Hero or natural coward, shall have guidance
Of a free people's destiny; should fall out
In the mere lottery of a reckless nature,

Where few the prizes and the blanks are countless?
Or haply that a nation's fate should hang
On the bald accident of a midwife's handling
The unclosed sutures of an infant's skull?

CASIMIR.

What better claim can sovereign wish or need,
Than the free voice of men who love their country?
Those chiefly who have fought for 't? Who, by right,
Claim for their monarch one, who having obey'd
So hath best learnt to govern; who, having suffer'd,
Can feel for each brave sufferer and reward him?
Whence sprang the name of Emperor? Was it not
By Nature's fat? In the storm of triumph,
'Mid warriors' shouts, did her oracular voice
Make itself heard: Let the commanding spirit
Possess the station of command!

KAAB KIUPRILI.

Prince Emerick,

Your cause will prosper best in your own pleading.
EMERICK (aside to CASIMIR).

Ragozzi was thy school-mate-a bold spirit!
Bind him to us!-Thy father thaws apace!

[Then aloud.
Leave us awhile, my Lord!--Your friend, Ragozzi,
Whom you have not yet seen since his return,
Commands the guard to-day.

CASIMIR retires to the Guard-House; and after a
time appears before it with CHEF RAGOZZI.
We are alone.

What further pledge or proof desires Kiuprili?
Then, with your assent

RAAB KIUPRILI.

Mistake not for assent
The unquiet silence of a stern Resolve,
Throttling the impatient voice. I have heard thee,

Prince!

And I have watch'd thee, too; but have small faith in
A plausible tale told with a flitting eye.

Wouldst thou have pilfer'd from our school-boys
themes

These shallow sophisms of a popular choice?
What people? How convened? or, if convened,
Must not the magic power that charms together
Millions of men in council, needs have power
To win or wield them? Better, O far better
Shout forth thy titles to yon circling mountains,
And with a thousand-fold reverberation
Make the rocks flatter thee, and the volleying air,
Unbribed, shout back to thee, King Emerick!
By wholesome laws to embank the sovereign power
To deepen by restraint, and by prevention
Of lawless will to amass and guide the flood
In its majestic channel, is man's task
And the true patriot's glory! In all else
Men safelier trust to Heaven, than to themselves
When least themselves in the mad whirl of crowds
Where folly is contagious, and too oft
Even wise men leave their better sense at home,
To chide and wonder at them when return'd.
EMERICK (aloud).

Is't thus, thou scoff'st the people! most of all,
The soldiers, the defenders of the people?

RAAB KIUPRILI (aloud).

O most of all, most miserable nation,
For whom th' Imperial power, enormous bubble!
Is blown and kept aloft, or burst and shatter'd
By the bribed breath of a lewd soldiery!
Chiefly of such, as from the frontiers far
(Which is the noblest station of true warriors),
In rank licentious idleness beleaguer
City and court, a venom'd thorn i' the side
Of virtuous kings, the tyrant's slave and tyrant,
Still ravening for fresh largess! but with such
What title claim'st thou, save thy birth? What merita
Which many a liegeman may not plead as well,
Brave though I grant thee? If a life outlabor'd
Head, heart, and fortunate arm, in watch and war,
For the land's fame and weal; if large acquests.
Made honest by th' aggression of the foe
And whose best praise is, that they bring us safety;

[EMERICK turns as about to call for the Guard. If victory, doubly-wreathed, whose under-garland

In the next moment I am in thy power,
In this thou art in mine. Stir but a step,
Or make one sign-I swear by this good sword,
Thou diest that instant.

Of laurel-leaves looks greener and more sparkling
Through the gray olive-branch; if these, Prince Eme

rick!

Give the true title to the throne, not thou

No! (let Illyria, let the infidel enemy

Be judge and arbiter between us!) I,

I were the rightful sovereign!

EMERICK.

I have faith

That thou both think'st and hopest it. Fair Zapolys
A provident lady—

RAAB KIUPRILI.

Wretch, beneath all answer'

EMERICK.

Offers at once the royal bed and throne!

RAAB KIUPRILI.

To be a kingdom's bulwark, a king's glory,
Yet loved by both, and trusted, and trust-worthy,
Is more than to be king; but see! thy rage
Fights with thy fear. I will relieve thee! Ho!
[To the Guard

EMERICK.

Not for thy sword, but to entrap thee, ruffian'

Thus long I have listen'd-Guard-ho! from the And let this darkness

Be calm, young friend! Nought shall be done in anger.
The child o'erpowers the man.
In this emergence
I must take counsel for us both. Retire.

Be as the shadow of thy outspread wings
To hide and shield us! Start'st thou in thy slumbers?
Thou canst not dream of savage Emerick. Hush!
Betray not thy poor mother! For if they seize thee,
I shall grow mad indeed, and they'll believe
Thy wicked uncle's lie. Ha! what? A soldier?
[She starts back-and enter CHEF RAGOZZL

CHEF RAGOZZI.

Sure Heaven befriends us. Well! he hath escaped
O rare tune of a tyrant's promises
That can enchant the serpent treachery
From forth its lurking-hole in the heart. Ragozzi!
"O brave Ragozzi! Count! Commander! What not?"
And all this too for nothing! a poor nothing!
Merely to play the underling in the murder
Of my best friend Kiuprili! His own son-monstrous!
Tyrant! I owe thee thanks, and in good hour
Will I repay thee, for that thou thought'st me too
A serviceable villain. Could I now
But gain some sure intelligence of the queen:
Heaven bless and guard her!

ZAPOLYA (coming fearfully forward).
Art thou not Ragozzi

[Exit CASIMIR in agitation. Kiuprili! how?

EMERICK (alone, looks at a Calendar).
The changeful planet, now in her decay,
Dips down at midnight, to be seen no more.
With her shall sink the enemies of Emerick,
Cursed by the last look of the waning moon;
And my bright destiny, with sharpen'd horns,
Shall greet me fearless in the new-born crescent.

[Exit. Scene changes to another view, namely, the back of the Palace a Wooded Park, and Mountains.

Enter ZAPOLYA, with an Infant in her arms.

ZAPOLYA.

Hush, dear one! hush! My trembling arm disturbs
thee!

Thou, the Protector of the helpless! thou,
The widow's Husband and the orphan's Father,
Direct my steps! Ah whither? O send down
Thy angel to a houseless babe and mother,
Driven forth into the cruel widerness!

ZAPOLYA.

CHEF RAGOZZI.

There is not time to tell it.
The tyrant call'd me to him, praised my zeal.
(And be assured I overtopt his cunning
And seem'd right zealous). But time wastes: in fine
Bids me dispatch my trustiest friends, as couriers
With letters to the army. The thought at once
Flash'd on me. I disguised my prisoner-

ZAPOLYA.

What! Raab Kiuprili?

CHEF RAGOZZI.

Yes! my noble general! I sent him off, with Emerick's own packet, Haste, and post haste-Prepared to follow him

ZAPOLYA.

Ah, how? Is it joy or fear? My limbs seem sinking!-
CHEF RAGOZZI (supporting her).
Heaven still befriends us. I have left my charger

Hush, sweet one! Thou art no Hagar's offspring: A gentle beast and fleet, and my boy's mule,

thou art

The rightful heir of an anointed king!

What sounds are those? It is the vesper chant
Of laboring men returning to their home!
Their queen has no home! Hear me, heavenly Father!

One that can shoot a precipice like a bird,
Just where the wood begins to climb the mountains.
The course we'll thread will mock the tyrant's guesses,
Or scare the followers. Ere we reach the main road
The Lord Kiuprili will have sent a troop

LADY SAROLTA, Wife of Lord Casimir.
GLYCINE, Orphan Daughter of Chef Ragoza

Between the flight of the Queen, and the civil war

Which, through a long descent where all sound which immediately followed, and in which Emerich

perishes,

Let out beyond the palace. Well I knew it
But Andreas framed it not! He was no tyrant!

CHEF RAGOZZI.

Haste, madam! Let me take this precious burden!
[He kneels as he takes the child.

ZAPOLYA.

Take him! And if we be pursued, I charge thee,
Flee thou and leave me! Flee and save thy king!

[Then as going off, she looks back on the palace.
Thou tyrant's den, be call'd no more a palace!
The orphan's angel at the throne of Heaven
Stands up against thee, and there hover o'er thee
A Queen's, a Mother's, and a Widow's curse.
Henceforth a dragon's haunt, fear and suspicion
Stand sentry at thy portals! Faith and honor,
Driven from the throne, shall leave the attainted na-

tion:

And, for the iniquity that houses in thee,
False glory, thirst of blood, and lust of rapine
(Fateful conjunction of malignant planets),
Shall shoot their blastments on the land. The fathers
Henceforth shall have no joy in their young men,
And when they cry: Lo! a male child is born!
The mother shall make answer with a groan.
For bloody usurpation, like a vulture,
Shall clog its beak within Illyria's heart.
Remorseless slaves of a remorseless tyrant!
They shall be mock'd with sounds of liberty,
And liberty shall be proclaim'd alone
To thee, O Fire! O Pestilence! O Sword!
Till Vengeance hath her fill. And thou, snatch'd
hence,

Again to the infant.) poor friendless fugitive! with
Mother's wailing,

Offspring of Royal Andreas, shalt return
With trump and timbrel clang, and popular shout
n triumph to the palace of thy fathers!

[Exeunt.

remained the victor, a space of twenty years is sup posed to have elapsed.

Yes, madam! he was there. So was the maypole, Be brief! We know his titles! For we danced round it.

Old man! you talk I oft have pass'd your cottage, and still praised
Its beauty, and that trim orchard-plot, whose blossom
The gusts of April shower'd aslant its thatch.
Come, shall show it me! And while you bid it
you
Farewell, be not ashamed that I should witness
The oil of gladness glittering on the water
Of an ebbing grief.