'Tis a rich sobbing melody, with reliefs
Full and majestic; it is well enough,
And will be sweeter, when ye see her pace
Sweeping into this presence, glisten'd o'er
With emptied caskets, and her train upheld
By ladies, habited in robes of lawn,
Sprinkled with golden crescents; (others bright
In silks, with spangles shower'd,) and bow'd to
By Duchesses and pearled Margravines—

Sad, that the fairest creature of the earth

I

pray you mind me not-'tis sad, I say, That the extremest beauty of the world Should so entrench herself away from me, Behind a barrier of engender'd guilt!

85

90

95

SECOND LADY.

Ah! what a moan!

FIRST KNIGHT.

Most piteous indeed!

LUDOLPH.

She shall be brought before this company,

And then-then

FIRST LADY.

He muses.

GERSA.

O, Fortune, where will this end?

(90) The fragment of manuscript last mentioned does not extend further into the speech, and is mutilated here; but traces of some different conduct of the dialogue are preserved in the words he bursts in tears! and doth he not weep?

SIGIFRED.

I guess his purpose! Indeed he must not have
That pestilence brought in,-that cannot be,
There we must stop him.

GERSA.

I am lost! Hush, hush!

He is about to rave again.

100

LUDOLPH.

A barrier of guilt! I was the fool,

She was the cheater!

Who's the cheater now,

And who the fool? The entrapp'd, the caged fool, 105
The bird-lim'd raven? She shall croak to death
Secure! Methinks I have her in my fist,

To crush her with my heel! Wait, wait! I marvel
My father keeps away: good friend, ah! Sigifred!

Do bring him to me-and Erminia

I fain would see before I sleep-and Ethelbert,
That he may bless me, as I know he will

Though I have curs'd him.

To lead you to them

SIGIFRED.

Rather suffer me

LUDOLPH.

No, excuse me, no

The day is not quite done-go bring them hither.

115

[Exit SIGIFRED.

(109) There is a further fragment of the manuscript extending

from My father to he enters now (line 137).

(111) In the manuscript, holy Ethelbert.

Certes a father's smile should, like sun light,
Slant on my sheafed harvest of ripe bliss—
Besides I thirst to pledge my lovely Bride
In a deep goblet: let me see-what wine?
The strong Iberian juice, or mellow Greek?
Or pale Calabrian? Or the Tuscan grape?
Or of old Ætna's pulpy wine presses,
Black stain'd with the fat vintage, as it were
The purple slaughter-house, where Bacchus' self
Prick'd his own swollen veins? Where is my Page?

PAGE.

120

LUDOLPH.

Be ready to obey me; anon thou shalt

Here, here! 125

Bear a soft message for me-for the hour
Draws near when I must make a winding up
Of bridal Mysteries—a fine-spun vengeance!
Carve it on my Tomb, that when I rest beneath

130

Men shall confess-This Prince was gull'd and cheated
But from the ashes of disgrace he rose

More than a fiery Phoenix-and did burn
His ignominy up in purging fires—

Did I not send, Sir, but a moment past,
For my Father?

135

GERSA.

You did.

(117) In the manuscript, gather'd is struck out in favour of sheafed not sheaved as in former editions.

(128) The word righteous is cancelled before winding up.

(133) In former editions, dragon in place of Phenix.

(136) Instead of Gersa we have 1st Lord here in the manuscript, and Lord before the next speech but one.

LUDOLPH.

Perhaps 'twould be

Much better he came not.

GERSA.

He enters now!

Enter OTHO, ERMINIA, ETHELBERT, SIGIFRED, and Physician.

LUDOLPH.

O thou good Man, against whose sacred head
I was a mad conspirator, chiefly too

For the sake of my fair newly wedded wife,
Now to be punish'd, do not look so sad!
Those charitable eyes will thaw my heart,
Those tears will wash away a just resolve,
A verdict ten times sworn! Awake-awake-
Put on a judge's brow, and use a tongue
Made iron-stern by habit! Thou shalt see
A deed to be applauded, 'scribed in gold!
Join a loud voice to mine, and so denounce
What I alone will execute !

140

145

Отно.

Dear son,

What is it? By your father's love, I sue

150

That it be nothing merciless!

(138-41) These four lines are written upon the back of the fragment belonging to the first Act.

LUDOLPH.

To that demon?

Not so! No! She is in temple-stall

Being garnish'd for the sacrifice, and I,
The Priest of Justice, will immolate her

Upon the altar of wrath! She stings me through !— 155
Even as the worm doth feed upon the nut,
So she, a scorpion, preys upon my brain!
I feel her gnawing here! Let her but vanish,
Then, father, I will lead your legions forth,
Compact in steeled squares, and speared files,
And bid our trumpets speak a fell rebuke
To nations drows'd in peace!

Отно.

To-morrow, Son,

Be your word law-forget to-day

LUDOLPH.

I will

When I have finish'd it-now! now! I'm pight,
Tight-footed for the deed!

160

(152) I suspect we should read in the temple-stall; but I have seen no manuscript of this speech.

(162) A final fragment of the manuscript begins here and extends to the end of the tragedy.

(164) It is interesting to note that Keats still affected the Spenserian pight for pitched, even when not needing it for a rhyme as in Endymion (Book II, line 60).