Ren. But one thing more, and then farewell, till fate Join us again, or sep'rate us for ever. Wing ye together; but lets all remember, Jaf. No; with most profound attention I've heard it all, and wonder at thy virtue. Oh, Belvidera! take me to thy arms, And show me where's my peace, for I have lost it. [Exit Ren. Without the least remorse then, let's resolve Enter SPINOSA, THEODORE, ELLIOTT, REVILLI- of the Conspirators. Ren. Spinosa! Theodore! Spin. The same. Ren. You are welcome. Spin. You are trembling, sir. bours, The means are only in our hands to crown them. Pier. And may those pow'rs above that are propitious Ren. 'Tis a cold night, indeed, and I am aged; To gallant minds, record this cause and bless it. Full of decay and natural infirmities: Re-enter PIERRE We shall be warm, my friends, I hope, to morrow. Pier. "Twas not well done; thou shouldst have strok'd him, And not have gall'd him. Jaf. Damn him, let him chew on't. Heav'n! where am I? beset with cursed fiends, That wait to damn me! What a devil's man, When he forgets his nature-hush, my heart. Ren. My friends, 'tis late; are we assembled all? Ren. Thus happy, thus secure of all we wish for, Should there, my friends, be found among us one False to this glorious enterprise, what fate, What vengeance were enough for such a villain? Ell. Death here without repentance, hell hereafter. Ren. Let that be my lot, if as here I stand, Listed by fate among her darling sons, Though I had one only brother, dear by all The strictest ties of nature; could I have such a friend Join'd in this cause, and had but ground to fear He meant foul play; may this right hand drop from me, To-morrow's rising sun must see you all must possess St. Mark's; you, captain, know your charge already, 'Tis to secure the ducal palace: You, Be all this done with the least tumult possible, 'Till in each place you post sufficient guards: Then sheathe your swords i.. every breast you meet. Jaf. Oh! reverend cruelty! damn'd bloody villain! Ren. During this execution, Durand, you Must in the midst keep your battalia fast; And, Theodore, be sure to plant the cannon That may command the streets; This done, we'll give the general alarm, Jaf. Merciless, horrid slave-Ay, blood enough! Shed blood enough, old Renault! how thou charm'st me! Is little less. Come, sirs, 'tis now no time To trifle with our safety. Where's this Jaffier Spin. He left the room just now, in strange disorder. Ren. Nay, there is danger in him: I During the time I took for explanation, Pier. Well. Ren. And I could wish it- Ren. Buried in his heart. Pier. Away; we're yet all friends, No more of this, 'twill breed ill blood among us. Come but to-morrow, all your doubts shall end, Spin. Let us all draw our swords, and search And to your loves, me better recommend, That I've preser'vd your fame, and sav'd my the house, Pull him from the dark hole where he sits brooding O'er his cold fears, and each man kill his share of him. Ren. A coward! friend. ACT IV. SCENE I.-The Rialto. [Exeunt. Enter JAFFIER and BELVIDERA. Methinks I tread upon some mangled limb Of a rack'd friend. Oh, my charming ruin! Where are we wandering? [To Renault. Bel. To eternal honour. [Handles his Sword. To do a deed shall chronicle thy name Pier. Put up thy sword, old man; Among the glorious legends of those few Thy hand shakes at it. Come, let's heal this breach; That have sav'd sinking nations. Thy renown I am too hot, we yet may all live friends. Shall be the future song of all the virgins, Spin. Till we are safe, our friendship can- Who by thy piety have been preserv'd From horrid violation. Every street Shall be adorn'd with statues to thy honour: And at thy feet this great inscription written, Remember him that propp'd the fall of Venice. not be so. Pier. Again! Who's that? Ren. And I. Omnes. And all. Ren. Who are on my side? Let's die like men, and not be sold like slaves. And hang ye all, like dogs, in clusters. shells? Why do you not all brandish them like mine? Pier. That's rank falsehood. Fear'st not thou death! Fie, there's a knavish itch true. Faugh, how that stinks! thou die, thou kill my Or thou! or thou! with that lean wither'd face. you. I'll bring that man, whose blood you so much And you shall see him venture for you fairly- Theo. "Twas too far urg'd against the man Rev. Here, take our swords, and crush them Pier. Nay, now you've found The way to melt, and cast me as you will. Whence rose all this discord? Oh, what a dangerous precipice have 'scap'd! we How near a fall was all we'd long been building! Jaf. Rather, remember him, who, after all The sacred bonds of oaths, and holier friendship, In fond compassion to a woman's tears, Forgot his manhood, virtue, truth, and honour, To sacrifice the bosom that reliev'd him. Why wilt thou damn me? Bel. Oh, inconstant man! How will you promise; how will you deceive! And let thy dagger do its bloody office. Jaf. Name it not again: It shows beastly image to my fancy, Bel. Delay no longer then, but to the senate, Jaf. Oh! think what then may prove my lot: By all heav'ns powers, prophetic truth dwells in thee; For every word thou speak'st, strikes through Just what thou'st made me, take me, Belvidera, Jaf. No; thour't my soul itself; wealth, Butcher'd by those, whose cause he came to Come, lead me forward, now, like a tame lamb cherish! To sacrifice, Thus, in his fatal garlands 122 VENICE PRESERVED. Deck'd fine and pleas'd, the wanton skips and plays, Trots by th' enticing, flatt'ring priestess' side, Enter Officer and six Guards. Bel. Friends. Offi. But what friends are you? Bel. Friends to the senate, and the state of Offi. My orders are to seize on all I find Unfold the truth, and be restor'd with mercy. I know its value better; but in pity Duke. The slave capitulates, Jaf. That you dare not do; Your fear won't let you, not the longing itch from me. Cowards are scar'd with threat'nings; boys are whipt Into confessions: but a steady mind Jaf. Sir, you shall be obey'd. Now the lot's cast, and, fate, do what thou Acts of itself, ne'er asks the body counsel. wilt. [Exeunt guarded. Give him the tortures! Name but such a thing Again, by heav'n I'll shut these lips for ever. SCENE II.-The Senate-house, where appear Not all your racks, your engines, or your sitting the DUKE of VENICE, PRIULI, and other Senators. Duke. Antony, Priuli, senators of Venice, All Sen. How! Pri. Nay, we stand Upon the very brink of gaping ruin. And the wild waste begun. From unknown hands wheels, Shall force a groan away, that you may guess at. Be ne'er so monstrous, I must have the oaths Ye have of peace and happiness hereafter, All Sen. We swear. Jaf. And, as ye keep the oath, All Sen. Else be curs'd for ever. Of all that threatens you. [Delivers a Paper. Duke. Give order that all diligent search be made To seize these men, their characters are public; The paper intimates their rendezvous [A Noise without. To be at the house of a fam'd Grecian courtezan, Room, room, make room for some prisoners-Call'd Aquilina; see that place secur'd. Enter Officer and Guards. Duke. Speak, there. What disturbance? Who say, they come t'inform this reverend senate Enter JAFFIER and Officer. You, Jaffier, must with patience bear till morning Jaf. Would the chains of death Lead me where my own thoughts themselves may lose me; Where I may doze out what I've left of life, All Sen. Give 'em entrance-Well, who are Forget myself, and this day's guilt and falsehood, Jaf. A villain, you? Would every man, that hears me, Against this state; and you've a share in't too. Cruel remembrance, how shall I thee? appease (Exit guarded. Offi. [Without] More traitors; room, room, room, make room, there. Duke. How's this? guards! the gates, Where are our guards? Shut up the treason's Already at our doors. Enter Officer. Seiz'd in the very act of consultation; Offi. My lords, more traitors, Pier. Death! honourable death! Furnish'd with arms and instruments of mischief. No shameful bonds, but honourable death. Enter PIERRE, RENAULT, THEODORE, ELLIOTT, Jaffier, you're free, but these must wait for Pier. You, my lords, and fathers Duke. Go on; you shall be heard, sir. Your battles with confederated powers? you; And brought the fleets of Spain to your own When you, great duke, shrunk trembling in netians The task of honour, and the way to greatness? And brave enough to tell me I'm a traitor. judgment. [Exeunt all the Senators. Pier. Come, where's my dungeon? Lead me to my straw: It will not be the first time I've lodg'd hard Presumptuous rebel-on~ [Strikes Jaffier. I must be heard; I must have leave to speak. Pier. What whining monk art thou? what That wouldst encroach upon my credulous ears, Jaf. Not know me, Pierre? Pier. No, I know thee not! What art thou? friend! Though now deserv'dly scorn'd, and us'd most hardly. Pier. Thou, Jaffier! thou, my once lov'd, valu'd friend! [Conspirators murmur. By heav'ns thou liest; the man so call'd, my Pier. Yes, and know his virtue. Enter JAFFIER, guarded. Duke. See him brought forth. They're but one thing? These reverend tyrants, Call us traitors. Art thou one, my brother? Has this curs'd tongue o'erthrown. Venice has lost her freedom, I my life. Duke. Say; will you make confession constitution: The curse of growing factions and divisions, friend, Was generous, honest, faithful, just, and valiant; Poor, even in soul, and loathsome in thy aspect; Pier. Hast thou not wrong'd me? Dar'st That once lov'd, valu'd friend of mine, Whence the vile death which I may meet this Whence this dishonour, but from thee, thou Jaf. All's true; yet grant one thing, and Pier. What's that? Jaf. To take thy life, on such conditions Pier. Life! ask my life! confess! record myself 124 Burthensome to itself, a few years longer; No, this vile world and I have long been jangling, Pier, Swear by some other powers, Till, to thyself, at least thou'rt reconcil'd, Jaf. No; thou shalt not force me from thee. Pier. A villain? Pier. A coward, a most scandalous coward; Pier. And wouldst thou have me live on Jaf. No; 'tis to me that's granted: To rank thee in my list of noble friends; So I restore it back to thee again; Never, from this curs'd hour to hold communion, Were to exceed those limited the world. And here's the portion he has left_me: [Holds the Dagger up. No, I'll esteem it as a friend's last legacy; So now for thinking—A blow, call'd a traitor, Coward, dishonourable coward; fough! Enter BELVIDERA. Bending these miserable eyes on earth, stores, Hoarded for thee, of blessings yet untasted: My friend too, Belvidera, that dear friend, Ere yet his guards had led him to his prison, Bel. Oh! forgive him, Jaffier; Bel. To-morrow, Of a tormenting and a shameful death; stream, Just as thou wilt, because 'tis what I'm tir'd with. Like my eyes now. Pier. No more. Jaf. My eyes won't lose the sight of thee, But languish after thee, and ache with gazing. Pier. Leave me- -Nay, then thus, thus I throw thee from me; Juf. What means thy dreadful story? Death,and to-morrow! Broken limbs and bowels! Bel. The faithless senators, 'tis they've de creed it: They say, according to our friends' request, They shall have death, and not ignoble bondage: And curses, great as is thy falsehood, catch Declare their promis'd mercy all has forfeited: [Exit False to their oaths, and deaf to intercession, Warrants are pass'd for public death to Jaf. Amen. thee. He's gone, my father, friend, preserver, morrow. |