Enter Camilla. Cos. And veil'd! Whence com'st thou, sister? speak! Why hast thou borne those tears and that wan face Abroad amongst the happy? Whence com'st thou? Cam. From one whose heart drops blood for this great grief. Cos. Whence? Cam. Cos. From St. Mark's. The Doge! The poor old Doge! We have no father now, And we should love each other. Stay with me. Eriz. The Doge! It was not by the Ducal cham-Chants daily requiems, that thy dower may swell My coffers; I but ask of thee to stay With me in thy dear Venice, thy dear home, Ha! Cos. She raves. Cam. Cos. Stay with me. Look how she trembles; she is overwatched; This is a frenzy. Cam. Sir, I am not mad; No. Then go, Eriz. You must seek her Already! Write to me Often. Is that forbidden? Yet the Doge With him. The time draws near. [Cosmo rushes out. May ask my Candiote jailer if his prisoner Now, Foscari, [Erit. Doge, Foscari, Guards. Fos. Here then we part. Those Guards-send them away, Let them not listen to the last faint word, Be strictly kept. Then I shall sometimes see, Doge. I will write to thee. And think Nor gaze on the last lingering look. Why doubt'st In the night's darkness, but one single thought But I must pray the Doge to come with me Were interlaced. The Senate, Doge, demands thee. To try, to torture, to condemn? Hath he Doge. Will wrap me in its blackness; then the throne, Oh I shall not be by To close thine eyes or kneel beside thy couch, Or gather from thy lips the last fond sound Which was to me a god, have I not offered Zeno. Francesco, Embark not till ye hear from me.-My lord, This way. He knows well. Francesco, The whole world shall not part us. Fos. Mine! Mine own! My very own! I've lost wealth, country, home, Fame, friends, and father; I have nothing left Save thee, my dear one; but with thee I'm rich, [Exeunt Doge and Zeno. And great, and happy. Now let us go forth Cam. Nay, sit not shivering there Into our banishment. Give me thy hand, Upon the ground. Hast thou no word for me. My wife. Francesco ? Doge. I pray you pardon me-I'm old— I'm very old. Is he gone? I did not say Fos. Is he gone? Quite gone? For ever? Fortune, and friends, and home, to fly from them To sit and watch till the last hour, to strew Cos. Camilla, I command thee stay- Let go her hand. I warn ye part. They'll drive me Cam. Heed him not! Hold them asunder, Count, and in my prayers Why thou wast my foe! Foscari, come on! Now. Cos. Eriz. Work for me.-Ha! Cos. Erizzo. Eriz. Is he dead? Cos. Alas! alas! Lift up his head. Cam. (behind the scene.) Here! Here! Move not a step. Dare not to stir. Camilla, Fos. Who is he that dares obstruct His true and faithful love. Now leave us, Sir; Cos. Murderer! Ravisher! Canst thou not hasten? Cos. heard And cold contempt, and bitter pardon-dared I have a tenfold curse. Long be thy reign, Doge. Thanks, gracious heaven! Lead him to instant death. [Exit Erizzo guarded. Mine own! Enter Zeno and Guards. Cos. Ay, I am the Doge; My son! "T is I Zeno. Seize Count Erizzo, Guard. Have ye not That am the only murderer of the earth- What spectacle is this?-Know ye not, Sirs, That Foscari is guiltless, that the murderer Is found? Live! [Flinging off the Ducal bonnet. And bruise the stones of Venice! Tell the senate There lies their diadem. Now I am free! Now I may grieve and pity like a man! There's no need. Is life. Who talked of death? I cannot die In such a happiness. I'm well. He sinks; Zeno. All. Seize Erizzo, bind him. Eriz. The work is done, well done-Signor Donato, I thank thee still for that-and such revenge Is cheaply bought with life. Cos. Oh, damned viper! Eriz. Ay! Do ye know me? Not a man of ye But is my tool or victim. I'm your master. This was my aim when old Donato died, And but that Celso dared not cope with Foscari, And sought to catch him in a subtler springe, I had been now your Doge. And I am more. I am your master, Sirs. Look where he lies The towering Foscari, who yesterday Stood statelier than the marble gods of Rome In their proud beauty. Hearken! It is mute, The tongue which darted words of fiery scorn, Beloved son, JULIAN, A TRAGEDY. ΤΟ WILLIAM CHARLES MACREDY, Esq. WITH HIGH ESTEEM FOR THOSE ENDOWMENTS WHICH HAVE CAST NEW LUSTRE ON HIS ART; WITH WARM ADMIRATION FOR THOSE POWERS WHICH HAVE INSPIRED, AND THAT TASTE WHICH HAS FOSTERED, THE TRAGIC DRAMATISTS OF HIS AGE; WITH HEARTFELT GRATITUDE FOR THE ZEAL WITH WHICH HE BEFRIENDED THE PRODUCTION OF A STRANGER, FOR THE JUDICIOUS ALTERATIONS WHICH HE SUGGESTED, AND FOR THE ENERGY, THE PATHOS, AND THE SKILL MORE THAN EMBODIED ITS PRINCIPAL CHARACTER; This Tragedy THEY Who in Prologues for your favours ask, IS MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY PREFACE. THE Story and Characters of the following Tragedy are altogether fictitious. Annabel's cautions to silence in the first Scene, and the short dialogue between her and Julian, after he awakens, will be recognised by the classical reader as borrowed from the fine opening of the Orestes of Euripides; the incident of uncovering the body in the last Act is also taken from the Electra of Sophocles. Of any other intentional imitation, the Author is unconscious. A Prologue to "the posey of a ring." To what may we allude?—Our plot untold |