University of Virginia Library

ACT THE FIFTH.

SCENE THE FIRST.

Rosmunda, Almachilde, Soldiers.
Ros.
To the camp goest thou?

Al.
But I shall thence ...
Return ...

Ros.
And I expect thee from the camp
A conqueror here: here keep for thee thy victims.

Al.
Time now is wanting to reply to thee.
First would I shew myself to Ildovaldo.

Ros.
Go, fly, and fight: I have myself unloosed
His fetters. Thou, erewhile, in single combat
Didst wish to encounter him: but if his hands
With chains were laden, how could he resist thee?
Released, already he expects thee; run
To triumph over him.

Al.
Thy trait'rous arts,
My rival, and the disaffected camp,
All equally I scorn. At length, for once,
Thou hast afforded me a valid reason,
Whence with good right I may appear to thee
A foe avowed: irrevocably now
Thou hast released me from thy interests.

Ros.
Go
Conquer, return; and menace afterwards.

Al.
I shall be victor; Heaven supports my cause:
Who, if I fall, remains to punish thee!

SCENE THE SECOND.

Rosmunda.
Ros.
Go, go; in Ildovaldo's rage and valour
Far more do I confide. Miscreant, I grieve
That I have chosen for thy punishment
A far too honourable hand. But what?
Say, is that punishment accomplish'd yet?
The issue yet is dubious: and there want not,
Although the men of valour are the friends
Of Ildovaldo, base adventurers
Who, averse to him, for their private views,
Still to the king adhere. This impious man
Has still a multitude of partizans;
And from the infatuation of his love
Are force and hardihood in him increased ...
Oh Heaven! should fortune favour his designs,
Always propitious to the criminal? ...
Ah! let me not delay ... Blind confidence
Might now be detrimental. Speedily,
Guards, drag Romilda hither. From my side
Let her not e'en the distance of one step
Be sever'd now. Oh, precious pledge of peace!
Oh most preposterous origin of discord!
Is she the royal guerdon of the victor?—
If she indeed a royal guerdon be,
Let her come here; to give her is my province.

SCENE THE THIRD.

Rosmunda, Romilda.
Ros.
Advance, advance, incomparable virgin;
Come; and securely in my sight remain,
While war is waged for thee in yonder camp.
Come near, approach ... Thou tremblest?

Rom.
Merciful Heaven!
Around the city horrid shrieks are heard,
And seem advancing towards the palace gates ...
But, ah! with what new fury do I see
Thy troubled countenance inflamed? ... no more
Is it allowed to me to hope for joy ...
Only that Ildovaldo is released ...
Ah! may he yet be living! ... I beseech thee
From such a doubt deliver me.

Ros.
From doubt
Deliver thee, while I myself exist
In deadly doubt? Ah, mayest thou for ever
Drag on a life as horrible and wretched
As these wild hours, by thy means, are to me!
For thee all rush to arms; a second Helen!
A prize unparallel'd! For thee are shed
Rivers of blood to-day: husbands for thee
Are perjured: cowards for thy sake are valiant,
And haughty the dispirited.—Oh thou,
The arbitress of heroes, hither come;
Sit by my side in queen-like majesty;
Now in the camp is battle waged for thee,
That thou mayst have a throne ... or death.

Rom.
And what?
Wouldst thou deride me still?—art thou not yet
With such unnumber'd insults satisfied?

Ros.
What sayst thou? I alone am here derided:
Of all my fury, of the just revenge
That I against thee cherish, of my deep
Immitigable jealousy, art thou
Prepared to reap the precious fruits: 'tis I
That crown thee with supreme contentment; I
That place thee in thy wish'd-for lover's arms.
Thou seest in such a tempest of my heart
What small alleviation words afford.
Me, me thou mockest, and with too just cause.—
I've burst the fetters of thy Ildovaldo;
And his invincible right hand have arm'd
Already with the sword; he now fulfils
My just revenge; and while fulfilling mine,
Thine, thine a thousand fold he consummates.

Rom.
Oh may at least that arm invincible
Be now triumphant! Thus thou canst alone
Cancel the stigma of thy former crime.
Yes, now a ray of hope illumes my prospect,
Since in the camp, released from shameful fetters,
My Ildovaldo stands. Ah! may the heavens
Grant thee a life less turbid ...

Ros.
I survive
To drag along a horrible existence,
Whate'er the event. Do thou enjoy my grief;
Already over thine have I exulted;
Enjoy that grief since I forbid thee not ...
But perhaps ... What prayers shall I put up to heaven? ...
I am bewilder'd ... Hitherto I know
My supplications have all been for blood;
Yet do I see no blood that can appease me ...
And shall another where I'm cursed be happy?—
Soon shall we see ... But who approaches here? ...

Rom.
A little armed band ... And Ildovaldo
Is at their head. Oh joy! ..

SCENE THE FOURTH.

Romilda, Ildovaldo, Rosmunda. The Followers of Ildovaldo.
Rom.
Ah! come art thou
Victorious?—am I thine?

Ros.
Hast thou fulfill'd
The task that I enjoin'd? Hast thou destroyed
That traitor?

Il.
I? He is not for my sword
A worthy victim. Almachilde fights
Uselessly in the camp: I have imposed
The task on other faithful partizans
To conquer him; an easy task to them.
Not to a warrior's sword, to a vile axe
His life is due. On thee I thought alone.
Romilda; and have consecrated first
To thee this sword. Come; let me lead thee now
From these abominable walls. My heroes
Are competent to clear for thee a passage.
Come with me, thou art truly mine at length.

Ros.
Stop: she is not yet thine: I bid thee stop:
I should bestow her with my hand. Romilda,
Thou art mine only while I hold thee here;
And hence thou shalt not stir. And thou, oh coward,
When I release thee from thy chains, and promise
Whate'er thou wishest in the world, to give thee,
Recreant, dost thou refuse to serve my fury?
Thou shunn'st, instead of murdering, thy rival?
For an unmerited reward, while he
Is living, com'st thou here?

Rom.
Oh from her hands
Now drag me quickly, Ildovaldo.

Il.
Come,
Cease, oh Rosmunda; loose her; 'tis in vain:
Thou canst not now suffice to be a hindrance
To her departure hence. Enough of foes
Has Almachilde; in his recreant blood
Others will not refuse to soil their hands.
Be not perplex'd, Rosmunda.

Ros.
What!—Dost thou
Intend to cheat me?

Rom.
Loose me ...

Il.
Yield, or I ...

Ros.
I loose thee? no, no, never.—But already
I hear approaching shouts ... fierce and more fierce,
And nearer they approach ... Oh joy to me,
If thus perchance thy hope may be deceived!

Rom.
Alas, alas!

Il.
Who comes thus arm'd?

Ros.
Oh joy!
See Almachilde: I perceive he's victor:
And he, I hope, will punish thee.

SCENE THE FIFTH.

Almachilde, Ildovaldo, Rosmunda, Romilda, Soldiers, and Followers of Ildovaldo.
Il.
Com'st thou
In quest of me perchance? Behold me ...

Al.
Check,
My heroes, check your swords: we have atchieved
Enough of slaughter. Let us now desist
From further violence.

Il.
It yet remains
For thee to murder me: but first ...

Ros.
Dispatch him.

Al.
Hear me, strong Ildovaldo, hear, Romilda.
Retreat from hence, ye soldiers; I command it.
Here all whom I have sought I meet at once.
Thou seest, Ildovaldo, vainly now
Wouldst thou defend thyself against my power.
To every individual of thy train
I can at least oppose an hundred here.
Thou hast to-day my life preserved; to-day
Life I give thee. More thou deservest not.
I will that thou, Romilda, be alone
The arbitress of thy own destiny;
The sovereign of ourselves, and of that woman.
Thou seest now clearly whether I have sought
To plot against thee.

Ros.
She my sovereign!
Mine!—In her breast I plunge at once this dagger ...

Il.
Ah! stop ...

Al.
Desist ...

Ros.
Let no one dare approach,
Or I at once the dagger plunge.

Rom.
And plunge it:
Thus Ildovaldo's I at least shall die ...

Ros.
Now, which of us is sovereign here?

Al.
Thou ... thou ..
Ah, cease ...

Il.
Oh heaven! ... Distraction ... Oh Romilda!
And cannot I deliver thee? ...

Ros.
Oh thou
In name alone a king, that sword surrender.

Al.
Behold me weaponless ...

Ros.
From forth the palace
Dismiss now all thy soldiers ...

Al.
Go, disperse,
Make haste, all, all ...

Ros.
And thou who didst refuse,
Cold lover, with a crime to acquire thy mistress,
Dismiss thy troops at once.

Il.
See, they are vanished.

Ros.
So far well done.—Ragauso, instantly
Hither return, and all my armed guards ...

Al.
Come, come, ah quickly, come ...

Ros.
Behold Ragauso.—
—I am, yet I am here then, queen?

Al.
Thou art,
Thou only. Ah! ..

Il.
Accomplish thy revenge
On which of us thou first wouldst immolate ...
But oh Romilda! ... Wouldst thou I should die? ...
Behold I turn the sword against my breast ...

Ros.
My fury cannot even in your blood
Be now appeased. When I commanded it
Thou shouldest then have aim'd the mortal blow:
Thou knewest well what blood from thee I sought.
But yet, in time, do I repent that I
To thee, base recreant, such a vengeance trusted;
Or ever placed a confidence in thee,
Poor perjured palterer.—But wholly now,
In my own keeping, chastisement I hold;
So that I venture to promulgate it
Without reserve.—Oh thou, in whom are centred
All my aversions, who so well as thou
Their ravening turbulence canst satiate?
Thou almost for my fury may'st suffice.
Fool that I was! and would I yield thee up
To thy beloved lover? Thee reserve
For life, who giv'st to me a thousand deaths?

Il.
In pity hear me! ..

Ros.
Tremble.

Rom.
Ildovaldo! ...

Al.
Her looks dart death! ... To me that sword ...

Ros.
In her,
In her I first immerge it. Die!

Il.
Ah! ... thou
Shalt rather die!

Ros.
Soldiers, surround them both.

Rom.
My Ildovaldo ... I ... at least ... die ... thine.

Il.
To follow thee ..

Al.
To avenge thee ..

Il.
To survive thee
Is now impossible. Oh thou avenge her,
Thou who remain'st alive ..

Al.
I swear to do it.

Ros.
Yet, yet have I the sword; tremble; for now
The retribution scarcely is begun,
That in thyself I swear to consummate.