University of Virginia Library

ACT I.

SCENE I.

The exterior of the Fort, on the margin of the Neva, Behind, the Castle and Towers of Schlusselburgh.
Mirovitz enters.
Miro.
'Tis now the morning-watch—from tow'r to tow'r
Hark! round yon fort's wide circuit, loudly rings
The voice of challeng'd sentinels. The time,
Th'appointed hour is past. Methinks, I hear
Advancing steps.—'Twas but the Neva's flood
That round this isle, the abode of woe and horror,
Whirls its swift eddies.

Feodor
enters.
Feodor—my brother.
Speak—Feodor?

Feo.
The same.

Miro.
Why this delay?

Feo.
'Tis ever thus—thy fervent spirit outruns
Th'appointed time.

Miro.
Speed! speed, ye hours of vengeance!
Oh that night's thickest clouds were gather'd round me!
Till then where hide my deep disgrace?

Feo.
Be patient.

Miro.
Say, was it slight th'offence, that here, so long,
In these drear haunts, doom'd for my sire's misdeeds,
I still have serv'd inglorious? wrong on wrong—
Insult on insult! nay—'tis known to all,
That when the ruthless minion, proud Rimuni,
Had of his honour'd charge depriv'd Naritzin,
On me by right and ordinance of service,
Devolved the care of Ivan. Vain my claims.
Galinovitz, it seems, has won their favour;
A stripling, in his boy-hood, o'er my brow
Rais'd as in mockery. Be swift vengeance mine!
Deep, deadly as their outrage.

Feo.
Mirovitz,
'Tis in thy power. The guard who serve the night-watch,
Now, at my word assembled, wait thy bidding,
In secret, in the cavern, delv'd beneath
The western bastion, whose huge bulk drives back
The wint'ry floods. But not on them alone
Our hope is fix'd: all whom this isle contains,
At thy first summons will arise in arms
To free Naritzin. Such his kindly rule,
That when the herald's voice aloud proclaim'd
That here the Empress and Rimuni meet
This day to seal his doom, the cry of wrath,
Of vengeance, and revolt, rang round the isle.
Go forth—and head the tumult.

Miro.
Feodor,
The rage and uproar of the populace
Burst like the tide, whose refluent waves, ere long,
Die off unheard: not such my course of vengeance.
Its progress like the Neva's ceaseless stream,
That gathering up its strength from thousand rills
Sweeps onward, without ebb, and undermines
The tower whose shadow slumbers on its bosom
In proud security. My art shall gain
To serve my deep revenge, all who this night
Hold watch and ward o'er Ivan.

Feo.
Speed, and prosper.

[Exeunt.

Scene the Second.

A Cavern outside the Ramparts.
Conspirators.
Con.
He comes not. Hence.

Con.
Stay, comrades! wherefore dread
In Mirovitz, delay? you, who so oft
Witness'd his valour, first to mount the breach,
Or singly scale the fortress?

Con.
Hark, some step
Approaches. Comrades! on your guard: be watchful!
Nearer it hastens: on your guard, I say—
Now boldly challenge.

[They draw their swords.
Mirovitz and Feodor enter.
Con.
Friend or foe? advance not.

Feo.
'Tis Mirovitz.

Miro.
Put up your swords, brave comrades!
Say, are all present? Theodore, I see,
Norkots, and Ostralof, and brave Nagotzin.
I greet thee, bold Truwarotz, Sulskoi, too,
And Voronetz, who never fled from man.

Feo.
Behold them, brave, determin'd; speak thy will.

Miro.
My will! not so: 'tis loyalty, 'tis honour
Points out their path. Comrades, the prisoner, Ivan,
Is Russia's rightful Emperor. 'Tis your king
Claims vengeance. By his wrongs, his woes, I urge you:
Recall to mind, the day which hail'd him monarch,
Saw him a helpless prisoner; call to mind,
How, on from fort to fort, they dragg'd their victim,
Ere to this spot accurst, this last abode
Of horror and despair, Rimuni doom'd him
As one entomb'd alive, in yon drear cell
To moulder limb by limb. No beam of day
Ere glimmers on the cell that hears his groan:
And, till renown'd Naritzin here held charge,
'Tis known to all—the fierce barbarians tortur'd
His tender limbs. The sentinels on watch,
Tho' us'd to blood and groans of horrid death,
Have quak'd to hear his night-shriek.

Con.
We will free him.
Fix thou the hour.

Miro.
First, yield me patient hearing.
You all revere Naritzin.

Con.
Yes—as children
Honour a father.

Miro.
You would shed your blood
To rescue him from wrong.

Con.
Most willingly.

Miro.
Naritzin cannot brook such deep disgrace.
Thus wrong'd by her. Her—on whose brow his hand
Once fix'd the crown! if fam'd Naritzin join us,
The realm would rise in arms.

Con.
Lead to Naritzin—

Miro.
[stopping him.]
Yet stay.
Say, brave associates, if the lord Naritzin
Decline our proffer'd aid, are all resolv'd
To free their sov'reign?

Con.
We will rescue Ivan,
Or bravely perish. On—

Miro.
Yet—ere we speed,
Pledge we a soldier's faith, a soldier's honour,
That in this cave, ere night-fall, once again
We meet, to fix the hour, and give to each
Fit charge and separate station.

Cons.
Yes—ere night-fall,
Here we will meet. To thee we freely pledge
A soldier's honour. Lead us forth.

Miro.
Brave comrades,
I lead where glory summons: fearless follow.

[Exeunt.

Scene the Third.

A rocky shore on the margin of the Lake, overlooked by a Bastion of the Fort.
Narshkoff and his two Sons enter, and spread a Net on the Rocks.
Son.
[to his brother.]
Cheer you, my brother: here awhile take rest:
You are o'er-tir'd: here in the sun repose.

Narsh.
Give me the net, and I will spread it out,
And on the smooth rock dry its dripping meshes:
So, if perchance some soldier cross our way,
We shall not breed suspicion, but may seem
Intent on our day labour.

[He looks round earnestly.
Son.
Tell me, father,
Why do you seem disturb'd? what care comes o'er you?
Why point to yon dark nook?

Narsh.
We have o'er-shot it.
Look, my brave boys, our tough oars have o'er-shot
The little creek—'Tis there, beneath that rock,
Where yon huge birch bow'd down by weight of years
Hangs o'er the Neva.

Son.
'Tis a cheerless spot,
Gloomy as night—

Narsh.
That was th'appointed place;
There we must anchor our light skiff, and wait
The signal—When, at night, the torch thrice waves
On yon tall eastern turret—look—

Son.
I note it—

Narsh.
At the third signal, at a moment's warning
All must be ready: we must hoist the sail
If fair the breeze: if foul, brave boys, your sinews
Must not refuse to labour at the oar,
Till our good vessel o'er Ladoga's lake
Has safely wafted the entrusted charge—
It was no trifling bribe—

Son.
Our life's at hazard—

Narsh.
So is it, every day, when we do tempt
The wave, and cast our meshes in the flood.
Look you, so we but reach yon shore in safety
The rest of life we may carouse at will.
Take up the net—push off the boat—away—

Son.
My brother is o'er-tir'd; a little moment,
A moment rest. And, tell us, I entreat you,
Whom we must land in safety on yon shore?

Narsh.
I know not: but, no doubt, some high-born prisoner
Who has escap'd from chains.

Son.
Oh! were it Ivan,
This hand should from my arm first drop in the wave
Ere it let loose the oar. That hapless youth!
I know not why it is, whene'er I hear
His story, tho' it sorely grieve my heart,
Yet doth it chain mine ear.

Narsh.
'Tis ever so
When miseries unprovok'd command our pity.
In sooth his woe would melt a heart of stone.
Ivan is rightful emperor: he was crown'd
King in his cradle—

Son.
Out—alas the day!
It had been better, father, had poor Ivan
Our brother been, and born like us to labour.
Then—he had scap'd those torturers.

Narsh.
Would that Ivan
Had perish'd with the monk who lur'd him forth,
Ere to yon hideous cave the ruffians dragg'd him!
'Tis now, eight years gone by, and Ivan then
Scarce ten years old—'Twas a bleak eve, and loudly
The Neva roar'd: I never shall forget it.
Just as I moor'd my boat yon side the flood,
A band of soldiers hail'd me: loud their voice,
And fiercely, as in wrath, their swords unsheath'd
Wav'd o'er their prisoners. 'Twas a piteous sight,
And all was strife and tumult. I full fain
Had fled the spot, when one, with whose stern voice
I dar'd not parley, bad me to this isle
Ferry the prisoners, Ivan, and the monk,
Each bound in chains—

Son.
The boy, their king, in chains!

Narsh.
Sore manacled. The child sunk down oe'rpower'd,
Mute, motionless, save ever and anon
A big tear trickled, and a deep sigh burst
As it would break his heart. Not so the monk:
I heard his thrilling outcry, as he writh'd
And struggled with his chains, and with clench'd fist
In frantic rage oft struck his hoary temples.
And as I reach'd the fort, just as my oar
Spent its last stroke, the monk, uprising, dash'd
From either side the guard that closely grasp'd him,
Then plung'd into the flood with all his weight
Of fetters.—Never man beheld him more:
Save, yearly, on that day, that very hour
He perish'd, some have seen—

Son.
Seen what? Say, father—

Narsh.
His very self, that monk, so manacled,
Rise from the flood, and point with threat'ning hand
To Ivan's tow'r. But, hush! the air has ears,
And the whole isle is vex'd with vigilant spies.
[Ortosk, a Sentinel, appears on the bastion.
Come, let us hence—

Ort.
Speak—

Son.
'Tis the sentinel!

Ort.
I charge you, on your lives, say, wherefore here?
Why, on this spot?

Narsh.
We are poor fishermen
Who in these waters seek by daily labour
Our hard-earn'd food. We were o'er-tir'd, good soldier,
And came to dry our nets, and rest awhile
On this smooth beach.

Ort.
Away, nor loiter here.
If, when I challenge next, you here are found,
You are for life imprison'd.

[Sentinel goes.
Narsh.
Come, my boys!
'Tis dangerous tarrying here.

Son.
Oh grant, kind heav'n,
That this stout oar may bear poor Ivan hence,
And I will prize it as a monarch's sceptre.

[Exeunt.

Scene the Fourth.

Naritzin's Castle.
Naritzin.
Narit.
Wrong'd by Elizabeth! thy offspring! thine,
Thou father of thy country!
Her, on whose brow this hand the diadem fix'd
Reft from the hapless Ivan! Judge of earth!
And must Naritzin's conscious lip confess
'Tis righteous retribution? Must I own
In bitterness of self-accusing misery
Th'eternal truth, “One deed unhallow'd teems
With woe engend'ring woe?” What now awaits me?
Death, or drear exile, where Siberia's snows
Shall sepulchre my bones. Oh! were it mine
Alone to suffer! But, thou ill-starr'd Ivan!
To leave thee thus expos'd! And thou, most lov'd
Petrowna, whose pure spirit did prefer
To pomp and courts, this residence of horror,
To share my doom; ah! 'tis thy secret grief
That festers in this bosom. Righteous heav'n
Heap on this head thy fury! Spare Petrowna!
Oh shield the innnocent Ivan!
Galvez enters.
Galvez here!
Why thus uncall'd?

[A shout heard.
Gal.
My lord, and honour'd master,
Hark to the voice that loudly calls on you,
None, none shall injure you.
Voices without.
No pow'r on earth
Shall wrong the good Naritzin.

Petrowna enters.
Narit.
Ha! Petrowna!
I pray thee, love, retire.
[to Galvez.]
Say, whence this tumult?

Gal.
All whom this isle contains, th'indignant soldiers
Are risen to rescue you.

Pet.
'Tis known to all,
That here, the woman thy pow'r exalted,
She who has basely wrong'd thee, and her minion,
The insolent Rimuni, meet this day
To seal thy condemnation.
[Voices without.]
Comrades! on—
Our swords shall guard Naritzin.

Narit.
[to Galvez.]
Go, control
Their fury.

Gal.
'Tis in vain. Their rage enflam'd,
If you deny them audience, will burst forth
In maddening insurrection.

Pet.
Good, my lord,
Admit them to thy presence. Thou hast ever
Heard, and redrest their grievance. I beseech thee,
Vouchsafe them gracious hearing.

Narit.
[to Galvez.]
Give them entrance.
[Galvez goes.
Yes, I will curb this tumult. Aid me, heav'n!
Make firm my mind, that I may yet withstand
This dread temptation!
Mirovitz and Soldiers enter.
Wherefore here? Why, soldiers,
This tumult? Who has injur'd you?

Miro.
My lord,
You they have injur'd, basely wrong'd you.—Hear us:
Your rule has ever been most merciful:
Your kindness and humanity have sooth'd
Th'abode of horror: and while yet our hands
Hold strength to wield a soldier's weapon, none
Shall force you from this isle.

Narit.
Say, what thy purpose?

Miro.
To rescue you from violence and wrong.

Narit.
Thou, rescue me! Whence thy authority?

Miro.
High heav'n, who wills not that the guiltless suffer:
The soul's resistless impulse to abase
Tyrannic pow'r.

Narit.
Proud words but ill conceal
Disloyal deeds. Soldiers, obey: depart
Ere death repress your daring. Hence—

Sol.
Speak, Mirovitz:
This is a righteous cause.

Miro.
You see these veterans,
Men like myself, grey-headed, worn with service.
You know their gallant deeds.

Narit.
Yes, oft have witness'd.
There's not a breast of those who now surround me
Undinted by brave wounds.

Miro.
Shall then the chief
Who marshall'd us to conquest, fall a victim
To base suspicion? No: their brave right hands
Each on his sword, are pledg'd. Speak but the word,
The cannon levell'd to announce the arrival
Of those weak tyrants, 'neath Ladoga's water
Shall plunge in all its bravery their galley
Ere it insult the fort.

Narit.
I'll hear no more.
I am unarm'd, or I had plung'd my sword,
Bold rebel! in thy heart. Hence—

Pet.
Thy disgrace,
Thy wrongs inflame their souls.

Miro.
At will command us:
Naritzin's word needs not a sovereign's sanction.

Narit.
If then Naritzin's word has pow'r, obey it.
Soldiers, your zeal betrays you. What your purpose?
To shield Naritzin from the iron grasp
Of merciless oppression? How? By deeds
Whose guilt and dire enormities outswell
The vile traducer's malice: deeds that cast
Round spotless loyalty the blood-stain'd garb
Of treason and rebellion. Here, first plunge
Your weapons, ere a mutinous arm be rais'd
To strike th'anointed brow. Revere your sov'reign!
Each to his home, in peace, and from Naritzin
Learn to submit.

[Soldiers depart.
Miro.
[in going.]
My lord, in time of peril
Here claim redress. [Laying his hand on his sword.


[Exit.
Pet.
[advancing solemnly.]
And did I rightly hear thee?
Submit! And didst thou speak it? Thine, that word!

Narit.
None but myself shall vindicate my honour.

Pet.
What thy resolve?

Narit.
I will confront the accuser,
And shame the slanderous tongue.

Pet.
Why rush on death?
Hear me pour forth my inmost soul, and plead
For one in hopeless anguish, one by all
Abandon'd: one, on whom no sun by day,
Nor moon nor star by night, has sent its beam:
Who for the freshness of the vital air,
Drinks foul contagion, and for human utterance,
Hears but the echo rendering back his groan,
Or pestential damps, that drop by drop
Burst on his flinty bed. I plead for Ivan.
Thou did'st permit it, in the cell unseen
Of human eye, I still'd his frantic shriek,
The while he knew not whose the voice that sooth'd him.
I taught him to adore the awful pow'r
Whose chastisement is love: and, year by year
Matur'd his virtues, and beheld the flow'r
That cruel hands once crush'd, expanding fair
Beneath my tendance. Who shall tend him now?
The ruthless torturers?

Narit.
You wound my soul.

Pet.
Is mine at peace? Oh grant my pray'r. Free Ivan:
And fix him—for thou can'st—thy word has pow'r,
King on his father's throne.

Narit.
I crown'd Elizabeth,
The offspring of my lord and much-lov'd master,
The father of his country. I enthron'd her,
Urge me no more.

Pet.
Be witness, earth and heav'n!
Witness thyself! while on thy sacred word
Her throne in proud security repos'd,
Tho' my heart inly glow'd, my lip was silent.
Forbearance now is base servility,
Dishonouring our nature. Thou did'st crown her:
What thy reward? Rimuni's word shall answer.
Hear, and avenge! To thee, an injur'd nation
Lifts up her voice: not this abode of horror
That calls down light'ning from indignant heav'n,
But, at thy word, a realm would rise in arms,
And crush the usurper.

Narit.
Oh that heav'n's wing'd fires
Had pierc'd my brow, or ere I had dethron'd
The unoffending child!

Pet.
Restore him. Free
From anguish and remorse thy troubled spirit.

Narit.
Hence—lest I do a deed whose mere suggestion
Rives me with horror.
[Cannon and shouts heard.]
Heard you not that sound,
Those shouts—that roar of cannon? 'Tis—

Pet.
[interrupting him.]
Th'usurper.

Narit.
[shouts and cannon repeated.]
Again—

Pet.
That sound announces her arrival
This side the Neva.

Narit.
Now awhile, Petrowna,
Farewell. I must prepare and arm my spirit,

Pet.
[interrupting him.]
For insult, for oppression, for dire injuries
That mock the utterance. Hear my farewell word:
We may not meet again. Thou art the temple
Where honour dwelt enshrin'd, and shall thy knee
Bend at Rimuni's beck? and must Petrowna,
(Spare, spare me that disgrace!) look tamely on
And see her lord lift vainly up the hand
That crown'd and uncrown'd kings, to that base minion
A suppliant for pity?

Narit.
Never—never.
Bend to Rimuni? Lift to him this hand!
Rather its strength shall o'er yon rampart wave
War's crimson standard and array the realm
In Ivan's cause. My pow'r shall yet prevail:
Thro' me the voice of truth shall reach the throne,
And silence the oppressor. I this day
Will lighten Ivan's doom: yon sun, this day
Shall see Naritzin or Rimuni perish.
Awhile farewell.

Pet.
Whate'er thy doom, is mine:
Bonds, exile, death. Go thou where honour calls:
Th'oppressor shall not triumph. Ivan! reign!