University of Virginia Library

SCENE VII.

—Montmorency's Tent.
Montmorency and Philip meeting.
Montm.
Ha! Philip? must I thank thee for this visit?

Phil.
No—no—to-day you know I did thee wrong.

Montm.
What is thy wish?

Phil.
To rid thee of a foe.
My Lord, I hate thee: ask me not the cause
Lest now I strike thee, and provoke my death.

Montm.
Were all my foes so candid and so weak,
I'd fear them little.

Phil.
Is not our Emp'ror candid?—
There's one that knows him, though he has put on
The soldier's air.

Montm.
If thou hast aught to ask;—
At once:—I stand not here to praise thy boldness,
By Heaven, Montferrat has not used me well,
To take thy services: and now I hear
The Emp'ror is thy patron:—can I serve thee?

Phil.
Am I a slave, my Lord of France, a slave?
One bound with bonds?—O surely not, my Lord.
And shall I follow Baldwin?—No, I hate him
Even as he hates thee.
To-morrow sails the Doge, and I would with him.

Montm.
And thou shalt be physician to his highness,
If such thy wish.

Phil.
I came to speak of this.

Montm.
Stay, what shall serve?

Phil.
Give me thy ring, 'tis done;—
If not too late: I must not wait thy letter.
You got it from the Doge, and he shall know it.

Montm.
There, and make haste.

Phil.
I'll send it back, my Lord.

Montm.
No—no—'tis thine.

Phil.
I see thee hence no more:—There take it back,—
I cannot use it.

Montm.
Ere you go, one word—
Should we two meet again, parade not thus
Thy hatred on thy life.

Phil.
Thanks for thy ring—
Thy counsel's a dead letter.

Montm.
Failing success, and if thy mind incline,
Forget the past, and march with me to-morrow.

Phil.
Ay, to death.

Montm.
What mean you, Sir?—Is there aught more?

Phil.
No more—O! nothing more.
I have it all within this little ring.
[Exit Philip.

Montm.
Why then, farewell.—

Phil.
(Returning.)
—My Lord, I thank thee.

[Exit.