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Beloved woman! T was a low imposture,

Framed by a guilty wretch.

But a brief while retire into the darkness:

TERESA (retires from him, and feebly supports herself O that my joy could spread its sunshine round thee!

against a pillar of the dungeon).

Ha! Who art thou?

ALVAR (exceedingly affected).

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[A pause; then presses her forehead.
O't is lost again!

This dull confused pain

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Hail, potent wizard! in my gayer mood
I pour'd forth a libation to old Pluto,
And as I brimm'd the bowl, I thought on thee.
Thou hast conspired against my life and honour,
Hast trick'd me foully; yet I hate thee not.

Why 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,

[Waving his hand to ALVAR.

The weaker needs must break.
ALVAR.

I see thy heart!

This is the revelry of a drunken anguish,
Which fain would scoff away the pang of guilt,
And quell each human feeling.

There is a frightful glitter in thine eye
[A pause, she gazes at ALVAR. Which doth betray thee. Inly-tortured man!
Mysterious man!
Methinks I can not fear thee: for thine eye
Doth swim with love and pity-Well! Ordonio-
Oh my foreboding heart? and he suborn'd thee,
And thou didst spare his life? Blessings shower on thee,
As many as the drops twice counted o'er

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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 me
If willingly I e'er inflicted them!

Come, take the beverage; this chill place demands it.

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ORDONIO (fiercely recollecting himself).

Let the Eternal Justice Prepare my punishment in the obscure worldI will not bear to live-to live-O agony!

And be myself alone my own sore torment!

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I thank thee, Heaven! thou hast ordain'd it wisely,
That point

[The doors of the dungeon are broken open, and in That still extremes bring their own cure.

rush ALHADRA, and the band of MORESCOES.

ALHADRA.

Seize first that man !

In misery, which makes the oppressed Man
Regardless of his own life, makes him too
Lord of the Oppressor's-Knew I a hundred men

[ALVAR presses onward to defend ORDONIO. Despairing, but not palsied by despair,

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This arm should shake the Kingdoms of the World;
The deep foundations of iniquity

Should sink away, earth groaning from beneath them;
The strong holds of the cruel men should fall,

Their Temples and their mountainous Towers should

fall;

Till 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!

[ALHADRA hurries off with the Moors; the stage
fills with armed Peasants and Servants, Zu-
LIMEZ and VALDEZ at their head. VALDEZ
rushes into ALVAR'S arms.

ALVAR.

Turn not thy face that way, my father! hide,
Oh hide it from his eye! Oh let thy joy

Flow in unmingled stream through thy first blessing.
[Both kneel to VALDEZ.

VALDEZ.

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

TERESA.

For a deep horror of desolation,

Brother of Zagri! let me lean upon thee.

Me too, my Father ?

[Struggling to suppress her feelings.

The time is not yet come for woman's anguish, I have not seen his blood-Within an hour

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Those little ones will crowd around and ask me,

ALVAR.

Where is our father? I shall curse thee then!

Delights so full, if unalloyed with grief,

Wert thou in heaven, my curse would pluck thee thence! Were ominous. In these strange dread events

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Zapolya;

A CHRISTMAS TALE.

IN TWO PARTS.

Πὰρ πυρὶ χρὴ τοιαῦτα λέγειν χειμῶνος ἐν ὥρᾳ.

ADVERTISEMENT...

THE form of the following dramatic poem is in humble imitation of the Winter's Tale of 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 Æschylian Trilogy of the Agamemnon, the Orestes, and the Eumenides. 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, Ishall be well content if my readers will take it up, read and judge it, as a Christmas tale.

CHARACTERS.

MEN.

EMERICK, usurping King of Illyria.

RAAB KIUPRILI, an Illyrian Chieftain. CASIMIR, son of Kiuprili.

CHEF RAGOZZI, a Military Commander.

WOMAN.

ZAPOLYA, Queen of Illyria.

ZAPOLYA.

PART I.

Apud ATHENÆUM.

But Raab Kiuprili moves with such a gait?
Lo! e'en this eager and unwonted haste
But agitates, not quells, its majesty.
My patron! my commander! yes, 't is he!
Call out the guards. The Lord Kiuprili comes.

Drums beat. etc. the Guard turns out. Enter RAAB
KIUPRILI.

RAAB KIUPRILI (making a signal to stop the drums, etc.).
Silence! enough! This is no time, young friend!
For ceremonious dues. The summoning drum,
Th' air-shattering trumpet, and the horseman's clatter,
Are insults to a dying sovereign's ear.
Soldiers, 't is well! Retire! your general greets you,
His loyal fellow-warriors.
[Guards retire.

CHEF RAGOZZI.

Pardon my surprise. Thus sudden from the camp, and unattended! What may these wonders prophecy?

RAAB KIUPRILI,

Tell me first,

How fares the king? His majesty still lives?

CHEF RAGOZZI.

We know no otherwise; but Emerick's friends (And none but they approach him) scoff at hope.

RAAB KIUPRILI.

Ragozzi! I have rear'd thee from a child,

And as a child I have rear'd thee. Whence this air
Of mystery? That face was wont to open

Clear as the morning to me, showing all things.
Hide nothing from me.

CHEF RAGOZZI.

O most loved, most honour'd,

The mystery, that struggles in my looks,
Betray'd my whole tale to thee, if it told thee
That I am ignorant; but fear the worst.
And mystery is contagious. All things here
Are full of motion and yet all is silent:
And bad men's hopes infect the good with fears.
RAAB KIUPRILI (his hand to his heart).

THE PRELUDE, ENTITLED "THE USURPER'S I have trembling proof within, how true thou speakest.

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