Ximenes A Tragedy |
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| 3. | SCENE III. |
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 | Ximenes |  |
SCENE III.
Ximenes mounts his Throne; the three Grandees enter, introduced by Alonzo; they seem surprized at Ximenes's situation; bow to him humbly, and in confusion. Alonzo continues on the Stage.Ximenes.
My lords, you wished
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Communicate your business freely to me.
Marquis of Aguilar.
'Tis for the ear of Ximenes alone.
Ximenes.
Marquis of Aguilar, I'd rather trust
Alonzo, than the first grandee of Spain;
I've trusted him with more momentous secrets
Than any you can bring me:—stay Alonzo;
You shall not go:—now, gentlemen, proceed.
Duke of Alva.
My lord, ere you usurped a power in Spain,
Never by subject exercised before;
'Tis known to you, to Europe, to the world,
That her grandees were venerated, feared;
The counsellours, the guardians of their king;
Their privileges none presumed to question.
Then we desire to know, by what commission,
By what severe authority, our rights,
From immemorial time, are spurned by you;
How a Franciscan, from his humble cell,
Controuls our nobles, as his caprice dictates;
By what mysterious title he condemns them
To servile chains; to banishment, or death.
Ximenes.
They who are void of true, inherent greatness,
Still spread the glare of artificial plumage.
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Than he who, impudently, pleads his wealth,
His titles, and his virtuous ancestry,
To warrant rapine, murder, and rebellion.
Marquis of Astorga.
My lord, none of these crimes you will impute—
Ximenes.
Astorga, if again you interrupt me,
I'll treat you as a traitor to your prince;
In me, respect his representative.
For the last time, I'll deign to reason with you;
With words to make you feel your misdemeanours,
And learn your duty; therefore, mark me well.
I'll treat you as a traitor to your prince;
In me, respect his representative.
For the last time, I'll deign to reason with you;
With words to make you feel your misdemeanours,
And learn your duty; therefore, mark me well.
Through the timidity, and indolence
Of kings, and ministers, for centuries,
Your fathers trampled on all law, and order;
Oppressed the poor, and with your rightful sovereigns
Waged a licentious war; till I arose,
And broke the horrours of the gothick spell;
Restored the vigour of the written law;
And forced even arrogance like yours, to own
The law eternal, on the human heart
Impressed, of justice, and humanity.
Your monarch hath to me his sway deputed;
And, in his absence, I am king of Spain;
Aye, and on good occasions, I'll exert
Each atom of my delegated power.
Heaven is my witness, I detest all tyrants:
You are a band of tyrants; a poor state
Had better crouch to Nero than to you!
A single monster might be sooner reached,
Sooner exterminated:—you're a hydra;
[He descends from the Throne.
And I'm a Hercules;—not yet worne out;
And if you still make havock in our Lerna,
Like old Alcides, while I live, I'm able
To cut off heads, never to spring again.
So much for words; of my authority
We'll give them now a proof more palpable.
Of kings, and ministers, for centuries,
Your fathers trampled on all law, and order;
Oppressed the poor, and with your rightful sovereigns
Waged a licentious war; till I arose,
And broke the horrours of the gothick spell;
Restored the vigour of the written law;
And forced even arrogance like yours, to own
The law eternal, on the human heart
Impressed, of justice, and humanity.
Your monarch hath to me his sway deputed;
And, in his absence, I am king of Spain;
Aye, and on good occasions, I'll exert
Each atom of my delegated power.
Heaven is my witness, I detest all tyrants:
You are a band of tyrants; a poor state
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A single monster might be sooner reached,
Sooner exterminated:—you're a hydra;
[He descends from the Throne.
And I'm a Hercules;—not yet worne out;
And if you still make havock in our Lerna,
Like old Alcides, while I live, I'm able
To cut off heads, never to spring again.
So much for words; of my authority
We'll give them now a proof more palpable.
Duke of Alva.
You say, my lord, that you love clemency;
We meant not to offend our noble regent;
But with humility to plead our cause.
Ximenes.
Be not afraid; I will not, but for justice
Material to the state, even hurt a hair
On any of your heads; for in Heaven's book,
They all are numbered. 'Tis now, yours, Alonzo,
To see that on the terrace, and the platform,
My faithful servants execute my orders.
[Exit Alonzo.
Listen, my lords, a moment;—
[Cannons fire.
Now you hear
Those iron tongues;—do they not speak distinctly?
—Hear them again!—with voice emphatical,
They tell the rude insurgents of these realms,
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How the Franciscan cord, with it's least motion,
Can lead our proud grandees, and make them tremble;
While Ximenes, with these tremendous warrants,
Controuls all Arragon, and both Castiles.
Now duke of Alva, Aguilar, Astorga,
I'll never more with you expostulate.
Farewell, for this time; if you give me cause
Again to punish your disloyalty,
I'll speak to you, in thunder; I'll urge home
The last decisive argument of kings.
[Exit Ximenes: manent, Alva, Aguilar, Astorga.
Alva.
We now may go; I'm glad that our dismission
Was not still more severe:—my lords, I told you,
That to interrogate a Ximenes
On governing with rigour, was to ask
The glorious sun why he sent down on Spain
Rays so direct, and ardent.
Aguilar.
I must own,
Your simile is apt, in various lights,
So splendid, so magnificent, his manner.
Astorga.
Me he hath made a convert to obedience;
Again I feel him like the orb of day;
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The powerful conquerour charms, while he subdues!
[Exeunt.
| Ximenes | |