Samuel Coleridge - The Complete Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge

With the outward sight, I should believe I saw it

Bear off some human prey. O my preserver! 165

Bathory! Father! Yes, thou deserv’st that name!

Thou did’st not mock me! These are blessed findings!

The secret cypher of my destiny [Looking at his signet.

Stands here inscribed: it is the seal of fate!

Ha! — Had ever monster fitting lair, ‘tis yonder! 170

Thou yawning den, I well remember thee!

Mine eyes deceived me not. Heaven leads me on!

Now for a blast, loud as a king’s defiance,

To rouse the monster couchant o’er his ravine!

[Blows the horn — then a pause.

Another blast! and with another swell 175

To you, ye charméd watchers of this wood!

If haply I have come, the rightful heir

Of vengeance: if in me survive the spirits

Of those, whose guiltless blood flowed streaming here!

[Blows again louder.

Still silent? Is the monster gorged? Heaven shield me! 180

Thou, faithful spear! be both my torch and guide.

[As BETHLEN is about to enter, KIUPRILI speaks from the

cavern unseen.

Raab Kiuprili. Withdraw thy foot! Retract thine idle spear,

And wait obedient!

Bethlen. Ha! What art thou? speak!

Raab Kiuprili (still unseen). Avengers!

Bethlen. By a dying mother’s pangs

E’en such am I. Receive me!

Raab Kiuprili (still unseen). Wait! Beware! 185

At thy first step, thou treadest upon the light,

Thenceforth must darkling flow, and sink in darkness!

Bethlen. Ha! see my boar-spear trembles like a reed! —

Oh, fool! mine eyes are duped by my own shuddering. —

Those piléd thoughts, built up in solitude, 190

Year following year, that pressed upon my heart

As on the altar of some unknown God,

Then, as if touched by fire from heaven descending.

Blazed up within me at a father’s name —

Do they desert me now? — at my last trial? 195

Voice of command! and thou, O hidden Light!

I have obeyed! Declare ye by what name

I dare invoke you! Tell what sacrifice

Will make you gracious.

Raab Kiuprili (still unseen). Patience! Truth! Obedience!

Be thy whole soul transparent! so the Light, 200

Thou seekest, may enshrine itself within thee!

Thy name?

Bethlen. Ask rather the poor roaming savage,

Whose infancy no holy rite had blest,

To him, perchance, rude spoil or ghastly trophy,

In chase or battle won, have given a name. 205

I have none — but like a dog have answered

To the chance sound which he that fed me, called me.

Raab Kiuprili (still unseen). Thy birthplace?

Bethlen. Deluding spirits!

Do ye mock me?

Question the Night! Bid Darkness tell its birthplace?

Yet hear! Within yon old oak’s hollow trunk, 210

Where the bats cling, have I surveyed my cradle!

The mother-falcon hath her nest above it,

And in it the wolf litters! —— I invoke you,

Tell me, ye secret ones! if ye beheld me

As I stood there, like one who having delved 215

For hidden gold hath found a talisman,

O tell! what rights, what offices of duty

This signet doth command? What rebel spirits

Owe homage to its Lord?

Raab Kiuprili (still unseen). More, guiltier, mightier,

Than thou mayest summon! Wait the destined hour! 220

Bethlen. O yet again, and with more clamorous prayer,

I importune ye! Mock me no more with shadows!

This sable mantle — tell, dread voice! did this

Enwrap one fatherless!

Zapolya (unseen). One fatherless!

Bethlen. A sweeter voice! — A voice of love and pity! 225

Was it the softened echo of mine own?

Sad echo! but the hope it kill’d was sickly,

And ere it died it had been mourned as dead!

One other hope yet lives within my soul:

Quick let me ask! — while yet this stifling fear, 230

This stop of the heart, leaves utterance! — Are — are these

The sole remains of her that gave me life?

Have I a mother? [ZAPOLYA rushes out to embrace him.

Ha!

Zapolya. My son! my son!

A wretched — Oh no, no! a blest — a happy mother!

[They embrace. KIUPRILI and GLYCINE come forward and the

curtain drops.

[Before 90] Glycine (fearfully). 1817, 1828, 1829.

returns, having recovered herself. 1817, 1828, 1829.

[Before 118] Raab Kiuprili (repeats the word). 1817, 1828, 1829.

Human? [Then sternly.

1817, 1828, 1829.

Glycine. And of Lord Casimir —

Raab Kiuprili (aside). O agony! my son.

Erased [? by S. T. C. in copy of 1817.]

S. T. C. in copy of 1817].

[Before 225] Bethlen (starting). 1817, 1828, 1829.

[ZAPOLYA … him.

BETHLEN starts. Ha!

Zapolya (embracing him). My son, &c.

1817, 1828, 1829.

After 234 and stage directions. END OF ACT II. 1817.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

A stately room in LORD CASIMIR’S castle. Enter EMERICK and LASKA.

Emerick. I do perceive thou hast a tender conscience,

Laska, in all things that concern thine own

Interest or safety.

Laska. In this sovereign presence

I can fear nothing, but your dread displeasure.

Emerick. Perchance, thou think’st it strange, that I of all men 5

Should covet thus the love of fair Sarolta,

Dishonouring Casimir?

Laska. Far be it from me!

Your Majesty’s love and choice bring honour with them.

Emerick. Perchance, thou hast heard that Casimir is my friend,

Fought for me, yea, for my sake, set at nought 10

A parent’s blessing; braved a father’s curse?

Laska (aside). Would I but knew now, what his Majesty meant!

Oh yes, Sire! ‘tis our common talk, how Lord

Kiuprili, my Lord’s father —

Emerick. ‘Tis your talk,

Is it, good statesman Laska?

Laska. No, not mine, 15

Not mine, an please your Majesty! There are

Some insolent malcontents indeed that talk thus —

Nay worse, mere treason. As Bathory’s son,

The fool that ran into the monster’s jaws.

Emerick. Well, ‘tis a loyal monster if he rids us 20

Of traitors! But art sure the youth’s devoured?

Laska. Not a limb left, an please your Majesty!

And that unhappy girl —

Emerick. Thou followed’st her

Into the wood? [LASKA bows assent.

Henceforth then I’ll believe

That jealousy can make a hare a lion. 25

Laska. Scarce had I got the first glimpse of her veil,

When, with a horrid roar that made the leaves

Of the wood shake —

Emerick. Made thee shake like a leaf!

Laska. The war-wolf leapt; at the first plunge he seized her;

Forward I rushed!

Emerick. Most marvellous!

Laska. Hurled my javelin; 30

Which from his dragon-scales recoiling —

Emerick. Enough!

And take, friend, this advice. When next thou tonguest it,

Hold constant to thy exploit with this monster,

And leave untouched your common talk aforesaid,

What your Lord did, or should have done.

Laska. My talk? 35

The saints forbid! I always said, for my part,

‘Was not the king Lord Casimir’s dearest friend?

Was not that friend a king? Whate’er he did

‘Twas all from pure love to his Majesty.’

Emerick. And this then was thy talk? While knave and coward, 40

Both strong within thee, wrestle for the uppermost,

In slips the fool and takes the place of both.

Babbler! Lord Casimir did, as thou and all men.

He loved himself, loved honours, wealth, dominion.

All these were set upon a father’s head: 45

Good truth! a most unlucky accident!

For he but wished to hit the prize; not graze