The Bride of Messina - Friedrich Schiller (best books to read for women .txt) 📗

all my frame - declare thy tidings! - speak!
Where is she? Where is Beatrice?

[She is about to rush from the chamber.

DON MANUEL (to himself abstractedly).
Beatrice!

DIEGO (holding back the PRINCESS).
Be still!

ISABELLA.
Where is she? Anguish tears my breast!

DIEGO.
She comes not.
I bring no daughter to thy arms.

ISABELLA.
Declare
Thy message! Speak! by all the saints!
What has befallen?

DON MANUEL.
Where is my sister? Tell us,
Thou harbinger of ill!

DIEGO.
The maid is stolen
By corsairs! lost! Oh! that I ne'er had seen
This day of woe!

DON MANUEL.
Compose thyself, my mother!

DON CAESAR.
Be calm; list all this tale.

DIEGO.
At thy command
I sought in haste the well-known path that leads
To the old sanctuary: - joy winged my footsteps;
The journey was my last!

DON CAESAR.
Be brief!

DON MANUEL.
Proceed!

DIEGO.
Soon as I trod the convent's court - impatient -
I ask - "Where is thy daughter?" Terror sate
In every eye; and straight, with horror mute,
I heard the worst.

[ISABELLA sinks, pale and trembling, upon a chair;
DON MANUEL is busied about her.

DON CAESAR.
Say'st thou by pirates stolen?
Who saw the band? - what tongue relates the spoil?

DIEGO.
Not far a Moorish galley was descried,
At anchor in the bay - -

DON CAESAR.
The refuge oft
From tempests' rage; where is the bark?

DIEGO.
At down,
With favoring breeze she stood to sea.

DON CAESAR.
But never
One prey contents the Moor; say, have they told
Of other spoil?

DIEGO.
A herd that pastured near
Was dragged away.

DON CAESAR.
Yet from the convent's bound
How tear the maid unseen?

DIEGO.
'Tis thought with ladders
They scaled the wall.

DON CAESAR.
Thou knowest what jealous care
Enshrines the bride of Heaven; scarce could their steps
Invade the secret cells.

DIEGO.
Bound by no vows
The maiden roved at will; oft would she seek
Alone the garden's shade. Alas! this day,
Ne'er to return!

DON CAESAR.
Saidst thou - the prize of corsairs?
Perchance, at other bidding, she forsook
The sheltering dome - -

ISABELLA (rising suddenly).
'Twas force! 'twas savage spoil!
Ne'er has my child, reckless of honor's ties
With vile seducer fled! My sons! Awake!
I thought to give a sister to your arms;
I ask a daughter from your swords! Arise!
Avenge this wrong! To arms! Launch every ship!
Scour all our coasts! From sea to sea pursue them!
Oh, bring my daughter! haste!

DON CAESAR.
Farewell - I fly
To vengeance!
[He goes away.

[DON MANUEL arouses himself from a state of abstraction,
and turns, with an air of agitation, to DIEGO.

DON MANUEL.
Speak! within the convent's walls
When first unseen - -

DIEGO.
This day at dawn.

DON MANUEL (to ISABELLA).
Her name
Thou say'st is Beatrice?

ISABELLA.
No question! Fly!
DON MANUEL.
Yet tell me - -

ISABELLA.
Haste! Begone! Why this delay?
Follow thy brother.

DON MANUEL.
I conjure thee - speak - -

ISABELLA (dragging him away).
Behold my tears!

DON MANUEL.
Where was she hid? What region
Concealed my sister?

ISABELLA.
Scarce from curious eyes
In the deep bosom of the earth more safe
My child had been!

DIEGO.
Oh! now a sudden horror
Starts in my breast.

DON MANUEL.
What gives thee fear?

DIEGO.
'Twas I
That guiltless caused this woe!

ISABELLA.
Unhappy man!
What hast thou done?

DIEGO.
To spare thy mother's heart
One anxious pang, my mistress, I concealed
What now my lips shall tell: 'twas on the day
When thy dead husband in the silent tomb
Was laid; from every side the unnumbered throng
Pressed eager to the solemn rites; thy daughter -
For e'en amid the cloistered shade was noised
The funeral pomp, urged me, with ceaseless prayers,
To lead her to the festival of Death.
In evil hour I gave consent; and, shrouded
In sable weeds of mourning, she surveyed
Her father's obsequies. With keen reproach
My bosom tells (for through the veil her charms
Resistless shone), 'twas there, perchance, the spoiler
Lurked to betray.

DON MANUEL (to himself).
Thrice happy words! I live!
It was another!

ISABELLA (to DIEGO).
Faithless! Ill betide
Thy treacherous age!

DIEGO.
Oh, never have I strayed
From duty's path! My mistress, in her prayers
I heard the voice of Nature; thus from Heaven
Ordained, - methought, the secret impulse moves
Of kindred blood, to hallow with her tears
A father's grave: the tender office owned
Thy servant's care, and thus with good intent
I wrought but ill.

DON MANUEL (to himself).
Why stand I thus a prey
To torturing fears! No longer will I bear
The dread suspense - -I will know all!

DON CAESAR (who returns).
Forgive me,
I follow thee.

DON MANUEL.
Away! Let no man follow.

[Exit.

DON CAESAR (looking after him in surprise).
What means my brother? Speak - -

ISABELLA.
In wonder lost
I gaze; some mystery lurks - -

DON CAESAR.
Thou mark'st, my mother,
My quick return; with eager zeal I flew
At thy command, nor asked one trace to guide
My footsteps to thy daughter. Whence was torn
Thy treasure? Say, what cloistered solitude
Enshrined the beauteous maid?

ISABELLA.
'Tis consecrate
To St. Cecilia; deep in forest shades,
Beyond the woody ridge that slowly climbs
Toward's Etna's towering throne, it seems a refuge
Of parted souls!

DON CAESAR.
Have courage, trust thy sons;
She shall be thine, though with unwearied quest
O'er every land and sea I track her presence
To earth's extremest bounds: one thought alone
Disturbs, - in stranger hands my timorous bride
Waits my return; to thy protecting arms
I give the pledge of all my joy! She comes;
Soon on her faithful bosom thou shalt rest
In sweet oblivion of thy cares.
[Exit.

ISABELLA.
When will the ancient curse be stilled that weighs
Upon our house? Some mocking demon sports
With every new-formed hope, nor envious leaves
One hour of joy. So near the haven smiled -
So smooth the treacherous main - secure I deemed
My happiness: the storm was lulled; and bright
In evening's lustre gleamed the sunny shore!
Then through the placid air the tempest sweeps,
And bears me to the roaring surge again!

[She goes into the interior of the palace,
followed by DIEGO.

The Scene changes to the Garden.

Both Choruses, afterwards BEATRICE.

The Chorus of DON MANUEL enters in solemn procession,
adorned with garlands, and bearing the bridal ornaments
above mentioned. The Chorus of DON CAESAR opposes their
entrance.

First Chorus (CAJETAN).
Begone!

Second Chorus (BOHEMUND).
Not at thy bidding!

CAJETAN.
Seest thou not
Thy presence irks?

BOHEMUND.
Thou hast it, then, the longer!

CAJETAN.
My place is here! What arm repels me?

BOHEMUND,
Mine!

CAJETAN.
Don Manuel sent me hither.

BOHEMUND.
I obey
My Lord Don Caesar.

CAJETAN.
To the