and my name of Liveretto against the name of Borgia, that they are our charming ladies who have disguised themselves in this fashion to try our courage, and that if we lift up one of those hoods, we shall find under it the fresh and wicked face of a pretty dame. Let's see! (He raises, laughingly, one of the capuchins, and stands petrified at seeing under it the livid face of a monk, This begins to be strange! MAFFIO. I don't know why my blood chills in my veins- JEPPO. What a terrible snare! Our swords, our swords! Ah! gentlemen, we are with the devil here. ACT III. SCENE II. The same. DONA LUCRECE (appearing of a sudden, robed in black, on the threshold of the door). You are my guests! All (except Gennaro, who observes everything from the recess of a window, where he is not seen by Dona Lucrèce,) exclaim, Lucrèce Borgia! DONA LUCRECE. It's some days ago, since all of you whom I see here repeated that name in triumph. To-day you repeat it in dread. Yes, you may look at me with your eyes glassed by terror. It's I, gentlemen! I come to announce to you a piece of news-you are poisoned, all of you, my lords; here is not one of you who has an hour to live. Don't stir! The room adjoining is filled with pikes. It's my turn now to speak high, and to crush your head beneath my heel. Jeppo Liveretto, go join thy uncle Vitelli, whom I had poniarded in the cellars of the Vatican! Ascanio Petrucci, go rejoin your cousin Pandolfo, whom I had assassinated in order to rob him of his town! Oloferno Vitellozzo, thy uncle expects thee-thou knowest-that Jago d'Appiani-whom I had poisoned at a fête. Maffio Orsini, go talk of me in another world to thy brother Gravina, whom I had strangled in his sleep. Apostolo Gazella, I had thy father Francisco Gazella beheaded, I had thy cousin Alphonso of Aragon slain, say'st thou :-go and join them! On my soul, I think the supper I gave you at Ferrara is worth the ball you gave me at Venice. Fête for fête, my lords! JEPPO. This is a rude waking, Maffio! MAFFIO. Let us think of God! DONA LUCRECE. Ah! my young friends of last carnival, you did not quite expect this! Par Dieu-it seems to me that I can revenge myself. What think you, gentlemen? Who is the most skilled in the art of vengeance here? This is not bad, I think-hem! What say you? for a woman!-(To the Monks.)-My fathers, carry these gen tlemen into the adjoining room, which is prepared for their reception. Confess them! and profit by the few instants which remain to them to save what can be saved of their souls. Gentlemen, I advise those amongst you who have souls, to look after them. Rest satisfied! they are in good hands. These worthy fathers are the regular monks of St. Sixtus, permitted by our holy father the Pope to assist me on occasions such as this and if I have been careful of your souls, I have not been careless of your bodies.-Judge!—(To the monks who are before the door at the end.)-Stand on one side a little, my fathers, so that these gentlemen may see. (The Monks withdraw, and leave visible five coffins, covered each with a black cloth, and ranged before the door.) The number is there-there are five!-Ah! young men! you tear out the bowels of a poor woman, and you think she'll not avenge herself. Here, Jeppo, is your coffin-Maffio, here is yours. Oloferno, Apostolo, Ascanio, here are yours! GENNARO (whom she had not seen till then, steps forth). There must be a sixth, madam. DONA LUCRECE. Heavens, Gennaro ! GENNARO. Himself! LUCRECE Let every body leave the room-let us be left alone. Gubetta, whatever happens, whatever you may hear without, let no one enter here. GUBETTA. You shall be obeyed. (The Monks go out in procession, taking with them in their ranks the five seigneurs, tottering with wine.) Lucrèce now presses Gennaro to save himself by taking what remains of the antidote she had formerly given him. He asks, Is there enough to save all? She answers, No; barely enough for one. Gennaro then, furious at the death of his friends, seizes a knife from the table. LUCRECE. Oh! Gennaro, if thou didst but know-if thou didst but know the relationship between us! Thou knowest not how near and dear thou art to me-thou knowest not how we are connected.-The same blood runs in our veins.-Thy father was Jean Borgia. GENNARO. Your brother ;-then you are my aunt. "His aunt," says Lucrèce falteringly; and before her is death on one side, and an acknowledgment to her own son of incest with his father on the other She hesitates to tell all-and Gennaro, who looks upon her as his aunt, and the persecutrix of his mother, is only more resolved in his plans of vengeance. "Commit not this crime," she says, but she hesitates to add more, and upon Gennaro's brow gather yet more fixedly the thoughts of vengeance. 66 "A crime!” he exclaims: " and supposing it be a crime, am I not a Borgia?" At this instant the dying voice of Maffio d'Orsini comes to him from the adjoining chamber. Je n'écoute plus rien. Vous l'entendez, madame, il faut mourir! Au nom du ciel! LUCRECE. GENNARO. Non! (he stabs her.) LUCRECE. Ah! tu m'as tuée.-Gennaro! je suis ta mère ! |