Samuel Coleridge - The Complete Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Velez (to the Foster-Mother). My good woman,

You may retire. [Exit the FOSTER-MOTHER.

Velez. We have mourn’d for Albert.

Have I no living son?

Maria. Speak not of him! 255

That low imposture — my heart sickens at it,

If it be madness, must I wed a madman?

And if not madness, there is mystery,

And guilt doth lurk behind it!

Valdez. Is this well?

Maria. Yes! it is truth. Saw you his countenance? 260

How rage, remorse, and scorn, and stupid fear,

Displac’d each other with swift interchanges?

If this were all assumed, as you believe,

He must needs be a most consummate actor;

And hath so vast a power to deceive me, 265

I never could be safe. And why assume

The semblance of such execrable feelings?

Velez. Ungrateful woman! I have tried to stifle

An old man’s passion! Was it not enough

That thou hast made my son a restless man, 270

Banish’d his health and half-unhinged his reason,

But that thou wilt insult him with suspicion,

And toil to blast his honour? I am old —

A comfortless old man! Thou shalt not stay

Beneath my roof!

[FRANCESCO enters and stands listening.

Velez. Repent and marry him — 275

Or to the convent.

Francesco (muttering). Good! good! very good!

Maria. Nay, grant me some small pittance of my fortune,

And I will live a solitary woman,

Or my poor foster-mother and her grandsons

May be my household.

Francesco (advancing). I abhor a listener; 280

But you spoke so, I could not choose but hear you.

I pray, my lord! will you embolden me

To ask you why this lady doth prefer

To live in lonely sort, without a friend

Or fit companion?

Velez. Bid her answer you. 285

Maria. Nature will be my friend and fit companion.

[Turns off from them.

O Albert! Albert! that they could return,

Those blessed days, that imitated heaven!

When we two wont to walk at evening-tide;

When we saw nought but beauty; when we heard 290

The voice of that Almighty One, who lov’d us,

In every gale that breath’d, and wave that murmur’d!

O we have listen’d, even till high-wrought pleasure

Hath half-assumed the countenance of grief,

And the deep sigh seem’d to heave up a weight 295

Of bliss, that press’d too heavy on the heart.

Francesco. But in the convent, lady, you would have

Such aids as might preserve you from perdition.

There you might dwell.

Maria. With tame and credulous faith,

Mad melancholy, antic merriment, 300

Leanness, disquietude, and secret pangs!

O God! it is a horrid thing to know

That each pale wretch, who sits and drops her beads

Had once a mind, which might have given her wings

Such as the angels wear!

Francesco (stifling his rage). Where is your son, my lord? 305

Velez. I have not seen him, father, since he left you.

Francesco. His lordship’s generous nature hath deceiv’d him!

That Ferdinand (or if not he his wife)

I have fresh evidence — are infidels.

We are not safe until they are rooted out. 310

Maria. Thou man, who call’st thyself the minister

Of Him whose law was love unutterable!

Why is thy soul so parch’d with cruelty,

That still thou thirstest for thy brother’s blood?

Velez (rapidly). Father! I have long suspected it — her brain — 315

Heed it not, father!

Francesco. Nay — but I must heed it.

Maria. Thou miserable man! I fear thee not,

Nor prize a life which soon may weary me.

Bear witness, Heav’n! I neither scorn nor hate him — 320

But O! ‘tis wearisome to mourn for evils,

Still mourn, and have no power to remedy! [Exit MARIA.

Francesco. My lord! I shall presume to wait on you

Tomorrow early.

Velez. Be it so, good father! [Exit FRANCESCO.

Velez (alone). I do want solace, but not such as thine! 325

The moon is high in heaven, and my eyes ache,

But not with sleep. Well — it is ever so.

A child, a child is born! and the fond heart

Dances! and yet the childless are most happy.

[SCENE changes to the mountains by moonlight. ALHADRA alone in a

Moorish dress, her eyes fixed on the earth. Then drop in one after

another, from different parts of the stage, a considerable number of

Morescoes, all in their Moorish garments. They form a circle at a

distance round ALHADRA. After a pause one of the Morescoes to the man

who stands next to him.

First Moresco. The law which forced these Christian dresses on

us, 330

‘Twere pleasant to cleave down the wretch who framed it.

Second. Yet ‘tis not well to trample on it idly.

First. Our country robes are dear.

Second. And like dear friends,

May chance to prove most perilous informers.

[A third Moresco, NAOMI, advances from out the circle.

Naomi. Woman! may Alla and the prophet bless thee! 335

We have obey’d thy call. Where is our chief?

And why didst thou enjoin the Moorish garments?

Alhadra (lifting up [raising Remorse] her eyes, and looking

round on the circle).

Warriors of Mahomet, faithful in the battle,

My countrymen! Come ye prepared to work

An honourable deed? And would ye work it 340

In the slave’s garb? Curse on those Christian robes!

They are spell-blasted; and whoever wears them,

His arm shrinks wither’d, his heart melts away,

And his bones soften!

Naomi. Where is Ferdinand?

Alhadra (in a deep low voice). This night I went from forth my

house, and left 345

His children all asleep; and he was living!

And I return’d, and found them still asleep —

But he had perish’d.

All. Perished?

Alhadra. He had perish’d!

Sleep on, poor babes! not one of you doth know

That he is fatherless, a desolate orphan! 350

Why should we wake them? Can an infant’s arm

Revenge his murder?

One to Another. Did she say his murder?

Naomi. Murder’d? Not murder’d?

Alhadra. Murder’d by a Christian!

[They all, at once, draw their sabres.

Alhadra (to Naomi, who on being addressed again advances from

the circle). Brother of Zagri! fling away thy sword:

This is thy chieftain’s! [He steps forward to take it.

Dost thou dare receive it? 355

For I have sworn by Alia and the prophet,

No tear shall dim these eyes, this woman’s heart

Shall heave no groan, till I have seen that sword

Wet with the blood of all the house of Velez!

Enter MAURICE.

All. A spy! a spy! [They seize him.

Maurice. Off! off! unhand me, slaves! 360

[After much struggling he disengages himself and draws

his sword.

Naomi (to Alhadra). Speak! shall we kill him?

Maurice. Yes! ye can kill a

man,

Some twenty of you! But ye are Spanish slaves!

And slaves are always cruel, always cowards.

Alhadra. That man has spoken truth. Whence and who art thou?

Maurice. I seek a dear friend, whom for aught I know 365

The son of Velez hath hired one of you

To murder! Say, do ye know aught of Albert?

Alhadra (starting). Albert? — three years ago I heard that name

Murmur’d in sleep! High-minded foreigner!

Mix thy revenge with mine, and stand among us. 370

[MAURICE stands among the Morescoes.

Alhadra. Was not Osorio my husband’s friend?

Old Man. He kill’d my son in battle; yet our chieftain

Forced me to sheathe my dagger. See — the point

Is bright, unrusted with the villain’s blood!

Alhadra. He is your chieftain’s murderer!

Naomi. He dies by Alla!

All (dropping on one knee). By