University of Virginia Library

SCENE I.

—THE PALACE.
THE VICEROY, GARCIA.
THE VICEROY.
Garcia no more! thy intercession's vain:
Honor forbids us to recall this mandate
Of just correction.

GARCIA.
Think on whom it falls!
On one whom your fond bounty long has cherished
E'en as your child: the trust of a brave friend,
Who dying left you this rich legacy,
This sacred pledge of confidence and honor
Still to be worn with pride upon the heart.

THE VICEROY.
Away! for all you plead in his defence
Turns to the aggravation of his guilt,
And sanctifies my sentence.

GARCIA.
Think, my lord,
This is no trifling business! it demands
Most deep discussion; for on this award
Hangs all the glory of your life to come,
Nay all your honors past; if these are dear,
You must revoke this wrong, unguarded sentence:
You must, by Heaven, you must.

THE VICEROY.
Garcia, beware!
Relying on our ancient amity,
Thou dost presume too far upon my patience.

GARCIA.
Let fawning flattery be struck dumb with fear,
When her proud idol frowns! 'tis friendship's glory.
In spite of quick resentment's random fire,
To persevere in her most noble duty,
And counter-work the mines of treacherous passion.

THE VICEROY.
And thou art come, most sapient monitor,
To teach us wisdom, honesty and virtue.

GARCIA.
Yes! I will hold a faithful mirror to thee,
And shew thy troubled mind its own distortion;
Will hold it, tho' insulted with thy scorn,
E'en till that mind resume its native features,
And thank me for the service. Noble friend,
I know, thou dost believe thy sentence just:
But dive into thy heart, and thou wilt find
Velora's beauty, is Sylveyra's guilt.

THE VICEROY.
Leave us, presumptuous counsellor! thou canst not
Make firm authority revoke his mandate
By the vain preaching of thy pedant pride.

GARCIA.
No! Castro, no! I cannot, dare not yield thee
To the dominion of this tyrant passion,
Which may—

THE VICEROY.
O! patience Heaven! shall I for ever
Be rated thus by insolent dependants?

GARCIA.
Unhappy Castro! like a drowning wretch,
In a blind struggle, thou dost beat away
The very arm extended for thy safety;
Yes! I will leave thee on thy proud dismission;
May mightier visitation from above
Irradiate thy dark mind! may Isabel,
That blessed saint, that martyr of thy love,
Descend to watch o'er thy disordered spirit!
And dispossess thee of this jealous fiend,
Ere his blind fury gain increasing force,
And hurry thee to deeds of deepest horror!
Farewell! great injured mind, farewell!

THE VICEROY.
Yet stay!
My Garcia, stay!—thou hast pronounced a name,
Whose very sound's a sacred charm, of power
To melt the obdurate pride of fiercest anger.
Oh Isabel! thy wrongs are all revenged,
In the wild horrors of this troubled heart:
Garcia, I think, I know, thou art my friend;
But there's a rigor in thy steady soul,
That will not give thee even power to guess
The agonies of weaker minds:—by Heaven
I hate my own infirmity of nature;
And by my life I am ashamed to tell thee,
How this fierce love has preyed upon my soul,
Absorbing every faculty.

GARCIA,
(aside.)
Now, friendship,
Aid me to make e'en passion's self the means
To work his preservation!

THE VICEROY.
This sweet Indian
Haunts my wild fancy still:—in every change
Of day, of night, of place, of occupation—
I see her in the vacancies of air:
I hear her magic voice in midnight silence:
And find the spirit of my life consumed
In this encreasing flame of fierce desire.

GARCIA.
Now Castro! I perceive a glimpse of hope,
That thy fond wish may yet succeed.

THE VICEROY.
Say how!
Dear Garcia, say! O give me all thy meaning!

GARCIA.
Release Sylveyra!—shew the soft Velora
You scorn the advantage of tyrannic power,
And with a generous rivalship submit
To court her kindness!

THE VICEROY.
I approve thy counsel:
'Tis just, 'tis manly, 'tis like Garcia's soul
Untainted with a shadow of dishonor:
Yes! thou shall see this frail, this feverish heart
Still not unworthy of a friend like thee.
Come! follow me! we'll hasten to Sylveyra,
Declare him free, and let him know how deeply
We both are debtors to thy signal virtue.

AN ATTENDANT,
(entering.)
My lord, this paper will explain my office,
And plead my pardon, while I beg your highness
To grant me private audience.

THE VICEROY,
to GARCIA.
Wait, my friend,
In my apartment! I will join thee there!

(Exit Garcia.