And claims that life, my pity robb'd her of- Isi. And all my little ones fatherless Die thou first. [They fight; Ordonio disarms Isidore, and in disarming him throws his sword up that recess opposite to which they were standing. Isidore hurries into the recess with his torch, Ordonio follows him; a loud cry of "Traitor! Monster!" is heard from the cavern, and in a moment Ordonio returns alone. Ord. I have hurl'd him down the chasm! Treason for treason. He dreamt of it: henceforward let him sleep A dreamless sleep, from which no wife can wake him. His dream too is made out-Now for his friend. [Exit Ordonio. SCENE II.* The interior Court of a Saracenic or Gothic Castle, with the Iron Gate of a Dungeon visible. Ter. Heart-chilling Superstition! thou canst glaze Even Pity's eye with her own frozen tear. * The following Scene, as unfit for the stage, was taken from the Tragedy, in the year 1797, and published in the Lyrical Ballads. But this work having been long out of print, I have been advised to reprint it, as a Note to the second Scene of Act the Fourth. Enter TERESA and SELMA. Ter. 'Tis said, he spake of you familiarly, As mine and Alvar's common foster-mother. Sel. Now blessings on the man, whoe'er he be, That join'd your names with mine! O my sweet Lady, When you two little ones would stand, at eve, In vain I urge the tortures that await him, In gentle phrase; then bid me sing to you 'Tis more like heaven to come, than what has been ! Sel. Ter. No one. Can no one hear? It is a perilous tale I My husɔand's father told it me, Poor old Sesina-angels rest his soul! He was a woodman, and could fell and saw With lusty arm. You know that huge round beam With thistle-beards, and such small locks of wool And so the babe grew up a pretty boy. A pretty boy, but most unteachable He never learnt a prayer, nor told a bead, But knew the names of birds, and mock'd their notes, And all the autumn 't was his only play To gather seeds of wild flowers, and to plant them A Friar, who gather'd simples in the wood, A gray-hair'd man, he loved this little boy: The boy loved him, and, when the friar taught him, So he became a rare and learned youth: But O! poor wretch! he read, and read, and read, Till his brain turn'd; and ere his twentieth year He had unlawful thoughts of many things: And though he pray'd, he never loved to pray But 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 chapel Right on their heads. My Lord was sorely frighten'd The present need, this secret of the dungeon, But my resolve is fix'd! myself will rescue him, A fever seized him, and he made confession Which brought this judgment: so the youth was seized, Ter. He went on shipboard Sel. And ne'er was heard of more: but 't is supposed. Enter VALDez. Val. Still sad--and gazing at the massive door Of that fell Dungeon which thou ne'er hadst sight of, Save what, perchance, thy infant fancy shaped it, When the nurse still'd thy cries with unmeant threats. Now by my faith, Girl! this same wizard haunts thee! A stately man, and eloquent and tender— Who then need wonder if a lady sighs [With a sneer. Even at the thought of what these stern Domi nicans Ter. (with solemn indignation). The horror of their ghastly punishments Doth so o'ertop the height of all compassion, That I should feel too little for mine enemy, If it were possible I could feel more, Even though the dearest inmates of our household Were doom'd to suffer them. That such things areVal. Hush, thoughtless woman ! Ter. More than a woman's spirit. Val. Nay, it wakes within me No more of this What if Monviedro or his creatures hear us? I dare not listen to you. Ter. My honor'd Lord, These were my Alvar's lessons; and whene'er Val. -We have mourn'd for Alvar. Of his sad fate there now remains no doubt. Have I no other son ? Ter. Speak not of him! That low imposture! That mysterious picture! And if not madness, there is mystery, Val. Is this well? Ter. Yes, it is truth: saw you his countenance? How rage, remorse, and scorn, and stupid fear, Displaced each other with swift interchanges? O that I had indeed the sorcerer's power! I would call up before thine eyes the image Of my betrothed Alvar, of thy first-born! His own fair countenance, his kingly forehead, His tender smiles, love's day-dawn on his lips! That spiritual and almost heavenly light In his commanding eye-his mien heroic, Virtue's own native heraldry! to man Genial, and pleasant to his guardian angel. Whene'er he gladden'd, how the gladness spread Wide round him! and when oft with swelling tears, Flash'd through by indignation, he bewail'd The wrongs of Belgium's martyr'd patriots, Oh, what a grief was there—for joy to envy, Or gaze upon enamour'd! O my father! Recall that morning when we knelt together, And thou didst bless our loves! O even now, Even now, my sire! to thy mind's eye present him, As at that moment he rose up before thee, Stately, with beaming look! Place, place beside him Then bid me (Oh thou couldst not) bid me turn To take in exchange that brooding man, who never his eye from the earth, unless to scowl. Lifts up Vl. Ungrateful woman! I have tried to stifie An old man's passion! was it not enough That thou hadst made my son a restless man, |