Samuel Coleridge - The Complete Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge

And bore him to the strand; then, son of Valdez,

How sweet and musical the name of Alvar! 185

Then, then, Ordonio, he was dear to thee,

And thou wert dear to him: heaven only knows

How very dear thou wert! Why did’st thou hate him!

O heaven! how he would fall upon thy neck,

And weep forgiveness!

Ordonio. Spirit of the dead! 190

Methinks I know thee! ha! my brain turns wild

At its own dreams! — off — off, fantastic shadow!

Alvar. I fain would tell thee what I am, but dare not!

Ordonio. Cheat! villain! traitor! whatsoever thou be —

I fear thee, man!

Teresa (rushing out and falling on Alvar’s neck). Ordonio! ‘tis

thy brother! 195

[ORDONIO runs upon ALVAR with his sword. TERESA flings

herself on ORDONIO and arrests his arm.

Stop, madman, stop!

Alvar. Does then this thin disguise impenetrably

Hide Alvar from thee? Toil and painful wounds

And long imprisonment in unwholesome dungeons,

Have marred perhaps all trait and lineament 200

Of what I was! But chiefly, chiefly, brother,

My anguish for thy guilt!

Ordonio — Brother!

Nay, nay, thou shalt embrace me.

Ordonio (drawing back, and gazing at Alvar). Touch me not!

Touch not pollution, Alvar! I will die.

[He attempts to fall on his sword, ALVAR and TERESA

prevent him.

Alvar. We will find means to save your honour. Live, 205

Oh live, Ordonio! for our father’s sake!

Spare his grey hairs!

Teresa. And you may yet be happy.

Ordonio. O horror! not a thousand years in heaven

Could recompose this miserable heart,

Or make it capable of one brief joy! 210

Live! live! Why yes! ‘Twere well to live with you:

For is it fit a villain should be proud?

My brother! I will kneel to you, my brother! [Kneeling.

Forgive me, Alvar! —— Curse me with forgiveness!

Alvar. Call back thy soul, Ordonio, and look round thee! 215

Now is the time for greatness! Think that heaven —

Teresa. O mark his eye! he hears not what you say.

Ordonio. Yes, mark his eye! there’s fascination in it!

Thou said’st thou did’st not know him — That is he!

He comes upon me!

Alvar. Heal, O heal him, heaven! 220

Ordonio. Nearer and nearer! and I can not stir!

Will no one hear these stifled groans, and wake me?

He would have died to save me, and I killed him —

A husband and a father! —

Teresa. Some secret poison

Drinks up his spirits!

Ordonio. Let the eternal justice 225

Prepare my punishment in the obscure world —

I will not bear to live — to live — O agony!

And be myself alone my own sore torment!

[The doors of the dungeon are broken open, and in rush

ALHADRA, and the band of Morescoes.

Alhadra. Seize first that man!

[ALVAR presses onward to defend ORDONIO.

Ordonio. Off, ruffians! I have flung away my sword. 230

Woman, my life is thine! to thee I give it!

Off! he that touches me with his hand of flesh,

I’ll rend his limbs asunder! I have strength

With this bare arm to scatter you like ashes.

Alhadra. My husband —

Ordonio. Yes, I murdered him most foully. 235

Alvar and Teresa. O horrible!

Alhadra. Why did’st thou leave his children?

Demon, thou should’st have sent thy dogs of hell

To lap their blood. Then, then I might have hardened

My soul in misery, and have had comfort.

I would have stood far off, quiet though dark, 240

And bade the race of men raise up a mourning

For a deep horror of desolation,

Too great to be one soul’s particular lot!

Brother of Zagri! let me lean upon thee.

The time is not yet come for woman’s anguish, 245

I have not seen his blood — Within an hour

Those little ones will crowd around and ask me,

Where is our father? I shall curse thee then!

Wert thou in heaven, my curse would pluck thee thence!

Teresa. He doth repent! See, see, I kneel to thee! 250

O let him live! That agéd man, his father ——

Alhadra. Why had he such a son?

[Shouts from the distance of Rescue! Rescue! Alvar!

Alvar! and the voice of VALDEZ heard.

Rescue? — and Isidore’s spirit unavenged? —

The deed be mine! [Suddenly stabs ORDONIO.

Now take my life!

Ordonio (staggering from the wound). Atonement!

Alvar (while with Teresa supporting Ordonio). Arm of avenging

Heaven 255

Thou hast snatched from me my most cherished hope —

But go! my word was pledged to thee.

Ordonio. Away!

Brave not my Father’s rage! I thank thee! Thou —

[Then turning his eyes languidly to ALVAR.

She hath avenged the blood of Isidore!

I stood in silence like a slave before her 260

That I might taste the wormwood and the gall,

And satiate this self-accusing heart

With bitterer agonies than death can give.

Forgive me, Alvar!

Oh! — could’st thou forget me! [Dies.

[ALVAR and TERESA bend over the body of ORDONIO.

Alhadra (to the Moors). I thank thee, Heaven! thou hast ordained

it wisely, 265

That still extremes bring their own cure. That point

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

Despairing, but not palsied by despair, 270

This arm should shake the kingdoms of the world;

The deep foundations of iniquity

Should sink away, earth groaning from beneath them;

The strongholds of the cruel men should fall,

Their temples and their mountainous towers should fall; 275

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, ZULIMEZ and

VALDEZ at their head. VALDEZ rushes into ALVAR’S

arms.

Alvar. Turn not thy face that way, my father! hide, 280

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. Me too, my Father?

Valdez. Bless, Oh bless my children!

[Both rise.

Alvar. Delights so full, if unalloyed with grief, 285

Were ominous. In these strange dread events

Just Heaven instructs us with an awful voice,

That Conscience rules us e’en against our choice.

Our inward Monitress to guide or warn,

If listened to; but if repelled with scorn, 290

At length as dire Remorse, she reappears,

Works in our guilty hopes, and selfish fears!

Still bids, Remember! and still cries, Too late!

And while she scares us, goads us to our fate.

[After 41] As in a dream I ask; if it be a dream Edition 1.

[After 46] [Shuddering. Editions 2, 3, 1829.

[After 48] [Faintly … recess, and moves hastily towards her.

Edition 1.

[After 55] Teresa (recovering, looks round wildly). Editions 1, 2, 3,

1829.

Teresa (retires from him, and feebly supports herself against a

pillar of the dungeon). Ha! who art thou?

Alvar (exceedingly affected). Suborned, &c.

Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

Teresa (wildly). Nay, nay, but tell me!

[A pause, then presses her forehead.

O ‘tis lost again!

This dull confused pain. [A pause, she gazes at ALVAR.

Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

[After 103] [Retiring, she returns hastily and embracing ALVAR.

Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

[Before 106] Ordonio (with affected gravity). Edition 1 (c) (?).

[After 115] [Waving his hand to ALVAR. Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.