University of Virginia Library

SCENE THE THIRD.

Guglielmo, Julian.
Ju.
Oh, Guglielmo, thou who dost possess,
More than all other men, the precious fruit
Of a long life, and a long life well spent,
Experience and wisdom; who dost know,
Dost understand, and canst discriminate
The modern and the antiquated rights
Of this our country; listen to my words.
Already, by the power which now is mine,
I am not blinded, nor have I consign'd
To iniquitous forgetfulness the name
Of citizen; I know full well how brief,
And how unstable are the gifts of fortune.
I know ...

Gu.
What thou may'st be who knows? 'Tis true,
Thou dost appear more lenient than thy brother;
But so corrupted is the vulgar mind,
That though it fears thee less, it does not thence
Detest thee less than he. Perchance a tyrant,
Who forces to obey a race enslaved,
Is more acceptable than one who stoops
To dupe them to obedience.

Ju.
I confess
Lorenzo oft is culpably incautious;
Nor is thy Raymond so invincible
As he believes himself. Let us confer,
Soften'd by more conciliatory thoughts.—
Thou knowest that the citizens, inform'd
And apprehensive of the ancient licence,
Committed to our trust the superflux
Of liberty; from whence the nobler parts
Have since remain'd eternally untouch'd ...

Gu.
How hast thou a plain argument perplex'd
With subtle phrases destitute of sense!
There is a simple name for servitude.
Call those who yield to despots slaves at once.

Ju.
And to thy freedom give the name of licence.
I came not for these flimsy arguments.

Gu.
'Tis true, that folly only fights in words.

Ju.
Then listen to me ere I illustrate
This truth with deeds. A fervid virulence
Consumes thy Raymond's heart: with youth and power
Lorenzo also feels life's pulse beat high.
To thee, thy son, and to thy entire race,
May ruin thence result: but also thence
Our ruin may result by treacherous means.
I speak not of Lorenzo as a brother;
Nor speak thou as a father of thy son.
We're citizens, and thou the best. Now say,
Should we not strenuously exert ourselves
To hinder tumults, bloodshed, and disgrace?
And thou the more so now, as thou art placed
In most alarming danger? Thou who dar'st
Call servitude, th'observance of the laws,
Perceivest, that amid new broils, to you
The load will rather be increased than lessen'd.
Be thou at once a citizen and father:
Make thy son somewhat yield: if he alone
Confess that he is less than we, with this
Lorenzo will be pacified. It is
Allotted to thee with one word of thine
To frustrate each pernicious consequence.

Gu.
Who could make Raymond yield? And should I do it,
E'en if I could?

Ju.
At once confess to me:
If thou wert sovereign here, and thou didst see
Thy power contemn'd by us, as ours is now
By him, what punishment wouldst thou inflict?

Gu.
I should esteem that I in ruling here
So much more grievously insulted others,
That of each insult offered to myself
I should take no account. Of liberty,
What less part can be left to those who lose it
Than to lament its loss? Each man should speak,
Were I in your place, as his judgment dictates;
But act alone conformable to mine.
Silent, alone are formidable, foes:
And scatter'd poison injures not its object.
Frankly I speak to thee: I do not deem
My son for lofty enterprises fit:
Ah, were he so! Thou would'st not hear me thus
Address thee abjectly; nor hadst thou seen
Me tremble and obey.—'Gainst foes like us,
Contempt, when managed with dexterity,
('Tis but too true) is adequate defence.
Behold, it seems to me, that, though no tyrant,
I can prescribe to thee, with decent skill,
The laws of tyranny, the stratagems,
The conduct, and the principles sublime.

Ju.
What would'st thou say to me? And know I not,
As well as thou dost know, this son of thine?

Gu.
And dost thou fear him?

Ju.
Fear'd, I fear again.—
To simulate, or to dissimulate,
Were idle now. Let us for once renounce
In words, what always we renounce in deeds,
Maxims fallacious as they're plausible:
Not from our country, not from laws, or freedom,
But from self-love, and self-utility,
And apprehensions of contingent loss,
Let each of us, with more sincerity,
And with more wisdom, take his rule of conduct.
Lorenzo all the qualities possesses,
By which a new state is increased and sway'd,
Except forbearance and timidity:
Nature hath form'd me in another mould;
And that which is deficient in himself
In me is perhaps excessive: but confess,
Art thou not e'en more timorous than I?
Do not I see the spirit of mistrust,
And apprehension, in thy smallest actions?
I know, no base of some eternal rock
Is in the restless main more firmly placed,
Than Raymond and Lorenzo stand unmoved
In their resolves: in nature they are equal,
Yet not in power: but equal is our fear.
As with my brother I exert myself,
Do thou exert thyself with this thy son.
Perhaps we may yet see other times. Few years
Hast thou to live; yet these thou would'st desire,
Though burthensome and comfortless, to spend:
Thou hast supported such ... Would'st thou preserve them?

Gu.
The terror of a tyrant, and a father,
No one would place in counteracting scales
Save he who is a tyrant and a father.
I feel my own alarm; thine, thou alone
Canst feel and estimate. Paternal fear,
Which is the most excusable, to-day
Surmounts the other. Far as I avail
I will exert myself, that Raymond chuse
Spontaneous exile; and 'twere best he did so;
For not for vengeance, but for fresh injustice,
In these abhorred walls will he remain.