The Poetical Works of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats

Of Beauty's star, and kept my heart in darkness!
First then on him I will administer justice-

But
yours is tragic! Love in war! It charms me,
And makes your beauty worth a king's embraces!
(During this speech, BETHLEN enters armed).

Thou art so fiendish wicked,

If not in mercy, yet in love and rapture. [Seizes her. That in thy blasphemies I scarce hear thy threats.

SAROLTA.

Help! Treason! Help!

EMERICK.

BETHLEN

Lady, be calm! fear not this king of the buskin!
A king? Oh laughter! A king Bajazet!
That from some vagrant actor's tyring-room,

Call louder! Scream again! Hath stolen at once his speech and crown!

Here's none can hear you!

SAROLTA.

EMERICK.

Ah! treason!

Hear me, hear me, Heaven! Thou hast been lesson'd and trick'd up for this!
As surely as the wax on thy death-warrant
Shall take the impression of this royal signet,
So plain thy face hath ta'en the mask of rebel!
[EMERICK points his hand haughtily towards BETH-
LEN, who catching a sight of the signet, seizes
his hand and eagerly observes the signet, then
flings the hand back with indignant joy.

Nay, why this rage? Who best deserves you? Casimir,
Emerick's bought implement, the jealous slave
That mews you up with bolts and bars? or Emerick,
Who proffers you a throne? Nay, mine you shall be.
Hence with this fond resistance! Yield; then live
This month a widow, and the next a queen!

BETHLEN.

It must be so! "Tis e'en the counterpart!
But with a foul usurping cipher on it!
The light hath flash'd from Heaven, and I must
follow it!

O curst usurper! O thou brother-murderer!
That madest a star-bright queen a fugitive widow!
Who fill'st the land with curses, being thyself
All curses in one tyrant! see and tremble!
This is Kiuprili's sword that now hangs o'er thee!
Kiuprili's blasting curse, that from its point

Shoots lightnings at thee! Hark! in Andreas' name,
Heir of his vengeance! hell-hound! I defy thee.
[They fight, and just as EMERICK is disarmed, in
rush CASIMIR, OLD BATHORY, and attendants.
CASIMIR runs in between the combatants, and
parts them in the struggle BETHLEN's sword
is thrown down.

CASIMIR.

The king disarm'd too by a stranger! Speak!
What may this mean?

EMERICK.

Deceived, dishonor'd lord!
Ask thou yon fair adultress! She will tell thee
A tale, which wouldst thou be both dupe and traitor,
Thou wilt believe against thy friend and sovereign!
Thou art present now, and a friend's duty ceases:
To thine own justice leave I thine own wrongs.
Of half thy vengeance, I perforce must rob thee,
For that the sovereign claims. To thy allegiance
I now commit this traitor and assassin.

[Then to the Attendants. Hence with him to the dungeon! and to-morrow, Ere the sun rises,-hark! your heads or his!

We hunt to-morrow in your upland forest:

Thou (to CASIMIR) wilt attend us and wilt then

explain

This sudden and most fortunate arrival.

Your answer?

LORD RUDOLPH.

CASIMIR.

As the word proves false or true, Will Casimir cross the hunt, or join the huntsinen!

LORD RUDOLPH.

The event redeem'd their pledge?

CASIMIR.

It did, and therefore

Have I sent back both pledge and invitation.
The spotless Hind hath fled to them for shelter,
And bears with her my seal of fellowship!

[They take hands, etc.

LORD RUDOLPH.

But Emerick! how when you reported to him
Sarolta's disappearance, and the flight

[Exit EMERICK; manent CASIMIR and SAROLTA. Of Bethlen with his guards?

SAROLTA.

CASIMIR.

O he received it

My lord! my husband! look whose sword lies yonder! [Pointing to the sword which BETHLEN had been As evidence of their mutual guilt: in fine, With cozening warmth condoled with, and dismiss'd

disarmed of by the Attendants.

It is Kiuprili's; Casimir, 'tis thy father's!
And wielded by a stripling's arm, it baffled,

me.

LORD RUDOLPH.

Yea, fell like Heaven's own lightnings on that Tar-I enter'd as the door was closing on you :

His eye was fix'd, yet seem'd to follow you,
With such a look of hate, and scorn and triumph,

[In an under voice. As if he had you in the toils already,
And were then choosing where to stab you first.
But hush! draw back!

The traitor, Laska!

And yet Sarolta, simple, inexperienced,
Could see him as he was, and often warn'd me.
Whence learn'd she this ?-O she was innocent!
And to be innocent is nature's wisdom!
The fledge-dove knows the prowlers of the air,
Fear'd soon as seen, and flutters back to shelter.
And the young steed recoils upon his haunches,
The never-yet-seen adder's hiss first heard.
O surer than Suspicion's hundred eyes

Is that fine sense, which to the pure in heart,
By mere oppugnancy of their own goodness,
Casimir!
Reveals the approach of evil.

O fool! O parricide! through yon wood didst thou,
With fire and sword, pursue a patriot father,
A widow and an orphan. Darest thou then
(Curse-laden wretch), put forth these hands to raise
The ark, all sacred, of thy country's cause?
Look down in pity on thy son, Kiuprili;
And let this deep abhorrence of his crime,

Unstain'd with selfish fears, be his atonement!
O strengthen him to nobler compensation
In the deliverance of his bleeding country!

[Exit CASIMIR.

Scene changes to the mouth of a Cavern, as in Act II. ZAPOLYA and GLYCINE discovered.

ZAPOLYA.

Our friend is gone to seek some safer cave.
Do not then leave me long alone, Glycine!
Having enjoy'd thy commune, loneliness,
That but oppress'd me hitherto, now scares.

GLYCINE.

I shall know Bethlen at the furthest distance,
And the same moment I descry him, lady,
I will return to you.

[Exit GLYCINE. Enter OLD BATHORY, speaking as he enters.

'Twas one of Satan's imps, that grinn'd, and threaten'd you

For your most impudent hope to cheat his master!

LASKA.

Was it then

That timid eye, was it those maiden hands
That sped the shaft which saved me and avenged me?
OLD BATHORY (to BETHLEN exultingly).

Pshaw! What, you think 'tis fear that makes me "Twas a vision blazon'd on a cloud

leave you?

[Starts and sees GLYCINE without. By Heaven! Glycine!

By lightning, shaped into a passionate scheme
Of life and death! I saw the traitor, Laska,
Stoop and snatch up the javelin of his comrade;
The point was at your back, when her shaft reach'd
him

The coward turn'd, and at the self-same instant
The braver villain fell beneath your sword.

Enter ZAPOLYA.

ZAPOLYA.

Bethlen! my child! and safe too!

BETHLEN.

Mother! Queen!

Royal Zapolya! name me Andreas!
Hath made his own arm, minister of his justice.
Nor blame thy son, if being a king, he yet

So do the Gods who lanch the thunderbolt!

ZAPOLYA.

O Raab Kiuprili! Friend! Protector! Guide! Now, as you love the king, help me to seize her! In vain we trench'd the altar round with waters, [They run out after GLYCINE, and she shrieks with- A flash from Heaven hath touch'd the hidden incense— BETHLEN (hastily).

out: then enter BATHORY from the Cavern.

OLD BATHORY.

Rest, lady, rest! I feel in every sinew

A young man's strength returning! Which way went they?

The shriek came thence.

[Clash of swords, and BETHLEN's voice heard from behind the Scenes; GLYCINE enters alarmed; then, as seeing LASKA's bow and arrows.

GLYCINE.

Ha! weapons here? Then, Bethlen, thy Glycine Will die with thee or save thee!

[She seizes them and rushes out. BATHORY following
her. Lively and irregular Music, and Peasants
with hunting-spears cross the stage, singing cho- Accept thine hand-maid's service!
rally.

GLYCINE.

Hark! sure the hunt approaches.

Re-enter BATHORY, with the dead body of PESTALUTZ.

OLD BATHORY.

[Horn without, and afterwards distant thunder. Poor tool and victim of another's guilt!

Manet BATHORY.

OLD BATHORY.

You bleeding corse, (pointing to PESTALUTZ's body)

may work us mischief still:

Once seen, 't will rouse alarm and crowd the hunt From all parts towards this spot. Stript of its armor, I'll drag it hither.

[Exit BATHORY. After a while several Hunters cross the stage as scattered. Some time after, enter KIUPRILI in his disguise, fainting with fatigue, and as pursued.

RAAB KIUPRILI (throwing off his disguise). Since Heaven alone can save me, Heaven alone Shall be my trust.

[Then speaking as to ZAPOLYA in the Cavern. Haste! haste! Zapolya, flee!

[He enters the Cavern, and then returns in alarm. Gone! Seized perhaps? Oh no, let me not perish Despairing of Heaven's justice! Faint, disarm'd, Each sinew powerless, senseless rock sustain me! Thou art parcel of my native land.

[Then observing the sword.
A sword!

Ha! and my sword! Zapolya hath escaped,
The murderers are baffled, and there lives
An Andreas to avenge Kiuprili's fall!-
There was a time, when this dear sword did flash
As dreadful as the storm-fire from mine arms:
I can scarce raise it now-yet come, fell tyrant!
And bring with thee my shame and bitter anguish,
To end his work and thine! Kiuprili now
Can take the death-blow as a soldier should.

Thou follow'st heavily: a reluctant weight!
Good truth, it is an undeserved honor
That in Zapolya and Kiuprili's cave
A wretch like thee should find a burial-place.
[Then observing KIUPRILI.
"Tis hein Andreas' and Zapolya's name
Follow me, reverend form? Thou needst not speak,
For thou canst be no other than Kiuprili!

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The Poetical Works of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats: Complete in One Volume