Don Carlos (play)
Page 6
CARLOS.
Then let me first collect my scattered thoughts.
The alarm of joy still trembles in my bosom.
Did I e'er lift my fondest hopes so high,
Or trust my fancy to so bold a flight?
Show me the man can learn thus suddenly
To be a god. I am not what I was.
I feel another heaven-another sun
That was not here before. She loves-she loves me!
PAGE (leading him forward).
But this is not the place: prince! you forget.
CARLOS.
The king! My father!
[His arms sink, he casts a timid look around, then
collecting himself.
This is dreadful! Yes,
You're right, my friend. I thank you: I was not
Just then myself. To be compelled to silence,
And bury in my heart this mighty bliss,
Is terrible!
[Taking the PAGE by the hand, and leading him aside.
Now here! What thou hast seen,
And what not seen, must be within thy breast
Entombed as in the grave. So now depart;
I shall not need thy guidance; they must not
Surprise us here! Now go.
[The PAGE is about to depart.
Yet hold, a word!
[The PAGE returns. CARLOS lays his hand on his shoulder, and looks
him steadily in the face.
A direful secret hast thou in thy keeping,
Which, like a poison of terrific power,
Shivers the cup that holds it into atoms.
Guard every look of thine, nor let thy head
Guess at thy bosom's secret. Be thou like
The senseless speaking-trumpet that receives
And echoes back the voice, but hears it not.
Thou art a boy! Be ever so; continue
The pranks of youth. My correspondent chose
Her messenger of love with prudent skill!
The king will ne'er suspect a serpent here.
PAGE.
And I, my prince, shall feel right proud to know
I am one secret richer than the king.
CARLOS.
Vain, foolish boy! 'tis this should make thee tremble.
Approach me ever with a cold respect:
Ne'er be induced by idle pride to boast
How gracious is the prince! No deadlier sin
Canst thou commit, my son, than pleasing me.
Whate'er thou hast in future for my ear,
Give not to words; intrust not to thy lips,
Ne'er on that common high road of the thoughts
Permit thy news to travel. Speak with an eye,
A finger; I will answer with a look.
The very air, the light, are Philip's creatures,
And the deaf walls around are in his pay.
Some one approaches; fly, we'll meet again.
[The QUEEN'S chamber opens, and DUKE ALVA comes out.
PAGE.
Be careful, prince, to find the right apartment.
[Exit.
CARLOS.
It is the duke! Fear not, I'll find the way.
SCENE V.
DON CARLOS. DUDE OF ALVA.
ALVA (meeting him).
Two words, most gracious prince.
CARLOS.
Some other time.
[Going.
ALVA.
The place is not the fittest, I confess;
Perhaps your royal highness may be pleased
To grant me audience in your private chamber.
CARLOS.
For what? And why not here? Only be brief.
ALVA.
The special object which has brought me hither,
Is to return your highness lowly thanks
For your good services.
CARLOS.
Thanks to me-
For what? Duke Alva's thanks!
ALVA.
You scarce had left
His majesty, ere I received in form
Instructions to depart for Brussels.
CARLOS.
What!
For Brussels!
ALVA.
And to what, most gracious prince,
Must I ascribe this favor, but to you-
Your intercession with the king?
CARLOS.
Ob, no!
Not in the least to me; but, duke, you travel,
So Heaven be with your grace!
ALVA.
And is this all?
It seems, indeed, most strange! And has your highness
No further orders, then, to send to Flanders?
CARLOS.
What should I have?
ALVA.
Not long ago, it seemed,
The country's fate required your presence.
CARLOS.
How?
But yes, you're right,-it was so formerly;
But now this change is better as it is.
ALVA.
I am amazed--
CARLOS.
You are an able general,
No one doubts that-envy herself must own it.
For me, I'm but a youth-so thought the king.
CARLOS.
The king was right, quite right. I see it now
Myself, and am content-and so no more.
God speed your journey, as you see, just now
My hands are full, and weighty business presses.
The rest to-morrow, or whene'er you will,
Or when you come from Brussels.
ALVA.
What is this?
CARLOS.
The season favors, and your route will lie
Through Milan, Lorraine, Burgundy, and on
To Germany! What, Germany? Ay, true,
In Germany it was-they know you there.
'Tis April now, May, June,-in July, then,
Just so! or, at the latest, soon in August,-
You will arrive in Brussels, and no doubt
We soon shall hear of your victorious deeds.
You know the way to win our high esteem,
And earn the crown of fame.
ALVA (significantly).
Indeed! condemned
By my own conscious insignificance!
CARLOS.
You're sensitive, my lord, and with some cause,
I own it was not fair to use a weapon
Against your grace you were unskilled to wield.
ALVA.
Unskilled!
CARLOS.
'Tis pity I've no leisure now
To fight this worthy battle fairly out
But at some other time, we--
ALVA.
Prince, we both
Miscalculate-but still in opposite ways.
You, for example, overrate your age
By twenty years, whilst on the other band,
I, by as many, underrate it--
CARLOS.
Well
ALVA.
And this suggests the thought, how many nights
Beside this lovely Lusitanian bride-
Your mother-would the king right gladly give
To buy an arm like this, to aid his crown.
Full well he knows, far easier is the task
To make a monarch than a monarchy;
Far easier too, to stock the world with kings
Than frame an empire for a king to rule.
CARLOS.
Most true, Duke Alva, yet--
ALVA.
And how much blood,
Your subjects' dearest blood, must flow in streams
Before two drops could make a king of you.
CARLOS.
Most true, by heaven! and in two words comprised,
All that the pride of merit has to urge
Against the pride of fortune. But the moral-
Now, Duke Alva!
ALVA.
Woe to the nursling babe
O
f royalty that mocks the careful hand
Which fosters it! How calmly it may sleep
On the soft cushion of our victories!
The monarch's crown is bright with sparkling gems,
But no eye sees the wounds that purchased them.
This sword has given our laws to distant realms,
Has blazed before the banner of the cross,
And in these quarters of the globe has traced
Ensanguined furrows for the seed of faith.
God was the judge in heaven, and I on earth.
CARLOS.
God, or the devil-it little matters which;
Yours was his chosen arm-that stands confessed.
And now no more of this. Some thoughts there are
Whereof the memory pains me. I respect
My father's choice,-my father needs an Alva!
But that he needs him is not just the point
I envy in him: a great man you are,
This may be true, and I well nigh believe it,
Only I fear your mission is begun
Some thousand years too soon. Alva, methinks,
Were just the man to suit the end of time.
Then when the giant insolence of vice
Shall have exhausted Heaven's enduring patience,
And the rich waving harvest of misdeeds
Stand in full ear, and asks a matchless reaper,
Then should you fill the post. O God! my paradise!
My Flanders! But of this I must not think.
'Tis said you carry with you a full store
Of sentences of death already signed.
This shows a prudent foresight! No more need
To fear your foes' designs, or secret plots:
Oh, father! ill indeed I've understood thee.
Calling thee harsh, to save me from a post,
Where Alva's self alone can fitly shine!
'Twas an unerring token of your love.
ALVA.
These words deserve--
CARLOS.
What!
ALVA.
But your birth protects you.
CARLOS (seizing his sword).
That calls for blood! Duke, draw your sword!
ALVA (slightingly).
On whom?
CARLOS. (pressing upon him).
Draw, or I run you through.
ALVA.
Then be it so.
[They fight.
SCENE VI.
The QUEEN, DON CARLOS, DUKE ALVA.
QUEEN (coming from her room alarmed).
How! naked swords?
[To the PRINCE in an indignant and commanding tone.
Prince Carlos!
CARLOS (agitated at the QUEEN's look, drops his arm, stands motionless,
then rushes to the DUKE, and embraces him).
Pardon, duke!
Your pardon, sir! Forget, forgive it all!
[Throws himself in silence at the QUEEN'S feet, then rising
suddenly, departs in confusion.
ALVA.
By heaven, 'tis strange!
QUEEN (remains a few moments as if in doubt, then retiring to her
apartment).
A word with you, Duke ALVA.
[Exit, followed by the DUKE.
SCENE VII.
The PRINCESS EBOLI's apartment.
The PRINCESS in a simple, but elegant dress, playing on the lute.
The QUEEN's PAGE enters.
PRINCESS (starting up suddenly)
He comes!
PAGE (abruptly).
Are you alone? I wonder much
He is not here already; but he must
Be here upon the instant.
PRINCESS.
Do you say must!
Then he will come, this much is certain then.
PAGE.
He's close upon my steps. You are beloved,
Adored, and with more passionate regard
Than mortal ever was, or can be loved.
Oh! what a scene I witnessed!
PRINCESS (impatiently draws him to her).
Quick, you spoke
With him! What said he? Tell me straight-
How did he look? what were his words? And say-
Did he appear embarrassed or confused
And did he guess who sent the key to him?
Be quick! or did he not? He did not guess
At all, perhaps! or guessed amiss! Come, speak,
How! not a word to answer me? Oh, fie!
You never were so dull-so slow before,
'Tis past all patience.
PAGE.
Dearest lady, hear me!
Both key and note I placed within his hands,
In the queen's antechamber, and he started
And gazed with wonder when I told him that
A lady sent me!
PRINCESS.
Did he start? go on!
That's excellent. Proceed, what next ensued?
PAGE.
I would have told him more, but he grew pale,
And snatched the letter from my hand, and said
With look of deadly menace, he knew all.
He read the letter with confusion through,
And straight began to tremble.
PRINCESS.
He knew all!
He knew it all? Were those his very words?
PAGE.
He asked me, and again he asked, if you
With your own hands had given me the letter?
PRINCESS.
If I? Then did he mention me by name?
PAGE.
By name! no name he mentioned: there might be
Listeners, he said, about the palace, who
Might to the king disclose it.
PRINCESS (surprised).
Said he that?
PAGE.
He further said, it much concerned the king;
Deeply concerned-to know of that same letter.
PRINCESS.
The king! Nay, are you sure you heard him right?
The king! Was that the very word he used?
PAGE.
It was. He called it a most perilous secret,
And warned me to be strictly on my guard,
Never with word or look to give the king
Occasion for suspicion.
PRINCESS (after a pause, with astonishment).
All agrees!
It can be nothing else-he must have heard
The tale-'tis very strange! Who could have told him,
I wonder who? The eagle eye of love
Alone could pierce so far. But tell me further-
He read the letter.
PAGE.
Which, he said, conveyed
Such bliss as made him tremble, and till then
He had not dared to dream of. As he spoke
The duke, by evil chance, approached the room,
And this compelled us--
PRINCESS (angrily).
What in all the world
Could bring the duke to him at such a time?
What can detain him? Why appears he not?
See how you've been deceived; how truly blest
Might he have been already-in the time
You've taken to describe his wishes to me!
PAGE.
The duke, I fear--
PRINCESS.
Again, the duke! What can
The duke want here? What should a warrior want
With my soft dreams of happiness? He should
Have left him there, or sent him from his presence.
Where is the man may not be treated thus?
But Carlos seems as little versed in love
As in a woman's heart-he little knows
What minutes are. But hark! I hear a step;
Away, away!
[PAGE hastens out.
Where have I laid my lute?
I must not seem to wait for him. My song
Shall be a signal to hi
m.
SCENE VIII.
The PRINCESS, DON CARLOS.
The PRINCESS has thrown herself upon an ottoman,
and plays.
CARLOS (rushes in; he recognizes the PRINCESS, and stands thunderstruck).
Gracious Heaven!
Where am I?
PRINCESS (lets her lute fall, and meeting him)
What? Prince Carlos! yes, in truth.
CARLOS.
Where am I? Senseless error; I have missed
The right apartment.