Three Major Plays

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by Lope de Vega


  And so can properly complain

  That you claim me entirely.

  If I am thus deprived as much

  Of you as of myself, my state 975

  Can only be described as one

  Of utter helplessness, for I

  Can neither you nor self possess.

  CASANDRA. When I consider first the Duke,

  Then God, I tremble at the thought 980

  That punishment both human and divine

  Will be for our excess soon brought

  To bear on both of us.

  And yet, if it is true the world

  Considers love excusable, 985

  My part in this affair will seem

  To most forgivable;

  And if my wrong is judged the lesser,

  How can my guilt be thought the greater?

  I know of others who, because 990

  They really wanted to do wrong,

  Have sought their inspiration not in those

  Who then repented of their sins

  But those who most enjoyed wrongdoing.

  If there is any remedy 995

  For this, it is for you to flee

  And never speak to me again,

  Thus making sure we shall die,

  And never in each other's arms now lie.

  I beg you leave me. I prefer 1000

  -232-

  To die than have to turn away

  From you.

  FEDERICO. And I, my lady, seek

  In death the only favour I

  Now wish upon myself. This life

  Is meaningless; this body has 1005

  No soul; I seek my death, convinced

  That it is not a source of fear;

  Rather, my one remaining pleasure.

  I only ask you let me kiss

  This hand, so I may taste the poison that 1010

  Now ends my life.

  CASANDRA. To do so is to put

  A spark to powder. Leave me now.

  FEDERICO. To do so would be treachery.

  CASANDRA. If I could only speak more firmly than

  I do. I feel this poison spread 1015

  From hand to heart.

  FEDERICO. You were the siren* who

  Beguiled me on this fatal sea,

  And sweetly lured me to my

  Own death.

  CASANDRA. As I, if I go on,

  Am certain to destroy myself. 1020

  Oh, will not name and honour teach

  Me greater prudence, greater sense?

  FEDERICO. I seem to have no strength.

  CASANDRA. And I

  No consciousness of what I think

  Or do.

  FEDERICO. Such strange infirmity! 1025

  CASANDRA. I die for you.

  FEDERICO. I cannot die,

  -233-

  Since I am long since dead.

  CASANDRA. Sweet Count,

  You bring about my death.

  FEDERICO. Then I,

  Though dead, am happy that my soul

  Enjoys such immortality 1030

  As will allow me to possess

  Your love for all eternity.

  -234-

  ACT THREE

  AURORAand the MARQUIS.

  AURORA. I swear that what I say is true.

  MARQUIS. I can't believe it possible,

  But if it is, you must take care

  That no one overhears.*

  AURORA. I had

  To tell you what I know so you 5

  Can best advise me what to do.

  MARQUIS. First tell me how it was you saw

  The two of them.

  AURORA. As you well know,

  My lord, I loved the Count most dearly,

  And suffered at his hands the kind 10

  Of treachery once practised by

  The cunning Ulysses. The years

  Had nurtured our love, and by

  The time they went to bring Casandra here

  From Italy, our plans were firmly made, 15

  If anyone believes a man

  Will ever keep the word he gave.

  As soon as Federico met

  Casandra, he began to treat

  Me differently, and when the Duke 20

  Proposed we marry soon, said he

  Could not, through jealousy of you.

  That's why, since it is often said

  That love gone cold is best revived

  By favouring someone else, I tried 25

  To make him think that I loved you.

  It had as much effect as if

  I'd tried to make a mark upon

  -235-

  A diamond: for where there is

  No love, how can you make a person fond 30

  Of you? I could not understand

  Why I, who had been loved, should now

  Be so despised by him, and so began,

  Now driven by my lynx-eyed jealousy,

  To watch him carefully. Casandra has 35

  A dressing-room containing two

  Recesses,* and on the walls not tapestries,

  But mirrors, portraits, glasses of

  All kinds. It must have been suspicion led

  Me there one day, for as I went 40

  In quietly, I looked into a mirror

  And saw Federico slip as silently

  Into the opposite recess,

  And straight away begin to pick

  The blood-red roses of Casandra's lips. 45

  I watched them horrified and then

  Could watch no more. I turned and ran,

  And when I'd found some quiet place,

  Began to weep for my misfortune.

  I wept for theirs too, that they 50

  Could be so blind as to believe

  That, while the Duke was still away,

  They could behave so brazenly,

  And publicize a love that in

  Its infamy was worse than anything 55

  We normally attribute to

  The lust and savagery of animals.

  The mirror, I'm convinced, in order not

  To show such hideous love as this,

  Assumed a dark and cloudy face, 60

  While I, as if transfixed, observed

  How they lasciviously indulged

  Themselves and took such sweet

  Delight in every manner of embrace.

  They say the Duke returns triumphantly, 65

  And laurel wreaths adorn his brow

  To celebrate his victories

  -236-

  Against the Holy Pontiff's enemies.

  I beg you, tell me what I am

  To do. I am pursued by thoughts 70

  That you, in speaking of your love

  For me, may not have spoken as

  Sincerely as I would like,

  And therefore, like the Count, you too

  May now be planning to deceive 75

  And in the end abandon me.

  MARQUIS. Aurora, in this life the only thing

  That has no remedy is death.

  Though many in the course of time

  Are, like the Phoenix, born again 80

  And live once more through their fame.

  Inform the Duke you wish to marry me.

  As soon as he agrees to it,

  We'll go to Mantua, and all

  The danger that you fear now 85

  Will soon be over. The tiger, so

  They say, grieves for its poor cubs

  That have become the hunter's prey;

  Is so distraught it rushes to the sea

  And lets itself be swept away 90

  Unto its death. If that is so,

  What will Ferrara's new Achilles do

  In order to avenge his name

  And tarnished honour? Who can believe

  That such a stain as this can now 95

  Be cleansed unless it be by spilling blood,

  And thus engraving what they did

  Upon our memory, assuming that

&nbs
p; The heavens do not seek vengeance first,

  And send down bolts to blast their infamy? 100

  I give you the advice you asked of me.

  AURORA. And I, in my distress, accept

  It gratefully.

  MARQUIS. The mirror that

  -237-

  Reflected her will be Medusa's glass

  For this new Circe.* 105

  Enter FEDERICO and BATÍN

  FEDERICO. You mean he would not wait until

  They went to welcome him?

  BATÍN. He would

  Not wait for anything, my lord.

  No sooner did he see the frontier,

  Than he, more eager than the rest 110

  Of them, rode off, not bothering

  To give you proper warning of

  His coming. Such is his love of you,

  He cannot wait to see you once

  Again, and though he wants to see 115

  The Duchess too, there's nothing else

  Can match his love for you. For him

  You are the sun itself, and four

  Months absence like the moon's eclipse.

  He'll be here soon. You'd best prepare 120

  A triumph fit to please a king.

  The troops he leads will enter here.

  The spoils of war all held aloft,

  And golden banners greeting him.

  FEDERICO.

  Aurora, why is it I find 125

  You always in the Marquis's company?

  AURORA. Am I to think you jest with me,

  My lord?

  FEDERICO. Is that all you can say

  To justify such infidelity?

  AURORA. I can't believe the Marquis has 130

  Awakened your jealousy,

  My lord. You seem to be awake

  When you have been four months asleep.

  MARQUIS. Believe me, Count, I did not know

  You felt what you now claim to feel 135

  -238-

  For her. I served Aurora in

  Good faith, believing I had no

  Competitor, and least of all

  Yourself. Such is my loyalty,

  Whatever else you'd asked of me 140

  I would have given you except

  My love for her, for then it was

  Not known to me you loved her too

  As honestly as I. But since

  You say you do and are more worthy of 145

  Her love than I can ever be,

  I think it proper to withdraw.

  [Exit the MARQUIS

  AURORA. You see what you have done! What kind

  Of madness makes you talk like this

  When any thought of love has flown? 150

  How many times have you set eyes

  On me in conversation with

  The Marquis since this strange attack

  Of melancholy* first began?

  You've never looked at me! But now 155

  I plan to marry him, why, all

  At once, this great display of jealousy!

  Believe me, Count, I know full well

  What you have planned. If I am not

  Allowed to marry him, I'd rather kill 160

  Myself than have a hand in it.

  I think it best by far if you

  Embrace not me but rather that

  Sweet melancholy you so obviously

  Prefer. Of one thing be quite sure. 165

  I'll not forget the pain that you

  Cause me. Do not, then, be surprised

  If I inflict the same on you.

  I only ask that God protect

  Me from such lies as yours. I shall 170

  Not help you, be quite sure.

  -239-

  [Exit AURORA

  BATÍN. Whatever have you done to her?

  FEDERICO. Who knows, Batín? I've no idea.

  BATÍN. If you ask me, my lord, I'd say

  It's really pretty serious this, 175

  And brings to mind the Emperor,

  Tiberius.* He'd had his missus recently

  Snuffed out, no fuss, but then forgets

  That she's a gonner, so shouts out:

  'It's time for dinner.' Then there was 180

  Messala,* just the same, the one

  That constantly forgot his name.

  FEDERICO. I have forgotten I'm a man!

  BATÍN. And then there was this peasant too,

  Got married, oh, two years ago. 185

  One day he gave his wife a shock

  He realized her eyes were black.

  FEDERICO. I do not know, BatÍn, what I

  Should do.

  BATÍN. I am reminded too,

  My lord, of one peculiar fellow from 190

  Biscay.* He was a fool, you see;

  He'd gone and left the bridle on

  His horse and found it wouldn't eat

  Its hay. You've no idea how dismayed

  He was, and so he thought he'd better call 195

  A horse-doctor to find out what

  Was wrong with her. He saw at once,

  Of course, the problem with the horse

  Was just the bit, so chucked the owner out

  And then removed it. The horse went mad; 200

  He gobbled up the hay, and when

  He'd finished it, the manger too,

  So when his owner saw what he'd

  Chewed through, he was amazed, and poured

  -240-

  Upon the horse-doctor much lavish praise. 205

  'By God,' he said, 'you've done the trick.

  I'll come to you when I am sick.

  You've dealt with him most skilfully.

  In future you can see to me.'

  I fancy you too, sir, have such 210

  A bit that will not let you eat.

  I'll be your doctor, if you wish.

  Believe me, I'll soon cure it.

  FEDERICO. I cannot tell you what is wrong.

  BATÍN. Then I can only say to you, 215

  You'd better leave the oats alone.

  Enter CASANDRAand LUCRECIA.

  CASANDRA. He's coming then?

  LUCRECIA. He is, madam.

  CASANDRA. And not a single word of warning!

  LUCRECIA. They say he's left the rest behind

  Because he longs to see you once 220

  Again.

  CASANDRA. And you believe it of

  A man like him? As far as I'm

  Concerned, I'd rather die. Convince

  Me, Count, the story is a lie.

  FEDERICO. They say

  the Duke will soon be here: 225

  Proof that his love for you is sure.

  CASANDRA. If I see you no more, I know

  That I shall die of sorrow.

  FEDERICO [aside].* I know

  That, now the Duke is here, this love

  Shall never see tomorrow.

  CASANDRA. I know 230

  I shall go mad.

  -241-

  FEDERICO. Not I, for I

  Am mad already.

  CASANDRA. My soul consumed

  With pain.

  FEDERICO. My life as if destroyed

  By flames.

  CASANDRA. What can we do?

  FEDERICO. What else

  Is there to do but die?

  CASANDRA. Is there 235

  No other way?

  FEDERICO. If what we do

  Means losing you, why should I live

  Another day?

  CASANDRA. The remedy

  Is not to lose me.

  FEDERICO. It would be best,

  I think, if from today I served 240

  Aurora once again, invented love,

  And asked the Duke to let me marry her.

  It is the obvious way to keep

  Us clear of suspicion, before

  The gossip in the palace harms 245

  Our reputation.

  CASANDRA. There is no way

  I'll let you marry her. To do so adds


  An insult to this injury.

  FEDERICO. The danger we now face obliges me.

  CASANDRA. I swear that if you contemplate 250

  Such treachery when you are most

  To blame for this, the world shall hear

  Me voice aloud both my own guilt

  And your infamy.

  -242-

  FEDERICO. My lady, please.

  CASANDRA. You'll not dissuade me.

  FEDERICO. Everyone 255

  Will hear.

  CASANDRA. I do not care. The Duke

  Can take away my life, but you,

  I swear, will never marry her.

  Enter FLORO, FEBO, RICARDO, ALBANO,

  LUCINDO, and the DUKE, handsomely

  dressed as a soldier.

  RICARDO. It seems they are not ready yet

  To welcome you, my lord.

  DUKE. It is 260

  Because my love has brought me here

  More swiftly than they thought.

  CASANDRA. My dear husband, you have caught

  Us unprepared to greet you as

  We should.

  FEDERICO. The Duchess is aggrieved 265

  Without good cause. The fault is mine

  Entirely, my lord.

  DUKE. My son,

  A father's love can never cease

  To love his flesh and blood. It made

  My journey short and guaranteed 270

  The longing and the weariness I felt

  Should be transformed into this final good.

  And you, my lady, are most worthy of

  A love that is at least its rival.

  Do not, I beg, feel slighted if 275

  I speak to both of you as equals.

  CASANDRA. Your blood and Federico's goodness, sir,

  Demand you favour him; I therefore must

  Be pleased you treat me just the same.

  -243-

  DUKE. I know that I am favoured by 280

  You both and truly cannot say

  How much such love as this is worth

  To me. I also know that Federico has

  Administered the state most prudently

  While I have been away, and not 285

  A single vassal disagrees.

 

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