 | The Constant Prince |  |
SCENE IV.
—BEFORE THE WALLS OF FEZ.Enter the KING and SELIM; on the walls appear DON JUAN and a Captive; before them is a coffin; in it appears to be the body of the INFANTE.
JUAN.
Now rejoice! rejoice! barbarian,
That thy tyranny hath ta'en
The noblest life of the world!
KING.
Who are you?
JUAN.
A man, who though he should be slain
For it, shall not leave Fernando,
And though madness choke my breath,
Like the faithful dog, I shall not
Leave my master even in death.
KING.
Christians, this is an example
Which, to future times may figure
What was due unto my justice,
For it cannot be called rigour—
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Wrongs to royal persons done.
Now let Alphonso come and free him,
With arrogant presumption,
From his chains; for though hath faded
The high hopes that once I had
Of Ceuta, he will lose the haughty
Hope of freeing him; I'm glad,
In this narrow cell to see him,
For though dead, he shall not be
Free of my renowned resentment:
Thus exposed, in mockery
Let him lie for all beholders.
JUAN.
King, thy punishment is near,
For upon the fields and waters
I can plainly see, from here,
Coming swift my Christian standards.
KING.
Let us mount upon the wall
To investigate these tidings.
They go in.
JUAN.
Down the drooping banners fall,
And the sullen drums are muffled,
Fires and lights are out, and all,
All things wear the signs of mourning.
The drums beat a mournful march; enter the Ghost of DON FERNANDO bearing a lighted torch, and followed by DON ALPHONSO and DON ENRIQUE at the head of their troops, with whom as prisoners come TARUDANTE, PHENIX, and MULÉY.
FERNANDO.
Through the darkness of the night,
By wild paths that no man knoweth,
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Faintly through the grey clouds gloweth.
Thus, victorious, great Alphonso,
I, to Fez have led thy feet.
This is Fez: behold the ramparts.
For my speedy ransom treat.
Disappears.
ALPHONSO.
Ho, there! on the walls, to speak
To the King I crave an audience.
Enter the KING and SELIM on the walls.
KING.
Valiant youth, what dost thou seek?
ALPHONSO.
That you yield me the Infante—
The Grand Master Don Fernando;
Phenix here and Tarudante,
Prisoners now, will be his ransom:
Thus we shall depart in peace.
Choose now which of these thou pleasest,
Thy daughter's death or his release.
KING
to SELIM.
What can I now do, friend Selim,
In a perplexity so strange?
Fernando's dead, and see, my daughter
Is in their power—how great a change
In the condition of our fortunes,
Since I have fallen to such a state!
PHENIX.
How is this, my lord, that seeing
My person hemmed by ills so great,
My life in this extremest peril,
My honour in this dangerous strait;
Can you hesitate to answer?
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Even for a minute or an instant
The words of liberty to say?
In thy hand my life is lying,
And you consent (oh! bitter pain!)
That mine (oh! grief beyond expression!)
Should thus unjustly wear this chain!
On thy voice my life is hanging,
And (cruelty beyond compare!)
Thou permittest mine to trouble
Vainly thus the realms of air!
With thine eyes, you see my bosom
Thus the aim of pointed spears,
And you consent, that mine should sadly
Weep those useless tender tears!
Once my King, but now a wild beast,
Once my sire—an adder now—
Once my judge, but now my headsman,
Nor king, nor judge, nor father thou!
KING.
Phenix, if I have not given thee
Answer sooner—as 'tis known
Unto Heaven—'tis not to deny thee
Life, when thine would cost mine own,
And since now, both one and the other
Can no longer here delay,
Know, Alphonso, that when Phenix
Yester evening took her way
Out of Fez, two glorious planets
Down in two seas—one dark and dun—
The sea of death; one bright with sea-foam,—
Sank the Infante and the Sun.
Within this poor and narrow coffin
His lifeless body lieth lone;
Give death unto the beauteous Phenix,
And let my blood for his atone!
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Ah! woe is me! from this sad moment
For me, now every hope is o'er!
KING.
No remedy for me remaineth
By which to live one instant more!
ENRIQUE.
God of mercy! what sad tidings!
Ah! ye Heavens, we have delayed
Far too long to give him freedom!
ALPHONSO.
Do not say so, if the shade
Of Fernando said, thus darkly—
Free me from this slavery,—
It was for his corse he said it,
That, for many temples, he
Might obtain one for his body,
And for this be ransoméd;
King of Fez, do not imagine
That Fernando, even dead,
Is not worth this living beauty;
For him, though thus dead he lieth,
I exchange her: then, I pray,
Send us snow for these bright crystals—
January for this May,—
Roses dead for living diamonds,
And a hapless corse in fine
For a goddess-seeming image.
KING.
How! what mean these words of thine,
Brave, invincible Alphonso?
ALPHONSO.
Him, permit these slaves to lower.
PHENIX.
Thus I am a corse's ransom!
Now Heaven's prophecy is o'er.
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Carefully let down the coffin
By the wall, with all things meet.
I myself, to make delivery,
Go to throw me at thy feet.
Exit.
The coffin is let down by cords from the walls.
ALPHONSO.
Let me in my arms receive thee,
Martyred prince—divinely grand.
ENRIQUE.
Accept my reverence—sainted brother.
Enter the KING, DON JUAN, and captives.
JUAN.
Let me kiss thy victor hand,
Brave Alphonso.
ALPHONSO.
Ah! Don Juan.
Ah! my friend, a piteous tale,
Have I learned of the Infante.
JUAN.
Till his death, I did not fail
In my attendance; till I saw him
Free beneath his native skies,
Dead or living, to be with him
I had vowed—see, there he lies.
ALPHONSO.
I must clasp thy hand, my uncle,
For although, through luckless fate,
I, to draw thee from this danger,
Came, illustrious lord, too late,
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Can true friendship be displayed;
In a sacred sovereign temple,
The grave deposit shall be made
Of thy consecrated body.
I deliver, king, to thee,
Tarudante and fair Phenix,
And I ask of you, that she
With Muléy be let to marry,—
For the friendship that I know
He did bear to the Infante.
Come, now, captives, let us go;
Look upon your prince, and bear him
On your shoulders to the fleet.
KING.
It is right they all go with him.
ALPHONSO.
To the solemn sound and sweet
Of trumpets, and the drum's low music
Let the army all attend,
Marching in the usual order
Of interment; and so end,
Humbly asking you to pardon
The great errors that it hath—
The Lusitanian Prince Fernando
Firm and Constant in the Faith.
| The Constant Prince | |