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How far are we from Muro, my good man?" Said I, and dipt my olive in the salt.

"Scant thirty miles." Let never man believe In luck! I overturned the salt, alert To hurry on; yet here thou seest me, rich.. Sleeping six hours in winter, five in summer. Maximin, (pondering.) Augustin told thee I was here! Augustin!

How should he know? One only knew beside The friar he never would have told: she told him. [Walks about impatiently. Augustin has smooth locks and fresh complexion, And heels for dance and voice for dulcimer,

Rare articles at finding secrets out:

Chancellor. No? This changes the whole aspect.

The inside canework of a padded chair,
And leg oblique slid negligently under,
If thou wouldst keep them nicely in repair
Ferret no more my secrets out, Augustin!

Officer (returned). Ready? my dapple grey ! ready for Naples?

Stephen. Not without Maximin. By his advice I call'd you in to help us: he shall have His share.

Durazzo. I like no thrones that narrow mine too much,

[them.

And wonder wherefore clergymen should mount Chancellor. However, sir, since such hath been the custom

From barbarous times..
Durazzo.

Till times herein as barbarous.. Chancellor... We must observe the usage of the realm,

sacred.

Few days ago, for lighter crimes the friar
Might have been punisht with severity.

First Counsellor. Even now, although his legs begin to sprout

With scarlet plumage, we may crop his crest;
But better on the beam than in the yard.
Third Counsellor. It would put by much
bickering.

Fourth Counsellor. There are many
Expectants, holy men, who would condemn
In any court ecclesiastical

PP

Appeal so manifest to foreign force,
And strip him to the skin to wash him clean.
Fifth Counsellor. And there are civil laws which
tread on velvet

And leave no scandal when they pass the door;
Modest and mild and beautifully drest,
And void of all loquacity, all pomp ;

They, should you ask them what they are, reply "We are not laws; we are prerogatives."

Carlo. Paoluccio! wit may give the best advice. Far be from me all violence. If the criminal Be strong and boisterous, the ecclesiastical Craving and crafty, swift or slow at pleasure, At least our civil laws are excellent, And what you call prerogatives are civil. Paoluccio. I class them so. Many at once.

Margarita.

Carlo. I will pursue this counsel.

SCENE I.

ACT V.

CASTLE OF MURO.

That you would let her out of such a den
At Muro.

Durazzo. Had you mentioned it before,
As wishing it.. why, then indeed..
Margarita.

So, then,
You would have let her out? How very kind!
Durazzo. If we could have persuaded her to go.
Margarita. Persuaded her? what! out of prison!
Durazzo.
Do not

Term it so harshly: who can bear to hear
Of prisons?

Margarita. Is the tower indeed not lockt
Nor bolted?

Durazzo. People would run into it
And trouble her devotions. At this time
She needs them most particularly.
Margarito.

Durazzo. Her health declines.
Margarita.

Why?

Is she in danger?

gion, their sound sense,

Coolness, deliberation, ponderous front,

Broad and dark eyebrow. Much of dignity Reverence and awe, build on these crags alone.

Lord Chamberlain. Ye have them all in one. hear his foot:

The king steps lighter: both advance.
Lord High Steward.

Behind for there are many.

Who come

(DURAZZO, CHANCELLOR, COUNSELLORS, enter.) Durazzo. Take your seats.

I

Gentlemen! ye have heard with indignation
The rash attempt against my peace and yours,
Made by the Suabian, husband of Giovanna.
Lord Chamberlain. We hear, by Heaven's pro-
tection of your Highness,

It fail'd.

It seems I am required to abdicate

In favor of Duke Carlo of Durazzo.

Chancellor. Even so.

(Reads.)

These walls are mine, and nothing now beyond.

SCENE V. NAPLES.

MAXIMIN. STEPHEN.

Maximin. Among the idle and the fortunate
Never drops one but catafale and canopy
Are ready for him: organ raves above,
And songsters wring their hands and push dull
rhymes

Into dull ears that worse than wax hath stopt,
With striding so across his monument.
And cherubs puff their cheeks and cry half-split

Name me one honest man for whom such plays
Were ever acted.

They will ne'er lay Otho With kindred clay! no helm, no boot beside His hurried bier! no stamp of stately soldier Angry with grief and swearing hot revenge, Until even the paid priest turns round and winks. I will away: sick, weary . .

tlemen!

If ever you are told that I admitted

His unjust claims, if ever you behold

Sign'd, as you fancy, by my hand the parchment
That waives our kingdom from its rightful heir,
Believe it not only believe these tears,
Of which no false one ever fell from me
Among the many 'twas my fate to shed.

Durazzo. Death is the sentence. Maximin.

Sign that sentence then.

SCENE VII. NAPLES. MONASTERY GARDEN.

men sigh over,

And there are others maniacs hug in chains:
I wonder what they are: I would exchange
All mine for either, all that e'er were mine.
I have been sadly treated my whole life,
Cruelly slighted, shamefully maligned :
And this too will be laid upon my shoulders.
If men are witty, all the wit of others
Bespangles them; if criminal, all crimes
Are shoveled to their doors.

From which the square-set jewels were removed, And this broad golden piece, with its long chain Of soft dark hair, like our late queen Giovanna's. Rupert. Her medal. . anno primo .. All goes right.

Monk. Your blessing! Rupert.

begone.

Take it, prythee, and

[Monk goes.

Nothing has hurt me: none have seen me.

None?

I wisht her life; not her imprisonment
More truly. Maximin and Agatha
In the queen's life would never have come forth.
Men of late years have handled me so roughly,
I am become less gentle than I was.
Derision, scoffs and scorns, must be rebuft,
Or we can do no good in act or counsel.
Respect is needful, is our air, our day,
"Tis in the sight of men we see ourselves,
Without it we are dark and halt and speechless.
Religion in respect and power hath being,
And perishes without them. Power I hold :
Why shun men's looks? why my own thoughts?
..afraid?

No, I am not afraid: but phantasies
Long dwelt on let us thro'.

Even of Agatha I did repent.

I did repent the noble friends had fallen.
Could they not have been wiser, and escaped,
By curbing evil passions, pride, distrust,
Defiance? It was wrong in them: in me
'Twas not quite well: 'twas harsh, 'twas merci-
less :

Andrea had not done it: wrong'd, betray'd,
Andrea had not done it.

Have my words
Sorcery in them? do they wake the dead?

Hide thy pale face, dear boy! hide from my sight
Those two dark drops that stain thy scanty beard,
Hide those two eyes that start so! Curse me,
kill me ;

'Twere mercy, 'twere compassion, not revenge;
Justice, the echo of God's voice, cries More!
I can endure all else.

I will arise,
Push off this rack that rends me, rush before him
And ask him why he made me what I am.

(Enter Officers.)

First Officer. Traitor! the king hath traced all thy devices.

Rupert. Without them he had ne'er been what ye style him.

Second Officer. Avowest thou thy perfidy?
Rupert.

Third Officer. Murderer! thou shalt confess.
Rupert.

She said,

What?

And his.

Thine is too.

"Twere royal bounty.

Third Officer. And die. Rupert.

"Twere more than royal.

First Officer.

Come thy way.

Monk. Her mind, observe, was wandering. Rupert.

Blessings upon her! your uplifted hands

And radiant brow announce her present bliss. Rupert. Said she no more?

Monk.

Rupert. My way? my way?.. I've travell'd it

enough,