University of Virginia Library

Act the Fifth

Scene the First.

P. Parma, Granvel, Egmont & Raymond.
P. Par.
My Lord, your last Night's melancholy lodging
Inspired, I trust some seasonable reflexions,
And duly humbled your too lofty spirit.
I see the Marks of an ingenuous shame,
And gratulate repentance in your looks:
When last we met, embolden'd by despair
You scorn'd my mercy, revil'd my Faith;
Superior to the insults of the guilty,
I looked with pity on your hopeless state;
'Twas decency, discretion You offended,
Nor anger'd me, but as You harm'd yourself.

Raym.
If warm by nature and incensed with wrongs
My tongue with too much licence spoke my feelings

Pr. Parm.
Attempt not an excuse; 'twas not for this
I summon'd You again, nor that I needed
More ample confirmation of your guilt
But to convince You that your boasted cause
Of Liberty is but Rebellion's mask;
That all the mighty wrongs you trumpet forth
Are baits to catch the Rabble, that You rail
Against oppressions which no man can feel,
And cry down tyrany which has no being
But what You give it.

Raym.
Tempt me not so far,
But take my life; 'tis all You can demand

P. Parma
No, I would punish You with my forgiveness
And triumph o'er You with your own example.

Granvel
For Heav'n's sake what intend You?

Egm.
To preserve him
And disappoint thy savage thirst of blood.

Gran.
It cannot be—the State demands his life.

Egm.
A Christian Prelate, and object to Mercy?

Gran.
If such offenses are let loose amongst us
Farewell to Law to Justice & to Empire!

P. Parm.
Fear not, my lord, the law shall be obey'd
That perfect Law, which renders Good for Ill.

Egm.
Mark this Lord Cardinal, You have Your answer

P. Parm.
Hear then the mild Conditions of my Mercy:
Renounce the faction of Rebellious Orange;
Swear absolute Allegiance to the State,
And join the Banners of your rightful Prince.

Ray.
Hah!

P. Parma
Do You hesitate?

Raym.
Is this the price
That I must pay for Life?

P. Parma.
These are the terms
That Justice & the general good exact:
Slight compensation for a Monarch's wrongs
This temporal attonement made, my Lord,
You still stand open to the Church's censure
(Where You my Lord may Judge) in that You abett
The Heresy of Luther, with whose Doctrines
You and your faction grossly are infected

Gra.
Your Highness breathes a truly Christian Zeal.
Yes, Sir, Your privat haunts have been discovered
Dark as You are, You're seen—And doubt it not,
Rome has convenient methods in resource
At once to chasten & confute your Folly.

Egm.
Yes the dire force of those infernal engines
Which Rome triumphant o're the suffering World,
Madly employs to combat Truth and Reason
Too well we know; and curst be your invention!

Granvil
Impious, Reviler, Peace!

P. Parm.
Madman, No more,

Ray.
Come take my life, and with it my disdain,
Death cannot be so hateful as thy presence
(To Granvil
O my lov'd friend, receive my last embrace;
Come & behold me triumph at my Death;
See, how contentedly thy friend can lay
Life's burden down & smile upon the Rack

P. Par.
Go get ye hence brave but unhappy Men
Away & never let me see you more,
For you my Lord who will not let me save you
Death is your doom; Heaven fit you to receive it.
My Tears are all you've left me to bestow.

Raymond.
Your Patience for a moment—Gracious Powers,
Who guidst the movements of this warring World
Aid the illustrious Fabrick of our Freedom
And with my blood cement the lasting Pile!

Exeunt Parm. Gra. & Raym.

Scene the Third

Princess of Parma Elvira Granvil
Parm.
My Lord I'd have You to suspend a while
Count Raymond's execution for some Reasons
Have made this temporary Respite needful.

Granvil
I thought how soon You would revoke this sentence

P. Parm.
You thought? I am not to hear your thought:
What if I bid You set him free?

Granvil
You must not.

P. Parm.
Must not? What means this insolence?

Gra.
Alass!
You but expose a weakness You should hide
Your cause is sold; my orders are from Alva,
The Regent now of Flanders and my master:
If yet You doubt, this night this welcome Night
Shall bring the Heroe to ca[**]ting Brussels,
His Power establish and determine thine.

Parm.
Why now you speak your heart without disguise;
Obscured no more by my opposing power,
Your soul breaks forth in Colour all its own.
Alas the many wretches that shall feel
Thy pityless resentments! Hapless Raymond!—
But think me not so tame; he shall not die.
I'll snatch at least one victim from your grasp
And, as in acts of mercy it commenc'd
So shall my Power expire.

Granvil
You are deceived
The Troops that guard him are of Alva's army,
Castilian Soldiers and defy surprise.
This night, this hour he falls; no he alone;
But Egmont's lofty head shall kiss the block

Pr. Parma
Hence from my sight, nor with this bold Intrusion
Dare to insult the sister of thy King.
But now so much You seem'd as [---] to endure
The Eye of Royalty, but shrunk before it:
What mighty revolution has inspired
This arrogance? Has your new Regent taught You?
He dare not do it: flushed with the foolish hope
Of Alva's vain support, You have forgot
Me and yourself; yourself the merest upstart
That ever fortune wantonly made great;
And me the daughter of the mightiest Monarch
That ever sway'd a Sceptre. Hence, nor dare
To touch the Lives of those whom I protect
As You respect your own.

Granvel
I know my duty
And shall fulfil it—Exit

Scene the Fourth

P. Parm.
But something worthy of my self and Egmont

Exeunt.
Granvil
alone
Hark! the Alarm's begun—This plot of Lopez
Will sure succeed; and yet had I foreseen
Alva's arrival, I had built my projects
On surer ground: So Egmont falls 'tis well;
No matter by what means. Now Fortune for us!
Would it were over—What strange Indiscretion,
To lay myself so open to the Princess
And vent a fruitless spleen! Had it been done
Thus to have crush'd her with the dreadful news
That Egmont was no more; then to have sounded
My triumphs in her ears—O glorious transport!
Exquisite vengeance!—But to prate and wrangle
And boast of Projects e're they are have a being,
Fie, fie upon it. hark! they are at hand
I hear the clash of many mingling swords.
Grant Heav'n that Lopez may not have betraid me.
Who knows what desperate Valor may effect
What shall I do? in this decisive Moment
Unarm'd I will advance; perhaps my presence
May cheer the fainting spirits of my party
And turn the dubious fortune of the Fray

(Exit)
Lop:
Were shamed Defeated

Scene the Sixth

Lopez
Lopez.
The planets in their courses shrink for horror
Heaven drops natural tears

Granvil and Lopez.
Granvil
Lopez what news?

Lopez.
Ill news Lord Cardinal, the counts are fled

Gran.
Confusion! fled?

Lopez.
By desperate Valour fir'd
They hew'd their passage thro' opposing numbers.

Granvel
Thy trickery Villian, not their valour sav'd them
But wretch thy Life shall answer it.

Lopez.
My life
Has answered it (worse fate for me!) behold!
Alas, my lord, I tremble; I expire.
Lend me your Arm and bless me e're I part.

Granvel
Son, die in peace.

Lopez
Die first thyself, thou Villian

Granvel
Oh! I am slain! (They struggle)


Lopez.
Take that to make it sure.

(Stabs him again and he falls
Granvel
Oh! hold thy hand, bloody, relentless Villian
What hast thou done?

Lopez
I have done Mankind a service.

Granvil
So kind a master!—say—infernal Wretch—
What fiend—inspired—this sacrilegious act?

Lopez.
Say'st thou what fiend?—Revenge; the bloodiest fiend
That walks Hell's pavement. When thy sordid Heart
With Lion-like division seized the spoil
Of Raymond's fortune and refused my wish
For some small share of what my toils had earn'd
Then in that instant I decreed thy death,
And now my Vengance has performed it's office
Hah! art thou dead? my sword has found thy Heart
Tho' Mercy never could. So! I am found.