Samuel Coleridge - The Complete Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge

By shouts ere victory. Deem it then thy duty

To pay this homage, when ‘tis mine to claim it.

Glycine. Accept thine handmaid’s service! [Kneeling.

Zapolya. Raise her, son!

O raise her to thine arms! she saved thy life,

And through her love for thee, she saved thy mother’s! 190

Hereafter thou shalt know, that this dear maid

Hath other and hereditary claims

Upon thy heart, and with Heaven guarded instinct

But carried on the work her sire began!

Andreas. Dear maid! more dear thou canst not be! the rest 195

Shall make my love religion. Haste we hence:

For as I reached the skirts of this high forest,

I heard the noise and uproar of the chase,

Doubling its echoes from the mountain foot.

Glycine. Hark! sure the hunt approaches.

[Horn without, and afterwards distant thunder.

Zapolya. O Kiuprili! 200

Old Bathory. The demon-hunters of the middle air

Are in full cry, and scare with arrowy fire

The guilty! Hark! now here, now there, a horn

Swells singly with irregular blast! the tempest

Has scattered them! [Horns at a distance.

Zapolya. O Heavens! where stays Kiuprili? 205

Old Bathory. The wood will be surrounded! leave me here.

Andreas. My mother! let me see thee once in safety.

I too will hasten back, with lightning’s speed,

To seek the hero!

Old Bathory. Haste! my life upon it

I’ll guide him safe.

Andreas (thunder). Ha! what a crash was there! 210

Heaven seems to claim a mightier criminal

Than yon vile subaltern.

Zapolya. Your behest, High powers,

Lo, I obey! To the appointed spirit,

That hath so long kept watch round this drear cavern,

In fervent faith, Kiuprili, I entrust thee! 215

[Exeunt ZAPOLYA, ANDREAS, and GLYCINE.

Old Bathory. Yon bleeding corse may work us mischief still:

Once seen, ‘twill rouse alarm and crowd the hunt

From all parts towards this spot. Stript of its armour,

I’ll drag it hither.

[Exit BATHORY. Several Hunters cross the Stage.

Enter KIUPRILI.

Raab Kiuprili (throwing off his disguise). Since Heaven alone

can save me, Heaven alone 220

Shall be my trust.

Haste! haste! Zapolya, flee!

Gone! Seized perhaps? Oh no, let me not perish

Despairing of Heaven’s justice! Faint, disarmed,

Each sinew powerless; senseless rock, sustain me!

Thou art parcel of my native land!

A sword! 225

Ha! and my sword! Zapolya hath escaped,

The murderers are baffled, and there lives

An Andreas to avenge Kiuprili’s fall! —

There was a time, when this dear sword did flash

As dreadful as the storm-fire from mine arm — 230

I can scarce raise it now — yet come, fell tyrant!

And bring with thee my shame and bitter anguish,

To end his work and thine! Kiuprili now

Can take the deathblow as a soldier should.

[Re-enter BATHORY, with the dead body of PESTALUTZ.

Old Bathory. Poor tool and victim of another’s guilt! 235

Thou follow’st heavily: a reluctant weight!

Good truth, it is an undeservéd honour

That in Zapolya and Kiuprili’s cave

A wretch like thee should find a burial-place.

‘Tis he! — In Andreas’ and Zapolya’s name 240

Follow me, reverend form! Thou need’st not speak,

For thou canst be no other than Kiuprili.

Kiuprili. And are they safe? [Noise without.

Old Bathory. Conceal yourself, my lord!

I will mislead them!

Kiuprili. Is Zapolya safe?

Old Bathory. I doubt it not; but haste, haste, I conjure

you! [Enter CASIMIR. 245

Casimir. Monster!

Thou shalt not now escape me!

Old Bathory. Stop, lord Casimir!

It is no monster.

Casimir. Art thou too a traitor?

Is this the place where Emerick’s murderers lurk?

Say where is he that, tricked in this disguise, 250

First lured me on, then scared my dastard followers?

Thou must have seen him. Say where is th’ assassin?

Old Bathory. There lies the assassin! slain by that same sword

That was descending on his curst employer,

When entering thou beheld’st Sarolta rescued! 255

Casimir. Strange providence! what then was he who fled me?

Thy looks speak fearful things! Whither, old man!

Would thy hand point me?

Old Bathory. Casimir, to thy father.

Casimir. The curse! the curse! Open and swallow me,

Unsteady earth! Fall, dizzy rocks! and hide me! 260

Old Bathory. Speak, speak, my lord!

Kiuprili. Bid him fulfil his work!

Casimir. Thou art Heaven’s immediate minister, dread spirit!

O for sweet mercy, take some other form,

And save me from perdition and despair!

Old Bathory. He lives!

Casimir. Lives! A father’s curse can never die! 265

Kiuprili. O Casimir! Casimir!

Old Bathory. Look! he doth forgive you!

Hark! ‘tis the tyrant’s voice. [EMERICK’S voice without.

Casimir. I kneel, I kneel!

Retract thy curse! O, by my mother’s ashes,

Have pity on thy self-abhorring child!

If not for me, yet for my innocent wife, 270

Yet for my country’s sake, give my arm strength,

Permitting me again to call thee father!

Kiuprili. Son, I forgive thee! Take thy father’s sword;

When thou shalt lift it in thy country’s cause,

In that same instant doth thy father bless thee! 275

[Enter EMERICK.

Emerick. Fools! Cowards! follow — or by Hell I’ll make you

Find reason to fear Emerick, more than all

The mummer-fiends that ever masqueraded

As gods or wood-nymphs! —

Ha! ‘tis done then!

Our necessary villain hath proved faithful, 280

And there lies Casimir, and our last fears!

Well! — Aye, well! ——

And is it not well? For though grafted on us,

And filled too with our sap, the deadly power

Of the parent poison-tree lurked in its fibres: 285

There was too much of Raab Kiuprili in him:

The old enemy looked at me in his face,

E’en when his words did flatter me with duty.

Enter CASIMIR and BATHORY.

Old Bathory (aside). This way they come!

Casimir (aside). Hold them in check

awhile,

The path is narrow! Rudolph will assist thee. 290

Emerick (aside). And ere I ring the alarum of my sorrow,

I’ll scan that face once more, and murmur — Here

Lies Casimir, the last of the Kiuprilis!

Hell! ‘tis Pestalutz!

Casimir (coming forward). Yes, thou ingrate Emerick!

‘Tis Pestalutz! ‘tis thy trusty murderer! 295

To quell thee more, see Raab Kiuprili’s sword!

Emerick. Curses on it and thee! Think’st thou that petty omen

Dare whisper fear to Emerick’s destiny?

Ho! Treason! Treason!

Casimir. Then have at thee, tyrant!

[They fight. EMERICK falls.

Emerick. Betrayed and baffled 300

By mine own tool! —— Oh! [Dies.

Casimir. Hear, hear, my Father!

Thou should’st have witnessed thine own deed. O Father,

Wake from that envious swoon! The tyrant’s fallen!

Thy sword hath conquered! As I lifted it

Thy blessing did indeed descend upon me; 305

Dislodging the dread curse. It flew forth from me

And lighted on the tyrant!

Enter RUDOLPH, BATHORY, and Attendants.

Rudolph and Bathory. Friends! friends to Casimir!

Casimir. Rejoice, Illyrians! the usurper’s fallen.

Rudolph. So perish tyrants! so end usurpation! 310

Casimir. Bear hence the body, and move slowly on!

One moment ——

Devoted to a joy, that bears no witness,

I follow you, and we will greet our countrymen

With the two best and fullest gifts of heaven — 315

A tyrant fallen, a patriot chief restored!