Robert Bridges

“ Thy will hath conquered mine;
And if I wronged thee, thou hast wronged me more.
Thou hast loved my daughter, and strangely won her love
Away from him whom for my son I had chosen,
And pillar of my house: thou hast driven away
My best ally, and left my kingdom naked:—
For this thy death would be but fair revenge.
And there’s a secret cause why I should hate thee
Above all this: thou hast suborned my daughter: 1851
She hath denied her faith. See there: (gives letter) see there,
What she hath writ. Read all. Seest thou not now?
’Tis true, she kills herself; she dies for thee. ”

“ It all comes of love: or rather, I should say, it all came of my hat. I would it had been consumed entirely. This hole in the crown is not to be mended ... and all round ’tis like tinder, it breaks with a touch. Of what contemptible material are these hats made! It might have been sewn up else. Now ’tis a picture of me. Yes, the hat is me, as it were; the hole in the crown is the ruin of my fortunes wrought upon me by the fiery lamp, which is my love for Flora. There’s a parable. Could I write a poem on this, it might appease the Countess. Deary me! What are Flora and I to do? ”

“ Maybe thou hast never tasted, prince, this sorrow,
When fortune smiling upon those we love
Removes them from our reach—when we awake
To our small reckoning in the circumstance 1200
We are grown to lean on.—Cursèd be the day
Whereon we met: or would thou hadst slain me there—
My wrongs are worse than death.
Fer.How! can it be?
Tell me but truth. Art thou my rival, Sala?
Thou art: thou art. Yet ’twas thyself deceived me.
Thou’st ever spoken of her as of a daughter. ”

“ And yet there was, Laura, a robbery:
Of honour,—our honour,—of woman’s honour.
Laura, thou knowest the sacredness of love:
Love is the one thing in the world which women
Must guard from profanation; for by love 1550
They rule; and if they trifle with their power,
They come to be men’s chattels, not their queens. [Pg 213]
Thou’lt soon be married, Laura, and I can talk
Freely of these things: I have taught thee the religious
And philosophic doctrines; but to-day
We deal with facts. ”

“ Al.Now, if my father heard thee!
Thou dar’st much, thinking that I cannot tell:
Which if I have never done, ’tis that I am loth
To lose so old a friend; ’tis pain to see
That as I am grown from childhood, thou art grown
From friendship, and for loving me too much
Must love me now no more.
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Sa.Ah! what is that?
A portrait in thy hand? Nay show it me.
Why dost thou blush? Who is the happy one
Thou carriest thus to gaze on?
Al.Look and see.
Sa. ’Tis Tarudante. O thou faithless Almeh,
To speak of friendship who hast never told me
Thou hast a lover. Now I see the cause
Why thou art here. ”

“ What is love’s chiefest pain? How think you, Frederick?
The speech lies with Ricardo, as our guest.
R. Am I to answer?
D.Ay, sir: you must tell
What, in your judgment, is love’s chiefest pain.
R. ’Tis well, my lady, I am not one of those,
Who, when they would speak wisely, go about
To weigh their pros and cons; in doing which
They but confess their common thoughts are folly, 281
Which they must mask. I have a steady mind,
Which thinking cannot mend: and well I know
The greatest pain in love is when a man
Hath loved a lady most deservedly,
And been most undeservedly refused ”

“ TRISTRAM and FLORA meeting.
TRISTRAM.
Ha, Flora! where’s Sir Gregory? What red eyes: blubbering!
FLORA.
I am discharged, Tristram, discharged. The Countess has discharged me for keeping company with you. And she has been crying too, to have to part with me. What ever will come to us?
T. What matters? I’ll cheer thee, girl. Look here! More money. There’s five pieces of gold: and all for carrying this letter to Sir Gregory. Where is he?
Fl. Who gave it you? [Pg 281]
T. That Mr. Ricardo. It’s a mystery, Flora: but there’s something in it, I do believe.
Fl. Mr. Ricardo? ”

“ Almeh, thou must not die.
Re-enter Sala.
Sa. Prince Ferdinand will come.
K.Is he not here?
Sa. He comes.
K.Why look’st thou thus upon me, Sala?
Sa. Because, sire, thou’st dishonoured me, and slain
A noble warrior, who gave me life.
K. Slain him!
Sa.Ay, king: except thou raise the dead.
For tho’he breathes, ’tis with such failing gasps
As mastering death allows to his sure prey.
K. Thou art over-fearful; three days without food
Should make him weak and faint, but not to death. ”

“ N. Thou dost respect the Countess’eye and ear,
And wilt not love when she is by: but now
Give me at least thy hand to kiss.
L.Why no, sir.
N. Say then thou lovest me, sweetest Laura.—
L. Nay, but I do not, sir. I understand
That women love their husbands, and I promise 1710
To love mine when I am married; yes, as well
As any happy woman on this earth
Hath ever loved. Are you content with that?
N. I should be, Laura; but thou dost not speak
As if ’twere true. I could see well enough
Thou wert not sorry when Sir Gregory said
He would not sign. I know thou wilt not love me. ”

“ L.Diana loves you.
F.You know it too!
L. You know it!
F.I!—Why, Laura, is this your secret?
L. I see you have guessed it; yet, perhaps, for thinking
Thou shouldst be loyal where thy faith is cherished, 1001
Thou hast never weighed her claim with mine; and that
I’d have thee do. Look to thine interest:
For loving women differ not so much
But all may make good wives; and whatsoe’er
Thou thinkest to see in me, Frederick, I am sure
I lack all excellence. ”

“ Our nature hath this need: woman must love.
But oh! to have made my idol of a stone,
To my wórship a déaf unanswering stone!
At last I am cured. Since not my rank suffices 2850
To set me above the rules I gave my maids,
I’ll never love. Am I to stand and wait,
Till some man fancy me, and then to melt
And conjure inclination at a nod?
O man, thou art our god: the almighty’s curse
Crowns thee our master: from the green-sick girl
That mopes in worship of the nearest fool,
To the poor jaded wife of thirty years
Who dotes upon her striker, ’tis the same.... ”

“ Fer.Ah, Sala,
Where be these captives kept? if thou wouldst help me,
I pray thee bring me in time where I may see them.
I must speak with them.
721
Sa.That is easy, prince.
Behind these garden grounds is a deep pit,
Used as a quarry once; steep hanging sides
Of rock it hath, that hewn away below
Are inaccessible to any foot
Save the soft lizard, that hath made his home
Among the clefts with scorpions and snakes,
And on the scorching ledges basks all day.
’Tis there these Christians lie. One way there is 730
Climbing by solid steps of native stone,
That comes up to the ground. ”

“ Without the excuse of passion, thou shouldst wrong
A lady so unkindly.
R.Ah, Diana!
Hast thou not guessed my secret? [Pg 289]
D.By heaven, sir,
Did the Duke send thee here to insult me too?
R. Dearest Diana, I am the Duke of Milan.
D. Ha! thou! Thy face behind the bush. ’Tis thou.
Should I have known it? No. I can thank God
I knew it so little. By help tho’of thy acts
I recognize your grace. ’Tis like thee indeed,
That hast not scrupled thus to steal upon me
Masked and disguised ”

“ Enter King with Tarudante and Ferdinand, followed by Enrique and Sala.
Za. (to A.) . There’s Tarudante.
Al. (aside) . There is Ferdinand.
KING (to T.) .
Now, noble prince, thou hast overcome our foes;
This is thy second battlefield, whereon
Thy love may win like conquest as thy sword.
Pitch here thy tent, and make thy war in peace.
Forget the reeking and gore-dappled plain
Mid scent of pinks and jasmin, and the flush
Of oleander and full-blooded rose.
See, I will lead thee to the virgin fortress
That thou mayst kneel to take. Come hither, Almeh: 541
Here is the prince thy lover. ”

“ Fer. So far as ’tis within the power of him
Who scorns base actions to commit the basest.
Al. My sire, prince, hath a right and titled claim.
Fer. Christ hath erased all titles with his cross;
And by that sign reclaims the world he made.
Al. I know, prince, thou art generous; for thou gavest 900
Life to thine enemy: and for that gift
I am thy friend. ’Tis for thyself I plead.
The king hath nothing nearer to his heart
Than this possession: ’tis thy life’s condition.
Yield where thou must. ”

“ Sir GREGORY.
I am shocked, your ladyship, at what hath happened:
Ricardo hath told me. But there seems no doubt
The unknown intruder hath escaped. Be sure
You may retire in safety, without fear 2190
Of being disturbed again. I will go round
And see that all’s secure. To-morrow morning
There shall be full inquiry.
D.To-morrow? Nay,
I do not leave this spot till I know all.
I guess who ’tis.
G.I pray your ladyship
Retire. The cold air of the hall, the excitement
At such an hour may harm your ladyship.
D. No. If I die I’ll learn the truth at once. ”

“ Well fancy, Tristram! dancing all alone!
T. Lack of company constrains a man to be alone; and as for dancing, ’tis the original sin Adam was born with. ’Twas seeing him dance alone provoked providence to send him a partner. ’Tis now the inheritance of lambs and such innocents: and wert thou not too depraved by a court life, I would ask thee to dance with me. ”

“ Thy husband will be a man whom thou wilt rule,
One who adores thee reverently, who holds
Of love, as I, and with some special fancy:—
He is quite a poet.—Why, now, shouldst thou smile? 1560
Thou hast no taste in poetry, but suppose
St. Nicholas had lacked that inner sight,
Had fancied thee merely because he thought thee
A fine girl, and had used the common tricks
Of odious trifling, till he dared to kiss thee,
And meet thee alone, and put his arm about thee....
L. Good heavens, Diana! I hope you do not think
He has ever done so.
D.No: of course he wouldn’t.
But ’tis a fact men do such things ”

“ Ch. Alas for us and them. Thou canst not save.
We are all enslavèd, all undone.
Fer.Be so,
Tame, cagèd wills, the off-scourings of fortune, 841
Mere counters of disaster! I will not yield.
Ch. Yield, prince, for us, who left our homes so far
To serve under thy banner; whom thine arm
Hath led to slavery—O prince, set them free,
Whom thou hast bound.—Restore us. Pay the price. ”

“ L. Because thou knowest, Love, I desire not wealth.
My happiness would be to live with thee
And for thee: but to thee what can I bring?
Think not because I wish thee fortunate,
That I forget my hope, or slight the treasure
So much desirèd of my loving soul.
F. And for that loving soul you bid me take 1030
Some fifty thousand ducats by the year,
A major-domo, and a heap of things
That are a proverb for their emptiness!
L. Diana’s love, I said; that with the ducats.
F. Well, what doth all this come to when ’tis told?
First is Diana’s love. Diana’s love
Is nothing, for I do not love Diana. ”

“ Dies, falling on Ferdinand’s body.
Scuffling at back of stage, the guard runs forward, followed by the Chorus.
GUARD.
Some fiend hath pierced my back in the dark.
CHORUS.
Hey, fellow;
Silence, or I will slay thee. ’Tis well; he is dead.—
—Silently, silently.—Stay, stay. Which way?—
Here o’er the wall.—Hark thou, there’s fighting there—
Our men have driven them back—we be too late.—
They will return—See where they climb the wall. ”

“ T. Well, if you choose to wait, I know what you come after. ’Tis not the sonnet.
N. When will Frederick be back, Tristram?
T. But I’ll give you back your sonnet, if you will write me a poem about my hat, this hat. ’Tis but to versify my own imaginations. See! I am the hat: the hole in it is my discharge: the flame which burnt the hole is Flora,—that’s the Countess’maid. All is good. There’s the blackness of the hat, the fire of the lamp, the abysm of the hole: it lacks but the moon, which you might shift to see through the crown ”

“ That thou shouldst love Morocco, and being so far
Won to the faith, shouldst willingly renounce
Thy saintly liberty: but rather so,
Than that by one thou lov’st not, against thy will,
Thou shouldst be harnessed 'neath the common yoke.
Al. My will is nothing, prince, and if Morocco 1430
Already hath three wives, I shall rank first.
Fer. Monstrous! Wilt thou stoop to such servile change?
Al. Unwittingly thou speak’st against thyself.
Fer. Alas! what words have injured me with thee?
Al. None: but thy fate is knit in one with theirs,
Whose happiness thou bidst me now not weigh. [Pg 79]
Fer. ”

“ That man hath e’er invented, to combine
In sentences that mock mortality,
Are proud enough to tell thee; therefore—
I say in plainest speech, Almeh, I love thee.
For thy goodwill I thank thee: but my fate, 1450
If thou dost love me not, or art another’s,—
Life or death, misery and imprisonment,
Slavery or freedom, count as little with me,
As when I shall be dead, where I may lie.
Say, if thou canst, thou lov’st me: and if not,
Thou shalt at least have heard, and I have told,
My tale; how to prince Ferdinand of Portugal
Thou didst appear the only being on earth [Pg 80]
Worth his devotion ”

“ Re-enter Zapel, hurriedly.
Za. My lady, hast thou heard?
Al.What is it, Zapel?
Za. The infidels are routed, and the king
Is coming from the field with Tarudante, 500
Prince of Morocco, and between them ride
The two chief captains of the unbelievers,
Princes of Portugal: be Allah praised.
Ch. Alas! O woe, alas! Forgive us, lady,
That thus we weep before thee.
Al.Nay, be sure
I pity you myself, and could not blame
Your natural grief. But ’tis the vice of war,
That whatsoever side hath victory,
The misery is alike, nor in the advantage
Is aught to compensate the evil done. ”

“ On both to balance: and, this way refused,
’Tis hell and death. And he will thank me too.
He is brave and noble; and the stoutest foes
Are won to stoutest friendship. See, he comes.
Enter Fer., upborne between two Moorish soldiers.
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Prince Ferdinand, our quarrel comes to end.
A message has arrived from prince Enrique.
Your brother Edward, that was king, is dead.
Wherefore the power which I have used on thee
I now relax. I have a gentler purpose
And a persuasion thou mayst guess; while thou,
Owing no loyalty but to thyself,
I am well assured wilt not be slow to meet me. ”