Scene II.—A Room in the House of Aquilina.Enter Renault, L. S. E.Ren.(C.) Why was my choice ambitionThe worst groundA wretch can build on! 'tis, indeed, at distance,A goodly prospect, tempting to the view;The height delights us, and the mountain topLooks beautiful, because 'tis nigh to heaven;But we ne'er think how sandy's the foundation,What storm will batter, and what tempest shake us.Who's there ]Enter Spinosa, L.Spin.(L. C.) Renault, good morrow, for by this time,I think, the scale of night has turned the balance,And weighs up morning. Has the clock struck twelve?Ren.(R.) Yes; clocks will go as they are set: but manIrregular man's ne'er constant, never certain.I've spent at least three precious hours of darknessIn waiting dull attendance; 'tis the curseOf diligent virtue to be mixed, like mine,With giddy tempers, souls but half resolved.Spin.(L.) Hell seize that soul amongst us it can frighten!Ren.(C.) What's then the cause that I am here alone?Why are we not together?Enter Elliot, L.Oh, sir, welcome!You are an Englishman: when treason's hatching,One might have thought you'd not have been behind hand.Elliot.Frenchman, you are saucy.Ren.(L. C.) How?[Puts his hand to his sword.Enter Bedamar, Mezzana, Durand, and Theodore, L.—Mezzana, Durand, and Theodore stand back, L.Beda.[Crossing, C.] At difference? fie!Is this a time for quarrels? Thieves and roguesFall out and brawl: should men of your high calling,Men, separated by the choice of ProvidenceFrom the gross heap of mankind, and set hereIn this assembly, as in one great jewel,T' adorn the bravest purpose it e'er smiled on;Should you, like boys, wrangle for trifles?Ren.(R. C.) Boys!Beda.(C.) Renault, thy hand.Ren.I thought I'd given my heart,Long since, to every man that mingles here;But grieve to find it trusted with such tempers,That can't forgive my froward age its weakness.Beda.Elliot, thou once hadst virtue. I have seenThy stubborn temper bend with godlike goodness,Not half thus courted. 'Tis thy nation's gloryTo hug the foe that offers brave alliance.Once more, embrace, my friends—United thus, we are the mighty engine,Must twist this rooted empire from its basis.Totters it not already?Elliot.(L.) 'Would 'twere tumbling!Beda.Nay, it shall down: this night we seal its ruin.Enter Pierre, L. D.Oh, Pierre! thou art welcome.Come to my breast; for, by its hopes, thou look'stLovelily dreadful; and the fate of VeniceSeems on thy sword already. Oh, my Mars!The poets that first feigned a god of war,Surely prophesied of thee!Pierre.(L.) Friends, was not Brutus(I mean that Brutus, who, in open senate,Stabbed the first Caesar that usurped the world),A gallant man?Ren.(R. C.) Yes, and Catiline too;Though story wrong his fame; for he conspiredTo prop the reeling glory of his country,His cause was good.Beda.(L. C.) And ours as much above it,As, Renault, thou'rt superior to Cethegus,Or Pierre to Cassius.Pierre.Then to what we aim at!When do we start? Or must we talk forever?Beda.(C.) No, Pierre, the deed's near birth: fate seemsto have setThe business up, and given it to our care;I hope there's not a heart or hand amongst us,But what is firm and ready.Elliot.(L. C.) All.We'll die with Bedamar.Beda.Oh, men,Matchless, as will your glory be hereafter:The game is for a matchless prize, if won;If lost, disgraceful ruin.Pierre.Ten thousand men are armed at your nod,Commanded all by leaders fit to guideA battle for the freedom of the world:This wretched state has starved them in its service;And, by your bounty quickened, they're resolvedTo serve your glory, and revenge their own:They've all their different quarters in this city,Watch for the alarm, and grumble 'tis so tardy.Beda.I doubt not, friend, but thy unwearied diligenceHas still kept waking, and it shall have ease;After this night, it is resolved, we meetNo more, till Venice owns us for her lords.Pierre.How lovelily the Adriatic, then,Dressed in her flames, will shine! Devouring flames!Such as shall burn her to the watery bottom,And hiss in her foundation!Beda.Now, if anyAmongst us here, that own this glorious cause,Have friends or int'rest he would wish to save,Let it be told—the general doom is sealed;But I'd forego the hopes of a world's empire,Rather than wound the bowels of my friend.Pierre.I must confess, you there have touched myweakness.I have a friend—hear it; and such a friend!My heart was ne'er shut to him. Nay, I'll tell you,He knows the very business of this hour;[All startBut he rejoices in the cause, and loves it:We've changed a vow to live and die together,And he's at hand, to ratify it here.Ren.How! all betrayed!Pierre.(C.) No; I've dealt nobly with you.I've brought my all into the public stock:I'd but one friend, and him I'll share amongst you:Receive, and cherish him; or if, when seenAnd searched, you find him worthless—as my tongueHas lodged this secret in his faithful breast,To ease your fears, I wear a dagger here,Shall rip it out again, and give you rest,Come forth, thou only good I e'er could boast of.Enter Jaffier, with a Dagger in his hand. L. D.Beda.(C.) His presence bears the show of manly virtue!Jaf.(L.) I know you'll wonder all, that, thus uncalledI dare approach this place of fatal councils;But I'm amongst you, and, by Heaven, it glads meTo see so many virtues thus unitedTo restore justice, and dethrone oppression.Command this steel, if you would have it quiet,Into this breast; but, if you think it worthyTo cut the throats of reverend rogues in robes,Send me into the cursed assembled Senate:It shrinks not, though I meet a father there.Would you behold the city flaming? here'sA hand, shall bear a lighted torch at noonTo th' arsenal, and set its gates on fire!Ren.(C.) You talk this well, sir.Jaf.Nay, by Heaven, I'll do this!Come, come, I read distrust in all your faces!You fear me villain, and, indeed, 'tis oddTo hear a stranger talk thus, at first meeting,Of matters that have been so well debated:But I come ripe with wrongs, as you with counsels.I hate this senate—am a foe to Venice;A friend to none but men resolved like meTo push on mischief Oh, did you but know me,I need not talk thus!Beda.Pierre, I must embrace him;My heart beats to this man, as if it knew him.Ren.I never loved these huggers.Jaf.Still, I seeThe cause delights me not. Your friends survey me,As I were dangerous. But I come armedAgainst all doubts, and to your trusts will giveA pledge, worth more than all the world can pay for.My Belvidera! Hoa! my Belvidera![Calls at L.Beda.(L. C.) What wonder next?Jaf.Let me entreat you, sirs,As I have henceforth hope to call you friends,That all but the ambassador, and thisGrave guide of councils, with my friend, that owns me,Withdraw awhile, to spare a woman's blushes.[Exeunt all but Bedamar, Renault, Jqffier, and Pierrewho stand back on L.Beda.Pierre, whither will this ceremony lead us?Jaf.My Belvidera! Belvidera![ CallingBel.[ Within, L. D.]Who,Who calls so loud, at this late peaceful hour?That voice was wont to come in gentle whispers,And fill my ears with the soft breath of love.Enter Belvidera, L.Thou hourly image of my thoughts, where art thou?Jaf.Indeed, 'tis late.Bel.Alas! where am I? whither is't you lead me?Methinks I read distraction in your face,—You shake and tremble, too! your blood runs cold!Heav'ns guard my love, and bless his heart with patience!Jaf.That I have patience, let our fate bear witness.[Join hands.Who has ordained it so, that thou and I,(Thou, the divinest good man e'er possessed,And I, the wretched'st of the race of man,)This very hour, without one tear, must part.Bel.Part! must we part? Oh! am I then forsaken!Why drag you from me?[Draunng to the R.]whither areyou going?My dear! my life! my love!Jaf.(C.) Oh, friends![To Renault, &c.Bel.(C.) Speak to me![To JaffierJaf.Take her from my heart,She'll gain such hold else, I shall ne'er get loose.I charge you, take her, but with tenderest careRelieve her troubles and assuage her sorrows.[She leans on Jaffier.Ren.[Advancing to her.]Rise, madam, and commandamong your servants—Jaf.To you, sirs, and your honours, I bequeath her,[They lay hold of her.And with her, this; whene'er I prove unworthy—[Gives a Dagger to Renault.You know the rest. Then strike it to her heart;And tell her, he, who three whole happy years,Lay in her arms, and each kind night repeatedThe passionate vows of still increasing love,Sent that reward, for all her truth and sufferings.Bel.[Held between Bed. & Ren.]Oh, thou unkind one!Have I deserved this from you?Look on me, tell me, speak, thou dear deceiver,Why am I separated from thy love?If I am false, accuse me; but if true,Don't, pr'ythee don't, in poverty forsake me,[Breaks away, and runs back to JaffierBut pity the sad heart, that's torn with parting.[They retake herYet, hear me; yet, recall me. Jaffier, Jaffier![Exeunt Bedamar, &c, dragging her L. S. E., Jaffier R.END OF ACT II.
Scene I.—A Room in the House of Aquilina.Enter Belvidera, L. S. E.Bel.I'm sacrificed! I'm sold—betrayed to shame!inevitable ruin has enclosed me!He, that should guard my virtue, has betrayed it;—Left me—undone me! Oh, that I could hate him!—Where shall I go? Oh, whither, whither wander?Enter Jaffier, R.Jaf.(R. C.) Can Belvidera want a resting-place,When these poor arms are open to receive her?There was a time—Bel.(C.) Yes, yes, there was a timeWhen Belvidera's tears, her cries and sorrows,Were not despised; when, if she chanced to sigh,Or look but sad——There was, indeed, a time,When Jaffier would have ta'en her in his arms,Eased her declining head upon his breast,And never left her, till he found the cause.But well I know why you forsake me thus;I am no longer fit to bear a shareIn your concernments: my weak female virtueMust not be trusted: 'tis too frail and tender.[Crosses, R.Jaf.Oh, Portia, Portia, what a soul was thine!Bel.[Returns to L. C.]That Portia was a woman; andwhen Brutus,Big with the fate of Rome (Heav'n guard thy safety!)Concealed from her the labours of his mind,She let him see her blood was great as his,Flowed from a spring as noble, and a heartFit to partake his troubles, as his love.Fetch, fetch that dagger back, the dreadful dowerThou gav'st last night, in parting with me; strike itHere to my heart; and as the blood flows from it,Judge if it run not pure as Cato's daughter's.Jaf.(R.) Oh, Belvidera!Bel.(C.) Why was I last night delivered to a villain?Jaf.Ha! a villain?Bel.(R.) Yes, to a villain! Why, at such an hour,Meets that assembly, all made up of wretches,That look as hell had drawn them into league?Why, I in this hand, and in that, a dagger,Was I delivered with such dreadful ceremonies?"To you, sirs, and your honours, I bequeath her,And with her, this: Whene'er I prove unworthy—You know the rest—then strike it to her heart."Oh![Turns from him.]why's that rest concealed fromme? Must IBe made the hostage of a hellish trust?For such, I know I am; that's all my value.But, by the love and loyalty I owe thee,I'll free thee from the bondage of these slaves!Straight to the senate—tell them all I know,[Going, L.All that I think, all that my fears inform me.Jaf.(C.) Is this the Roman virtue? this the blood,That boasts its purity with Cato's daughter?Would she have e'er betrayed her Brutus?[Going to herBel.(L.) No;For Brutus trusted her.[Leans on him.]Wert thou so kind,What would not Belvidera suffer for thee?Jaf.I shall undo myself, and tell thee all—Yet think a little, ere thou tempt me further;Think I've a tale to tell will shake thy nature,Melt all this boasted constancy thou talk'st of,Into vile tears and despicable sorrows;Then, if thou shouldst betray me—Bel.Shall I swear?Jaf.No, do not swear: I would not violateThy tender nature with so rude a bond;But, as thou hop'st to see me live my days,And love thee long, lock this within thy breast:I've bound myself, by all the strictest sacraments,Divine and human—Bel.Speak!Jaf.To kill thy father—Bel.My father![Part.]Jaf.Nay, the throats of the whole senateShall bleed, my Belvidera. He, amongst us,That spares his father, brother, or his friend,Is damned.Bel.Oh!Jaf.Have a care, and shrink not even in thoughtFor, if thou dost—Bel.(L. C.) I know it: thou wilt kill me.Do! strike thy sword into this bosom: lay meDead on the earth, and then thou wilt be safe.Murder my father! Though his cruel nature,Has persecuted me to my undoing,Driven me to basest wants; can I behold him,With smiles of vengeance, butchered in his age?The sacred fountain of my life destroyed?And canst thou shed the blood that gave me being?[Leans on himNay, be a traitor, too, and sell thy country!Can thy great heart descend so vilely low,Mix with hired slaves, bravos, and common stabbers,Join such a crew, and take a ruffian's wages,To cut the throats of wretches as they sleep?[Part.Jaf.(R. C.) Thou wrong'st me, Belvidera! I've engagedWith men of souls, fit to reform the illsOf all mankind: there's not a heart among them,But's stout as death, yet honest as the natureOf man first made, ere fraud and vice were fashion.Bel.(L.) What's he, to whose cursed hands last nightthou gav'st me?Was that well done? Oh! I could tell a story,Would rouse thy lion heart out of its den,And make it rage with terrifying fury!Jaf.(C.) Speak on, I charge thee!Bel.Oh, my love![Leaning on him,]if e'erThy Belvidera's peace deserved thy care,Remove me from this place. Last night! last night!Jaf.Distract me not, but give me all the truth!Bel.No sooner wert thou gone, and I alone,Left in the power of that old son of mischief;No sooner was I laid on my sad bed,But that vile wretch approached me. Then my heartThrobbed with its fears;—Oh, how I wept and sighed,And shrunk, and trembled! wished, in vain, for himThat should protect me! Thou, alas, wast gone!Jaf.[Turning, R.] Patience, sweet Heaven, till I makevengeance sure!Bel.He drew the hideous dagger forth, thou gav'st him,And, with upbraiding smiles, he said, "Behold it:This is the pledge of a false husband's love:"And in his arms then pressed, and would have clasped me;But, with my cries, I scared his coward heart,Till he withdrew, and muttered vows to hell.[Rush into each other's arms.These are thy friends![Part]withthese thy life: thy honour,Thy love, all staked—and all will go to ruin!Jaf.(C.) No more; I charge thee, keep this secret close.Clear up thy sorrows; look as if thy wrongsWere all forgot, and treat him like a friend,As no complaint were made. No more; retire,Retire, my life, and doubt not of my honour;I'll heal its failings, and deserve thy love.Bel.(L.) Oh! should I part with thee, I fear thou wiltIn anger leave me, and return no more.Jaf.Return no more! I would not live without theeAnother night, to purchase the creation.Bel.When shall we meet again?Jaf.Anon, at twelve,I'll steal myself to thy expecting arms:Come, like a travelled dove, and bring thee peace.Bel.Indeed!Jaf.By all our loves!Bel.'Tis hard to part:But sure no falsehood ever looked so fairly.Farewell! remember twelve.[Exit, L. D.Jaf.(C.) Let Heav'n forget me,When I remember not thy truth, thy love!Enter Pierre, R.Pierre.Jaffier!Jaf.(L.) Who calls?Pierre.(R. C.) A friend, that could have wishedT' have found thee otherwise employed. "What, huntA wife, on the dull soil! Sure, a stanch husband,Of all hounds is the dullest. Wilt thou never,Never be weaned from caudles and confections?What feminine tales hast thou been listening to,Of unaired shirts? catarrhs, and tooth-ache, gotBy thin-soled shoes? Damnation! than a fellow,Chosen to be a sharer in the destructionOf a whole people, should sneak thus in corners,To waste his time, and fool his mind with love!Jaf.(L. C.) May not a man, then, trifle out an hourWith a kind woman, and not wrong his calling!Pierre.(R.) Not in a cause like ours.Jaf.Then, friend, our causeIs in a damned condition: for I'll tell thee,That canker-worm, called lechery, has touched it;'Tis tainted vilely. Wouldst thou think it? Renault,(That mortified, old, withered, winter rogue,)Loves simple fornication like a priest;I've found him out at watering for my wife;He visited her last night, like a kind guardian;Faith, she has some temptations, that's the truth on't.Pierre.(R. C.) He durst not wrong his trust!Jaf.'Twas something late, though,To take the freedom of a lady's chamber.Pierre.Was she in bed?Jaf.Yes, 'faith! in virgin sheets,"White as her bosom, Pierre; dished neatly up,—"Might tempt a weaker appetite to taste."Pierre.Patience guide me!He used no violence?Jaf.No, no: out on't, violence!Played with her neck; brushed her with his grey beard;Struggled and touzed; tickled her till she squeaked a little,May be, or so—but not a jot of violence—Pierre.[Runs to R. D.] Damn him!Jaf.Ay, so say I: but, hush, no more on't!Sure it is near the hourWe all should meet for our concluding orders:Will the ambassador be here in person?Pierre.(R. C.) No, he has sent commission to that villain.Ren.To give the executing charge:I'd have thee be a man, if possible,And keep thy temper: for a brave revengeNe'er comes too late.Jaf.(C.) Fear not; I'm cool as patience.Pierre.He's yonder, coming this way, through the hall:His thoughts seem full.Jaf.Pr'ythee, retire, and leave meWith him alone; I'll put him to some trial;See how his rotten part will bear the touching.Pierre.Be careful, then.Jaf.Nay, never doubt, but trust me.[Exit Pierre, R. U. E.What! be a devil, take a damning oathFor shedding native blood? Can there be sin,In merciful repentance? Oh, this villain![Retires up, C.Enter Renault, L. U. E.Ren.(L. C.) Perverse and peevish: What a slave is man,To let his itching flesh thus get the better of him!Despatch the tool, her husband—that were well.—Who's there?Jaf.A man.[AdvancingRen.My friend, my near ally,The hostage of your faith, my beauteous charge, is verywell.Jaf.(R. C.) Sir, are you sure of that!Stands she in perfect health? Beats her pulse even?Neither too hot nor cold?Ren.What means that question!Jaf.Oh! women have fantastic constitutions,Inconstant in their wishes, always wavering,And never fixed. Was it not boldly done,Ev'n at first sight, to trust the thing I loved(A tempting treasure, too,) with youth so fierceAnd vigorous as thine? but thou art honest.Ren.Who dares accuse me!Jaf.Cursed be he that doubtsThy virtue! I have tried it, and declare,Were I to choose a guardian of my honour,I'd put it in thy keeping; for I know thee.Ren.Know me!Jaf.Ay, know thee.—There's no falsehood in thee;Thou look's just as thou art. Let us embrace.—Now, wouldst thou cut my throat, or I cut thine!Ren.You dare not do't!Jaf.You lie, sir!Ren.How!Jaf.No more.—'Tis a base world, and must reform; that's all.Enter Spinosa, Elliot, Theodore, Durand,and Mezzana.Ren.Spinosa, Theodore, you are welcome.Spin.You are trembling, sir.Ren.'Tis a cold night, indeed; and I am aged;Full of decay, and natural infirmities.We shall be warm, my friends, I hope, to-morrow.[Renault and Conspirators retire and confer.Enter Pierre, r.Pierre.[To Jaffier.]'T was not well done; thou shouldsthave stroked him,And not have galled him.[Retires to the othersJaf.(C.)[In front.]Damn him, let him chew on't!Heav'n! where am I? beset with cursed fiends,That wait to damn me! What a devil's man,When he forgets his nature!—hush, my heart.[Renault and the Conspirators advanceRen.My friends, 'tis late: are we assembled all?Spin.All—all!Ren.(C.) Oh! you're men, I find,Fit to behold your fate, and meet her summons.To-morrow's rising sun must see you allDecked in your honours. Are the soldiers ready?Pierre.All—all!Ren.You, Durand, with your thousand, must possessSt. Mark's; you, Captain, know your charge already;'Tis to secure the ducal palace:Be all this done with the least tumult possible,Till in each place you post sufficient guards;Then sheathe your swords in every breast you meet.Jaf.(L.)[Aside.]Oh, reverend cruelty! damned, bloodyvillain!Ren.During this execution, Durand, youMust in the midst keep your battalia fast:And, Theodore, be sure to plant the cannonThat may command the streets;This done, we'll give the general alarm,Apply petards, and force the ars'nal gates;Then fire the city round in several places,Or with our cannon, if it dare resist,Batter to ruin. But, above all, I charge you,Shed blood enough; spare neither sex nor age,Name nor condition: if there lives a senatorAfter to-morrow, though the dullest rogueThat e'er said nothing, we have lost our ends.If possible, let's kill the very nameOf senator, and bury it in blood.Jaf.[Aside to R.]Merciless, horrid slave! Ay, bloodenough!Shed blood enough, old Renault! how thou charm'st me!Ren.But one thing more, and then farewell, till fateJoin us again, or sep'rate us forever:But let us all remember,We wear no common cause upon our swords:Let each man think, that on his single virtue,Depends the good and fame of all the rest;Eternal honour, or perpetual infamy.You droop, sir.[To Jaffier.Jaf.(L. C.) No: with most profound attentionI've heard it all, and wonder at thy virtue.Ren.Let's consider,That we destroy oppression—avarice;A people nursed up equally with vicesAnd loathsome lusts, which nature most abhors,And such as, without shame, she cannot suffer.Jaf.(L.)[Aside,]Oh, Belvidera! take me to thy arms,Ard show me where's my peace, for I have lost it.[Exit, L. D.Ren.(L. C.) Without the least remorse, then, let's resolveWith fire and sword t'exterminate these tyrants,Under whose weight this wretched country labours.Pierre.(R.) And may those Powers above, that are propitiousTo gallant minds, record this cause, and bless it!Ren.(L.) Thus happy, thus secure of all we wish for,Should there, my friends, be found among us oneFalse to this glorious enterprise, what fate,What vengeance, were enough for such a villain!Elliot.(R. C.) Death here, without repentance—hellhereafter!Ren.(C.) Let that be my lot, if, as here I stand,Listed by fate among her darling sons,Tho' I had one only brother, dear by allThe strictest ties of nature,Joined in this cause, and had but ground to fearHe meant foul play; may this right hand drop from me,If I'd not hazard all my future peace,And stab him to the heart before you! Who,Who would do less! Would'st thou not, Pierre, the same?Pierre.You've singled me, sir, out for this hard question,As if 'twere started only for my sake:Am I the thing you fear? Here, here's my bosom;Search it with all your swords. Am I a traitor?Ren.No: but I fear your late commended friendIs little less. Come, sirs, 'tis now no timeTo trifle with our safety. Where's this Jaffier?Spin.(R. C.) He left the room just now, in strange disorder.Ren.Nay, there is danger in him: I observed him;During the time I took for explanation,He was transported from most deep attentionTo a confusion, which he could not smother.What's requisite for safety, must be doneWith speedy execution; he remainsYet in our power; I, for my own part, wearA dagger—Pierre.Well?[Goes to RenaultRen.And I could wish it—Pierre.Where?Ren.Buried in his heart.Pierre.Away! we're yet all friends.—No more of this; 'twill breed ill blood among us.Spin.Let us all draw our swords, and search the house;Pull him from the dark hole, where he sits broodingO'er his cold fears, and each man kill his share of him.Pierre.(L.) Who talks of killing] Who's he'll shedthe blood,That's dear to me? I'st you, or you, or you, sir?[Passing from L. to R.What! not one speak? how you stand gaping allOn your grave oracle, your wooden god there!Yet not a word? Then, sir, I'll tell you a secret;Suspicion's but at best a coward's virtue.[To Renault.Ren.(C.) A coward![Handles his sword.Pierre.(R.) Put—-Put up thy sword, old man;Thy hand shakes at it. Come, let's heal this breach;I am too hot: we yet may all live friends.Spin.Till we are safe, our friendship cannot be so.Pierre.Again! Who's that?Spin.'Twas I.Theo.And I.Ren.And I.Spin.And all.Let's die like men, and not be sold like slaves.Pierre.(C.) One such word more, by Heaven, I'll to thesenate,And hang ye all, like dogs, in clusters.Why peep your coward swords half out their sheaths?Why do you not all brandish them like mine?You fear to die, and yet dare talk of killing.[Going, L.Ren.(R. C.) Go to the senate, and betray us—haste!Secure thy wretched life; we fear to dieLess than thou dar'st be honest.Pierre.That's rank falsehood.Fear'st thou not death? Fie, there's a knavish itchIn that salt blood, an utter foe to smarting!Had Jaffier's wife proved kind, he'd still been true.Faugh—how that stinks![Exit Renault, R."Thou die? thou kill my friend?"Or thou? with that lean, withered, wretched face!"Away, disperse all to your several charges,And meet to-morrow, where your honour calls you.[Retiring to M. D.I'll bring that man whose blood you so much thirst for,And you shall see him venture for you fairly—Hence, hence, I say!Spin.I fear we've been to blame,And done too much.Theo.'Twas too far urged against the man you loveElliot.Forgive us, gallant friend.Pierre.[Advancing.]Nay, now you've foundThe way to melt, and cast me as you will.I 'll fetch this friend, and give him to your mercy;Nay, he shall die, if you will take him from me;For your repose, I'll quit my heart's best jewel;But would not have him torn away by villains,And spiteful villainy.Spin.[And other Conspirators stand, R.]No; may ye bothForever live, and fill the world with fame!Pierre.Now, you're too kind. Whence arose all this discord?Oh! what a dangerous precipice have we 'scaped!How near a fall was all we'd long been building!What an eternal blot had stained our glories,If one, the bravest and the best of men,Had fall'n a sacrifice to rash suspicion,Butchered by those, whose cause he came to cherish!Oh, could you know him all, as I have known him,How good he is, how just, how true, how brave,You would not leave this place, till you had seen him,And gained remission for the worst of follies.Come but to-morrow, all your doubts shall end,And to your loves, me better recommend,That I've preserved your fame, and saved my friend.[Exeunt Conspirators, R., Pierre LEND OF ACT III.
Scene I.—A Street.Enter Belvidera and Jaffier, L.Jaf.(L. C.) Where dost thou lead me? Ev'ry step I move,Methinks I tread upon some mangled limbOf a racked friend. Oh, my dear, charming ruin!Whare are we wandering?Bel.(R. C.) To eternal honour!To do a deed, shall chronicle thy nameAmong the glorious legends of those fewThat have saved sinking nations. Every streetShall be adorned with statues to thy honour:And, at thy feet, this great inscription written—"Remember him, thai propped the fall of Venice!"Jaf.Rather, remember him, who, after allThe sacred bonds of oaths, and holier friendship,In fond compassion to a woman's tears,Forgot his manhood, virtue, truth, and honour,To sacrifice the bosom that relieved him.Why wilt thou damn me?Bel.Oh, inconstant man!How will you promise! how will you deceive!Do, return back, replace me in my bondage,Tell all thy friends how dangerously thou lov'st me,And let thy dagger do its bloody office.Or, if thou think'st it nobler, let me live,Till I'm a victim to the hateful willOf that infernal devil!Last night, my love—Jaf.Name, name it not again:Destruction, swift destruction,Fall on my coward head, ifI forgive him!Bel.Delay no longer, then, but to the senate,And tell the dismal'st story ever uttered;Tell them what bloodshed, rapines, desolations,Have been prepared;—how near's the fatal hour.Save thy poor country, save the rev'rend bloodOf all its nobles, which to-morrow's dawnMust else see shed!Jaf.Oh!Bel.Think what then may proveMy lot: the ravisher may then come safe,And, 'midst the terror of the public ruin,Do a damned deed.Jaf.By all Heav'n's powers, prophetic truth dwells in thee!For every word thou speak'st, strikes through my heart,Like a new light, and shows it how't has wandered—Just what thou'st made me, take me, Belvidera,And lead me to the place, where I'm to sayThis bitter lesson; where I must betrayMy truth, my virtue, constancy, and friends.Must I betray my friends? Ah! take me quickly,Secure me well before that thought's renewed;If I relapse once more, all's lost forever.Bel.Hast thou a friend more dear than Belvidera?Jaf.No: Thou'rt my soul itself; wealth, friendship,honour!All present joys, and earnest of all future,Are summed in thee.[Going, R.Enter Captain and Guards, R. S. E.Capt.Stand! who goes there?Bel.Friends.Capt.But what friends are you?Bel.Friends to the senate, and the state of Venice.Capt.My orders are, to seize on all I findAt this late hour, and bring them to the council,Who are now sitting.Jaf.Sir, you shall be obeyed.Now the lot's cast, and, fate, do what thou wilt.[Exeunt Jaffier and Belvidera, guarded.
Scene II.—The Senate House.The Duke of Venice, Priuli, and other Senatorsdiscovered, sitting.Duke.Antony, Priuli, senators of Venice,Speak—Why are we assembled here this night?What have you to inform us of, concernsThe state of Venice' honour, or its safety?Priuli.(R.) Could words express the story I've to tell you,Fathers, these tears were useless, these sad tearsThat fall from my old eyes; but there is causeWe all should weep, tear off these purple robes,And wrap ourselves, in sackcloth, sitting downOn the sad earth, and cry aloud to heaven:Heav'n knows, if yet there be an hour to come,Ere Venice be no more.Duke.How!Priuli.Nay, we standUpon the very brink of gaping ruin.Within this city's formed a dark conspiracyTo massacre us all, our wives and children,Kindred and friends; our palaces and templesTo lay in ashes: nay, the hour, too, fixed;The swords, for aught I know, drawn ev'n this moment,And the wild waste begun. From unknown handsI had this warning: but, if we are men,Let's not be tamely butchered, but do somethingThat may inform the world in after ages,Our virtue was not ruined, though we were.[A noise within, L.Capt.[Within]Room, room, make room there for someprisoners!Enter Officer, L.Duke.Speak, speak, there! What disturbance?Officer. A prisoner have the guards seized in the street,Who says, he comes to inform this reverend councilAbout the present danger.Enter Officer, Jaffier Captain, and Guards, L.All.Give him entrance.—[Exit Officer.]Well, who ateyou?Jaf.(L.) A villain!Would, every man that hears me,Would deal so honestly, and own his title!Duke.'Tis rumored, that a plot has been contrivedAgainst the state, and you've a share in't, too.If you're a villain, to redeem your honour,Unfold the truth, and be restored with mercy.Jaf.Think not, that I to save my life came hither;I know its value better; but in pityTo all those wretches, whose unhappy doomsAre fixed and sealed. You see me here before you,The sworn and covenanted foe of Venice:But use me as my dealings may deserve,And I may prove a friend.Duke.The slave capitulates;Give him the tortures.Jaf.That, you dare not do:Your fears won't let you, nor the longing itchTo hear a story, which you dread the truth of:Truth, which the fear of smart shall ne'er'get from me.Cowards are scared with threat'nings; boys are whippedInto confessions: but a steady mindActs of itself, ne'er asks the body counsel.Give him the tortures!—name but such a thingAgain, by heav'n, I'll shut these lips forever!Nor all your racks, your engines, or your wheels,Shall force a groan away, that you may guess at![Crosses, M.Duke.Name your conditions.Jaf.(R.) For myself, full pardon,Besides, the lives of two-and-twenty friends,Whose names I have enrolled—Nay, let their crimesBe ne'er so monstrous, I must have the oaths,And sacred promise, of this reverend council,That, in a full assembly of the senate,The thing I ask be ratified. Swear this,And I'll unfold the secrets of your danger.Duke.Propose the oath.Jaf.(C.) By all the hopesYou have of peace and happiness hereafter,Swear!Duke.We swear.Jaf.And, as ye keep the oath,May you and your posterity be blessed,Or cursed, forever!Duke.Else be cursed foreverJaf.Then here's the list, and with't, the full disclosure[Delivers two papers to the Officer, who delivers them tothe Duke.Of all that threaten you.Now, Fate, thou hast caught me!Duke.Give order, that all diligent search be madeTo seize these men—their characters are public.The paper intimates their rendezvousTo be at the house of the famed Grecian courtesan,Called Aquilina; see that place secured.You, Jaffier, must with patience bear till morningTo be our prisoner.Jaf.Would the chains of deathHad bound me fast, ere I had known this minute!Duke.Captain, withdraw your prisoner.Jaf.Sir,[To Officer,]if possible,Lead me where my own thoughts themselves may lose me;Where I may doze out, what I've left of life;—Forget myself, and this day's guilt and falsehood.Cruel remembrance! how shall I appease thee?[Exit, guarded, ROfficer.[Without.]More traitors! room, room, room,make room there!Duke.How's this?The treason'sAlready at the doors!Enter Officer and Captain, L.Officer. My lords, more traitors!Seized in the very act of consultation:Furnished with arms and instruments of mischief.—Bring in the prisoners!Enter Spinosa, Elliot, Theodore, Durand, Mezzana,Renault, and Pierre, in Chains, L.Pierre.(L.) You, my lords and fathers,(As you are pleased to call yourselves,) of Venice;If you set here to guide the course of justice,Why these disgraceful chains upon the limbsThat have so often laboured in your service?Are these the wreaths of triumph you bestowOn those that bring you conquest home, and honours?Duke.Go on! you shall be heard, sir.Pierre.(L. C.) Are these the trophies I've deserved forfightingYour battles with confederated powers?When winds and seas conspired to overthrow you,And brought the fleets of Spain to your own harbours,When you, great duke, shrunk trembling in your palace:Stepped not I forth, and taught your loose VenetiansThe task of honour, and the way to greatness?Raised you from your capitulating fearsTo stipulate the terms of sued-for peace?And this my recompence! If I'm a traitor,Produce my charge; or show the wretch that's base,And brave enough to tell me, I'm a traitor![Goes to the table.Duke.Know you one Jaffier?Pierre.Yes, and know his virtue.His justice, truth, his general worth, and sufferingsFrom a hard father, taught me first to love him.Duke.See him brought forth.Enter Captain, with Jaffier in Chains, R.Pierre.My friend, too, bound! nay, then,Our fate has conquered us, and we must fall.Why droops the man, whose welfare's so much mine,They're but one thing? These reverend tyrants, JaffierDo call us traitors. Art thou one, my brother?Jaf.(R. C.) To thee I am the falsest, veriest slave.That e'er betrayed a generous, trusting friend,And gave up honour to be sure of ruin.All our fair hopes, which morning was to've crowned,Has this cursed tongue o'erthrown.Pierre.(C.) So, then, all's over:Venice has lost her freedom, I my life.No more![Crosses, L.Duke.Say; will you make confessionOf your vile deeds, and trust the senate's mercy!Pierre.[Returns to C.]Cursed be your senate, cursedyour constitution!The curse of growing factions, and divisions,Still vex your councils, shake your public safety,And make the robes of government you wearHateful to you, as these base chains to me!Duke.Pardon, or death?Pierre.Death! honourable death!Ren.(L.) Death's the best thing we ask, or you cangive.Duke.Break up the council. Captain, guard your prisoners.Jaffier, you're free; but these must wait for judgment.[Exeunt Duke, Senators, Conspirators, and Officer.Pierre.(C.) Come, where's my dungeon? Lead me tomy straw:It will not be the first time I've lodged hard,To do your senate service.Jaf.(R. C.) Hold, one moment.Pierre.Who's he disputes the judgment of the senate?Presumptuous rebel!—on—[Strikes JaffierJaf.(C.) By Heaven, you stir not![Exeunt Captain and Guards, R.I must be heard! I must have leave to speak.Thou hast disgraced me. Pierre, by a vile blow:Had not a dagger done thee nobler justice IBut use me as thou wilt, thou can'st not wrong me,For I am fallen beneath the basest injuries;Yet look upon me with an eye of mercy,And, as there dwells a godlike nature in thee,Listen with mildness to my supplications.Pierre.(R. C.) What whining monk art thou? whatholy cheat,That would'st encroach upon my credulous ears,And cant'st thus vilely! Hence! I know thee not!Jaf.Not know me, Pierre!Pierre.No, know thee not. What art thou?Jaf.Jaffier, thy friend, thy once loved, valued friend!Tho' now deservedly scorned, and used most hardly.Pierre.Thou, Jaffier! thou, my once-loved, valuedfriend!By heavens, thou ly'st; the man so called my friend,Was generous, honest, faithful, just, and valiant;Noble in mind, and in his person lovely;Dear to my eyes, and tender to my heart:But, thou, a wretched, base, false, worthless coward,Poor, even in soul, and loathsome in thy aspect:All eyes must shun thee, and all hearts detest thee.Pr'ythee, avoid, nor longer cling thus round me,Like something baneful, that my nature's chilled at.Jaf.I have not wronged thee; by these tears I havenot!Pierre.Hast thou not wronged me I Dar'st thou callthyselfThat once-loved, honest, valued friend of mine,And swear thou hast not wronged me? Whence thesechains?Whence the vile death which I may meet this moment?Whence this dishonour, but from thee, thou false one?Jaf.All's true; yet grant one thing, and I've done asking.Pierre.What's that?Jaf.To take thy life, on such conditionsThe council have proposed: thou, and thy friends,May yet live long, and to be better treated.Pierre.Life! ask my life! confess! record myselfA villain, for the privilege to breathe,And carry up and down this cursed city,A discontented and repining spirit,Burdensome to itself, a few years longer!To lose it, may be, at last, in a lewd quarrelFor some new friend, treacherous and false as thou Art?No, this vile world and I have long been jangling,And cannot part on better terms than now,When only men like thee art fit to live in't.Jaf.By all that's just—Pierre.Swear by some other power,For thou hast broke that sacred oath too lately.Jaf.Then by that hell I merit, I'll not leave theeTill, to thyself at least, thou'rt reconciled,However thy resentments deal with me.Pierre.Not leave me!Jaf.No; thou shalt not force me from thee;Use me reproachfully, and like a slave;Tread on me, buffet me, heap wrongs on wrongsOn my poor head; I'll bear it all with patience.Shall weary out thy most unfriendly cruelty:Lie at thy feet,[Falls on his knees,]and kiss them thothey spurn me;Till, wounded by my sufferings, thou relent,And raise me to thy arms with dear forgiveness.Pierre.Art thou not—Jaf.What?Pierre.A traitor?Jaf.Yes.Pierre.A villain?Jaf.Granted.Pierre.A coward, a most scandalous coward;Spiritless, void of honour; one who has soldThy everlasting fame, for shameless life?Jaf.[Rising and turning, R.]All, all, and more, muchmore; my faults are numberless.Pierre.And would'st thou have me live on terms likethine?Base, as thou'rt false—Jaf.[Returning.]No; 'tis to me that's granted;The safety of thy life was all I aimed at,In recompence for faith and trust so broken.Pierre.I scorn it more, because preserved by thee;And, as when first my foolish heart took pityOn thy misfortunes, sought thee in thy miseries,Relieved thy wants, and raised thee from the stateOf wretchedness, in which thy fate had plunged thee,To rank thee in my list of noble friends;All I received in surety for thy truth,Were unregarded oaths, and this, this dagger,Given with a worthless pledge, thou since hast stol'n:So I restore it back to thee again;Swearing by all those powers which thou hast violated,Never from this cursed hour, to hold communion,Friendship, or interest, with thee, though our yearsWere to exceed those limited the world.Take it—farewell—for now I owe thee nothing.Jaf.Say thou wilt live, then.Pierre.For my life, dispose itJust as thou wilt, because 'tis what I'm tired with.Jaf.Oh, Pierre!Pierre.No more.[Going, R.Jaf.My eyes won't lose the sight of thee,[Following.But languish after thine, and ache with gazing.Pierre.Leave me—Nay, then, thus, thus I throw theefrom me;And curses, great as is thy falsehood, catch thee![Drives him to C.—Exit, R.Jaf.[Pausing.]He's gone, my father, friend, preserverAnd here's the portion he has left me:This dagger. Well remembered! with this daggerI gave a solemn vow of dire importance;Parted with this, and Belvidera together.Have a care, mem'ry, drive that thought no farther.No, I'll esteem it as a friend's last legacy;Treasure it up within this wretched bosom,Where it may grow acquainted with my heart,That, when they meet, they start not from each other.So, now for thinking—A blow—called traitor, villain,Coward, dishonourable coward; faugh!Oh, for a long, sound sleep, and so forget it!Down, busy devil!Enter Belvidera, L.Bel.(L.) Whither shall I fly?Where hide me and my miseries together?Where's now the Roman constancy I boasted?Sunk into trembling fears and desperation,Not daring to look up to that dear face,Which used to smile, even on my faults: but, down,Bending these miserable eyes to earth,Must move in penance, and implore much mercy.Jaf.(R. C.) Mercy! kind Heaven has surely endless storesHoarded for thee, of blessings yet untasted:"Let wretches loaded hard with guilt as I am,"Bow with the weight, and groan beneath the burden,"Before the footstool of that Heav'n they've injured."Oh, Belvidera! I'm the wretched'st creatureE'er crawled on earth.Bel.(L. C.) Alas! I know thy sorrows are most mightyJaf.My friend, too, Belvidera, that dear friend,Who, next to thee, was all my heart rejoiced in,Has used me like a slave, shamefully used me:'Twould break thy pitying heart to hear the story.Bel.What has he done?Jaf."Oh, my dear angel! in that friend, I've lost"All my soul's peace; for every thought of him"Strikes my sense hard, and deads it in my brain!"Would'st thou believe it?"Before we parted,"Ere yet his guards had led him to, his prison,Full of severest sorrows for his sufferings,As at his feet I kneeled, and sued for mercy,With a reproachful hand he dashed a blow:He struck me, Belvidera! by Heaven, he struck meBuffeted, called me traitor, villain, coward!Am I a coward? am I a villain? tell me:Thou'rt the best judge, and mad'st me, if I am so!Damnation! coward!Bel.Oh! forgive him, Jaffier!And, if his sufferings wound thy heart already,What will they do to-morrow?Jaf.Ah!Bel.To-morrow,When thou shalt see him stretched in all the agoniesOf a tormenting and a shameful death;What will thy heart do then? Oh! sure 'twill stream,Like my eyes now.Jaf.What means thy dreadful story?Death, and to-morrow?Bel.(C.) The faithless senators, 'tis they've decreed it?They say, according to our friends' request,They shall have death, and not ignoble bondage;Declare their promised mercy all as forfeited:False to their oaths, and deaf to intercession,Warrants are passed for public death to-morrow.Jaf.Death! doomed to die! condemned unheard! unpleaded!Bel.Nay, cruel'st racks and torments are preparingTo force confession from their dying pangs.Oh! do not look so terribly upon me!How your lips shake, and all your face disordered!What means my love?Jaf.Leave me, I charge thee, leave me! Strong temptationsWake in my heart.Bel.(L.) For what]Jaf.No more, but leave me.Bel.Why?Jaf.(L. C.) Oh! by Heav'n, I love thee with that fondness,I would not have thee stay a moment longerNear these cursed hands.[Pulls the Dagger half out of his bosom, and puts itback again.Art thou not terrified?Bel.No.Jaf.Call to mindWhat thou hast done, and whither thou hast brought me.Bel.Ha!Jaf.Where's my friend? my friend, thou smiling mischief!Nay, shrink not, now 'tis too late; for dire revengeIs up, and raging for my friend. He groans!Hark, how be groans! his screams are in my ears!Already, see, they've fixed him on the wheel,And now they tear him—Murder! perjured senate!Murder—Oh! Hark thee, traitress, thou hast done this!Thanks to thy tears, and false persuading love.How her eyes speak! oh, thou bewitching creature!Madness can't hurt thee. Come, thou little trembler,Creep even into my heart, and there lie safe;'Tis thy own citadel—Hah—yet stand off,[Going, R.Heav'n must have justice, and my broken vowsWill sink me else beneath its reaching mercy.I'll wink, and then 'tis done—Bel.(C.) What means the lordOf me, my life, and love? What's in thy bosomThou grasp'st at so?[Jaffier draws the Dagger, and offers to stab her.Ah! do not kill me, Jaffier.Jaf.(R. C.) Know, Belvidera, when we parted last,I gave this dagger with thee, as in trust,To be thy portion if I e'er proved false.On such condition was my truth believed:but now 'tis forfeited, and must be paid for.[Offers to stab her again.Bel.Oh! mercy!Jaf.Nay, no struggling.Bel.Now, then, kill me,[Falls on his neck, and kisses him.While thus I cling about thy cruel neck,Kiss thy revengeful lips, and die in joysGreater than any I can guess hereafter.Jaf.I am, I am a coward, witness, Heav'n,Witness it, earth, and ev'ry being witness:'Tis but one blow! yet, by immortal love,I cannot longer bear the thought to harm thee.[Throws away the dagger, and embraces her.The seal of Providence is sure upon thee;And thou wast born for yet unheard-of wonders.Oh! thou wert born either to save or damn me!By all the power that's given thee o'er my soul,By thy resistless tears and conquering smiles,"By the victorious love that still waits on thee,"Fly to thy cruel father, save my friend,Or all our future quiet's lost forever.Fall at his feet, cling round his rev'rend knees,Speak to him with thy eyes, and with thy tears,Melt his hard heart, and wake dead nature in him,Nor, till thy prayers are granted, set him free,But conquer him, as thou hast vanquished me.[Exeunt Jaffier, R., Belvidera, L.END OF ACT IV.