Samuel Coleridge - The Complete Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Strumpeted first, then turned adrift to beggary!

Thou prayed’st for’t too.

Sarolta. Thou art so fiendish wicked,

That in thy blasphemies I scarce hear thy threats!

Bethlen. Lady, be calm! fear not this king of the buskin! 315

A king? Oh laughter! A king Bajazet!

That from some vagrant actor’s tiring-room,

Hath stolen at once his speech and crown!

Emerick. Ah! treason!

Thou hast been lessoned and tricked up for this!

As surely as the wax on thy death-warrant 320

Shall take the impression of this royal signet,

So plain thy face hath ta’en the mask of rebel!

[BETHLEN seizes EMERICK’S hand and eagerly observes the

signet.

Bethlen. It must be so! ‘Tis e’en the counterpart!

But with a foul usurping cypher on it!

The light hath flashed from Heaven, and I must follow it! 325

O curst usurper! O thou brother-murderer!

That mad’st a star-bright queen a fugitive widow!

Who fill’st the land with curses, being thyself

All curses in one tyrant! see and tremble!

This is Kiuprili’s sword that now hangs o’er thee! 330

Kiuprili’s blasting curse, that from its point

Shoots lightnings at thee. Hark! in Andreas’ name,

Heir of his vengeance, hell-hound! I defy thee.

[They fight, and just as EMERICK is disarmed, in rush

CASIMIR, OLD BATHORY, and Attendants. CASIMIR

runs in between the combatants, and parts them;

in the struggle BETHLEN’S sword is thrown down.

Casimir. The king! disarmed too by a stranger! Speak!

What may this mean?

Emerick. Deceived, dishonored lord! 335

Ask thou yon fair adultress! She will tell thee

A tale, which would’st thou be both dupe and traitor,

Thou wilt believe against thy friend and sovereign!

Thou art present now, and a friend’s duty ceases:

To thine own justice leave I thine own wrongs. 340

Of half thy vengeance I perforce must rob thee,

For that the sovereign claims. To thy allegiance

I now commit this traitor and assassin.

[Then to the Attendants.

Hence with him to the dungeon! and tomorrow,

Ere the sun rises, — Hark! your heads or his! 345

Bethlen. Can Hell work miracles to mock Heaven’s justice?

Emerick. Who speaks to him dies! The traitor that has menaced

His king, must not pollute the breathing air,

Even with a word!

Casimir (to Bathory). Hence with him to the dungeon!

[Exit BETHLEN, hurried off by BATHORY and Attendants.

Emerick. We hunt tomorrow in your upland forest: 350

Thou (to Casimir) wilt attend us: and wilt then explain

This sudden and most fortunate arrival.

[Exit EMERICK; Manent CASIMIR and SAROLTA.

Sarolta. My lord! my husband! look whose sword lies yonder!

It is Kiuprili’s, Casimir; ‘tis thy father’s!

And wielded by a stripling’s arm, it baffled, 355

Yea, fell like Heaven’s own lightnings on that Tarquin.

Casimir. Hush! hush!

I had detected ere I left the city

The tyrant’s curst intent. Lewd, damnéd ingrate!

For him did I bring down a father’s curse! 360

Swift, swift must be our means! Tomorrow’s sun

Sets on his fate or mine! O blest Sarolta!

No other prayer, late penitent, dare I offer,

But that thy spotless virtues may prevail

O’er Casimir’s crimes, and dread Kiuprili’s curse! 365

[Exeunt.

himself: then with scorn). 1817, 1828, 1829.

1828, 1829.

[Before 115] Bethlen (holding up his hand as if to strike him). 1817,

1828, 1829.

[Before 118] Laska (still more recovering). 1817, 1828, 1829.

[Before 161] [Then very pompously. 1817, 1828, 1829.

Bathory. Go! Go! [BETHLEN breaks off and exit. BATHORY looks

affectionately after him.

1817, 1828, 1829.

[After 213]

Scene changes … tapestry.

SAROLTA in an elegant Night Dress, and an Attendant.

1817, 1828, 1829.

you!’ 1817, 1828, 1829.

Stained with adulterous blood, and — [Then to Sarolta.

1817, 1828, 1829.

[After 322] [EMERICK points his hand haughtily towards BETHLEN, who

catching a sight of the signet, seizes his hand and eagerly observes the

signet, then flings the hand back with indignant joy. 1817, 1828, 1829.

[After 353] [Pointing to the sword which BETHLEN had been disarmed of

by the Attendants. 1817, 1828, 1829.

Casimir. Hush! Hush! [In an under voice.

1817, 1828, 1829.

[After 362] [Embracing her. 1817, 1828, 1829.

[After 365] [Exeunt consulting. 1817, 1828, 1829.

END OF ACT III. 1817.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

A glade in a wood. Enter CASIMIR looking anxiously around.

Casimir. This needs must be the spot! O, here he comes!

Enter LORD RUDOLPH.

Well met, Lord Rudolph! ——

Your whisper was not lost upon my ear,

And I dare trust —

Lord Rudolph. Enough! the time is precious!

You left Temeswar late on yester-eve? 5

And sojourned there some hours?

Casimir. I did so!

Lord Rudolph. Heard you

Aught of a hunt preparing?

Casimir. Yes; and met

The assembled huntsmen!

Lord Rudolph. Was there no word given?

Casimir. The word for me was this: — The royal Leopard

Chases thy milk-white dedicated Hind. 10

Lord Rudolph. Your answer?

Casimir. As the word proves false or true

Will Casimir cross the hunt, or join the huntsmen!

Lord Rudolph. The event redeemed their pledge?

Casimir. It did, and

therefore

Have I sent back both pledge and invitation.

The spotless Hind hath fled to them for shelter, 15

And bears with her my seal of fellowship! [They take hands.

Lord Rudolph. But Emerick! how when you reported to him

Sarolta’s disappearance, and the flight

Of Bethlen with his guards?

Casimir. O he received it

As evidence of their mutual guilt. In fine, 20

With cozening warmth condoled with, and dismissed me.

Lord Rudolph. I entered as the door was closing on you:

His eye was fixed, yet seemed to follow you, —

With such a look of hate, and scorn and triumph,

As if he had you in the toils already, 25

And were then choosing where to stab you first.

But hush! draw back!

Casimir. This nook is at the furthest

From any beaten track.

Lord Rudolph. There! mark them!

[Points to where LASKA and PESTALUTZ cross the Stage.

Casimir. Laska!

Lord Rudolph. One of the two I recognized this morning;

His name is Pestalutz: a trusty ruffian 30

Whose face is prologue still to some dark murder.

Beware no stratagem, no trick of message,

Dispart you from your servants.

Casimir (aside). I deserve it.

The comrade of that ruffian is my servant:

The one I trusted most and most preferred. 35

But we must part. What makes the king so late?

It was his wont to be an early stirrer.

Lord Rudolph. And his main policy.

To enthral the sluggard nature in ourselves

Is, in good truth, the better half of the secret

To enthral the world: for the will governs all. 40

See, the sky lowers! the cross-winds waywardly

Chase the fantastic masses of the clouds

With a wild mockery of the coming hunt!

Casimir. Mark yonder mass! I make it wear the shape

Of a huge ram that butts with head depressed. 45

Lord Rudolph (smiling). Belike, some stray sheep of the oozy

flock,

Which, if bards lie not, the Sea-shepherds tend,

Glaucus or Proteus. But my fancy shapes it

A monster couchant on a rocky shelf.

Casimir. Mark too the edges of the lurid mass — 50