaped?—
Help! treason—treason!—bear the madman off!
Grind him till nothing but his gore is left!
Grind him! as he hath crushed me, to the dust!
Azzo Durazzo! quick—thine arm—support me—
Azzo! I say—haste!—guide my steps—here—hold me—
A fever seizes me!—my heart's on fire!—

[Exeunt Duke and Azzo.
(Attendants come and seize Luigi.)
LUIGI.
How! spurn'd—insulted—when for holy justice
I sued—as for a favour, not a right!—
Ha! what!—for justice—for the eternal justice—
(The which I knelt for as myself had done
Some crime unparallel'd!) this—this! what! this!
The immense of all injustice!—threats—contempt—
And such wild outbreak of insane suspicion!
Back, menials! Have ye children?—Had ye parents?—

[He is borne away.