University of Virginia Library

ACT II.

SCENE I.

CASTEL-NUOVO. Giovanna and Maria.
Maria.
I do not like these windows. Who can see
What passes under? Never were contrived
Cleverer ones for looking at the sky,
Or hearing our Hungarians to advantage.
I can not think their songs are pastorals;
They may be; if they are, they are ill-set.
Will nothing do, Giovanna? Raise your eyes;
Embrace your sister.

Giovanna.
So, you too, Maria!
Have turgid eyes, and feign the face of joy.
Never will joy be more with us . . with you
It may be . . O God grant it! but me! me,
Whom good men doubt, what pleasure can approach?

Maria.
If good men all were young men, we might shudder
At silly doubts, like other silly things
Not quite so cold to shudder at.

Giovanna.
Again,
Maria! I am now quite changed; I am
Your sister as I was, but O remember
I am (how lately!) my Andrea's widow.

Maria.
I wish our little Sancia would come hither
With her Terlizzi . . those inseparables!
We scarcely could get twenty words from them
All the day long; we caught them after dinner,
And lost them suddenly as evening closed.

Giovanna.
Send for her. But perhaps she is with Filippa. . .

Maria.
Learning sedateness in the matron life.

Giovanna.
Or may-be with the queen whose name she bears,
And who divides her love, not equally
With us, but almost equally.

Maria.
If so,
No need to seek her; for the queen went forth
To San Lorenzo at the dawn of day,
And there upon the pavement she implores
Peace for the dead, protection for the living.

Giovanna.
O may her prayers be heard!

Maria.
If piety
Avails the living or the dead, they will.

Giovanna.
How, how much calmer than thy sweetest smile
Has that thought made me! Evermore speak so,
And life will almost be as welcome to me
As death itself.

Maria.
When sunshine glistens round,
And friends, as young as we are, sit beside us,
We smile at Death . . one rather grim indeed
And whimsical, but not disposed to hurt us . .
And give and take fresh courage. But, sweet sister!
The days are many when he is unwelcome,
And you will think so too another time.
'Tis chiefly in cold places, with old folks,
His features seem prodigiously amiss.
But Life looks always pleasant, sometimes more
And sometimes less so, but looks always pleasant,
And, when we cherish him, repays us well.
Sicily says it is the worst of sin
To cast aside what God hath given us,
And snatch at what he may hereafter give
In its due season . . scourges, and such comfits,
Cupboarded for Old-age. Youth has her games;
We are invited, and should ill refuse.
On all these subjects our sweet Sicily
Discourses with the wisdom of a man.
You are not listening: what avails our wisdom?

Giovanna.
To keep afloat that buoyant little bark
Which swells endanger. O may never storm
O'ertake it! never worm unseen eat thro'!

Maria.
I wish we were away from these thick walls,
And these high windows, and these church-like ceilings,
Without a cherub to look down on us,
Or play a prank up there, with psalter-book,
Or bishop's head, or fiddle, or festoon.

Giovanna.
Be satisfied awhile: the nobler rooms
Are less secure against the violence
Of those Hungarians.

Maria.
I saw one who bowed
Graceful as an Italian. “Send away
The men below,” said I, “then bow again,
And we will try which bows most gracefully.”

Giovanna.
My giddy, giddy sister!

Maria.
May my head
Be ever so, if crowns must steady it!

Giovanna.
He might have thought . .

Maria.
Not he; he never thinks.
He bowed and shook his head. His name is Psein.
Often hath he been here on guard before:
You must remember him.

Giovanna.
No, not by name.

Maria.
Effeminate and vain we fancied him,
Because he always had a flower in hand,
Or with his fingers combed his forehead hair.

Giovanna.
No little merit in that sullen race.

Maria.
If he has merit I will bring it out.

Giovanna.
Resign that idle notion. Power is lost
By showing it too freely. When I want
His services, I order them. We part.
Too large a portion of the hour already
Has been among the living. Now I go
To other duties for the residue
Of this sad day.

Maria.
Unwelcome is Maria
Where sorrow is?

Giovanna.
Her sorrow is unwelcome;
Let me subdue my own; then come and join me.
Thou knowest where the desolate find one
Who never leaves them desolate.

[Goes.
Maria.
'Tis hard
To linger here alone.

Officer.
The Seneschal
Of Naples. Acciajoli.

SCENE II.

Acciajoli and Maria.
Acciajoli.
By command
Of our most gracious queen, O royal lady!
I come for yours.

Maria.
That is, to bear me company.

Acciajoli.
Such only as the humblest bear the highest.

Maria.
Seneschal! you excell the best in phrases.
You might let others be before you there,
Content to shine in policy and war.

Acciajoli.
I have been placed where others would have shone.

Maria.
Come, do not beat me now in modesty.
Had I done anything, I might not boast,
Nor should I think I was improving it
By telling an untruth and looking down.
I do not like our lodgment, nor much wish
To see an arrow quivering in that wainscot:
The floors are well enough; I would not see them
Paved with smooth pebbles from Hungarian slings.
Can not you send those soldiers to their quarters?

Acciajoli.
In vain have I attempted it.

Maria.
Send Psein
To me.

Acciajoli.
He, like the rest, is an insurgent.
Civilest of barbarians, yet may Psein
(With horror I must utter it) refuse.

Maria.
Fear of refusal has lost many a prize. [Acciajoli goes.

I hope the Seneschal will go himself,
Not send another. How I wisht to ask it!
But, at my years, to hint an act of delicacy
Is too indelicate. He has seen courts,
Turn'd over their loose leaves (each more than half
Illumination, dulness the remainder),
And knows them from the cover to the core.

SCENE III.

Psein conducted by Acciajoli, who retires.
Maria.
The queen
Desires your presence; I alone command it.
Eyes have seen you, commander Psein!

Psein.
Impossible!

Maria.
Yes, eyes have seen you, general Psein! they have,
And seen that they can trust you.

Psein.
By my troth
To all that's lovely!

Maria.
Ah, sad man! swear not . .
Unless you swear my words.

Psein.
To hear and swear
And treasure them within this breast, is one.

Maria
(Psein repeating).
“I swear to love and honour and obey” . .
Ha! not the hand . . it comes not quite so soon . .

Psein.
I have but little practice in the form;
Pardon me, gracious lady!

Maria.
Earn your pardon
By your obedience. Now repeat again.
“Whatever perils may obstruct her path,
I give safe-conduct to my royal mistress,
Giovanna, queen of Naples.” (He starts.)
Have you taken
Me for my sister all this while? I told you
It was not she commanded you, 'twas I.

Psein.
Oaths are sad things! I trot to church so seldom
They would not let me out of mine for little
(Not they!) like any good old customer.

Maria.
And so! you would deceive me, general?

Psein
(aside).
I am appointed! that sounds well: but general!
She said the same before: it must be true.

Maria.
Tell me at once, nor hesitate. Another
May reap the harvest while you whet the sickle.

Psein.
But I have sworn to let none pass, before
The will of my superiors be announced.

Maria.
Behold them here! their shadow fills this palace,
And in my voice, sir, is their will announced.

Psein.
I swore.

Maria.
I heard you.

Psein.
But before.

Maria.
Before
Disloyalty, now loyalty. Are brave
And gallant men to ponder in the choice?

Psein.
Devoted as I am to you, O lady!
It can not be.

Maria.
Is that the phrase of Psein?
We love the marvellous; we love the man
Who shows how things which can not be can be.
Give me this glove again upon the water,
And queen Giovanna shall reward you for it.

Psein.
Upon the water or upon the fire,
The whirlpool or volcano . . By bad luck
(What fools men are! they always make their own!)
The troops are in revolt. Pride brightens zeal
But not invention. How shall we contrive
To manage them at present?

Maria.
Tell the troops
We will have no revolts. Sure, with your powers
Of person and persuasion, not a man
Would hesitate to execute his duty.

Psein.
We are but three . .

Maria.
We are but two: yet, Psein!
When two are resolute they are enough.
Now I am resolute, and so are you,
And if those soldiers dare to disobey
It is rank mutiny and halbert-matter.
Await the Seneschal: he now returns.

[Goes.
Psein.
She knows the laws of war as well as I,
And looks a young Minerva, tho' of Naples.

SCENE IV.

Acciajoli and Psein.
Acciajoli.
Sorrow and consternation are around.

Psein.
Men could not have cried louder had they lost
Policinello, who begets them fun,
While princes but beget them blows and taxes.
When will they see things straightly, and give these
Their proper station?

Acciajoli.
Have you not your king?

Psein.
O! quite another matter! We have ours,
True; but his taxes are for us; and then
The blows . . we give and take them, as may happen.

Acciajoli.
We too may do the same, another day. [Psein expresses contempt.

So! you imagine that your arms suffice
To keep this kingdom down! War is a game
Not of skill only, not of hazard only,
No, nor of both united.

Psein.
What the ball
Is stuft with, I know not, nor ever lookt;
I only know it is the very game
I like to play at.

Acciajoli.
Many are the chances.

Psein.
Without the chances I would throw it up.
Play me at Naples only five to one,
I take the odds.

Acciajoli.
All are not Neapolitans.

Psein.
Then strike off three.

Acciajoli.
Some Normans.

Psein.
Then my sword
Must be well whetted and my horse well fed,
And my poor memory well poked for prayers.
And, hark ye! I should like one combatant
As well as twenty, of that ugly breed.
Lord Seneschal, be ready at your post.

Acciajoli.
I trust I shall be.

Psein.
At what hour?

Acciajoli.
Not yet.

Psein.
Ay, but the queen must fix it.

Acciajoli.
She inclines
To peace.

Psein.
I know it; but for flight ere peace.

Acciajoli.
Flight is not in the movements of our queen.

Psein.
Departure then.

Acciajoli.
Sir! should she will departure,
Breasts are not wanting to repell the charge
Of traitor or intruder.

Psein.
Here is one,
Lord Seneschal! as ready to defend her
As any mail'd with iron or claspt with gold.
Doubtest thou? Doubt no longer.

[Shows the glove.
Acciajoli.
Whose is that?

Psein.
The names we venerate we rarely speak;
And love beats veneration out and out.
I will restore it at the vessel's side,
And ask it back again when she is safe
And the less happy lady whom you serve.
It then behoves me to retrace my steps
And rally my few countrymen for safety.

SCENE V.

A Herald enters. Psein goes.
Acciajoli.
Whence come you, sir?

Herald.
From Gaeta.

Acciajoli.
What duty?

Herald.
To see the queen.

Acciajoli.
The queen you can not see:
Her consort died too lately.

Herald.
Therefore I
Must see the queen.

Acciajoli.
If you bring aught that throws
Light upon that dark treason, speak at once.

Herald.
The light must fall from Rome. Cola Rienzi,
Tribune of Rome, and arbiter of justice
To Europe, tarrying on the extremest verge
Of our dominions, to inspect the castles,
Heard the report, brought with velocity
Incredible, which man gave man along
The land, and ship gave ship along the coast.

Acciajoli.
Then 'twas prepared: and those who spread the news
Perpetrated the deed.

Herald.
Such promptitude.
Could not escape the Tribune. He demands
The presence of Giovanna queen of Naples,
To plead her cause before him.

Acciajoli.
Is Rienzi
A king? above a king?

Herald.
Knowest thou not
Rienzi is the tribune of the people?

Acciajoli.
Sir! we have yet to learn by what authority
He regulates the destiny of princes.

Herald.
The wisest men have greatly more to learn
Than ever they have learnt: there will be children
Who in their childhood shall know more than we do.
Lord Seneschal! I am but citizen
In my own city, nor among the first,
But I am herald here, and, being herald,
Let no man dare to question me. The king
Of Hungary is cited to appear,
Since in his name are accusations made
By some at Naples, which your queen must answer.

Acciajoli.
Her dignity and wisdom will decide,
I am well pleas'd that those around the castle
Threw no obstruction in your way.

Herald.
The soldiers
Resisted my approach; but instantly
Two holy friars spread out their arms in front,
And they disparted like the Red-sea waves,
And grounded arms before me.

Acciajoli.
Then no hindrance
To our most gracious queen, should she comply?

Herald.
None; for Rienzi's name is spell against it.

Giovanni
(enters).
O! is there one to hear me patiently?
Let me fly to him!

Acciajoli.
Hath our sovran heard
The order of Rienzi?

Giovanna.
Call it not
An order, lest my people be incenst.

Herald.
Lady! if plainly hath been understood
The subject of my mission, the few words
Containing it may be unread by me.
Therefore I place them duly in the hands
Of the Lord Seneschal. With brief delay
Your presence were desirable.

Giovanna.
What time
Return you, sir?

Herald.
This evening.

Giovanna.
And by sea?

Herald.
In the same bark which brought me.

Giovanna.
If some ship
More spacious be now lying at the mole,
I will embark in that; if not, in yours,
And we will sail together. You have power
Which I have not in Naples; and the troops,
And those who seem to guide them, hear your words.

Herald.
Lady! not mine; but there are some they hear.

Giovanna.
Entreat them to let pass the wretched ones
Who fancied I could succour them within,
Whom famine must soon seize. Until they pass
I can not. Dear is fame to me; but far
Be Fame that stalks to us o'er hurried graves.
Lord Seneschal! see Rome's ambassador
Be duly honoured: then, whatever else
Is needful for departure, be prepared.