 | Alfonso, King of Castile |  |
SCENE II.
A chamber in the palace.Enter HENRIQUEZ and MELCHIOR.
MELCHIOR.
And the grave council
Fell blindfold in the snare?
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They could not fail,
So well Cæsario spread it—With such art
He told his tale, and in such glowing colours
Painted Alfonso's worth, and his son's guilt,
That all cried vengeance on the Prince Don Pedro,
And bade Cæsario mount his forfeit throne.
MELCHIOR.
And he, no doubt, obeyed?
HENRIQUEZ.
In modest guise
He owned his union with the Princess gave him
Some rights, but vowed, so heavy seemed its weight,
He feared to wear a Crown, so prayed them spare him:
Till won by urgent prayer at length he yielded,
And kindly deigned to be a King.
MELCHIOR.
He's here,
And Bazil with him.
Enter CÆSARIO, Father BAZIL, and Attendants.
CÆSARIO.
[Entering.]
Bid her rest assured,
Her King is her first subject. But, good father,
How bears her health this shock? Say, looks she pale?
Does she e'er name ......?
BAZIL.
She bade me lead thee hither,
And claimed my promise not to tell thee more
I'll warn her, thou art here. [Going.]
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Say too, my heart
Shares every pang of her's; that Crowns are worthless
Bought with her tears; that could my prayers, my blood,
Restore Alfonso's life. .....
BAZIL.
Hold!—On that subject
What thou wouldst tell her, will come best from thee.
[Exit.
CÆSARIO.
Ha!—Meant he ...... No! Sure had he known my secret,
The monk had canted 'gainst the guilt of treason,
Thundering out saint-like curses!—Vile, vile chance,
Which led the Princess ...... Yet what fear I now?
She keeps my secret: then she loves me still,
And, loving, must forgive me—Hark! I hear her.—
Now, all ye powers of bland persuasion, shed
Your honey on my lips! Come to my aid,
Ye soft memorials of departed pleasures,
Kind words, fond looks, sweet tears, and melting kisses!
Sighs of compassion, drown her anger's voice!
Smooth ye her frown, smiles of delight and love!
Make her but mine once more, and this day crowns me
Monarch of all my soul e'er wished from fate:
Yes, in my wildest dreams I asked but this,
“Love and Revenge! A Throne and Amelrosa!”—
Retire!—I dread to meet her.
[Henriquez, &c. Exeunt.
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AMELROSA.
'Tis enough,
Good Father, and one task performed, I'll meet
That hour with joy which seems to guilt so fearful.
Leave me awhile: Anon, if time allows it,
We'll talk again—Farewell, my friends.
INIS.
[Kneeling.]
Oh! Princess!
Oh! Royal victim!
AMELROSA.
Nay, be calm, my Inis.
Pass a few years, and all had been as now,
Perhaps far worse: receive this kiss of pardon,
And give it back in Heaven!—Farewell!
[Exeunt Estella, &c.
Manent CÆSARIO and AMELROSA.
CÆSARIO.
How grief
Has changed her! Ah! how sunk her eyes! her cheeks
How pale!—She comes!—How shall I bear her anguish!
AMELROSA.
Not to reproach, for that you sought a life,
Which you well knew I prized above my own;
Not to complain, that when my heart reposed
On you for all its earthly joys, you broke it,
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To warn thee, yea with tears implore thee, turn
From those most dangerous paths, which now thou tread'st.
Oh! wake, my husband! Close thy guilty dream;
Be just, be good! be what till now I thought thee!
That when we part (as ere two hours we must)
We may not part for ever.
CÆSARIO.
How to answer,
Or in what words excuse ......! Could my best blood
Wash out thy knowledge of my fault. .....
AMELROSA.
My knowledge?
And say, on earth none knew it! Say, thy crime
To eye of man were viewless as the winds,
And secret as the laws which rule the dead:
Could'st hide it from thyself?—Would not He know it,
Whose knowledge more than all thou ought to dread,
His, who knows all things?—Oh! short-sighted mortals!
Oh! vain precautions! Oh! mis-judging sense!
Man thinks his secret safe, for no ear heard it!
Man thinks his act unknown, for no eye saw it!
But there was One above both saw and heard,
When neither ear could hear, nor eye could see.
CÆSARIO.
Thou lovely moralist!—Oh! take me! school me!
Mould thou my heart, and make it like thine own.
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Dost thou speak truth?
CÆSARIO.
Be that one act forgiven,
And prove. .....
AMELROSA.
Oh! That were light: As yet thou'rt guilty
In thought alone: My father lives!
CÆSARIO.
Indeed!
AMELROSA.
He starts!—He feigned!—Oh! for Heaven's love, my husband,
Trifle not now! This hour is precious, precious!
My soul is winged for Heaven, and stays its flight,
In hopes of teaching thine the way to follow:
Let not its stay be vain! Let my tears win thee,
And turn from vice: Repent! Be wise, be warned;
For 'tis no idle voice that gives the warning;
I speak it from the grave!
CÆSARIO.
The grave!
AMELROSA.
What fear'st thou?
Why shudder at a name?—Oh! If thou needs
Wilt tremble, tremble for thyself, not me.
I die to live; thy death may be for ever!
Short are my pangs; thy soul's may be eternal!
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Die?—Die!—Each word ... Each look ..... Dreadful suspicious. .....
But no! It cannot, shall not be!
AMELROSA.
It shall not?
As I've a soul, in one short hour, Cæsario,
That soul must kneel before the throne of God.
CÆSARIO.
Mean'st thou. .....
AMELROSA.
E'en so; I'm poisoned!
CÆSARIO.
Torture! Madness!
Within there!
Re-enter Father BAZIL, ESTELLA, &c.
CÆSARIO.
Help, Oh! help! The Princess dies!
I'll speed myself. .....
AMELROSA.
[Detaining him.]
No, no, thou must not leave me:
My hour of death is near, and thou must see it. ...
CÆSARIO.
Distraction!
AMELROSA.
Must observe, how calm the transit,
How light the pain, how free death's cup from bitter,
When virtue soothes, and hope exalts the soul.
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Ottilia's lids, and 'twas a sight of horror!
Each limb, each nerve was writhed by strange convulsions,
Clenched were her teeth, her eye-balls fixed and glaring;
She foamed, she raved, and her last words were curses!—
But look, Cæsario!—I can die, and smile!
[Sinks into Estella's arms.
CÆSARIO.
[In despair.]
My life!—My soul!—
AMELROSA.
[In a faint voice.]
But while one moment's mine,
By all thy vows of love, by those I breathed,
And never broke through life, never, no, never,
I charge thee, I conjure thee. .....
[Starting suddenly forward.]
Powers of mercy,
Whence this so glorious blaze?
CÆSARIO.
How her eyes sparkle!
AMELROSA.
Look, friends! Look, look!—My mother, my dead mother,
Rich in new youth, and bright in lasting beauty!
She floats in air; her limbs are clothed with light!
Her angel-head is wreathed with Eden's roses!
Heaven's splendours rove amid her golden locks,
While her blest lips and radiant eyes pour round her
Airs of delight and floods of placid glory!
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World, fare thee well!—Mother, lead on!—I follow!
[Exit with Estella, &c.
CÆSARIO.
[Alone.]
My brain! my brain!—Oh! I ne'er knew till now,
How well I loved her!— [Following her.]
Enter HENRIQUEZ.
HENRIQUEZ.
Turn, Cæsario, turn!
We're lost! Alfonso lives; e'en now his troops
Assail our walls.
CÆSARIO.
Confusion! Is all Hell
Combined. .......
Enter MELCHIOR.
MELCHIOR.
Betrayed, betrayed! The gates are opened;
The townsmen join our foes; I saw the King
First in the sight. ....
CÆSARIO.
The King?—My brain is burning;
I'll cool it with his blood.—Forth, forth, my sword:
Forth, nor be sheathed till I return thee dyed
With royal gore—Away!
[Exeunt Henriquez and Melchior; Cæsario is following, when Amelrosa shrieks from within: he stops, and remains motionless.]
AMELROSA.
Within.]
Oh! Mercy, mercy!
INIS.
[Within.]
She dies!
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[Within.]
Nay, hold her! hold her down!
AMELROSA.
[Within.]
Oh!—Oh!
[Solemn requiem chaunted within.]
Peace to the parted saint! Pure soul, farewell!
[The scene closes.]
| Alfonso, King of Castile | |