University of Virginia Library

SCENE THE FIFTH.

Rosmunda, Romilda.
Ros.
Where is the traitor?
With thee erewhile he here held conference: ..
Where has he flown?

Rom.
Now hear ...

Ros.
I have heard all.
In guilty fetters Ildovaldo groans.
Where, where is he, that in my palace thus
Usurps the royal power? Perfidious woman,
He was erewhile with thee ...

Rom.
Ah! do thou hear me.
Yet thou know'st not the whole; his impious views
Thou hast not yet discover'd: to myself
Is ill applied the stigma of perfidious.
But yet deem me perfidious still, if that
In any wise can solace thee; and make
An exhibition cruel as thou canst
Of my devoted person: but only now
From his accursed hands, without delay,
Wrest Ildovaldo; thence ...

Ros.
Thou shalt behold
That I will wrest him quickly.

Rom.
May just Heaven,
If thou dost this, be to thy reign propitious;
And may the calm shade of my murder'd father
No more thy nights disturb; may the new villain
That thou hast foster'd at thy side, alone
Fall victim of his own atrocity!
But if 'twould be a task too difficult
To loose my faithful lover's impious chains,
At least allow, that in his dungeon he
Obtain a sword, by which to free himself
From the fierce rancour of a cruel rival.
And at the same time grant, ere he expire,
That he may learn that I defied all force;
That in myself secure, worthy of him,
I by no hands, except my own, here fell
Transfix'd; and here, invoking his loved name,
Breathed forth my latest sigh.

Ros.
Lov'st thou so well?
And is thy love so fervently return'd?
Oh rage! ... and I ... Be pacified; ere long
Thou shalt behold thy lover disenthrall'd; ...
Go ... and my presence carefully avoid:
Amply on me art thou avenged already;
I am most wretched, and am I compell'd
To make thee happy ... thee?

Rom.
Although thy rage
Alone dispose thee to espouse my cause,
On that account I shall not be less grateful;
Nor will I hide from thee the precipice
Towards which thou art impell'd. Madden'd with love,
The ungrateful Almachilde would at once
From thee thy sceptre and thy freedom wrest,
Perhaps take thy life away: and further dares
To tempt me with the infamous reversion
Of these abominable gifts.

Ros.
'Tis thou,
Thou vile enchantress, that hast thus seduced him.

Rom.
Then murder me; and save, without delay,
My Ildovaldo only ...

Ros.
For thy sake
Is such commotion raised? Ah! who art thou?
Are thy deserts so great? Thou liest. Oh rage!
And am I doom'd from thy lips to receive
This horrid secret? ... Must I then by thee
Be saved? If to thy vows the heavens be kind,
Go thou so far from me that I no more
Tidings of thee may hear: Oh never, never,
May I behold thee happy ... Hence ... away! ...

Rom.
But ...

Ros.
Didst thou hear me?