LINENOTES:

Ordonio.Hail, potent wizard! in my gayer moodI poured forth a libation to old Pluto,And as I brimmed the bowl, I thought on thee.Thou hast conspired against my life and honour,Hast tricked me foully; yet I hate thee not.110Why should I hate thee? this same world of ours,'Tis but a pool amid a storm of rain,And we the air-bladders that course up and down,And joust and tilt in merry tournament;And when one bubble runs foul of another,115The weaker needs must break.Alvar.I see thy heart![875]There is a frightful glitter in thine eyeWhich doth betray thee. Inly-tortured man,This is the revelry of a drunken anguish,Which fain would scoff away the pang of guilt,120And quell each human feeling.Ordonio.Feeling! feeling!The death of a man—the breaking of a bubble—'Tis true I cannot sob for such misfortunes;But faintness, cold and hunger—curses on meIf willingly I e'er inflicted them!125Come, take the beverage; this chill place demands it.[Ordonioproffers the goblet.Alvar.Yon insect on the wall,Which moves this way and that its hundred limbs,Were it a toy of mere mechanic craft,It were an infinitely curious thing!130But it has life, Ordonio! life, enjoyment!And by the power of its miraculous willWields all the complex movements of its frameUnerringly to pleasurable ends!Saw I that insect on this goblet's brim135I would remove it with an anxious pity!Ordonio.What meanest thou?Alvar.There's poison in the wine.Ordonio.Thou hast guessed right; there's poison in the wine.There's poison in't—which of us two shall drink it?For one of us must die!Alvar.Whom dost thou think me?140Ordonio.The accomplice and sworn friend of Isidore.Alvar.I know him not.And yet methinks, I have heard the name but lately.Means he the husband of the Moorish woman?Isidore? Isidore?145Ordonio.Good! good! that lie! by heaven it has restored me.Now I am thy master!—Villain! thou shalt drink it,Or die a bitterer death.Alvar.What strange solutionHast thou found out to satisfy thy fears,And drug them to unnatural sleep?[Alvartakes the goblet, and throws it to the ground.My master!150

Alvar.I see thy heart![875]There is a frightful glitter in thine eyeWhich doth betray thee. Inly-tortured man,This is the revelry of a drunken anguish,Which fain would scoff away the pang of guilt,120And quell each human feeling.

Ordonio.Feeling! feeling!The death of a man—the breaking of a bubble—'Tis true I cannot sob for such misfortunes;But faintness, cold and hunger—curses on meIf willingly I e'er inflicted them!125Come, take the beverage; this chill place demands it.[Ordonioproffers the goblet.

Alvar.Yon insect on the wall,Which moves this way and that its hundred limbs,Were it a toy of mere mechanic craft,It were an infinitely curious thing!130But it has life, Ordonio! life, enjoyment!And by the power of its miraculous willWields all the complex movements of its frameUnerringly to pleasurable ends!Saw I that insect on this goblet's brim135I would remove it with an anxious pity!

Ordonio.What meanest thou?

Alvar.There's poison in the wine.

Ordonio.Thou hast guessed right; there's poison in the wine.There's poison in't—which of us two shall drink it?For one of us must die!

Alvar.Whom dost thou think me?140

Ordonio.The accomplice and sworn friend of Isidore.

Alvar.I know him not.And yet methinks, I have heard the name but lately.Means he the husband of the Moorish woman?Isidore? Isidore?145

Ordonio.Good! good! that lie! by heaven it has restored me.Now I am thy master!—Villain! thou shalt drink it,Or die a bitterer death.

Alvar.What strange solutionHast thou found out to satisfy thy fears,And drug them to unnatural sleep?[Alvartakes the goblet, and throws it to the ground.My master!150

Ordonio.Thou mountebank!Alvar.Mountebank and villain!What then art thou? For shame, put up thy sword!What boots a weapon in a withered arm?I fix mine eye upon thee, and thou tremblest!I speak, and fear and wonder crush thy rage,155And turn it to a motionless distraction!Thou blind self-worshipper! thy pride, thy cunning,Thy faith in universal villainy,Thy shallow sophisms, thy pretended scornFor all thy human brethren—out upon them!160What have they done for thee? have they given thee peace?Cured thee of starting in thy sleep? or madeThe darkness pleasant when thou wak'st at midnight?Art happy when alone? Can'st walk by thyselfWith even step and quiet cheerfulness?165Yet, yet thou may'st be saved——Ordonio.Saved? saved?Alvar.One pang!Could I call up one pang of true remorse!Ordonio.He told me of the babes that prattled to him.His fatherless little ones! remorse! remorse!Where got'st thou that fool's word? Curse on remorse!170Can it give up the dead, or recompactA mangled body? mangled—dashed to atoms!Not all the blessings of a host of angelsCan blow away a desolate widow's curse!And though thou spill thy heart's blood for atonement,175It will not weigh against an orphan's tear!Alvar.But Alvar——Ordonio.Ha! it chokes thee in the throat,Even thee; and yet I pray thee speak it out.Still Alvar!—Alvar!—howl it in mine ear!Heap it like coals of fire upon my heart,180And shoot it hissing through my brain!Alvar.Alas!That day when thou didst leap from off the rockInto the waves, and grasped thy sinking brother,And bore him to the strand; then, son of Valdez,How sweet and musical the name of Alvar!185Then, then, Ordonio, he was dear to thee,[877]And thou wert dear to him: heaven only knowsHow very dear thou wert! Why did'st thou hate him!O heaven! how he would fall upon thy neck,And weep forgiveness!Ordonio.Spirit of the dead!190Methinks I know thee! ha! my brain turns wildAt its own dreams!—off—off, fantastic shadow!Alvar.I fain would tell thee what I am, but dare not!Ordonio.Cheat! villain! traitor! whatsoever thou be—I fear thee, man!Teresa (rushing out and falling on Alvar's neck).Ordonio!'tis thy brother!195

Ordonio.Thou mountebank!

Alvar.Mountebank and villain!What then art thou? For shame, put up thy sword!What boots a weapon in a withered arm?I fix mine eye upon thee, and thou tremblest!I speak, and fear and wonder crush thy rage,155And turn it to a motionless distraction!Thou blind self-worshipper! thy pride, thy cunning,Thy faith in universal villainy,Thy shallow sophisms, thy pretended scornFor all thy human brethren—out upon them!160What have they done for thee? have they given thee peace?Cured thee of starting in thy sleep? or madeThe darkness pleasant when thou wak'st at midnight?Art happy when alone? Can'st walk by thyselfWith even step and quiet cheerfulness?165Yet, yet thou may'st be saved——

Ordonio.Saved? saved?

Alvar.One pang!Could I call up one pang of true remorse!

Ordonio.He told me of the babes that prattled to him.His fatherless little ones! remorse! remorse!Where got'st thou that fool's word? Curse on remorse!170Can it give up the dead, or recompactA mangled body? mangled—dashed to atoms!Not all the blessings of a host of angelsCan blow away a desolate widow's curse!And though thou spill thy heart's blood for atonement,175It will not weigh against an orphan's tear!

Alvar.But Alvar——

Ordonio.Ha! it chokes thee in the throat,Even thee; and yet I pray thee speak it out.Still Alvar!—Alvar!—howl it in mine ear!Heap it like coals of fire upon my heart,180And shoot it hissing through my brain!

Alvar.Alas!That day when thou didst leap from off the rockInto the waves, and grasped thy sinking brother,And bore him to the strand; then, son of Valdez,How sweet and musical the name of Alvar!185Then, then, Ordonio, he was dear to thee,[877]And thou wert dear to him: heaven only knowsHow very dear thou wert! Why did'st thou hate him!O heaven! how he would fall upon thy neck,And weep forgiveness!

Ordonio.Spirit of the dead!190Methinks I know thee! ha! my brain turns wildAt its own dreams!—off—off, fantastic shadow!

Alvar.I fain would tell thee what I am, but dare not!

Ordonio.Cheat! villain! traitor! whatsoever thou be—I fear thee, man!

Teresa (rushing out and falling on Alvar's neck).Ordonio!'tis thy brother!195

[Ordonioruns uponAlvarwith his sword.Teresaflings herself onOrdonioand arrests his arm.

Stop, madman, stop!Alvar.Does then this thin disguise impenetrablyHide Alvar from thee? Toil and painful woundsAnd long imprisonment in unwholesome dungeons,Have marred perhaps all trait and lineament200Of what I was! But chiefly, chiefly, brother,My anguish for thy guilt!Ordonio—Brother!Nay, nay, thou shalt embrace me.Ordonio (drawing back, and gazing at Alvar).Touch me not!Touch not pollution, Alvar! I will die.[He attempts to fall on his sword,AlvarandTeresaprevent him.Alvar.We will find means to save your honour. Live,205Oh live, Ordonio! for our father's sake!Spare his grey hairs!Teresa.And you may yet be happy.Ordonio.O horror! not a thousand years in heavenCould recompose this miserable heart,Or make it capable of one brief joy!210Live! live! Why yes! 'Twere well to live with you:For is it fit a villain should be proud?My brother! I will kneel to you, my brother![Kneeling.Forgive me, Alvar!——Curse me with forgiveness!

Stop, madman, stop!

Alvar.Does then this thin disguise impenetrablyHide Alvar from thee? Toil and painful woundsAnd long imprisonment in unwholesome dungeons,Have marred perhaps all trait and lineament200Of what I was! But chiefly, chiefly, brother,My anguish for thy guilt!Ordonio—Brother!Nay, nay, thou shalt embrace me.

Ordonio (drawing back, and gazing at Alvar).Touch me not!Touch not pollution, Alvar! I will die.[He attempts to fall on his sword,AlvarandTeresaprevent him.

Alvar.We will find means to save your honour. Live,205Oh live, Ordonio! for our father's sake!Spare his grey hairs!

Teresa.And you may yet be happy.

Ordonio.O horror! not a thousand years in heavenCould recompose this miserable heart,Or make it capable of one brief joy!210Live! live! Why yes! 'Twere well to live with you:For is it fit a villain should be proud?My brother! I will kneel to you, my brother![Kneeling.Forgive me, Alvar!——Curse me with forgiveness!

Alvar.Call back thy soul, Ordonio, and look round thee!215Now is the time for greatness! Think that heaven—Teresa.O mark his eye! he hears not what you say.Ordonio.Yes, mark his eye! there's fascination in it!Thou said'st thou did'st not know him—That is he!He comes upon me!Alvar.Heal, O heal him, heaven!220Ordonio.Nearer and nearer! and I can not stir!Will no one hear these stifled groans, and wake me?He would have died to save me, and I killed him—A husband and a father!—Teresa.Some secret poisonDrinks up his spirits!Ordonio.Let the eternal justice225Prepare my punishment in the obscure world—I will not bear to live—to live—O agony!And be myself alone my own sore torment!

Alvar.Call back thy soul, Ordonio, and look round thee!215Now is the time for greatness! Think that heaven—

Teresa.O mark his eye! he hears not what you say.

Ordonio.Yes, mark his eye! there's fascination in it!Thou said'st thou did'st not know him—That is he!He comes upon me!

Alvar.Heal, O heal him, heaven!220

Ordonio.Nearer and nearer! and I can not stir!Will no one hear these stifled groans, and wake me?He would have died to save me, and I killed him—A husband and a father!—

Teresa.Some secret poisonDrinks up his spirits!

Ordonio.Let the eternal justice225Prepare my punishment in the obscure world—I will not bear to live—to live—O agony!And be myself alone my own sore torment!

[The doors of the dungeon are broken open, and in rushAlhadra, and the band ofMorescoes.

Alhadra.Seize first that man!

[Alvarpresses onward to defendOrdonio.

Ordonio.Off, ruffians! I have flung away my sword.230Woman, my life is thine! to thee I give it!Off! he that touches me with his hand of flesh,I'll rend his limbs asunder! I have strengthWith this bare arm to scatter you like ashes.Alhadra.My husband—Ordonio.Yes, I murdered him most foully.235Alvar and Teresa.O horrible!Alhadra.Why did'st thou leave his children?Demon, thou should'st have sent thy dogs of hellTo lap their blood. Then, then I might have hardenedMy soul in misery, and have had comfort.I would have stood far off, quiet though dark,240And bade the race of men raise up a mourningFor a deep horror of desolation,Too great to be one soul's particular lot!Brother of Zagri! let me lean upon thee.The time is not yet come for woman's anguish,245[879]I have not seen his blood—Within an hourThose little ones will crowd around and ask me,Where is our father? I shall curse thee then!Wert thou in heaven, my curse would pluck thee thence!Teresa.He doth repent! See, see, I kneel to thee!250O let him live! That agéd man, his father——Alhadra.Why had he such a son?[Shouts from the distance ofRescue! Rescue! Alvar! Alvar!and the voice ofValdezheard.Rescue?—and Isidore's spirit unavenged?—The deed be mine![Suddenly stabsOrdonio.Now take my life!Ordonio (staggering from the wound).Atonement!Alvar (while with Teresa supporting Ordonio).Arm of avenging Heaven255[880]Thou hast snatched from me my most cherished hope—But go! my word was pledged to thee.Ordonio.Away!Brave not my Father's rage! I thank thee! Thou—[Then turning his eyes languidly toAlvar.She hath avenged the blood of Isidore!I stood in silence like a slave before her260That I might taste the wormwood and the gall,And satiate this self-accusing heartWith bitterer agonies than death can give.Forgive me, Alvar!Oh!—could'st thou forget me![Dies.

Alhadra.My husband—

Ordonio.Yes, I murdered him most foully.235

Alvar and Teresa.O horrible!

Alhadra.Why did'st thou leave his children?Demon, thou should'st have sent thy dogs of hellTo lap their blood. Then, then I might have hardenedMy soul in misery, and have had comfort.I would have stood far off, quiet though dark,240And bade the race of men raise up a mourningFor a deep horror of desolation,Too great to be one soul's particular lot!Brother of Zagri! let me lean upon thee.The time is not yet come for woman's anguish,245[879]I have not seen his blood—Within an hourThose little ones will crowd around and ask me,Where is our father? I shall curse thee then!Wert thou in heaven, my curse would pluck thee thence!

Teresa.He doth repent! See, see, I kneel to thee!250O let him live! That agéd man, his father——

Alhadra.Why had he such a son?[Shouts from the distance ofRescue! Rescue! Alvar! Alvar!and the voice ofValdezheard.Rescue?—and Isidore's spirit unavenged?—The deed be mine![Suddenly stabsOrdonio.Now take my life!

Ordonio (staggering from the wound).Atonement!

Alvar (while with Teresa supporting Ordonio).Arm of avenging Heaven255[880]Thou hast snatched from me my most cherished hope—But go! my word was pledged to thee.

Ordonio.Away!Brave not my Father's rage! I thank thee! Thou—[Then turning his eyes languidly toAlvar.She hath avenged the blood of Isidore!I stood in silence like a slave before her260That I might taste the wormwood and the gall,And satiate this self-accusing heartWith bitterer agonies than death can give.Forgive me, Alvar!Oh!—could'st thou forget me![Dies.

[AlvarandTeresabend over the body ofOrdonio.

Alhadra (to the Moors).I thank thee, Heaven! thou hast ordained it wisely,265That still extremes bring their own cure. That pointIn misery, which makes the oppressed ManRegardless of his own life, makes him tooLord of the Oppressor's—Knew I a hundred menDespairing, but not palsied by despair,270This arm should shake the kingdoms of the world;The deep foundations of iniquityShould sink away, earth groaning from beneath them;The strongholds of the cruel men should fall,Their temples and their mountainous towers should fall;275Till desolation seemed a beautiful thing,And all that were and had the spirit of life,Sang a new song to her who had gone forth,Conquering and still to conquer!

[Alhadrahurries off with theMoors;the stage fills with armedPeasants,andServants,ZulimezandValdezat their head.Valdezrushes intoAlvar'sarms.

Alvar.Turn not thy face that way, my father! hide,280Oh hide it from his eye! Oh let thy joyFlow in unmingled stream through thy first blessing.[Both kneel toValdez.Valdez.My Son! My Alvar! bless, Oh bless him, heaven!

Alvar.Turn not thy face that way, my father! hide,280Oh hide it from his eye! Oh let thy joyFlow in unmingled stream through thy first blessing.[Both kneel toValdez.

Valdez.My Son! My Alvar! bless, Oh bless him, heaven!

Teresa.Me too, my Father?Valdez.Bless, Oh bless my children![Both rise.Alvar.Delights so full, if unalloyed with grief,285Were ominous. In these strange dread eventsJust Heaven instructs us with an awful voice,That Conscience rules us e'en against our choice.Our inward Monitress to guide or warn,If listened to; but if repelled with scorn,290At length as dire Remorse, she reappears,Works in our guilty hopes, and selfish fears!Still bids, Remember! and still cries, Too late!And while she scares us, goads us to our fate.

Teresa.Me too, my Father?

Valdez.Bless, Oh bless my children![Both rise.

Alvar.Delights so full, if unalloyed with grief,285Were ominous. In these strange dread eventsJust Heaven instructs us with an awful voice,That Conscience rules us e'en against our choice.Our inward Monitress to guide or warn,If listened to; but if repelled with scorn,290At length as dire Remorse, she reappears,Works in our guilty hopes, and selfish fears!Still bids, Remember! and still cries, Too late!And while she scares us, goads us to our fate.

[30]touch] torchEdition 1.

touch] torchEdition 1.

[36]life] life-bloodEdition 1.

life] life-bloodEdition 1.

After41As in a dream I ask; if it be a dreamEdition 1.

[46]Beyond which I scarce dare to look! (shudders)Edition 1.

Beyond which I scarce dare to look! (shudders)Edition 1.

After46[Shuddering.Editions 2, 3, 1829.

After48[Faintly . . . recess, and moves hastily towards her.Edition 1.

After55Teresa (recovering, looks round wildly).Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

[62]Alvar (eagerly).Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

Alvar (eagerly).Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

[64]Teresa (retires from him, and feebly supports herself against a pillar of the dungeon).Ha! who art thou?Alvar (exceedingly affected).Suborned, &c.Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

Teresa (retires from him, and feebly supports herself against a pillar of the dungeon).Ha! who art thou?Alvar (exceedingly affected).Suborned, &c.

Teresa (retires from him, and feebly supports herself against a pillar of the dungeon).Ha! who art thou?

Alvar (exceedingly affected).Suborned, &c.

Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

[65]thouEditions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

thouEditions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

[72]Teresa (wildly).Nay, nay, but tell me![A pause, then presses her forehead.O 'tis lost again!This dull confused pain.[A pause, she gazes atAlvar.Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

Teresa (wildly).Nay, nay, but tell me![A pause, then presses her forehead.O 'tis lost again!This dull confused pain.[A pause, she gazes atAlvar.

Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

[77]heEditions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

heEditions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

[83]Teresa (advances towards him).Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

Teresa (advances towards him).Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

[98]ownom. Edition 1.

ownom. Edition 1.

After103[Retiring, she returns hastily and embracingAlvar.Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

Before106Ordonio (with affected gravity).Edition 1 (c)(?).

[107]old Pluto] oblivionEdition 1.

old Pluto] oblivionEdition 1.

After115[Waving his hand toAlvar.Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

[150][Alvar. . . and throws it to the ground with stern contempt.Edition 1. [Alvar. . . and throwing it to the ground, &c.Editions 2, 3, 1829.

[Alvar. . . and throws it to the ground with stern contempt.Edition 1. [Alvar. . . and throwing it to the ground, &c.Editions 2, 3, 1829.

[166]Ordonio (vacantly repeating the words).Saved? Saved?Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

Ordonio (vacantly repeating the words).Saved? Saved?Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

[177]Alvar (almost overcome by his feelings).Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

Alvar (almost overcome by his feelings).Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

[193]Alvar (seizing his hand).Edition 1.

Alvar (seizing his hand).Edition 1.

After195[Ordoniowith frantic wildness runs, &c.Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

[203]Ordonio (drawing back and gazing at Alvar with a countenance of at once awe and terror).Touch me not!Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

Ordonio (drawing back and gazing at Alvar with a countenance of at once awe and terror).Touch me not!Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

[207]And] OhEdition 1.

And] OhEdition 1.

[214]CurseEditions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

CurseEditions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

[218]Ordonio (pointing at vacancy).Edition 1. (pointing at the vacancy).Editions 2, 3, 1829.

Ordonio (pointing at vacancy).Edition 1. (pointing at the vacancy).Editions 2, 3, 1829.

[225]Ordonio (fiercely recollecting himself).Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

Ordonio (fiercely recollecting himself).Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

After229(Alvar presses on as if to defend Ordonio.)Edition 1.

[243]one] one's1829.

one] one's1829.

After244[Struggling to suppress her feelings.Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

[246]hisEditions 2, 3, 1829.

hisEditions 2, 3, 1829.

[252]Alhadra (sternly).Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

Alhadra (sternly).Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

[254]myEditions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

myEditions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

[254-9]The deed be mine! (Suddenly stabsOrdonio.) Now takemylife!Alv. (while withTeresasupportingOrdonio).Arm of avenging Heaven!Thou hast snatch'd from me my most cherish'd hopeBut go! my word was pledged to thee. Away!Brave not my Father's vengeance![The Moors hurry offAlhadra.Ord.She hath aveng'd the blood of Isidore.Edition 1.

The deed be mine! (Suddenly stabsOrdonio.) Now takemylife!Alv. (while withTeresasupportingOrdonio).Arm of avenging Heaven!Thou hast snatch'd from me my most cherish'd hopeBut go! my word was pledged to thee. Away!Brave not my Father's vengeance![The Moors hurry offAlhadra.Ord.She hath aveng'd the blood of Isidore.

The deed be mine! (Suddenly stabsOrdonio.) Now takemylife!

Alv. (while withTeresasupportingOrdonio).Arm of avenging Heaven!Thou hast snatch'd from me my most cherish'd hopeBut go! my word was pledged to thee. Away!Brave not my Father's vengeance![The Moors hurry offAlhadra.

Ord.She hath aveng'd the blood of Isidore.

Edition 1.

[255]Ordonio (with great majesty).'Tis well thou hast avenged thyself, O Woman!Edition 1 (b).[Note.—In his collation ofRemorsewithOsorio, the Editor ofP. W.1877-1880, iv. 154 affixes to lines 289-303 of the Fifth Act ofOsoriothe following variant, said to be derived from the First Edition ofRemorse:—After the cry of 'No mercy' (Osorio, Act V, l. 300), 'Naomiadvances with the sword andAlhadrasnatches it from him and suddenly stabsOrdonio.Alvarrushes through the Moors and catches him in his arms.' After Ordonio's dying speech [ll. 304-307], there are 'shouts of Alvar! Alvar! behind the scenes. A Moor rushes in'—Moor.We are surprised! away! away! this instant!The country is in arms! Lord Valdez heads them,And still cries out, 'My son! my Alvar lives!'Haste to the shore! they come the opposite road.Your wives and children are already safe.The boat is on the shore—the vessel waits.Alhadra.Thou then art Alvar! to my aid and safetyThy word stands pledged.Alvar.Arm of avenging Heaven!I had two cherish'd hopes—the one remains,The other thou hast snatch'd from me: but my wordIs pledged to thee; nor shall it be retracted—Edition 1 (c)(?).[For MS. version of this variant see note on p. 597.]]

Ordonio (with great majesty).'Tis well thou hast avenged thyself, O Woman!Edition 1 (b).

[Note.—In his collation ofRemorsewithOsorio, the Editor ofP. W.1877-1880, iv. 154 affixes to lines 289-303 of the Fifth Act ofOsoriothe following variant, said to be derived from the First Edition ofRemorse:—After the cry of 'No mercy' (Osorio, Act V, l. 300), 'Naomiadvances with the sword andAlhadrasnatches it from him and suddenly stabsOrdonio.Alvarrushes through the Moors and catches him in his arms.' After Ordonio's dying speech [ll. 304-307], there are 'shouts of Alvar! Alvar! behind the scenes. A Moor rushes in'—

Moor.We are surprised! away! away! this instant!The country is in arms! Lord Valdez heads them,And still cries out, 'My son! my Alvar lives!'Haste to the shore! they come the opposite road.Your wives and children are already safe.The boat is on the shore—the vessel waits.Alhadra.Thou then art Alvar! to my aid and safetyThy word stands pledged.Alvar.Arm of avenging Heaven!I had two cherish'd hopes—the one remains,The other thou hast snatch'd from me: but my wordIs pledged to thee; nor shall it be retracted—

Alhadra.Thou then art Alvar! to my aid and safetyThy word stands pledged.

Alvar.Arm of avenging Heaven!I had two cherish'd hopes—the one remains,The other thou hast snatch'd from me: but my wordIs pledged to thee; nor shall it be retracted—

Edition 1 (c)(?).

[For MS. version of this variant see note on p. 597.]]

[257]But go!] Yet, yetMS. H.

But go!] Yet, yetMS. H.

After259(OrdoniofollowsAlhadrawith his eye which then raising languidly toAlvarhe compleats his meaning, but substituting 'the' for 'Thee').Marginal stage-direction inserted in MS. R.

Stage-directionpreceding265and265-79:om. Edition 1.

Before280[The stage fills with armed peasants . . .Alvar'sarms.Edition 1.

The following Scene, as unfit for the stage, was taken from the tragedy, in the year 1797, and published in the Lyrical Ballads. [1798, pp. 28-31:vide ante, pp. 182-4.]

Enter Teresa and Selma.

Teresa.'Tis said, he spake of you familiarly,As mine and Alvar's common foster-mother.Selma.Now blessings on the man, whoe'er he beThat joined your names with mine! O my sweet Lady,As often as I think of those dear times,5When you two little ones would stand, at eve,On each side of my chair, and make me learnAll you had learnt in the day; and how to talkIn gentle phrase; then bid me sing to you——'Tis more like heaven to come, than what has been!10Teresa.But that entrance, Selma?Selma.Can no one hear? It is a perilous tale!Teresa.No one.Selma.My husband's father told it me,Poor old Sesina—angels rest his soul;He was a woodman, and could fell and sawWith lusty arm. You know that huge round beam15Which props the hanging wall of the old chapel?Beneath that tree, while yet it was a tree,He found a baby wrapt in mosses, linedWith thistle-beards, and such small locks of woolAs hang on brambles. Well, he brought him home,20And reared him at the then Lord Valdez' cost.And so the babe grew up a pretty boy,[882]A pretty boy, but most unteachable——And never learn'd a prayer, nor told a bead,But knew the names of birds, and mocked their notes,25And whistled, as he were a bird himself.And all the autumn 'twas his only playTo gather seeds of wild flowers, and to plant themWith earth and water on the stumps of trees.A Friar, who gathered simples in the wood,30A grey-haired man, he loved this little boy:The boy loved him, and, when the friar taught him,He soon could write with the pen; and from that timeLived chiefly at the convent or the castle.So he became a rare and learned youth:35But O! poor wretch! he read, and read, and read,Till his brain turned; and ere his twentieth yearHe had unlawful thoughts of many things:And though he prayed, he never loved to prayWith holy men, nor in a holy place.40But yet his speech, it was so soft and sweet,The late Lord Valdez ne'er was wearied with him.And once, as by the north side of the chapelThey stood together chained in deep discourse,The earth heaved under them with such a groan,45That the wall tottered, and had well nigh fallenRight on their heads. My Lord was sorely frightened;A fever seized him, and he made confessionOf all the heretical and lawless talkWhich brought this judgment: so the youth was seized,50And cast into that hole. My husband's fatherSobbed like a child—it almost broke his heart:And once he was working near this dungeon,He heard a voice distinctly; 'twas the youth's,Who sung a doleful song about green fields,55How sweet it were on lake or wide savannaTo hunt for food, and be a naked man,And wander up and down at liberty.He always doted on the youth, and nowHis love grew desperate; and defying death,60He made that cunning entrance I described,And the young man escaped.Teresa.'Tis a sweet tale:Such as would lull a listening child to sleep,His rosy face besoiled with unwiped tears.[883]And what became of him?Selma.He went on shipboard65With those bold voyagers who made discoveryOf golden lands. Sesina's younger brotherWent likewise, and when he returned to Spain,He told Sesina, that the poor mad youth,Soon after they arrived in that new world,70In spite of his dissuasion, seized a boat,And all alone set sail by silent moonlightUp a great river, great as any sea,And ne'er was heard of more: but 'tis supposed,He lived and died among the savage men.75

Teresa.'Tis said, he spake of you familiarly,As mine and Alvar's common foster-mother.

Selma.Now blessings on the man, whoe'er he beThat joined your names with mine! O my sweet Lady,As often as I think of those dear times,5When you two little ones would stand, at eve,On each side of my chair, and make me learnAll you had learnt in the day; and how to talkIn gentle phrase; then bid me sing to you——'Tis more like heaven to come, than what has been!10

Teresa.But that entrance, Selma?

Selma.Can no one hear? It is a perilous tale!

Teresa.No one.

Selma.My husband's father told it me,Poor old Sesina—angels rest his soul;He was a woodman, and could fell and sawWith lusty arm. You know that huge round beam15Which props the hanging wall of the old chapel?Beneath that tree, while yet it was a tree,He found a baby wrapt in mosses, linedWith thistle-beards, and such small locks of woolAs hang on brambles. Well, he brought him home,20And reared him at the then Lord Valdez' cost.And so the babe grew up a pretty boy,[882]A pretty boy, but most unteachable——And never learn'd a prayer, nor told a bead,But knew the names of birds, and mocked their notes,25And whistled, as he were a bird himself.And all the autumn 'twas his only playTo gather seeds of wild flowers, and to plant themWith earth and water on the stumps of trees.A Friar, who gathered simples in the wood,30A grey-haired man, he loved this little boy:The boy loved him, and, when the friar taught him,He soon could write with the pen; and from that timeLived chiefly at the convent or the castle.So he became a rare and learned youth:35But O! poor wretch! he read, and read, and read,Till his brain turned; and ere his twentieth yearHe had unlawful thoughts of many things:And though he prayed, he never loved to prayWith holy men, nor in a holy place.40But yet his speech, it was so soft and sweet,The late Lord Valdez ne'er was wearied with him.And once, as by the north side of the chapelThey stood together chained in deep discourse,The earth heaved under them with such a groan,45That the wall tottered, and had well nigh fallenRight on their heads. My Lord was sorely frightened;A fever seized him, and he made confessionOf all the heretical and lawless talkWhich brought this judgment: so the youth was seized,50And cast into that hole. My husband's fatherSobbed like a child—it almost broke his heart:And once he was working near this dungeon,He heard a voice distinctly; 'twas the youth's,Who sung a doleful song about green fields,55How sweet it were on lake or wide savannaTo hunt for food, and be a naked man,And wander up and down at liberty.He always doted on the youth, and nowHis love grew desperate; and defying death,60He made that cunning entrance I described,And the young man escaped.

Teresa.'Tis a sweet tale:Such as would lull a listening child to sleep,His rosy face besoiled with unwiped tears.[883]And what became of him?

Selma.He went on shipboard65With those bold voyagers who made discoveryOf golden lands. Sesina's younger brotherWent likewise, and when he returned to Spain,He told Sesina, that the poor mad youth,Soon after they arrived in that new world,70In spite of his dissuasion, seized a boat,And all alone set sail by silent moonlightUp a great river, great as any sea,And ne'er was heard of more: but 'tis supposed,He lived and died among the savage men.75

Πὰρ πυρὶ χρὴ τοιαῦτα λέγειν χειμῶνος ἐν ὥρᾳ.Apud Athenaeum.

The form of the following dramatic poem is in humble imitation of theWinter's Taleof Shakspeare, except that I have called the first part a Prelude instead of a first Act, as a somewhat nearer resemblance to the plan of the ancients, of which one specimen is left us in the Æschylean Trilogy of theAgamemnon, theOrestes, and theEumenides. Though a matter of form merely, yet two plays, on different periods of the same tale, might seem less bold, than an interval of twenty years between a first and second act. This is, however, in mere obedience to custom. The effect does not, in reality, at all depend on the Time of the interval; but on a very different principle. There are cases in which an interval of twenty hours between the acts would have a worse effect (i. e.render the imagination less disposed to take the position required) than twenty years in other cases. For the rest, I shall be well content if my readers will take it up, read and judge it, as a Christmas tale.

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