come a From boyhood, ever ready to assist thee Lioni. I am indeed already lost in wonder; Why comest thou to tell me at this hour, warning? A cup too much, a scuffle, and a stab?- Lioni. I was not born to shrink from Mere things of every day; so that thou idle threats, hast not The cause of which I know not: at the hour Spilt noble blood, I guarantee thy safety; Of council, be it soon or late, I shall not But then thou must withdraw, for angry Be found among the absent. friends Bertram. Say not so! And relatives, in the first burst of vengeance, Once more, art thou determined to go forth? Are things in Venice deadlier than the laws. Lioni. I am; nor is there aught which Bertram. My lord, I thank you; but shall impede me! Lioni. But what? You have not Bertram. Then Heaven have mercy on Raised a rash hand against one of our order? thy soul!— Farewell ! [Going If so, withdraw and fly, and own it not; Lioni. Stay—there is more in this than I would not slay-but then I must not save my own safety thee! Which makes me call thee back; we must He who has shed patrician blood – not part thus: Bertram. I Bertram, I have known thee long. To save patrician blood, and not to shed it! Bertram. From childhood, signor, And thereunto I must be speedy, for You have been my protector: in the days Each minute lost may lose a life: since Time of reckless infancy, when rank forgets, Has changed his slow scythe for the two- Or, rather, is not yet taught to remember edged sword, Its cold prerogative, we play'd together; And is about to take, instead of sand, Our sports, our smiles, our tears, were The dust from sepulchres to fill his hour- mingled oft; glass ! My father was your father's client, I Go not thou forth to-morrow! His son's scarce less than fuster-brother; Lioni. Wherefore not? years What means this menace? Saw us together-happy, heart-full hours! Bertram. Do not seek its meaning, Oh God! the difference 'twixt those hours But do as I implore thee ;-stir not forth, and this! Whate'er be stirring; though the roar of Lioni. Bertram, 'tis thou who hast forcrowds gotten them. The cry of women, and the shrieks of babes - Bertram. Nor now, nor ever; whatsoe'er The groans of men--the clash of arms - the betide, sound I would have saved you: when to manOf rolling drum, shrill trump, and hollow hood's growth bell, We sprung, and you, devoted to the state, Peal in one wide alarum !-Go not forth As suits your station, the more humble Until the tocsin 's silent, nor even then Bertram Till I return ! Was left unto the labours of the humble, Lioni. Again, what does this mean? Still you forsook me not; and if my fortunes Bertram. Again, I tell thee, ask not; Have not been towering, 'twas no fault of him but by all Who oft-times rescued and supported me Thou holdest dear on earth or heaven- When struggling with the tides of circumby all stance The souls of thy great fathers, and thy hope Which bear away the weaker: noble blood To emulate them, and to leave behind Ne'er mantled in a nobler heart than thine Descendants worthy both of them and thee- Has proved to me,the poor plebeian Bertram. By all thou hast of blest in hope or memory- Would that thy fellow-senators were like By all thou hast to fear here or hereafter thee ! By all the good deeds thou hast done to me, Lioni. Why, what hast thou to say Good I would now repay with greater against the senate ? good, Bertram. Nothing. Remain within - trust to thy household gods Lioni. I know that there are angry spirits And to my word for safety, if thou dost And turbulent mutterers of stifled treason A. I now counsel-but if not, thou art lost! Who lurk in narrow places, and walk out But now, war more Muffed to whisper curses to the night; Lioni. Ay, is it even so? Excuse me, Disbanded soldiers, discontented ruffians, Bertram; And desperate libertines who brawl in 1 am not worthy to be singled out taverns ; From such exalted hecatombs—who are they Thou herdest not with such: 'tis true, of late That are in danger, and that make the I have lost sight of thee, but thou wert wont danger? To lead a temperate life, and break thy Bertram. Venice, and all that she inherbread its, are With honest mates, and bear a cheerful Divided like a house against itself, aspect. And so will perish ere to-morrow's twilight! What hath come to thee? in thy hollow eye Lioni. More mysteries, and awful ones ! And hueless cheek,and thine unquiet motions, Sorrow and shame and conscience seem at Or thou, or I, or both, it may be, are Upon the verge of ruin; speak once out, To waste thee. And thou art safe and glorious; for 'tis Bertram. Rather shame and sorrow light On the accursed tyranny which rides Glorious to save than slay, and slay i' the The very air in Venice, and makes men dark too_ Madden as in the last hours of the plague Fie, Bertram! that was not a craft for thee! Which sweeps the soul deliriously from life! How would it look to see upon a spear Lioni. Some villains have been tamper- The head of him whose heart was open to ing with thee, Bertram; thee, This is not thy old language, nor own Borne by thy hand before the shuddering thoughts; people? Some wretch has made thee drunk with And such may be my doom ; for here I swear, disaffection; Whate'er the peril or the penalty But thou must not be lost so; thou wert good of thy denunciation, I go forth, And kind, and art not fit for such base acts Unless thou dost detail the cause, and show As vice and villany would put thee to : The consequence of all which led thee here! Confess - confide in me- thou know'st my Bertram. Is there no way to save thee? nature minutes fly, What is it thou and thine are bound to do, And thou art lost! -- thou! my sole beneWhich should prevent thy friend, the only factor, The only being who was constant to me Of him who was a friend unto thy father, Through every change. Yet, make me not So that our good-will is a heritage a traitor! We should bequeath to our posterity Let me save thee -- but spare my honour! Such as ourselves received it, or augmented; Lioni. Where I say, what is it thou must do, that I Can lie the honour in a league of murder? Should deem thee dangerous, and keep the And who are traitors save unto the state? house Bertram. A league is still a compact, Like a sick girl? and more binding Bertram. Nay, question me no further : In honest hearts when words must stand I must be gone.. for law; Lioni. And I be murder'd!- say, And in my mind, there is no traitor like Was it not thus thou saidst, my gentle He whose domestic treason plants the poniard Bertram ? Within the breast which trusted to his truth. Bertram. Who talks of murder? what Lioni. And who will strike the steel to said I of murder ? mine? Tis false! I did not utter such a word. Bertram. Not I; Lioni. Thou didst not; but from out I could have wound my soul up to all things thy wolfish eye, Save this. Thou must not die! and think So changed from what I knew it, there how dear glares forth Thy life is, when I risk so many lives, The gladiator. If my life's thine object, Nay, more, the life of lives, the liberty Take it-I am unarm’d, - and then away! of future generations, not to be I would not hold my breath on such a tenure The assassin thou miscall'st me;-once, As the capricious mercy of such things As thou and those who have set thee to thy I do adjure thee, pass not o'er thy threshold! taskwork. Lioni. It is in vain - this moment I go Bertram. Sooner than spill thy blood, forth. I peril mine; Bertram. Then perish Venice rather than Sooner than harm a hair of thine, I place In jeopardy a thousand heads, and some I will disclose_ ensnare betray-destroyAs noble, nay, even nobler than thine own. Oh, what a villain I become for thee! son 0 once more my friend! 1 Lioni. Say, rather thy friend's saviour | SCENE II. - The Ducal Palace—the Doge's and the state's ! Apartment. Speak—pause not-all rewards, all pledges The Doge and his nephew Bestuccio FALIERO. for Thy safety and thy welfare; wealth such as Doge. Are all the people of our house The state accords her worthiest servants; in muster? nay, B. Fal. They are array'd, and eager for Nobility itself I guarantee thee, the signal, So that thou art sincere and penitent. Within our palace precincts at San Polo. Bertram. I have thought again : it must I come for your last orders. not be- I love thee Doge. It had been Thou knowest it—that I stand here is the As well had there been time to have got proof, together Not least though last; but having done my From my own fief, Val di Marino, more duty Of our retainers, but it is too late. By thee, I now must do it by my country! B. Fal. Methinks, my lord, 'tis better Farewell !-we meet no more in life! as it is ; farewell! A sudden swelling of our retinue Lioni. What, ho! Antonio–Pedro --to Had waked suspicion; and, though fierce the door! and trusty, See that none pass-arrest this man!- The vassals of that district are too rude Enter Antonio and other armed Domestics, The secret discipline we need for such And quick in quarrel to have long maintain'd who seize BERTRAM. A service, till our foes are dealt upon. Lioni (continues). Take care Doge. True; but when once the signal He hath no harm; bring me my sword has been given, and cloak; These are the men for such an enterprise: And man the gondola with four oars These city-slaves have all their private bias, quick [Exit Antonio. Their prejudice against or for this noble, We will unto Giovanni Gradenigo's, Which may induce them to o'erdo or spare And send for Marc Cornaro :-fear not, Where mercy may be madness; the fierce Bertram ; peasants, This needful violence is for thy safety, Serfs of my county of Val di Marino, No less than for the general weal. Would do the bidding of their lord without Bertram. Where wouldst thou Distinguishing for love or hate his foes; Alike to them Marcello or Cornaro, They are not used to start at those vain names, Lioni. Assuredly; Nor bow the knee before a civic senate: Is he not chief of the state ? A chief in armour is their Suzerain, Bertram. Perhaps at sunrise And not a thing in robes. Lioni. What mean you?—but we'll know B. Fal. We are enough ; And for the dispositions of our clients Bertram. Art sure ? Against the senate I will answer. Lioni. Sure as all gentle means can Doge. Well, make; and if The die is thrown; but for a warlike service, They fail, you know "The Ten" and their Done in the field, commend me to my tribunal, peasants; And that Saint Mark's has dungeons, and they made the sun shine through the host the dungeons of Huns A rack. When sallow burghers slunk back to their Bertram. Apply to it before the dawn tents, Now hastening into heaven.—One more and cower'd to hear their own victorious such word, trumpet. And you shall perish piecemeal, by the death If there be small resistance, you will find Ye think to doom to me. These citizens all lions, like their standard; But if there's much to do, you'll wish, withme, · Re-enter ANTONIO. A band of iron rustics at our backs. Antonio. The bark is ready, B. Fal. Thus thinking, I must marvel My lord, and all prepared. you resolved Lioni. Look to the prisoner. To strike the blow so suddenly. Bertram, I'll reason with thee as we go Doge. Such blows To the Magnifico's, sage Gradenigo. Must be struck suddenly or nerer. When (Eseunt. \ I had o'ormaster'd the weak false remorse anon. sight Which yearn'd about my heart, too fondly Timoleon immortal, than to faec yielding The toils and dangers of a life of war. A moment to the feelings of old days, B. Fal. It gladdens me to see your former I was most fain to strike; and, firstly, that wisdom I might not yield again to such emotions; Subdue the furies which so wrung you ero And, secondly, because of all these men, You were decided. Save Israel and Philip Calendaro, Doge. It was ever thus I know not well the courage or the faith: With me; the hour of agitation came To-day might find 'mongst them a traitor In the first glimmerings of a purpose, when to us, Passion had too much room to sway; but in As yesterday a thousand to the senate; The hour of action I have stood as calm But once in, with their hilts hot in their As were the dead who lay around me: this hands, They knew who made me what I am, and They must on for their own sakes; one trusted stroke struck, To the subduing power which I preserved And the mere instinct of the first-born Cain, Over my mood, when its first burst was spent. Which ever lurks somewhere in human But they were not aware that there are things hearts, Which make revenge a virtue by reflection, Though circumstance may keep it in And not an impulse of mere anger; though abeyance, The laws sleep, justice wakes, and injured Will urge the rest on like to wolves; the souls Oft do a public right with private wrong, Of blood to crowds begets the thirst of And justify their deeds unto themselves.more, Methinks the day breaks – is it not so? look, As the first wine-cup leads to the long revel; | Thine eyes are clear with youth ;-the air And you will find a harder task to quell puts on Than urge them when they have commen- A morning-freshness, and, at least to me, ced; but till The sea looks grayer through the lattice. That moment, a mere voice, a straw, a B. Fal. True, shadow The morn is dappling in the sky. Are capable of turning them aside. Doge. Away, then! How goes the night ? See that they strike without delay, and with B. Fal. Almost upon the dawn. The first toll from St. Mark's, march on the Doge. Then it is time to strike upon the palace bell. With all our house's strength! here I will Are the men posted ? meet you— B. Fal. By this time they are; The Sixteen and their companies will move But they have orders not to strike, until In separate columns at the self-same moThey have command from you through me ment in person, Be sure you post yourself by the great gate, Doge. 'Tis well.– Will the morn never I would not trust “The Ten” except to us put to rest The rest, the rabble of patricians, may These stars which twinkle yet o'er all the Glut the more careless swords of those heavens? leagued with us. I am settled and bound up, and being so, Remember that the cry is still "Saint Mark! The very effort which it cost me to The Genoese are come-ho! to the rescue! Resolve to cleanse this commonwealth with Saint Mark and liberty !”—Nownow to fire, action! Now leaves my mind more steady. I have B. Fal. Farewell then, noble uncle! wo wept, will meet And trembled at the thought of this dread In freedom and true sovereignty, or never! duty; Doge. Come hither, my Bertuccio-one But now I have put down all idle passion, embraceAnd look the growing tempest in the face, Speed, for the day grows broader-Send As doth the pilot of an admiral-galley : Yet (wouldst thou think it, kinsman ?) it A messenger to tell me how all goes hath been When you rejoin our troops, and then A greater struggle to me, than when nations sound-sound Beheld their fate merged in the approaching The storm-bell from Saint Mark's ! fight, [Erit Bertuccio Faliero Where I was leader of a phalanx, where Doge (solus). He is gone, Thousands were sure to perish— Yes, to spill And on each footstep moves a life. — Tis done. The rank polluted current from the veins Now the destroying Angel hovers o'er Of a few bloated despots needed more Venice, and pauses ere he pours the vial, To steel me to a purpose such as made Even as the Eagle overlooks his prey, 66 me soon comes, And for a moment poised in middle air, Sound till the strong tower rock!—What, Suspends the motion of his mighty wings, silent still ? Then swoops with his unerring beak. I would go forth, but that my post is here, Thou day! To be the centre of re-union to That slowly walk'st the waters! march- The oft discordant elements which form march on Leagues of this nature, and to keep compact I would not smite i' the dark, but rather see The wavering or the weak, in case of conflict; That no stroke errs. And you, ye blue For if they should do battle, 'twill be here, sea-waves ! Within the palace, that the strife will I have seen you dyed ere now, and deeply thicken; too, Then here must be my station as becomes With Genoese, Saracen, and Hunnish gore, Tke master-mover.- Hark! he comes-- he While that of Venice flowd too, but victorious: My nephew, brave Bertuccio's messenger.Now thou must wear an unmix'd crimson ; no What tidings? Is he marching ? Hath he Barbaric blood can reconcile us now sped ? — Unto that horrible incarnadine, They here !-all's lost-yet will I make an But friend or foe will roll in civic slaughter. effort. And have I lived to fourscore years for this? I, who was named Preserver of the City? Enter a SIGNOR OF THE Night, with Guards. I, at whose name the million's caps were Sign. of the Night. Doge, I arrest thee flung of high treason! Into the air, and cries from tens of thousands Doge. Me! Rose up, imploring Heaven to send me Thy prince, of treason?—Who are they blessings, that dare And fame and length of days_to see this day? Cloak their own treason under such an order? But this day black within the calendar, Sign. of the Night (showing his order). Shall be succeeded by a bright millennium. Behold my order from the assembled Ten. Doge Dandolo survived to ninety summers Doge. And where are they, and why To vanquish empires and refuse their crown; assembled ? no I will resign a crown, and make the state Such council can be lawful, till the prince Renew its freedom - but oh! by what means? Preside there, and that duty 's mine: on The noble end must justify them-What thine Are a few drops of human blood? 'tis false, I charge thee, give me way, or marshal me The blood of tyrants is not human; they, To the council-chamber. Like to incarnate Molochs, feed on ours, Sign. of the Night. Duke, it may not be; Until 'tis time to give them to the tombs Nor are they in the wonted Hall of Council, Which they have made so populous.-Oh But sitting in the convent of Saint Saviour's. world! Doge. You dare to disobey me then? Oh men! what are ye, and our best designs, Sign. of the Night. I serve That we must work by crime to punish The state, and needs must serve it faithfully; crime ? My warrant is the will of those who rule it. And slay as if Death had but this one gate, Doge. And till that warrant has' my When a few years would make the sword signature superfluous ? It is illegal, and, as now applied, And I, upon the verge of th’unknown realm, Rebellious-Hast thon weigh'd well thy Yet send so many heralds on before me? life's worth, I must not ponder this. (A pause.) Hark! That thus you dare assume a lawless was there not function? A murmur as of distant voices, and Sign. of the Night. Tis not my office The tramp of feet in martial unison? to reply, but actWhat phantoms even of sound our wishes I am placed here as guard upon thy person, raise ! And not as judge to hear or to decide. It cannot be- the signal hath not rung- Doge (aside). I must gain time - So that Why pauses it? My nephew's messenger the storm-bell sound, Should be upon his way to me, and he All may be well yet.-Kinsman, speedHimself perhaps even now draws grating speed - speed !-back Our fate is trembling in the balance, and Upon its ponderous hinge the steep tower- Woe to the vanquish’d! be they prince and portal, people, Where swings the sullen huge oracular bell, Or slaves and senateWhich never knells but for a princely death, [The great bell of Saint Mark's tolls. Or for a state in peril, pealing forth Lo! it sounds-it tolls! Tremendous bodements ; let it do its office, Doge (aloud). Hark, Signor of the Night! And be this peal its awfullest and last! and you, ye hirelings, |