Eme.

R. Kiu.

Hence with the madman!

Your queen's murder,

The royal orphan's murder: and to the death

Defy him, as a tyrant and usurper.

[hurried off by Ragozzi and the guard. Eme. Ere twice the sun hath risen, by my sceptre This insolence shall be avenged.

Be calm, young friend! nought shall be done in

anger.

The child o'erpowers the man.

I must take counsel for us both.

In this emergence
Retire.

Eme. (alone, looks at a Calendar.)

planet, now in her decay,

[Exit Casimir. The changeful

Dips down at midnight, to be seen no more.
With her shall sink the enemies of Emerick,
Cursed by the last look of the waning moon:
And my bright destiny, with sharpened horns,
Shall greet me fearless in the new-born crescent.

[Exit.

Scene changes to the back of the Palace-a wooded park and mountains.

Enter Zapolya, with an infant in arms.

Zap. Hush, dear one! hush! My trembling arm disturbs thee!

Thou, the protector of the helpless! thou,
The widow's husband and the orphan's father,
Direct my steps! Ah whither? O send down
Thy angel to a houseless babe and mother,
Driven forth into the cruel wilderness!
Hush, sweet one! thou art no Hagar's offspring:
[thou art

The rightful heir of an anointed king!

What sounds are those? It is the vesper-chant Of labouring men returning to their home! Their queen has no home! Hear me, heavenly And let this darkness—

[Father!

Be as the shadow of thy outspread wings
To hide and shield us! Start'st thou in thy slumbers?
Thou canst not dream of savage Emerick. Hush!
Betray not thy poor mother! For if they seize thee
I shall grow mad indeed, and they'll believe
Thy wicked uncle's lie. Ha! what? a soldier?
Enter Chef Ragozzi.

C. Rag. Sure heaven befriends us.

hath escaped!

O rare tune of a tyrant's promises

That can enchant the serpent treachery

Well! he

From forth its lurking hole in the heart. “Ragozzi! O brave Ragozzi! Count! Commander! What

not ?"

And all this too for nothing! a poor nothing!
Merely to play the underling in the murder
Of my best friend Kiuprili!

monstrous!

His own son

Tyrant! I owe thee thanks, and in good hour

Will I repay thee, for that thou thought'st me too
A serviceable villain. Could I now

But gain some sure intelligence of the queen:
Heaven bless and guard her!

Zap. (coming forward.) Art thou not Ragozzi? C. Rag. The queen! Now then the miracle is I see heaven's wisdom is an over-match

For the devil's cunning.

[full!

This way, madam, haste! Zap. Stay! Oh, no! forgive me if I wrong thee! This is thy sovereign's child: Oh, pity us,

And be not treacherous!

C. Rag. (raising her.) Madam!

sake!

[kneeling. For mercy's

Zap. But tyrants have a hundred eyes and arms! C. Rag. Take courage, madam! "Twere too horrible,

(I cannot do't) to swear I'm not a monster!Scarce had I barr'd the door on Raab Kiuprili— Zap. Kiuprili! How?

C. Rag.

There is not time to tell it,—

The tyrant called me to him, praised my zeal, (And be assured I overtopt his cunning

[fine,

And seemed right zealous.) But time wastes: In
Bids me despatch my trustiest friends, as couriers
With letters to the army. The thought at once
Flashed on me. I disguised my prisoner―
Zap. What Raab Kiuprili?

C. Rag.

Yes! my noble general!

I sent him off, with Emerick's own pacquet,

Haste, and post haste-Prepared to follow him

Zap. Ah, how? Is it joy or fear? My limbs seem

sinking!

C. Rag. (supporting her.)

Heaven still befriends

us. I have left my charger,

A gentle beast and fleet, and my boy's mule,

One that can shoot a precipice like a bird,

Just where the wood begins to climb the mountains. The course we'll thread will mock the tyrant's

guesses,

Or scare the followers. Ere we reach the main road
The Lord Kiuprili will have sent a troop

To escort me. Oh, thrice happy when he finds
The treasure which I convoy!

Zap.

One brief moment,

That praying for strength I may have strength. This babe,

Heaven's eye is on it, and its innocence

Is, as a prophet's prayer, strong and prevailing! Through thee, dear babe, the inspiring thought possessed me,

When the loud clamor rose, and all the palace
Emptied itself (They sought my life, Ragozzi!)
Like a swift shadow gliding, I made way

To the deserted chamber of my lord.

[then to the infant.

And thou didst kiss thy father's lifeless lips,
And in thy helpless hand, sweet slumberer!
Still clasp'st the signet of thy royalty.
As I removed the seal, the heavy arm

Dropt from the couch aslant, and the stiff finger

Seemed pointing at my feet.

Provident heaven!

Lo, I was standing on the secret door,

Which, through a long descent where all sound

[then as going off, she looks back on the palace. Thou tyrant's den, be called no more a palace! The orphan's angel at the throne of heaven Stands up against thee, and there hover o'er thee A queen's, a mother's, and a widow's curse. Henceforth a dragon's haunt, Fear and Suspicion Stand sentry at thy portals! Faith and honour, Driven from the throne, shall leave the attainted nation :

And, for the iniquity that houses in thee,

False glory, thirst of blood, and lust of rapine, (Fateful conjunction of malignant planets)

Shall shoot their blastments on the land. The fathers
Henceforth shall have no joy in their young men,

And when they cry: Lo! a male child is born!
The mother shall make answer with a groan.
For bloody usurpation, like a vulture,

Shall clog its beak within Illyria's heart.