NOTES.

And was, mayhap, my breast filled full and highWith barbarous arrogance and deaths combined,And clean devoid of righteous cruelty?Is it, perchance, quite foreign to my mindTo treat the vanquished with the mercy due,As fits the victor who is brave and kind?Right badly in Numantia's town ye knewThe manly valour reigning in my breast,Which burns to conquer and to pardon too!

And was, mayhap, my breast filled full and high

With barbarous arrogance and deaths combined,

And clean devoid of righteous cruelty?

Is it, perchance, quite foreign to my mind

To treat the vanquished with the mercy due,

As fits the victor who is brave and kind?

Right badly in Numantia's town ye knew

The manly valour reigning in my breast,

Which burns to conquer and to pardon too!

Quintus Fabius.

My lord, Jugurtha may have news the bestConcerning that which thou desir'st to know,For see, he now returns with much unrest.

My lord, Jugurtha may have news the best

Concerning that which thou desir'st to know,

For see, he now returns with much unrest.

[Jugurthareturns by the same wall.

Jugurtha.

O prudent General, 'tis vain to shewThy valour further here; some otherwhereThy matchless skill and industry bestow.Thy work is over in Numantia there;They all are dead and gone, save one, I ween,Who still doth live to give thee triumph rare.Within that very tower, as I have seen,There right in front of us, doth lurk a youth,Alarm'd and timid, but of gentle mien.

O prudent General, 'tis vain to shew

Thy valour further here; some otherwhere

Thy matchless skill and industry bestow.

Thy work is over in Numantia there;

They all are dead and gone, save one, I ween,

Who still doth live to give thee triumph rare.

Within that very tower, as I have seen,

There right in front of us, doth lurk a youth,

Alarm'd and timid, but of gentle mien.

Scipio.

This is enough to make, if it be truth,In Rome my triumph o'er Numantia sure,For more I do not now desire, in sooth.Let usgo straightwaythither, and procureSome means to get the youth within our hands,Alive, for that is needful to secure.

This is enough to make, if it be truth,

In Rome my triumph o'er Numantia sure,

For more I do not now desire, in sooth.

Let usgo straightwaythither, and procure

Some means to get the youth within our hands,

Alive, for that is needful to secure.

Viriato[14][from the tower].

What come ye here to seek? Ye Roman bands,If ye would fain within Numantia go,There's nought to hinder ye in all these lands!But with my tongue I give you here to know,That I possess this city's ill-kept keys,Which Death hath triumphed over as a foe!

What come ye here to seek? Ye Roman bands,

If ye would fain within Numantia go,

There's nought to hinder ye in all these lands!

But with my tongue I give you here to know,

That I possess this city's ill-kept keys,

Which Death hath triumphed over as a foe!

Scipio.

O youth, I come desirous to have these;But more to let thee know what lies for theeOf pity in this bosom, if thou please.

O youth, I come desirous to have these;

But more to let thee know what lies for thee

Of pity in this bosom, if thou please.

Viriato.

Too late is all thy tardy clemency,When there are none to claim it, since I goTo face the rigour of our stern decree;For that resolve, so full of grief and woe,Made by my kinsmen and my country dear,Hath caused the fearful, final end ye know.

Too late is all thy tardy clemency,

When there are none to claim it, since I go

To face the rigour of our stern decree;

For that resolve, so full of grief and woe,

Made by my kinsmen and my country dear,

Hath caused the fearful, final end ye know.

Quintus Fabius.

This rash endeavour dazzles thee, I fear;Say, dost thou hold it as a dreadful fateTo keep thy life in all its bloom and cheer?

This rash endeavour dazzles thee, I fear;

Say, dost thou hold it as a dreadful fate

To keep thy life in all its bloom and cheer?

Scipio.

Assuage, O tender youth, thine ardour great,Subject the slender valour thou hast storedTo mine, which hath more honour and more weight;For from this day I pledge my faith and wordThat thou wilt be, what more canst thou require,Thine only master, and thy proper lord;And thou wilt jewels have and rich attire,And live a life as happy and as freeAs I can give thee, and thou canst desire,If thou surrender with good-will to me!

Assuage, O tender youth, thine ardour great,

Subject the slender valour thou hast stored

To mine, which hath more honour and more weight;

For from this day I pledge my faith and word

That thou wilt be, what more canst thou require,

Thine only master, and thy proper lord;

And thou wilt jewels have and rich attire,

And live a life as happy and as free

As I can give thee, and thou canst desire,

If thou surrender with good-will to me!

Viriato.

The complete fury of the countless deadWithin this city, now reduced to dust;Their fear of pactions with the foeman made;Their horror of subjection all unjust;Numantia's hatreds and her rancours dread,I hold them all within this heart as trust;I am the heir of all her bravery:What folly then to think of conquering me!Belovèd land, O town unfortunate,Fear not that I, reared in thy bosom dear,Do rave about my duty in this strait,Or e'er will flinch through promise or through fear!Though country fail me now, and Heaven and Fate,Though all the world conspire to crush me here,It cannot be that I will ever doWhat is not worthy of thy valour true!If to this hiding-place I ran through fear,The fear of speedy death and desperate,I'll sally forth, with mind and courage clear,Impelled to follow and to share thy fate.Vile dread hath passed, and I will offer hereAmends as daring as the fault was great;And this the error of my guileless ageI'll pay by dying with a manly rage!O valiant citizens, I here maintainThat I do hold your grand resolve as trust,That these base Romans shall no triumph gain,Unless it be above our very dust!Their scheming plans with me shall prove in vain,If so they deal at me a deadly thrust,Or wile me on, with promises of weight,To life and pleasure, that wide-opened gate!Hold, Romans, let your burning ardour cease,To break the wall ye have no need to move;For though your mighty power should more increase,Ye shall not conquer me, as I shall prove!My firm resolve ye now may view in peace,And if ye doubt the pure and perfect loveWhich I have cherished for my country dear,This fall of mine will straightway make it clear!

The complete fury of the countless dead

Within this city, now reduced to dust;

Their fear of pactions with the foeman made;

Their horror of subjection all unjust;

Numantia's hatreds and her rancours dread,

I hold them all within this heart as trust;

I am the heir of all her bravery:

What folly then to think of conquering me!

Belovèd land, O town unfortunate,

Fear not that I, reared in thy bosom dear,

Do rave about my duty in this strait,

Or e'er will flinch through promise or through fear!

Though country fail me now, and Heaven and Fate,

Though all the world conspire to crush me here,

It cannot be that I will ever do

What is not worthy of thy valour true!

If to this hiding-place I ran through fear,

The fear of speedy death and desperate,

I'll sally forth, with mind and courage clear,

Impelled to follow and to share thy fate.

Vile dread hath passed, and I will offer here

Amends as daring as the fault was great;

And this the error of my guileless age

I'll pay by dying with a manly rage!

O valiant citizens, I here maintain

That I do hold your grand resolve as trust,

That these base Romans shall no triumph gain,

Unless it be above our very dust!

Their scheming plans with me shall prove in vain,

If so they deal at me a deadly thrust,

Or wile me on, with promises of weight,

To life and pleasure, that wide-opened gate!

Hold, Romans, let your burning ardour cease,

To break the wall ye have no need to move;

For though your mighty power should more increase,

Ye shall not conquer me, as I shall prove!

My firm resolve ye now may view in peace,

And if ye doubt the pure and perfect love

Which I have cherished for my country dear,

This fall of mine will straightway make it clear!

[He hurls himself from the tower.

Scipio.

O matchless action, worthy of the meedWhich old and valiant soldiers love to gain!Thou hast achieved a glory by thy deedNot only for Numantia, but for Spain!Thy valour strange, heroical indeed,Hath robbed me of my rights, and made them vain,For with thy fall thou hast upraised thy fame,And levelled down my victories to shame!O could Numantia gain what she hath lost,I would rejoice, if but to see thee there!For thou hast reaped the gain and honour mostOf this long siege, illustrious and rare!Bear then, O stripling, bear away the boast,Enjoy the glory which the Heavens prepare,For thou hast conquered, by thy very fall,Him who in rising falleth worst of all!

O matchless action, worthy of the meed

Which old and valiant soldiers love to gain!

Thou hast achieved a glory by thy deed

Not only for Numantia, but for Spain!

Thy valour strange, heroical indeed,

Hath robbed me of my rights, and made them vain,

For with thy fall thou hast upraised thy fame,

And levelled down my victories to shame!

O could Numantia gain what she hath lost,

I would rejoice, if but to see thee there!

For thou hast reaped the gain and honour most

Of this long siege, illustrious and rare!

Bear then, O stripling, bear away the boast,

Enjoy the glory which the Heavens prepare,

For thou hast conquered, by thy very fall,

Him who in rising falleth worst of all!

[A trumpet sounds andFameenters.

Fame.

From land to land let my clear voice extend,And, with its sweetest, most melodious sound,To every soul an ardent longing lendTo make this deed eternally renowned!Raise, Romans, raise your heads, which lowly bend,Bear off this body, which such vigour found,In green and tender age, to snatch from youThe glorious triumph which you thought your due!For I, who am the far-resounding Fame,For ever on, while moves the orb of lightWith step majestic through the heavenly frame,And gives this lower world new strength and might,Will give good heed to publish and proclaimWith tongue of truth, with wingèd words and right,Numantia's valiant worth, unique and sole,From Nile to Baltic and from pole to pole.This peerless deed hath given proofs most plainWhat valour, in the ages yet to be,Shall dwell within the sons of mighty Spain,The heirs of such ancestral bravery!The cruel scythe of death shall work in vain,And eke the flight of time, to hinder meFrom sounding forth in song, without control,Numantia's powerful arm, and constant soul!In her alone I find such worth extremeAs claims a record in the proudest lays;Such wealth of matter for the poet's theme,I That thousand ages may rehearse alwaysHer deathless courage, and her strength supreme,Which claim in prose and verse the loftiest praise;'Tis mine, in trust, to garner so much glory,And so give happy ending to our story!

From land to land let my clear voice extend,

And, with its sweetest, most melodious sound,

To every soul an ardent longing lend

To make this deed eternally renowned!

Raise, Romans, raise your heads, which lowly bend,

Bear off this body, which such vigour found,

In green and tender age, to snatch from you

The glorious triumph which you thought your due!

For I, who am the far-resounding Fame,

For ever on, while moves the orb of light

With step majestic through the heavenly frame,

And gives this lower world new strength and might,

Will give good heed to publish and proclaim

With tongue of truth, with wingèd words and right,

Numantia's valiant worth, unique and sole,

From Nile to Baltic and from pole to pole.

This peerless deed hath given proofs most plain

What valour, in the ages yet to be,

Shall dwell within the sons of mighty Spain,

The heirs of such ancestral bravery!

The cruel scythe of death shall work in vain,

And eke the flight of time, to hinder me

From sounding forth in song, without control,

Numantia's powerful arm, and constant soul!

In her alone I find such worth extreme

As claims a record in the proudest lays;

Such wealth of matter for the poet's theme,

I That thousand ages may rehearse always

Her deathless courage, and her strength supreme,

Which claim in prose and verse the loftiest praise;

'Tis mine, in trust, to garner so much glory,

And so give happy ending to our story!

END OF THE TRAGEDY.

Note 1, Page 1.

Scipio.This general was the famous Publius Scipio Aemilianus Africanus Minor. His first campaign in Spain was in the yearB.C.151, when he acted as "legatus" to the Consul Lucius Licinius Lucullus, who was then engaged in the conquest of the Celtiberians. He greatly distinguished himself at the siege of Intercacia, where he was the first to scale the battlements, and received for his exploit a mural crown. He also displayed his personal courage in fighting single-handed and slaying a mighty Spanish giant, who used to insult and defy the whole Roman camp. He was then about thirty-four years of age. In the yearB.C.147 he was elected Consul and sent to Africa, where he fulfilled the stern mandate of the Senate: "Delenda est Carthago!" and became the most renowned warrior of his age. In the yearB.C.134, when affairs in Spain were at the lowest ebb, and the Numantines had thoroughly cowed the Romans, Scipio was again made Consul, and sent to do what no one else was thought competent to do—to bring the siege of Numantia to a final end. The result is well-known, and details may be found in the pages of Floras, Appian, Plutarch, and Livy. A very graphic summary of these is given in the third book of Mariana'sHistoria de España. The vivid picture presented in this tragedy of Cervantes maysuffice, however, for the present generation. Though Scipio is therein represented simply as the chief minister of Fate, yet his personality stands boldly out; and his character as accomplished scholar, stern disciplinarian, and cautious tactician, is very skilfully pourtrayed. His stirring address to the soldiers is a perfect epitome of his whole military creed. The fall of Numantia was the sensation of the day throughout the empire, and the last great military feat of Scipio. It settled the fate of Spain for many a long year. Scipio entered Rome in triumph, and the Senate added to his other titles that of "Numantinus."

Note 2, Page 1.

Jugurtha.This notorious Numidian prince, the illegitimate son of Manastabal, grandson of Masanissa, and the nephew of Mecipsa, king of Numidia, was sent by his uncle to give succour to Scipio during the siege of Numantia. He arrived there with a train of ten elephants, and a goodly array of horse and foot. His uncle's secret design, however, was to get rid of him, as a dangerous rival to his own sons, Adherbal and Hiempsal, in the succession to the crown. This, however, was not to be. Jugurtha not only survived the campaign, but so distinguished himself, that he became a prime favourite of Scipio, and returned to his native country with added lustre to his name, and stores of military experience. His after-career, adventurous, reckless, and unfortunate, which led him at last to the Mamertine prisons in Rome, does not concern us. It is to be found, as every schoolboy knows, in the brilliant pages of Sallustius,De bello Jugurthino.

Note 3, Page 2.

Caius Marius.This man, whom Cervantes represents as a bluff, quick-witted, daring soldier, was the celebrated CaiusMarius, a plebeian by birth, and the cruel scourge of the patricians in after times. He was only twenty-three years of age at the date of the siege, and was still in the ranks. His peculiar military qualities gained him the good-will of Scipio, who used often to invite him to his table. On one occasion, when the question was asked where a similar general to Scipio could be found when he was gone, Scipio placed his hand on the shoulder of Marius and said smilingly, "There, perhaps!" The glory and experience he gained under Scipio's auspices were the foundation of his future fortunes. Strange to say, when twenty years afterwards he rode in triumphal procession through the streets of Rome on account of his victories in Africa, the principal captive who graced his triumph was his old Numantian comrade, Jugurtha, in chains. The prince and the peasant had met again, but under what altered circumstances!

Note 4, Page 6.

Full sixteen years and more.According to the Latin historians, the war with Numantia lasted fourteen years, and the close siege under Scipio, a year and three months. The ruins of Numantia are still to be seen at Puente de Garray, near the source of the Duero, about five miles from Soria, an ancient town of Old Castile. The present remains, however, are principally imperial, and prove that the town must afterwards have been rebuilt. Numantia was a stronghold by nature. It was situated on a little hill precipitous on three sides, and on the fourth, looking towards the north, sloping down to a spacious plain, covered with thick forests and fertile fields, watered by the Tera, a tributary of the Duero. From its commanding position in the centre of northern Spain, it served as a bulwark to check the advance of the Roman legions, and also as a city of refuge for the oppressedtribes. According to Cervantes its warriors amounted only to three thousand:—

"Can three thousand stand the shockOf the eighty thousand there?"

"Can three thousand stand the shock

Of the eighty thousand there?"

Some historians estimate the number at eight thousand, and even this seems too small for the grandeur of their achievements. On one occasion (three years before the advent of Scipio) when the Consul, Caius Hostilius Mancinus, raised the siege in despair, and attempted to escape through the defiles of the mountain by night, the Numantines sallied forth in force, slaughtered 20,000 of the Roman troops, and allowed the rest to capitulate, under condition of signing a perpetual peace with Numantia, and retiring to Rome. The Roman Senate repudiated the transaction, and sent back the disgraced Consul to submit to the mercy of the Numantines. Thereafter it was found necessary to concentrate the whole military talent of Rome on the reduction of this proud city. The siege of Numantia, like that of Saguntum, displayed in a marvellous way the tenacity, vigour, and reckless heroism of the aboriginal tribes of Spain. It was, therefore, with a pardonable pride that Cervantes, intent on rousing the patriotic feeling of his countrymen, addressed them as:—

"Los hijos de la fuerte España,Hijos de tales padres herederos."

"Los hijos de la fuerte España,

Hijos de tales padres herederos."

Note 5, Page 20.

Thou gentle Douro.This passage in the original is admired for its exquisite sweetness. We give it as a specimen of the melodious octaves of Cervantes:—

"Duero gentil, que con torcidas vueltasHumedeces gran parte de mi seno,Ansi en tus aguas siempre veas envueltasArenas de oro qual el Tajo ameno,Y ansi las ninfas fugitivas sueltas,De que está el verde prado y bosque lleno,Vengan humildes á tus aguas clarasY en prestarte favor no sean avaras:"Que prestes á mis asperos lamentosAtento oido, ó que á escucharlas vengas,Y aunque dexes un rato tus contentos,Suplicote que en nada te detengas:Si tu con tuscontinuos crecimientosDestos fieros Romanes no me vengas,Cerrado veo ya qualquier caminoA la salud del pueblo Numantino."

"Duero gentil, que con torcidas vueltas

Humedeces gran parte de mi seno,

Ansi en tus aguas siempre veas envueltas

Arenas de oro qual el Tajo ameno,

Y ansi las ninfas fugitivas sueltas,

De que está el verde prado y bosque lleno,

Vengan humildes á tus aguas claras

Y en prestarte favor no sean avaras:

"Que prestes á mis asperos lamentosAtento oido, ó que á escucharlas vengas,Y aunque dexes un rato tus contentos,Suplicote que en nada te detengas:Si tu con tuscontinuos crecimientosDestos fieros Romanes no me vengas,Cerrado veo ya qualquier caminoA la salud del pueblo Numantino."

"Que prestes á mis asperos lamentos

Atento oido, ó que á escucharlas vengas,

Y aunque dexes un rato tus contentos,

Suplicote que en nada te detengas:

Si tu con tuscontinuos crecimientos

Destos fieros Romanes no me vengas,

Cerrado veo ya qualquier camino

A la salud del pueblo Numantino."

This famous river (theDuriusof the Romans) we prefer calling, in Portuguese fashion, the Douro, as being a name more familiar to English ears, and more amenable, too, to the laws of rhythm.

Note 6, Page 22.

And, forcing way into the Vatican.The event here alluded to is the fearful sack of Rome, in 1527, perpetrated by a portion of the army of Charles V. under the command of the Constable de Bourbon, when the Pope took refuge, and was besieged, in the castle of St. Angelo. The "Pilot of the Sacred Bark" was Clement VII.

Note 7, Page 23.

The great Albano he.This is a poetical name for Fernando Alvarez de Toledo, the Duke of Alva, who was famous for many things and infamous for more. The exploit referred to is the siege of Rome by Alva, after the battle of St. Quentin, 1557, when the French, who were allies of Pope Paul IV. against the Spaniards, had to leave Italy to save their own capital and country. In the time of Cervantes, no doubt, this siege was looked upon with pride as a "brandishing ofthe Spanish knife above the Roman neck," but in the light of history we see nothing more than a mock siege, a mock defence, and a mock withdrawal. Alva's hands were thoroughly fettered by his devout master, Philip II., who feared to humiliate the Pope too much, lest he should lose his title of "Most Catholic Majesty." This event is narrated with sarcastic brevity by Motley in the third book of his "History of the Netherlands."

Note 8, Page 23.

The second Philip, second yet to none.No doubt Philip II., at this period, had more power in his hand than had ever been held by a purely Spanish king. Motley, in his characteristic way, thus sums up his many titles: "He was king of all the Spanish kingdoms, and of both the Sicilies. He was titular king of England, France, and Jerusalem. He was 'Absolute Dominator' in Asia, Africa, and America. He was Duke of Milan, and both the Burgundies, and Hereditary Sovereign of the Seventeen Netherlands." To all this mighty inheritance he himself added the crown of Portugal. Cervantes took a part, maimed as he was, in this conquest, and it is, therefore, with legitimate pride that he speaks of the "Lusitanian banner that had been knit anew to the stately robes of Castile." Sixty years, however, sufficed to tear it asunder again. What Cervantes thought of Philip as a man and a ruler we can only conjecture. Twelve years after, in 1598, when the life of this monster of cruel bigotry had come to an end, and pompous funeral rites were everywhere being celebrated, we find Cervantes standing in the cathedral of Seville gazing on the astounding catafalque raised in honour of the deceased, and reciting with a roguish air that famous sonnet of his, beginning, "I vow to God this grandeur stuns my brain!" This sonnet, which Cervantes prized as the prime honour of his writings (honra principal de mis escritos), andwhich his countrymen regard as a model of exquisite raillery, was certainly not intended to do honour to the dead. Philip was no friend of poets, players, or outspoken thinkers, and literature breathed again when he expired. For a translation of the sonnet, see Gibson's translation of the "Journey to Parnassus," p. 375.

Note 9, Page 51.

The Body.Ticknor, who is certainly not over-lavish at any time in his praise of Cervantes, declares that the incantations of Marquino surpass in dignity those of the Faustus of Marlowe, who was a contemporary of Cervantes. He also affirms, that not even Shakespeare, when he presents on the stage the armed head raised up, under constraint, to reply to the criminal enquiries of Macbeth, excites so much our sympathy and horror as does Cervantes with that tormented spirit, which returns to life only to suffer a second time the pangs of dissolution and death. We give here the original of the speech of the resuscitated corpse, which Bouterwek describes as terrific:—

EL CUERPO.

Cese la furia del rigor violentoTuyo, Marquino; baste, triste, basteLa que yo paso en la region escura,Sin que tu crezcas mas mi desventura.Engañaste si piensas que reciboContento de volver á esta penosa,Misera y corta vida que ahora vivo,Que ya me va faltando presurosa;Antes me causas un dolor esquivo,Pues otra vez la muerte rigurosaTriunfará de mi vida y de mi almaMi enemigo tendrá doblada palma.El cual, con otros del escuro bandoDe los que son sujetos á aguardarte,Está con rabia en torno aqui esperandoA que acabe, Marquino, de informarteDel lamentable fin, del mal nefandoQue de Numancia puedo asegurarte,La cual acabará a las mismas manosDe los que son á ella mas cercanos.

Cese la furia del rigor violento

Tuyo, Marquino; baste, triste, baste

La que yo paso en la region escura,

Sin que tu crezcas mas mi desventura.

Engañaste si piensas que recibo

Contento de volver á esta penosa,

Misera y corta vida que ahora vivo,

Que ya me va faltando presurosa;

Antes me causas un dolor esquivo,

Pues otra vez la muerte rigurosa

Triunfará de mi vida y de mi alma

Mi enemigo tendrá doblada palma.

El cual, con otros del escuro bando

De los que son sujetos á aguardarte,

Está con rabia en torno aqui esperando

A que acabe, Marquino, de informarte

Del lamentable fin, del mal nefando

Que de Numancia puedo asegurarte,

La cual acabará a las mismas manos

De los que son á ella mas cercanos.

Throughout this scene, the pompous solemnity of the regular priests and the mock-heroic fury of Marquino are cleverly contrasted. Cervantes, who from his readings was familiar with all sorts of wizards and enchanters, makes Marquino a kind of old-world Merlin, kept, however, under necessary tragic restraint. The time had not yet come for the humours of "Don Quixote."

Note 10, Page 65.

Sons of mothers, sad in lot.This spirited speech of one of the Numantine wives has the true Spartan ring in it, of which our translation is but a feeble echo. We give the most effective part of it in the original:—

Hijos destas tristes madres,Qué es esto? Como no hablais?Y con lagrimas rogaisQue no os dexen vuestros padres?Basta, que la hambre insanaOs acabe con dolor,Sin esperar el rigorDe la aspereza Romana.Decildes que os engendraronLibres, y libres nacistes,Y que vuestras madres tristesTambien libres os criaron.Decildes que pues la suerteNuestra va tan de caida,Que como os dieron la vida,Ansi mismo os den la muerte.O muros desta ciudad,Si podeis hablad, decid,Y mil veces repetid:Numantinos, libertad!

Hijos destas tristes madres,

Qué es esto? Como no hablais?

Y con lagrimas rogais

Que no os dexen vuestros padres?

Basta, que la hambre insana

Os acabe con dolor,

Sin esperar el rigor

De la aspereza Romana.

Decildes que os engendraron

Libres, y libres nacistes,

Y que vuestras madres tristes

Tambien libres os criaron.

Decildes que pues la suerte

Nuestra va tan de caida,

Que como os dieron la vida,

Ansi mismo os den la muerte.

O muros desta ciudad,

Si podeis hablad, decid,

Y mil veces repetid:

Numantinos, libertad!

Note 11, Page 69.

Cause that these wretched Romans.Themoraleof the tragedy as a whole is so perfect, and the character of Theogenes, as represented, is so noble and chivalrous, that this savage decree of his seems strange and out of keeping. There are, it is true, more brutal things presented in "Titus Andronicus," but that is hardly a model of tragic dignity and decorum. The Latin historians tell us that when the crisis arrived the Numantine citizens ate raw flesh, and drugged themselves with a liquor calledCelia, to madden themselves for the unnatural slaughter; but, artistically speaking, there was no necessity to give such things prominence especially in the mouth of Theogenes.

Note 12, Page 70.

Morandro.Bouterwek says: "The transition into lightredondillas, for the purpose of interweaving with the serious business of the fable the loves of a young Numantine, named Morandro, and his mistress, is certainly a fault in the composition of the tragedy. But to this fault we are indebted for some of the finest scenes in the drama." We agree with the latter assertion, but not with the former. Neither Nature nor Art forbids the combination; and if love was to be introduced at all into such a play, the redondilla measure, on the Spanish stage at least, wasde rigeur. It seems to us that the little ray of sunshine let into the surrounding gloom, and then suddenly extinguished, gives a deeper intensity to the supervening darkness. These love-scenes, moreover, if such they may be called, for they are very saddening, lead up to some of the most tragic scenes of the drama. Ticknor has rendered the whole scene with much spirit, but not in the metre, nor with the simplicity, of the original. We give two short extracts. The first contains the opening stanzas:—

Morandro.

No vayas tan de corrida,Lira; déjame gozarDel bien que me puede darEn la muerte alegre vida;Deja que miren mis ojosUn rato tu hermosuraPues tanto mi desventuraSe entretiene en mis enojos.O dulce Lira, que sueñasContino en mi fantasíaCon tan suave harmoníaQue vuelve en gloria mis penas!Qué tienes? Qué estás pensando,Gloria de mi pensamiento?

No vayas tan de corrida,

Lira; déjame gozar

Del bien que me puede dar

En la muerte alegre vida;

Deja que miren mis ojos

Un rato tu hermosura

Pues tanto mi desventura

Se entretiene en mis enojos.

O dulce Lira, que sueñas

Contino en mi fantasía

Con tan suave harmonía

Que vuelve en gloria mis penas!

Qué tienes? Qué estás pensando,

Gloria de mi pensamiento?

The second extract is the parting scene, which is justly praised for its pathetic tenderness:—

Lira.

Morandro, mi dulce amigo,No vayas; que se me antojaQue de tu sangre veo rojaLa espada del enemigo.No hagas esta jornada,Morandro, bien de mi vida,Que si es mala la salidaEs muy peor la tornada.Si quiero aplacar tu brio,Por testigo pongo al cielo,Que de mi daño receloY no del provecho mio.Mas si acaso, amado amigo,Prosigues esta contienda,Lleva este abrazo por prendaDe que me llevas contigo.

Morandro, mi dulce amigo,

No vayas; que se me antoja

Que de tu sangre veo roja

La espada del enemigo.

No hagas esta jornada,

Morandro, bien de mi vida,

Que si es mala la salida

Es muy peor la tornada.

Si quiero aplacar tu brio,

Por testigo pongo al cielo,

Que de mi daño recelo

Y no del provecho mio.

Mas si acaso, amado amigo,

Prosigues esta contienda,

Lleva este abrazo por prenda

De que me llevas contigo.

Note 13, Page 109.

I saw within the middle of the square.This fine description of the end of Theogenes, as seen and described by Marius,may fitly wind up our extracts from the original. It is written in very vigorous Tercets, a form of verse in which Cervantes was more expert than in any other:—

En medio de la plaza levantadoEstá un ardiente fuego temeroso,De sus cuerpos y haciendas sustentado.A tiempo llegué á verle, que el furiosoTeogenes, valiente Numantino,De fenecer su vida deseoso,Maldiciendo su corto amargo signo,En medio se arrojaba de la llamaLleno de temerario desatino.Y al arrojarse dijo: O clara fama,Ocupa aqui tus lenguas y tus ojosEn esta hazaña que a cantar te llama!Venid, Romanos, ya por los despojosDeste ciudad en polvo y humo envueltos,Y sus floras y frutos en abrojos!

En medio de la plaza levantado

Está un ardiente fuego temeroso,

De sus cuerpos y haciendas sustentado.

A tiempo llegué á verle, que el furioso

Teogenes, valiente Numantino,

De fenecer su vida deseoso,

Maldiciendo su corto amargo signo,

En medio se arrojaba de la llama

Lleno de temerario desatino.

Y al arrojarse dijo: O clara fama,

Ocupa aqui tus lenguas y tus ojos

En esta hazaña que a cantar te llama!

Venid, Romanos, ya por los despojos

Deste ciudad en polvo y humo envueltos,

Y sus floras y frutos en abrojos!

Note 14, Page 112.

Viriato.It is a touch of genius, on Cervantes' part, to give this youth, who concentrates at last in his own person all the heroism of his nation, the name of the illustrious Lusitanian hero, Viriatus, the William Wallace of his age and country, who for more than a decade was the terror of the Romans and the pride of his nation, and who, like the Scottish hero, was at last done to death by treachery.

End of the Notes.

CHISWICK PRESS:—C. WHITTINGHAM AND CO., TOOKS COURT,CHANCERY LANE.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTEObvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.Footnotes are collected in a'NOTES'section at the end of the play, as in the original book.Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text, and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained. For example, good-will, good will; pourtrayed; energetical; fulness; leal.Pg 23, 'vicegerent' replaced by 'viceregent'.Pg 94, 'stern hehest' replaced by 'stern behest'.Pg 95, 'who am the the great' replaced by 'who am the great'.Pg 111, 'go straighway' replaced by 'go straightway'.Pg 121, 'continos creciementos' replaced by 'continuos crecimientos'.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE

Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.

Footnotes are collected in a'NOTES'section at the end of the play, as in the original book.

Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text, and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained. For example, good-will, good will; pourtrayed; energetical; fulness; leal.

Pg 23, 'vicegerent' replaced by 'viceregent'.Pg 94, 'stern hehest' replaced by 'stern behest'.Pg 95, 'who am the the great' replaced by 'who am the great'.Pg 111, 'go straighway' replaced by 'go straightway'.Pg 121, 'continos creciementos' replaced by 'continuos crecimientos'.

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