University of Virginia Library

SCENE IV.

Tancred. Siffredi. Osmond.
Siffredi
entering.
My gracious Lord! what is it I behold?
My Sovereign in Contention with his Subjects?
Surely this House deserves from Royal Tancred
A little more Regard, than to be made
A Scene of Trouble and unseemly Jars.
It grieves my Soul, it baffles every Hope,
It makes me sick of Life, to see thy Glory
Thus blasted in the Bud—Heavens! can your Highness
From your exalted Character descend,
The Dignity of Virtue; and, instead
Of being the Protector of our Rights,
The holy Guardian of Domestic Bliss,
Unkindly thus disturb the sweet Repose,
The sanctimonious Peace of Families;
For which alone the freeborn Race of Men
To Government submit?

Tancred.
My Lord Siffredi,
Spare thy Rebuke. The Duties of my Station
Are not to me unknown—But Thou, old Man,
Dost Thou not blush to talk of Rights invaded?
And of our best our dearest Bliss disturb'd?
Thou! who with more than barbarous Perfidy
Hast trampled all Allegiance, Justice, Truth,
Humanity itself, beneath thy Feet?
Thou knowest Thou hast—I could, to thy Confusion,
Return thy hard Reproaches; but I spare Thee
Before this Lord, for whose ill-sorted Friendship,
Thou hast most basely sacrific'd thy Daughter.
Farewel, my Lord!—For Thee, Lord Constable,
Who dost presume to lift thy furly Eye
To my soft Love, my gentle Sigismunda,
I once again command Thee, on thy Life—
Yes—chew thy Rage—but mark me—on thy Life,
No further urge thy arrogant Pretensions!