University of Virginia Library

SCENE VII.

GARCIA and COUNCIL, SYLVEYRA, THE VICEROY.
THE VICEROY,
(brought in.)
Gently! friends,
All motion throws a sickly langour e'er me,
And robs my spirit of collected thought—
Dear Garcia, I am faint—whene'er I die,
Thou art my successor: I would not wish
To place dominion in a nobler hand.

GARCIA.
That faithful hand shall resolutely guide
The sword of justice to avenge—

THE VICEROY.
Ah! no!
I charge thee no! I heard thy dangerous error;
Thou hast believed the innocent Sylveyra
The accomplice of a ruffian: but I come,
With pain collecting all the shattered powers
Of my dissolving frame, to prove his truth;
To witness, that his generous arm was raised
Not to destroy, but guard the ungrateful master,
Who basely wronged him.

GARCIA.
Blest be thy firm soul,
Thou dear lamented friend, which timely clears
My dread mistake, and saves blind zeal from staining
The sword of eager justice, with the blood
Of slandered virtue.

THE VICEROY.
Gallant, injured youth!
Come near me! for the friendly hand of death
Has rent asunder that dark veil of passion,
Which hid thy virtues from my blinded heart!
Give me thy hand? before my fatal frenzy
I loved thee as my son: 'twas I who first
Broke that dear bond.

SYLVEYRA.
Thou kind, exalted spirit!
Still mayst thou live, and be again my father!

THE VICEROY.
No! generous youth! my feverish dream of life
Is hastening to its close: but O! my friends,
Be it related to our royal master,
That Castro owned, with his expiring lips,
How deeply he had wronged the brave Sylveyra;
And dying, begged, it might be told his king,
That in his service he will never find
A valiant youth of fairer expectation.

SYLVEYRA.
O unexampled nobleness of nature!
It rends my heart:—O! that my worthless life—