A savage wood. At one side a cavern, overhung with ivy. ZAPOLYA and
RAAB KIUPRILI discovered: both, but especially the latter, in rude and
savage garments.
Raab Kiuprili. Heard you then aught while I was slumbering?
Zapolya. Nothing.
Only your face became convulsed. We miserable!
Is heaven’s last mercy fled? Is sleep grown treacherous?
Raab Kiuprili. O for a sleep, for sleep itself to rest in!
I dream’d I had met with food beneath a tree, 5
And I was seeking you, when all at once
My feet became entangled in a net:
Still more entangled as in rage I tore it.
At length I freed myself, had sight of you,
But as I hastened eagerly, again 10
I found my frame encumbered: a huge serpent
Twined round my chest, but tightest round my throat.
Zapolya. Alas! ‘twas lack of food: for hunger chokes!
Raab Kiuprili. And now I saw you by a shrivelled child
Strangely pursued. You did not fly, yet neither 15
Touched you the ground, methought, but close above it
Did seem to shoot yourself along the air,
And as you passed me, turned your face and shrieked.
Zapolya. I did in truth send forth a feeble shriek,
Scarce knowing why. Perhaps the mock’d sense craved 20
To hear the scream, which you but seemed to utter.
For your whole face looked like a mask of torture!
Yet a child’s image doth indeed pursue me
Shrivelled with toil and penury!
Raab Kiuprili. Nay! what ails you?
Zapolya. A wondrous faintness there comes stealing o’er me. 25
Is it Death’s lengthening shadow, who comes onward,
Life’s setting sun behind him?
Raab Kiuprili. Cheerly! The dusk
Will quickly shroud us. Ere the moon be up,
Trust me I’ll bring thee food!
Zapolya. Hunger’s tooth has
Gnawn itself blunt. O, I could queen it well 30
O’er my own sorrows as my rightful subjects.
But wherefore, O revered Kiuprili! wherefore
Did my importunate prayers, my hopes and fancies,
Force thee from thy secure though sad retreat?
Would that my tongue had then cloven to my mouth! 35
But Heaven is just! With tears I conquered thee,
And not a tear is left me to repent with!
Had’st thou not done already — had’st thou not
Suffered — oh, more than e’er man feigned of friendship?
Raab Kiuprili. Yet be thou comforted! What! had’st thou faith 40
When I turned back incredulous? ‘Twas thy light
That kindled mine. And shall it now go out,
And leave thy soul in darkness? Yet look up,
And think thou see’st thy sainted lord commissioned
And on his way to aid us! Whence those late dreams, 45
Which after such long interval of hopeless
And silent resignation all at once
Night after night commanded thy return
Hither? and still presented in clear vision
This wood as in a scene? this very cavern? 50
Thou darest not doubt that Heaven’s especial hand
Worked in those signs. The hour of thy deliverance
Is on the stroke: — for misery can not add
Grief to thy griefs, or patience to thy sufferance!
Zapolya. Can not! Oh, what if thou wert taken from me? 55
Nay, thou said’st well: for that and death were one.
Life’s grief is at its height indeed; the hard
Necessity of this inhuman state
Hath made our deeds inhuman as our vestments.
Housed in this wild wood, with wild usages, 60
Danger our guest, and famine at our portal —
Wolf-like to prowl in the shepherd’s fold by night!
At once for food and safety to affrighten
The traveller from his road —
[GLYCINE is heard singing without.
Raab Kiuprili. Hark! heard you not
A distant chaunt? 65
SONG
By GLYCINE
A sunny shaft did I behold,
From sky to earth it slanted:
And poised therein a bird so bold —
Sweet bird, thou wert enchanted!
He sank, he rose, he twinkled, he trolled 70
Within that shaft of sunny mist;
His eyes of fire, his beak of gold,
All else of amethyst!
And thus he sang: ‘Adieu! adieu!
Love’s dreams prove seldom true. 75
The blossoms, they make no delay:
The sparkling dew-drops will not stay.
Sweet month of May,
We must away;
Far, far away! 80
To-day! to-day!’
Zapolya. Sure ‘tis some blest spirit!
For since thou slew’st the usurper’s emissary
That plunged upon us, a more than mortal fear
Is as a wall, that wards off the beleaguerer 85
And starves the poor besieged. [Song again.
Raab Kiuprili. It is a maiden’s voice! quick to the cave!
Zapolya. Hark! her voice falters! [Exit ZAPOLYA.
Raab Kiuprili. She must not enter
The cavern, else I will remain unseen!
[KIUPRILI retires to one side of the stage. GLYCINE
enters singing.
Glycine. A savage place! saints shield me! Bethlen! Bethlen! 90
Not here? — There’s no one here! I’ll sing again!
[Sings again.
If I do not hear my own voice, I shall fancy
Voices in all chance sounds! [Starts.
‘Twas some dry branch
Dropt of itself! Oh, he went forth so rashly,
Took no food with him — only his arms and boar-spear! 95
What if I leave these cakes, this cruse of wine,
Here by this cave, and seek him with the rest?
Raab Kiuprili (unseen). Leave them and flee!
Glycine (shrieks, then recovering.) Where are you?
Raab Kiuprili (still unseen.) Leave them!
Glycine. ‘Tis Glycine!
Speak to me, Bethlen! speak in your own voice! 100
All silent! — If this were the war-wolf’s den!
‘Twas not his voice! —
[GLYCINE leaves the provisions, and exit. KIUPRILI comes
forward, seizes them and carries them into the
cavern. GLYCINE returns.
Glycine. Shame! Nothing hurt me!
If some fierce beast have gored him, he must needs
Speak with a strange voice. Wounds cause thirst and hoarseness!
Speak, Bethlen! or but moan. St — St —— No — Bethlen! 105
If I turn back and he should be found dead here,
[She creeps nearer and nearer to the cavern.
I should go mad! — Again!—’Twas my own heart!
Hush, coward heart! better beat loud with fear,
Than break with shame and anguish!
[As she approaches to enter the cavern, KIUPRILI stops
her. GLYCINE shrieks.
Saints protect me!
Raab Kiuprili. Swear then by all thy hopes, by all thy fears — 110
Glycine. Save me!
Raab Kiuprili. Swear secrecy and silence!
Glycine. I swear!
Raab Kiuprili. Tell what thou art, and what thou seekest?
Glycine. Only
A harmless orphan youth, to bring him food —
Raab Kiuprili. Wherefore in this wood?
Glycine. Alas! it was his purpose —
Raab Kiuprili. With what intention came he? Would’st thou save
him, 115
Hide nothing!
Glycine. Save him! O forgive his rashness!
He is good, and did not know that thou wert human!
Raab Kiuprili. Human?
With what design?
Glycine. To kill thee, or
If that thou wert a spirit, to compel thee
By prayers, and with the shedding of his blood, 120
To make disclosure of his parentage.
But most of all —
Zapolya (rushing out from the cavern). Heaven’s blessing on thee!
Speak!
Glycine. Whether his mother live, or perished here!
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 birth-place?
Bethlen. Deluding spirits!
Do ye mock me?
Question the Night! Bid Darkness tell its birth-place?
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.