University of Virginia Library

ACT III.

Scene the Council Chamber.
The Patriarch, the General Suiski, and the chief Officers of State are assembled. The Patriarch rises.
Pat.
Nobles and senators, you now have heard
What the illustrious claimant, who attends
The issue of your judgment, had to state
In proof and vindication of his right
To be acknowledged as the true Demetrius:
This fact admitted, (and to me it seems
That none dispute it,) what remains for us
But to receive him, as in duty bound,
And pay our homage to the nation's lord?

Suis.
Most grave and reverend Patriarch, I rise
Not to oppose, but humbly to remind you,
That our late Czar hath left to your protection
Two orphan relics: shall we now make terms
For these defenceless innocents, or leave them
To what the policy of our new Czar
May deem convenient for himself and them?

Pat.
Lord General, let benevolence be free:
Mercy shou'd wear no fetters, nor will he,
Whose word is law, receive a law from us—
[Trumpets.
Hark! he is at our doors—Rise, and receive him!

The doors are thrown open. Demetrius, leading in Maria Feodorafna, enters.
Pat.
Demetrius, we, your subjects, with one voice,
Salute you rightful Czar of Moscovy:
Ascend your throne!

Dem.
Your patience—There remains
One other witness to confirm my right—
Maria Feodorafna, by your hopes
Of Heaven, and heavenly mercy, I conjure you,
Now at the peril of your soul declare,
Am I, or am I not, this kingdom's heir,
The true Demetrius, your acknowledg'd son?

Mar.
Not for a thousand thrones wou'd I disguise
The truth, so challeng'd. By my hopes of Heaven,
At peril of my soul, I do avouch,
You are my son, you are the true Demetrius.

Dem.
You hear the avouchments, sirs; does any doubt?

Pat.
Not one. 'Twere treason and a high offence
Against the majesty of truth to doubt it.
Once more I say—Demetrius, mount the throne!

Dem.
I am not come to surfeit you with thanks:
That wou'd be fulsome, that wou'd be a mockery,
To shame your justice, and degrade my right:
For I am no impostor, and must reign,
Or you must shut your eyes against the truth,
And do me wilful wrong; but I am come
To assure you of a heart, which I have pledg'd
To all the duties of that arduous task,
Whereto your judgment and my fate have doom'd me.
My country's welfare will be all my pride,
Her laws my rule, her happiness my own,
My first ambition, and my ceaseless care.
I have known sorrow; I have deeply drunk
The gall of harsh unkindness, and endured
The bitterness of penury and want:
Therefore, let all men know that I will reign
In mercy and forbearance, and I hope
Your wisdom, learned Sirs, will find some means
To keep men honest, and your persons safe
Without blood-shedding, for this hand of mine
Never shall sign away the life of man.

Pat.
Nobly resolv'd! You make all hearts your own.
Long may you reign, and happy be your days!

Dem.
Now, though the tyrant Boris sought my life,
Yet is it not my nature to revenge
The father's wrongs upon the guiltless son.
To you, Suiski, this remark applies:
You have the person of your prince in charge;
Set him before me! So shall all confess,
You have not arm'd a man with sovereign power,
Who is not able to command himself.

Suis.
I shall impart your pleasure to the prince,
And much it will console him, gracious sir,
To hear these generous sentiments confirm'd
By your own royal promise.

Dem.
I have said.
There needs no farther promise to confirm it.
[Exit Suiski.
I send not for this unambitious youth,
To buy opinions by a vain display
Of public clemency, but to convince you
How much it gratifies me to reflect
That you have suffer'd me to mount the throne,
Pure, and unsullied with my subjects' blood;
That you have not compelled me to resort
To other claims than I have laid before you,
Nor forced your lawful prince to draw the sword,
And bathe it in the vitals of his country.
War knows no justice; force may conquer right,
And I wou'd reign in charity and peace.

Suiski presents Theodore.
Suis.
Lord of this mighty empire, you behold
An orphan prince, who comes prepared to hear
And ready to obey your sovereign will.

Dem.
Prince, the Supreme Disposer hath ordain'd
To you the calm of life; to me the storm.
We must obey our fates. Believe me, Sir,
It is not in my heart to offer wrong
Or to your peace or person. You are free;
Nor other motive have I to request
This interview, and trouble your repose,
Save in my zeal to tender you my hand
In pledge of service; and consult your wishes
What for your grace and honour I shou'd do.

Theo.
For grace but little; for my honour less.
Alas, ambition is for ever dead
In this sad heart, that breathes no other wish,
Puts up no other prayer to Russia's Lord,
But that, which granted, honours the bestower—
A prayer for life: freedom I never had,
For I was born to greatness, and of course
Was train'd in slavery, and cannot expect
From you, a stranger, more than I enjoy'd
Under a father's rigour. All desires,
If Nature ever planted such within me,
Were crush'd or ere they budded. Grant me only
A decent prison, and a gentle keeper,
That will not treat me harshly.

Dem.
None shall treat you
But with the tenderest care: you shall be free;
Live where you like, and with the friends you love:
I lay the map before you; choose your spot:
If you call that a prison, it must be
Your mind that makes it such: I've none to grant.

Pat.
Sir, you must suffer me to call your thoughts
To objects more immediate, and remind you
That we have ceremonies to perform,
Which may not be delay'd: your people wait,
The heralds are assembled to proclaim you,
And the time wears.

Dem.
The time shall be obey'd.
Suiski will attend his princely charge.

[All the characters, but Theodore and Suiski, go out in procession with Demetrius, as Czar.
Suis.
You are not curious, sir, to see this sight—

Theo.
No, for my presence might perhaps arouse
Contention, and provoke him to revenge:
I only wish to pass my days in peace.
Did you not mark how kindly he address'd me,
How gentle were his looks, how mild his words?

Suis.
Yes; he has words at will; how they will match
With his performance, time alone can show.

Theo.
Well! I must take my fortune as it falls.
I'll to my sister—

Suis.
I attend you, sir.

[Exeunt.
Scene, a Street in Moscow.
Michael Merowitz and Petrilla.
Mic.

There, there, there, my girl! I told you
how it wou'd be. We carry all before us: the
council are convinc'd; Demetrius is Czar of
Moscovy, and I am the man who made him
such. Did not you observe, when I gave my
evidence, how still, how silent, how respectful,
all the square-caps sate, pondering my words?
And when I had got hold of their attention,
did'n't you take notice how I touched them up
with a neat stroke of the pathetic? “My
lords,” said I, “many a time and oft his majesty
and I have seen the sun go down, when
we had not even a shrub to shelter us: I have
then stript off my cloak to cover him as he
slept, and kept watch in my doublet till the
morning broke.” That was very well, wasn't
it, Petrilla?

Petril.

Yes, yes, it let them know, that he,
who has stood by his friend in the dark, will
not run away from him in the light.

Mic.

They have proclaimed him Czar. I am
a made man. You'll see a great change in me,
when I am once settled, and have my comforts
about me.

Petril.

I hope I shall. It must be for the
better, if you change at all.

Mic.

I shall ask the Czar for one of his spare
palaces; then I'll lay up, study my own ease,
cultivate the fine arts, and grow sentimental.

Petril.

I hope you'll grow rich withal.

Mic.

To be sure I will. Why, I shall have
all Great, Little, and White Russia at my feet,

like a snow-ball. Then you'll hear flattery in
full chorus; then the parasites shall so plaister
me with praise, that there shall not be a cranny
left for satire to creep in at. I'll have a stable
full of poets, like highwaymen's horses, ready
bridled and saddled to turn out at a moment,
and prance over the raggamuffins, if they dare
to libel me. I'll have pictures, statues, medals,
and a museum; I'll be the greatest collector of
books, and the best preserver of bindings in the
kingdom; no man shall soil them with a touch;
I care nothing for their contents, but I have a
very great respect for their coverings.

Peter Bassovitz enters.
Pet.

Well met, friend Michael! I rejoice in
your good fortune. Bring me off, my dear
fellow, with your friend Griska at a pinch.
Speak a kind word for me to his Czarish Majesty,
for the sweet sake of Petrilla.

Mic.

Don't be troublesome. I have nothing
for you. You bore witness against Demetrius.

Pet.

Yes, but I bore witness for him also, and
almost in the same breath. Every man must
have time to recollect himself.

Mic.

You did not see the mark upon his
cheek till the crown was on his head.

Pet.

No, because that thief, Suiski, stood
between me and the light, and I am somewhat
purblind.

Mic.

Go along! nobody cares about you.
You are a witness on both sides; of course, you
are believed on neither side, and scouted on all
sides.

Pet.

Lookye, friend Michael, when two
parties are at issue, if the father takes one, and

the son-in-law the other, they are arm'd against
events. If Theodore had prevailed, I wou'd
have been your friend; now Demetrius has
carried it, you must be mine.

Petril.

And he shall be your friend. Michael
is the best-tempered fellow breathing: he has too
merry a heart to bear malice, and too much love
for me to harm my poor father, hav'n't you,
Michael?

Mic.

I have a prodigious deal of love for you,
but I have some for myself, and old Peter here
wou'd fain have laid me in for a few strokes of
the knout. Now, though I fear neither pain
nor death, I don't positively love either of them;
but, as you truly say, I am a sweet-tempered
fellow, and though I know it well enough, I
don't greatly dislike to be told so. Therefore,
hold your tongue, old Peter, and fall back, for I
see the Czar is coming—Keep the fool out of
sight, and perhaps his folly may be out of mind.

Martial music. The procession of Nobles returning from the coronation. Demetrius, preceded by the Patriarch, and followed by Donski and the guard of Cossacks, closes the procession.— Michael steps forth to pay his homage, and Demetrius stops.
Mic.

Heaven bless your majesty!

Dem.

What wou'd you with me? Have you
aught to ask?

Mic.

So please your majesty, I had conn'd
a speech, the best that my poor breeding cou'd
provide, but it has slip'd me in your royal presence;
and so I humbly hope you will recollect,
though you were born to be a king, I was not
born to be a courtier.

Dem.

Well, what is your petition? State it.

Mic.

If your majesty, amidst all your cares,
shall graciously be pleased to think of your poor
servant Michael, I doubt you will call to mind
a pretty many of my failings at the same time;
but I am bold to say, want of affection towards
you is not amongst the number.

Dem.
You stuck to me in poverty and sorrow;
When the sun shines upon my better fortune,
I will not leave an old friend in the shade;
May Heaven forget Demetrius in that hour!

[Demetrius passes on, and the procession being closed, Michael, Peter, and Petrilla, are left upon the stage.
Mic.

Harkye, Petrilla! Did you remark how
graciously he noticed me?

Petril.

Did you observe how charmingly he
look'd?

Pet.

Well, 'tis surprising how his dress has
chang'd him. Now that I see him in that
princely habit, I have as perfect a recollection of
his countenance, (Heaven bless the mark!) as if
it were but yesterday I had dandled him on my
knee.

Petril.

Michael!

Mic.

What say you, my gay wench?

Petril.

If for my sins it shou'd be my hard fate
to marry you, remember, I must go to court.

Mic.

Go to court! aye, and you shall keep a
court. What tell you me of marrying for your
sins? Am I not friend and favourite of the
Czar? Boyar, prince, potentate?—I am, and
you—Ah! you arch-rogue, I've sworn it—
You are in my arms, you bewitching little Moscovite!—

Song.