Читать книгу The Complete Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Illustrated Edition) - Samuel Taylor Coleridge - Страница 193

Zapolya. Angel of mercy, I was perishing

And thou did’st bring me food: and now thou bring’st 125

The sweet, sweet food of hope and consolation

To a mother’s famished heart! His name, sweet maiden!

Glycine. E’en till this morning we were wont to name him

Bethlen Bathory!

Zapolya. Even till this morning?

This morning? when my weak faith failed me wholly! 130

Pardon, O thou that portion’st out our sufferance,

And fill’st again the widow’s empty cruse!

Say on!

Glycine. The false ones charged the valiant youth

With treasonous words of Emerick —

Zapolya. Ha! my son!

Glycine. And of Lord Casimir —

Raab Kiuprili (aside). O agony! my son! 135

Glycine. But my dear lady —

Zapolya and Raab Kiuprili. Who?

Glycine. Lady Sarolta

Frowned and discharged these bad men.

Raab Kiuprili (to himself). Righteous Heaven

Sent me a daughter once, and I repined

That it was not a son. A son was given me.

My daughter died, and I scarce shed a tear: 140

And lo! that son became my curse and infamy.

Zapolya (embraces Glycine). Sweet innocent! and you came here to

seek him,

And bring him food. Alas! thou fear’st?

Glycine. Not much!

My own dear lady, when I was a child,

Embraced me oft, but her heart never beat so. 145

For I too am an orphan, motherless!

Raab Kiuprili (to Zapolya). O yet beware, lest hope’s brief flash

but deepen

The after gloom, and make the darkness stormy!

In that last conflict, following our escape,

The usurper’s cruelty had clogged our flight 150

With many a babe and many a childing mother.

This maid herself is one of numberless

Planks from the same vast wreck. [Then to GLYCINE again.

Well! Casimir’s wife —

Glycine. She is always gracious, and so praised the old man

That his heart o’erflowed, and made discovery 155

That in this wood —

Zapolya. O speak!

Glycine. A wounded lady —

[ZAPOLYA faints — they both support her.

Glycine. Is this his mother?

Raab Kiuprili. She would fain believe it,

Weak though the proofs be. Hope draws towards itself

The flame with which it kindles. [Horn heard without.

To the cavern!

Quick! quick!

Glycine. Perchance some huntsmen of the king’s. 160

Raab Kiuprili. Emerick?

Glycine. He came this morning —

[They retire to the cavern, bearing ZAPOLYA. Then enter

BETHLEN, armed with a boar-spear.

Bethlen. I had a glimpse

Of some fierce shape; and but that Fancy often

Is Nature’s intermeddler, and cries halves

With the outward sight, I should believe I saw it

Bear off some human prey. O my preserver! 165

Bathory! Father! Yes, thou deserv’st that name!

Thou did’st not mock me! These are blessed findings!

The secret cypher of my destiny [Looking at his signet.

Stands here inscribed: it is the seal of fate!

Ha! — Had ever monster fitting lair, ‘tis yonder! 170

Thou yawning den, I well remember thee!

Mine eyes deceived me not. Heaven leads me on!

Now for a blast, loud as a king’s defiance,

To rouse the monster couchant o’er his ravine!

[Blows the horn — then a pause.

Another blast! and with another swell 175

To you, ye charméd watchers of this wood!

If haply I have come, the rightful heir

Of vengeance: if in me survive the spirits

Of those, whose guiltless blood flowed streaming here!

[Blows again louder.

Still silent? Is the monster gorged? Heaven shield me! 180

Thou, faithful spear! be both my torch and guide.

[As BETHLEN is about to enter, KIUPRILI speaks from the

cavern unseen.

Raab Kiuprili. Withdraw thy foot! Retract thine idle spear,

And wait obedient!

Bethlen. Ha! What art thou? speak!

Raab Kiuprili (still unseen). Avengers!

Bethlen. By a dying mother’s pangs

E’en such am I. Receive me!

Raab Kiuprili (still unseen). Wait! Beware! 185

At thy first step, thou treadest upon the light,

Thenceforth must darkling flow, and sink in darkness!

Bethlen. Ha! see my boar-spear trembles like a reed! —

Oh, fool! mine eyes are duped by my own shuddering. —

Those piléd thoughts, built up in solitude, 190

Year following year, that pressed upon my heart

As on the altar of some unknown God,

Then, as if touched by fire from heaven descending.

Blazed up within me at a father’s name —

Do they desert me now? — at my last trial? 195

Voice of command! and thou, O hidden Light!

I have obeyed! Declare ye by what name

I dare invoke you! Tell what sacrifice

Will make you gracious.

Raab Kiuprili (still unseen). Patience! Truth! Obedience!

Be thy whole soul transparent! so the Light, 200

Thou seekest, may enshrine itself within thee!

Thy name?

Bethlen. Ask rather the poor roaming savage,

Whose infancy no holy rite had blest,

To him, perchance, rude spoil or ghastly trophy,

In chase or battle won, have given a name. 205

I have none — but like a dog have answered

To the chance sound which he that fed me, called me.

Raab Kiuprili (still unseen). Thy birthplace?

Bethlen. Deluding spirits!

Do ye mock me?

Question the Night! Bid Darkness tell its birthplace?

Yet hear! Within yon old oak’s hollow trunk, 210

Where the bats cling, have I surveyed my cradle!

The mother-falcon hath her nest above it,

And in it the wolf litters! —— I invoke you,

Tell me, ye secret ones! if ye beheld me

As I stood there, like one who having delved 215

For hidden gold hath found a talisman,

O tell! what rights, what offices of duty

This signet doth command? What rebel spirits

Owe homage to its Lord?

Raab Kiuprili (still unseen). More, guiltier, mightier,

Than thou mayest summon! Wait the destined hour! 220

Bethlen. O yet again, and with more clamorous prayer,

I importune ye! Mock me no more with shadows!

This sable mantle — tell, dread voice! did this

Enwrap one fatherless!

Zapolya (unseen). One fatherless!

Bethlen. A sweeter voice! — A voice of love and pity! 225

Was it the softened echo of mine own?

Sad echo! but the hope it kill’d was sickly,

And ere it died it had been mourned as dead!

One other hope yet lives within my soul:

Quick let me ask! — while yet this stifling fear, 230

This stop of the heart, leaves utterance! — Are — are these

The sole remains of her that gave me life?

Have I a mother? [ZAPOLYA rushes out to embrace him.

Ha!

Zapolya. My son! my son!

A wretched — Oh no, no! a blest — a happy mother!

[They embrace. KIUPRILI and GLYCINE come forward and the

curtain drops.

[Before 90] Glycine (fearfully). 1817, 1828, 1829.

returns, having recovered herself. 1817, 1828, 1829.

[Before 118] Raab Kiuprili (repeats the word). 1817, 1828, 1829.

Human? [Then sternly.

1817, 1828, 1829.

Glycine. And of Lord Casimir —

Raab Kiuprili (aside). O agony! my son.

Erased [? by S. T. C. in copy of 1817.]

S. T. C. in copy of 1817].

[Before 225] Bethlen (starting). 1817, 1828, 1829.

[ZAPOLYA … him.

BETHLEN starts. Ha!

Zapolya (embracing him). My son, &c.

1817, 1828, 1829.

After 234 and stage directions. END OF ACT II. 1817.