University of Virginia Library

Scene I.

—Hall in the Castle St Angelo.
Tolomeo and Ferdinand.
Ferd.
What news to-day?

Tol.
Nothing of note as yet.

Ferd.
You come now from the ramparts, do you not?

Tol.
I do.

Ferd.
Crescentius was there?

Tol.
He was.

Ferd.
And what thinks he?

Tol.
Whatever he may think
He says but little. Yet I judge his hopes
Are greatly dashed below their former height.
Our case to me looks nearly desperate.
We may hold out a week—at best, perhaps,
A month—but what avails it? at the end
We must surrender. It is vain to hope
For other issue.

Ferd.
Who can tell the end?
At least we'll fight it out while life remains.
We are compelled to that. What can we hope
From yielding, save an ignominious death,—
Death every way? Then let it find us here
With sword in hand, and harness on our breast.

Tol.
But when we fall, Rome falls, and can it be
She shall be trampled down beneath the hoofs
Of these coarse Germans?

Ferd.
Not until they pass
Above our corpses. In the breach we'll stand
To die for her: we can no more. For me
I care not—but poor Rome.

Tol.
Some turn may come.
Fortune is fickle—her wheel never rests—
We have good friends without, and here within
We're not yet at our last.

Ferd.
But very near.
Provisions fail, our men are weak and worn,
Our friends outside are scattered. Vain from them
To hope immediate help. We on ourselves
And on the castle's strength alone must trust.

Tol.
How must Crescentius feel! to see his hope,
That Rome again regenerate should rise
Under his guidance to its ancient height,
Thus rudely shattered, and his air-spun schemes
Of freedom, equal rights, self-government,
All ruined fall.

Ferd.
Almost it breaks his heart.
But, hark! a trumpet. See! beyond the bridge
The enemy are swarming for attack.
We must be at our posts. No! look! they halt;
A flag of truce advances from the ranks,—
It crosses now the bridge. 'Tis at the gate.
Another trumpet, and the gates swing back
To give them entrance. Shall we stay, or go
To meet Crescentius?

Tol.
Stay! here he must come
To give the herald audience.

Ferd.
True, he must;
And here he comes.

Enter Crescentius, with officers and suite.
Cres.
My lords, my friends, the self-styled Emperor,
Our enemy, the enemy of Rome,
Hath sent his herald with a flag of truce.
What he demands I know not. Say, my lords,
Shall we receive him here?
[They give assent.
So be it, then.
Go, captain, bid him enter; we will hear
The purport of his message.

Enter Herald, accompanied by Count Tammo, Atto, and Hugo, and others.
Cres.
Herald, speak,
In what name do you come? what seek you here?

Her.
I seek Crescentius, leader of the band
Who here defiant of the Emperor's rights
Commands this castle.

Cres.
I am he.

Her.
Then list!
His imperial Majesty, styled Otho Third,
Emperor of Germany and Italy,
Duke, marquis, count, and baron, holding sway
By right of law and birth over this realm,
And many realms beside—now summons all
Here gathered, rebels to his sovereign power,
This castle to surrender, which you hold
Rebellious and defiant. Yielding this
At once without delay, he proffers now
Of his good grace, though not of your desert,
Safe-conduct hence, free pardon for the past,
Without condition, unto one and all.

Cres.
And what if we refuse, and here intrenched
Defy his power?

Her.
Then death to one and all.
Even now his troops are gathered for the assault,
And ere the day is past you living men
Who thus defy him shall as corpses hang
Along these battlements.

Cres.
Ha! deems he then
The task so easy?

Her.
Hard or easy, now,
Is not the question. The event is sure.
The harder 'tis, the direr at the end
Will be his vengeance,—this he bids me say.

Tam.
Yield to the summons, brave Crescentius;
List to good counsel, though an enemy's.
True, you may still defy us for a while,
But only for a while. Your little band,
Brave though it be, must yield at last, and then
Count on no mercy. Now while yet 'tis time,
Consider well,—the bravest needs must yield.
'Tis vain to hope for victory with such odds.

Cres.
Against these battlements your strength has tried
For weeks its utmost. You have stormed these walls,
Heaved with your torments, all your missiles rained,
As yet with what result? The refluent tide
Which beat against them has with bloody ebb
But stained the river, piled the bridge with slain,
And here unconquered still we stand, and still
We may defy you.

Tam.
For a certain space,
But not for ever. At the end must come
Defeat. Men, brave howe'er they be,
Are flesh and blood; must eat, must drink, or die.
Bend to necessity: the terms are fair
The Emperor offers—pardon for the past,
Safe-conduct hence, unharmed in life or limb.

Cres.
Pardon! for what? Pardon is but for wrongs.
What crime is ours that he should pardon us?
Who made him arbiter of Life and Death
Over us or Rome? Is he Rome's rightful lord?
How came he so? No! Rome to us has given
Alone the right to speak, to act for her.
What rights are his save those of tyranny?
We stand for Freedom, Law, and equal rights.

Tam.
I'll not discuss his right. He has the power,
And he will use it, be assured of that.
But this is idle talking, we attend
Your answer; will you yield, or will you not?

Cres.
I have no power to answer by myself.
We will consider it.

Tam.
Pray you, be brief;
Time presses.

Cres.
I will instant counsel take
With these my friends. Please you withdraw awhile,
And you shall have our answer.

Tam.
Be it so.

[They withdraw.
Cres.
What say you, friends? What answer shall we make?
'Tis all too true what the Count Tammo says.
Our case is hopeless. We may fight it out
Even to the end, but what will it avail?
Will dying at our post help Rome? To die
Is not so difficult, if some great end
Be won by dying. If we yield, perchance
Some time may come when we a better stand
May make for her. Fate is against us now.
What shall we do?

Ferd.
Shall we throw down our arms
Before this boy. No; let us fight it out.

Guido.
Fight what out? For what purpose? At the end
We shall be forced to yield. He offers us
Safety and pardon. Better days may come
With better hopes. None worse can come than these.
Our case is hopeless.

Hugo.
Can we trust this boy?
Will he redeem his pledge to hold us safe
Of life and limb? I doubt it.

Ferd.
So do I.

Tol.
He would not dare to break his faith with us.
That would dishonour him, and leave a stain
Of shame and perjury upon his soul.

Guido.
That I agree: he dare not be so base.
The scorn of all the world would hunt him down
For such an infamy.

Ferd.
I trust him not;
And yet, in truth, I know not what to say.

Tol.
Already we are short of food. How long
Can we continue thus? Not for myself
Or us I speak, but for our men-at-arms.
How long will they hold out? We soon, I fear,
Shall have an enemy within, if once
Their food should fail.

Guido.
Too true, indeed, too true.

Cres.
(To those who have not spoken)
You do not speak, my friends; what counsel you?
To bow to fortune and surrender now,
Hoping for better days—or fight it out.

All.
We are agreed. 'Tis vain to fight it out.
We cannot hope for better terms. We say
Surrender.

Cres.
Then so be it. For myself,
Since Fate has willed that all my hopes for Rome
Be for the moment crushed, what matters it
What comes to me? I would have gladly died
For her and Freedom, gladly died to lift
From her proud neck the tyrant's yoke that now
Bows it to earth; but this denied, come death,
Come life, to me 'tis equal. But for you,
I will not on my conscience take your death
By stubbornly persisting against Fate.
And so, I yield.
Call in the herald now.

Herald enters, with Tammo and others.
Tam.
You have decided on your answer?

Cres.
Ay!
Under the pledge your king through you has given
Of safety unto all,—no penalties
Exacted for the past, no vengeance taken,
Free all to go as pleases us,—we yield.
The fortress we surrender.

Tam.
'Tis well done.
I will at once convey unto our liege
Your wise decision. Herald, note the answer!
You give immediate possession?

Cres.
Ay!

Tam.
I take my leave then. Farewell, gentlemen,
For a brief space.

[Exeunt.
Cres.
'Tis done! Summon at once the garrison;
Open the gates, and call Stephania in.
Ah! here she comes.

Enter Stephania.
Ste.
What means this, gentlemen? Crescentius?

Cres.
We have surrendered.

Ste.
What! Surrendered?

Cres.
Ay.

Ste.
Surrendered? Heavens! has it come to this?

Cres.
There was no other way.

Ste.
It was not you
Who counselled this. Oh no; it was not you.

Cres.
Not I alone. 'Twas so decreed by all.

Ste.
What! to this boy—this petty emperor?

Cres.
Petty or not, he has ten thousand arms,
We scarce a hundred. He has all the world
To feed his soldiers, we a starving hoard
That fails even now.

Ste.
Surrender! On what terms?

Cres.
Safety of life and person unto all—
Pardon to all.

Ste.
Pardon! I scorn the word.
And you, you trust him. O Crescentius!
O gentlemen! weak woman though I am—
No strength but heart—I would have fought it out
While one red drop of blood ran in these veins.
I would have courted death—rushed to it glad
As to a bridegroom—flung me in his arms
Howe'er he came, rather than tamely yield,
And sue for pardon to this bragging boy.

Cres.
We have not sued. Foiled now in arms, not heart;
We yield, with hope unbroken still to fight
With better chance hereafter.

Ste.
So you hope!
So do not I. I do not trust his pledge;
You'll hang for this—we all of us shall hang.

Cres.
Stephania—rule yourself—be calm—nor wound
Further our bleeding hearts—submit.

Ste.
Not I.
Submit—to him—never!

Cres.
What must be, must.
We shall have better days, Stephania.

Ste.
God grant it; but for me, I have small hope.

Enter the garrison, and arrange themselves around the hall.
Cres.
There are the trumpets; swarming o'er the bridge
The soldiers come. Otho is at the gates;
Here let us wait for him.
Companions, friends,
You who have striven with me through the stress
Of all these bleeding days with heart and hand,
Ne'er losing courage,—ever prompt, firm, brave,
I have beyond my gratitude and thanks
But bitter words to say. You have done all
That brave men could to win the soldier's crown
Of victory, but you see 'tis all in vain.
Fate is against us; we are forced to yield.
Safety of life to all is given. Our bond
Is for the present ended. So, farewell;
My blessing take, and Rome's, and may we meet
Later to win what we to-day have lost.

Enter Otho and train of attendants.
Otho.
Where is Crescentius? Ah! I see him there.
Bid all lay down their pikes and swords and arms.
Tammo, see to it. (To his men)
Forward, you: disarm
The whole of them. You are their leader here,
Crescentius, are you not?

Cres.
I am.

Otho.
Your sword to the Count Tammo, and you, sirs,
Who stand beside him, do the same. So, so.
Ah! you surrender; do you? On my faith,
'Tis well you do so, else I had not spared
One head among you. As it is, all you
Who are mere soldiers, tools your leader used,
You shall be free. Go! For the rest, they all
Shall have what they deserve, nor more nor less.
[The soldiers file out. Otho's friends gather around him and endeavour to restrain him.
Leave me alone, I say, else, by my faith!
(To Cres.)
Well, what have you to say? We wait to hear.

Cres.
Fortune is with your Majesty. She has given
To you the victory—the defeat to us.
One favour only she has granted us,
That we have fallen in such noble hands,
For no one better than your royal self
Knows how to use the power that she confers.

Otho.
Ay! by the Lord! I do, as you shall see.
(To his friends)
Stand back, I say; I'll not be hindered thus!
(To Cres.)
You count upon my favour, do you? Well,
This is my favour,—all that you will get.
(To his guards)
Seize on that traitor! hang him to the walls—
Him and his brood beside him—all of them.

Tam.
Pause, think, my liege; you surely speak in jest.

Otho.
Jest—jest, indeed. Stand back from me, I say!
Do you not hear me? Do I not speak plain?
Hang up those traitors. What! you hesitate?
Seize them at once—ah! will none move? Then I
With my own sword will slay him.

Tam.
What? unarmed!
Oh, I beseech your Majesty, be calm.
Remember, you have pledged your royal word
That none shall suffer harm in life or limb,
I pray you.

All
(pressing round him).
Sire, we pray you all reflect.
Your royal word is given.

Otho.
My royal word!
What is a pledge to traitors such as these?
The blood that they have shed, the lives they have taken,
Cry out for vengeance. Hang them all, I say!
Hang them all up! That is their fitting end.

All.
Sire, we protest. In this we will not aid.
Command us for our honour, not our shame.
We cannot, will not, heed you. We appeal
Unto your better self—your real self.

Otho.
Look at him there—rebellion in his eyes,
Defiance in his port—once set him free,
New treason he will plot. Down on your knees,
Traitor, and beg your life if you would save it.
Ha, ha! You see he knows his doom is just.
Still silent and unmoved. Down on your knees,
Avow your crimes, speak what you have to say.

Tam.
Speak, speak, Crescentius. Kneel and help us all.
Let not an idle pride stand in the way
Of full submission.

Cres.
No; I will not kneel,
Even for my life. I have your solemn pledge
For that. No common man, much less a king,
With any sense of honour can go back
After such pledge. I hold you to your word.
Even should I kneel, not for myself, but these
Who stand beside me, what would it avail
To one who thus avows his perfidy?
Confess my crimes! What crimes? I know no crimes.
Slay me—slay all of us—you have the power,
And yours the crime will be, the stain, the shame,
That nought shall purge away. No! I appeal
To your honour, to your word, that strongly bars
The power you boast. As man to man we stand;
I claim your solemn pledge of freedom, life,
Safe-conduct unto all.

Otho.
You brave me then—
You thus insult me. Seize upon him there!
Seize him, I say! You will not—by the Lord!
Who dares oppose my will shall share his fate,
And hang beside him. I will crush this nest
Of traitorous serpents now beneath my heel.
Now, now, at once, nor wait one single hour.
Give him short shrift to make his peace with God,
Then swing him from the rampart. From his trunk
Hew off his head and cast it in the stream,
Then nail his corpse upon the outer walls,
That every traitor there may see his doom.

Tam.
My lord, my liege, I pray you do not this;
Stain not your honour thus. Pause, pause in time.
Reflect—oh, give at least your thoughts a chance.
Think ere you act, and give your passion stay.

Otho.
No, not a day—only one hour I give.
See that contemptuous face the traitor wears?
Seize him, I say!

[The soldiers advance and seize him.
Tol., Ferd., and the others.
'Tis infamous. What! murder men unarmed?
Give us our swords back, and let God decide
Who is the best. This is a coward's act.
Give us our swords—

Otho.
Peace! All shall have the sword,
Or rather axe, if one word more you say.

[Stephania rushes forward—flings herself upon the neck of Crescentius.
Ste.
Oh, my Crescentius, kneel and beg your life!
Then I will beg it for you.
[She flings herself at the feet of Otho, and clings to his knees.
Spare his life,
I beg you—I beseech you—spare his life.

Otho.
Off with you, woman! Pluck her from my knees.

[He flings her away, and she falls on the pavement.
Ste.
Your oath, your oath—you swore to spare his life.
Spare it, or God shall smite you with His curse.
God shall avenge him: if not God, then I.
The whole wide world shall cry out murderer,
Perjurer and murderer. The very wind, the trees,
Shall hiss at you. The sea, all voiceful things,
In heaven or on the earth, where'er you go,
Shall cry—Out, perjurer!—out, murderer!
They shall pursue you, waking or asleep,
Haunt you with dreams, and rack you with remorse,
Till you shall hate your life, and long for death.

Otho.
Who is this woman that thus rails and storms?
Out with her, strip her, drive her to the streets,
Or, by the Lord! I'll hang her at his side.

[He turns and goes out with his train. Stephania rises from the floor, and stretches out her hands at him, and cries—
Ste.
Go, miserable wretch! go, perjured king!
God's curse is following after you, and man's,
And mine—that shall pursue you everywhere.

Tam.
(lingers behind and says to the officer)
Do not obey the order. List to me:
He will repent it.

Officer.
It will be too late
If his repentance comes after an hour.
Seek to persuade him soon.

Tam.
I will, I will.

[Exit Tammo. As the soldiers lead out Crescentius, Stephania clings to him.
Cres.
Farewell, Stephania! dearest wife, farewell!
Your fears are justified—this is the end.
Here we must part—God's blessing go with you.
I am betrayed to death, and foully too.
So was our Lord—like Him at least in this.
Weep not for me; my hopes are crushed, and death
Is a relief—one sharp pain, and then rest.
No trouble more, no fears, no weight of cares.

Ste.
You shall not die, Crescentius, no! no! no!
I cannot say farewell.

Officer.
Take her away.

[They bear her away.
Ste.
Farewell, beloved. If I live, I live
But to avenge you.

Cres.
Ah, Stephania,
God will avenge with sharper stings than man.