 | Fredolfo |  |
SCENE II.
The Shrine, splendidly adorned and illuminated. Urilda alone, seated at the foot of the altar, which is raised, and clinging to it.Uril.
I am in safety here!
The lover may neglect the maid he woo'd,
The father may desert the child he loved,
But Heaven will not renounce the thing it form'd—
The worm that twines in humble agony
Around its altar's pale!
Enter Prior, magnificently habited, with Monks.
Prior.
What art thou, woman,
Who hast with wild and desperate grasp laid hold
On our high sanctuary?—
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Of crime untold, unknown? (a pause.)
Or, art thou conscious of some desperate deed,
Which, done by other, must by thee be told?
(A pause.)
Why cling'st thou trembling to the altar's rail,
Unanswering and speechless?
Uril.
I am innocent!
Mercy, O, holy father, for a wretch,
Who, by each holy thing around her, claims it!
By saint and shrine I plead,
Shelter from wild and horrid violence;
Let my life-blood bedew the altar-stone,
But tear not from its sacred hold my hands!
Monk.
She is Fredolfo's daughter. Round our walls
Thunder the forces of fierce Wallenberg,
And wilt thou risk our holy sanctuary
To shield a fugitive wanderer?
Uril.
(quitting the shrine and falling at the prior's feet, whose robe she holds)
Father, save me!
Monk.
If thou hast value for these holy things,
Yield thee, and part in peace!
Uril.
(in despair, and retreating to the shrine)
If I must yield,
It is to heaven I yield, and not to man!
For heaven will not forsake me!
Prior
(with dignity).
Nor its minister!
Behold, beneath this taper'd cross I place thee—
Let him whose brand of more than mortal might
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Lift his unhallow'd arm, and drop it powerless!
(Noise without increasing.)
Monk.
Hark! hush thy wild boasting!—Stern, mail'd men
Are trooping round our walls—fell Wallenberg— (Noise increases.)
“They come! they come!
“Prior
(boldly).
And let them come!
“Uril.
(clinging to him)
My father!
“I tremble!
“Prior.
Tremble not.
“Uril.
(wildly)
“The roof swims round!—
(During this the noise increases every moment, and Monks crowd in terror to the sanctuary.)
“The doors are yielding!
(Noise increases with great violence.)
“(Trembling with apprehension)
“Wilt thou abandon me?
“Prior.
Abandon thee!
“If thou, indeed, in purity of soul,
“Cling'st to the shrine, where the soul's purity
“Alone hath claim, cling boldly, and be safe!”
The doors give way, and Wallenberg and his band rush in. They recoil at the entrance, till he urges them on.
“Uril.
(screaming with horror, and clinging to the Prior)
Oh! hold me! hold me! Heaven forsakes me now!”
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(turning to them with much dignity)
What are ye, that with desperate step dare tread
Upon this hallow'd pavement—that dare lift
Your armed hands, where hands are raised in prayer?
Wall.
And what art thou, thou bold and impious priest,
That dar'st degrade thy temple's sanctity,
And spread the fold of thy polluted vestment
Around the head of a doomed murderer's child?
Prior
(menacing).
Advance another step—
Wall.
Advance, and seize her!
Uril.
(shrieking)
Save me! oh, save me, father!
Prior
(trembling).
Fear them not!
Wall.
(raging, as his band recoil)
Dastards and dotards, must I bid ye twice?
Uril.
(struggling)
Oh, holy father! to thy robe I cling—
To thy high altar—clasp me—closer clasp me!
Wall.
(seizing her, while she still keeps a feeble hold of the Prior)
She's mine! she's mine!
Uril.
(half torn from the Prior)
Oh! hold me!—hold me yet!
Fred.
(Without.)
Where is my daughter?
Uril.
(Struggling convulsively.)
My father near!—O, for a moment yet!
[Wallenberg tears Urilda from the Prior, takes her up the steps to the altar, and
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Prior.
(To Wallenberg menacing.)
Hark! he comes!
The avenger comes! and terrible his march!
[As Fredolfo and his band enter, the Prior and Monks rush out.
Fred.
(Wildly.)
Where is my child? I see her not!
[Discovering her held by the arm of Wallenberg, he retreats in horror.
I see her!
Wall.
(In triumph.)
She's here! she's here!
Behold thy child!—Ay, bend and supplicate—
Bow thy hoar head in agony to earth,—
Crouch like a slave beneath the galling lash,
Writhe like a worm, that I may trample on thee,
As I do thus!
[Stamping.
Uril.
My father!—O, my father!
Heed not his horrid words—there is a death
That all can die—the death of broken hearts—
Bow not thine honour'd head to earth for me!
Fred.
Wallenberg—foe—man whom I loathe and fear—
To earth I bend my trembling head before thee!
[Kneels.
Wall.
Cast down thy weapon!
Fred.
(Throwing it from him.)
At thy feet I cast it!
Wall.
Dismiss thy traitor band!
Fred.
(To his band.)
Away! and leave me!
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(Struggling vainly while this is done.)
Father! O, father! mercy for thy child!
O, let some arrow's wing, or javelin's flight,
Be strongly aim'd to quiver in my heart!
Adelmar rushes in with a reinforcement.
Adel.
What! stand ye here to parley, coward talkers,
While in that ruffian's grasp Urilda writhes?
Who bears a brand, and boasts man's arm to wield it,
Follow and save her!
Fred.
Hold! or she is lost!
[Fredolfo, in agony for his daughter's safety, holds back Adelmar, who is now horror-struck by her danger. Wallenberg addressing Adelmar, as he gazes with malignant delight at her lover and her father, neither of whom dare to advance.
Wall.
(To Adelmar.)
Her father bow'd to earth beneath my feet,
And thou, her lover—for her trembling life
What wouldst thou give?
Adel.
(Kneeling in agony.)
My life! my soul! my all!
Wall.
(Deriding him.)
Romantic prodigal—I ask thy sword!
Uril.
(Wildly.)
Yield it not—yield it not—Adelmar—my love—
Yield not our only hope—thy faithful sword!
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(Supplicating Wallenberg.)
Take, take my worthless life—be mine the ransom!
(To Urilda.)
Have mercy on thy father!—let him die!
Adel.
Spare reverend honour'd age,—spare helpless beauty!
Do on these youthful limbs your butcher-work—
Their strength will long defy the torture's toil!
Uril.
(In distraction and struggling.)
Kneel not to him for mercy—he hath none.
(Suddenly changing.)
I will beneath thy feet fling my crush'd heart—
[Dreading the danger of Fredolfo and Adelmar.
I will be thine, I'll love thee—worship thee!
Adel.
(Starting up.)
His! his! that word hath wither'd up my heart!
[Kneeling, and offering his sword.
Here! take my sword!
Wall.
(Stabbing him with it as he kneels.)
I do—and—thus I use it!
[Adelmar falls; Wallenberg releases Urilda, pointing with a dreadful smile to his prostrate body. Fredolfo, overcome with horror, shrinks back, and hides his head in his mantle for a few moments. Urilda falls beside Adelmar, then turns to Wallenberg.
Uril.
Devil! O, devil! not one stab for me—
I do not pray—I ask no mercy now!
[Adelmar, half raising himself, fixes his eyes on her.
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[Turning distractedly to Wallenberg.
Mercy—dear Wallenberg—kind Wallenberg!
[Adelmar expires.
(Starting up.)
Life is no more—nor is there mercy now.
I kneel no more—I curse thee to thy face!
[Dashing herself deliriously beside the body of Adelmar. Fredolfo recovering himself, and rushing on Wallenberg, who stands in malignant stupefaction at the spectacle of Urilda's despair.
Fred.
Villain! let Vengeance pay her triple debt!
This for the sire—the mother—and the child!
[After a short conflict, he thrice wounds Wallenberg, who falls against the altar, pointing to Urilda. Fredolfo views him as he falls with a look of dreadful triumph.
Wall.
(Struggling to raise himself.)
Thine eyes look curses at me, though thou speak'st not—
Those curses are my parting soul's rich benison—
'Tis all I ask!
[Recovering some strength, rising, and grasping the arm of Urilda, whom he flings towards her father, a paralyzed and frozen object.
Ha! this is better still!
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[He flings her into the arms of her father, falls, and expires with a laugh.
Fred.
My child! my child! is it my child I clasp?
What ghastly thing art thou, with lightless eye,
That starest on me in stone! if thou hast life,
I do adjure thee, speak!—Save me from madness!
Urilda! daughter! speak!
Uril.
(Slowly recovering.)
What voice is that?
I deem'd that it was past—but still I'm here—
Chain'd down in torture—struggling with a fiend!—
[Pushing away her father.
Avaunt! thy touch is fire—my veins are scorched!
I blaze!—I blaze!—stand off!—pour rivers o'er me!
[Shrieking.
Ah! with hot gore ye drench me—I'm o'erwhelm'd!
A sea of blood!—down, down, amid the billows!
Down, down for ever!—rest is at the bottom!
[Fredolfo sinks into the arms of Waldo, Urilda staggers feebly towards the body of Adelmar, and sinks down beside it.
Father! you knew him—would you know him now?
[Staggers to her father.
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A burning cord!—Can you unloose it, father?
It bursts, it bursts!—'tis a sweet agony!
They thought to part us—this hath baffled them!
Mine, mine—for ever mine!—See how I smile!
[Falls on the body of Adelmar, and expires slowly, forcing a smile as she sees her father's agony.
| Fredolfo | |