The unpublished plays of Thomas Holley Chivers

So heavily upon thy heart? Come, speak.

Leoni
If an unbroken trust in human truth,
Prompt the pure soul to its idolatry;
And if the heart in its fond, gushing love,
Pour out itself to one no less than self,
And in its trusting innocence become
The victim of that villain's power—should it
Be called the harlot of that man? By Heaven!
And by the heart that he has broken—he
Shall die!

Elvira
Would not repentance urge thee on
To some forgiveness, if upon the depths
Of his great sacrilege be poured the balm
Of penitence!

Leoni
No, that can never be.
There is no stream of mercy in my soul.
But now, from out the fountains of my heart,
A tide of indignation rushes up,
And mounting to my brain forever drowns,
Beneath the wide oblivion of its roar,
The voice of all persuasion. He shall die!

Elvira
The bird that soars the highest into Heaven,
If once its wing is broken in its flight,
Is only bruised the greater by its fall.
And like the Angels that once were so pure,
Will mourn the humbleness of its descent,
Just in proportion to its flight above.

Leoni
I now remember when Alvino loved
Me first, the first time that we ever met.
The day was very beautiful. No cloud
Was seen in all the vastness of the sky,
But Nature seemed so much in love with Heaven,
That she forbade the rustling of the boughs
To wake the silence of her noontide joy!

Elvira
Oh, still this sorrow of thy gentle heart,
And like the priceless diamond in the mine,
Tossed by the earthquake into purity,
Suffer the ills of life but now to add
New particles of beauty to thy soul.

Leoni
Let not the tears of pity cease to flow
Upon the wasting sands of this poor life!

But let them fall upon each golden grain,
As softly as an Angel's sighs upon
The soul of Virtue dying by the hands
Of enemies!

Elvira
Methinks that Nature heard,
The awful sadness of that prayer.

Leoni
She did;
And God has registered each word in Heaven.

Elvira
If that be so, why should the God of Heaven
Not punish him for guilt?

Leoni
He will—through us. (Exeunt severally.)

Enter Don Carlos and Alvino, as in conversation.
Don Carlos
Before High Heaven, Alvino, it is true!
I could divulge to thee the foulest news
That ever hung upon the lips of truth.

Alvino
What news is that? Come, let me hear it now!

Don Carlos
Since thy return thou hast not heard the news

Which float about like chaff upon the wind,
Whichever way it choses to blow?

Alvino
No, Gods,
You speak as if some devilish deed had come
To light again! What is the matter now?

Don Carlos
True—if some devilish deed had not been brought
To light, these hands had not been proffered in
The cause. You know Count Alvar, do you not?

Alvino
He was the guardian of my youth. In Spain—

Don Carlos
He traveled in disguise, and still he was
The guardian of thy youth! Then watch the dog,
And show the villain thou art old enough
To teach him honesty!

Alvino
Thou wouldst impugn
Him with thy very wrath!

Don Carlos
I would, by Heaven,
And cut the rascal's throat besides. You know,
Leoni, do you not?

Alvino
Leoni? she
Who was the playmate jewel of my heart?
Thou hast beheld the straying Hart, with wild
Exultant bound, leap from the azure hills,
And rushing with impatient speed, dash where
The silver Swan lay sleeping on the lake,
And frighten her to Heaven?

Don Carlos
Ay, watched the Fawn,
Bounding along the river bank at noon,
Pause on the margin of the mossy brink
To sip the cool, delicious wave that curled
In dimpled eddyings near the shore, take fright
At its own picture in the limpid stream,
And dash away with wild, delirious bound,
To where its mother watched it from the hill,
As if it were too lovely for this world.

Alvino
So did Leoni look upon herself,
And see too bright an object for this world.

Don Carlos
But now her cheeks are furrowed down with tears.

Alvino
With tears? Leoni has no tears!

Don Carlos
She has,
And needs the strength of such an honest arm,
To crush the wretch who made them flow!

Alvino
Why so?

Don Carlos
She is deceived!

Alvino
Deceived?

Don Carlos
Yes, by heavens,
And by Count Alvar!

Alvino
The hound!
She was the orphan cousin of our house.
By Jove, he must have used some violent means!

Don Carlos
And if he did—which thou shalt seek to know—
Not only tear the wolf-skin from his back—

Alvino
But draining every life-blood from his veins,

Winters of death shall blow upon his soul,
And freeze up his existence into ice!
The eagle that has roosted on the pine,
Will shake his pinions on the pensive bough,
And rising on the dewy breath of morn,
Will speed him to the sun's eye gloriously,
Nor heed the frozen armor that has weighed
All night upon his snowy wings!

Don Carlos
Then shake
Him from the altitude whereon he roosts,
And let the clamor of his mighty wings
Strike terror to the ear of Night!

Alvino
Night! night!
Thou wouldst not have me kill him in the night?

Don Carlos
I would—secure him in the dead of night,
Then balance consequence with insult given!
Pluck out the thorn that wounds Leoni's heart—
Stamping the adder underneath thy feet!

Alvino
(Seriously.)
I would not wound the feelings of his slave;
But if the chalice of my hopes, so full

Of pure and perfect love be drained to the dregs,
And I am forced to drink the wormwood left—
By Heavens, my run-mad heart will quench its fire!
For there are crimes which, when committed, call
For aid which, when bestowed, would be but crime
Itself wer't not for this—the shedding blood,
As sacrifice, for orphan honor stolen.

Don Carlos
Then let the vengeance of thy burning heart,
But cheer impatience on to swifter speed,
Till grasping hold the dagger by its hilt,
And seeing how its face will shine—thou'lt sheathe
It in the foulest heart that ever beat!
For such an absolution sweeps away
The guilt that dyed the name of innocence!

Alvino
Till then, farewell! We may not meet again,
Until Leoni listens to my voice.

Don Carlos
Farewell! May all the Gods defend thy steps!

(Exeunt severally.)

University of Virginia Library

Scene I.