PRINCESS (going).
I shall be better in the open air.
QUEEN.
Attend her, countess. What a sudden illness!
[A PAGE enters and speaks to the DUCHESS, who then
addresses the QUEEN.
OLIVAREZ.
The Marquis Posa waits, your majesty,
With orders from the king.
QUEEN.
Admit him then.
[PAGE admits the MARQUIS and exit.
SCENE II.
MARQUIS POSA. The former.
The MARQUIS falls on one knee before the QUEEN, who
signs to him to rise.
QUEEN.
What are my lord's commands? And may I dare
Thus publicly to hear--
MARQUIS.
My business is
In private with your royal majesty.
[The ladies retire on a signal from the QUEEN.
SCENE III.
The QUEEN, MARQUIS POSA.
QUEEN (full of astonishment).
How! Marquis, dare I trust my eyes? Are you
Commissioned to me from the king?
MARQUIS.
Does this
Seem such a wonder to your majesty?
To me 'tis otherwise.
QUEEN.
The world must sure
Have wandered from its course! That you and he-
I must confess--
MARQUIS.
It does sound somewhat strange-
But be it so. The present times abound
In prodigies.
QUEEN.
But none can equal this.
MARQUIS.
Suppose I had at last allowed myself
To be converted, and had weary grown
Of playing the eccentric at the court
Of Philip. The eccentric! What is that?
He who would be of service to mankind
Must first endeavor to resemble them.
What end is gained by the vain-glorious garb
Of the sectarian? Then suppose-for who
From vanity is so completely free
As for his creed to seek no proselytes?
Suppose, I say, I had it in my mind
To place my own opinions on the throne!
QUEEN.
No, marquis! no! Not even in jest could I
Suspect you of so wild a scheme as this;
No visionary you! to undertake
What you can ne'er accomplish.
MARQUIS.
But that seems
To be the very point at issue.
QUEEN.
What
I chiefly blame you, marquis, for, and what
Could well estrange me from you-is--
MARQUIS.
Perhaps
Duplicity!
QUEEN.
At least-a want of candor.
Perhaps the king himself has no desire
You should impart what now you mean to tell me.
MARQUIS.
No.
QUEEN.
And can evil means be justified
By honest ends? And-pardon me the doubt-
Can your high bearing stoop to such an office?
I scarce can think it.
MARQUIS.
Nor, indeed, could I,
Were my sole purpose to deceive the king.
'Tis not my wish-I mean to serve him now
More honestly than he himself commands.
QUEEN.
'Tis spoken like yourself. Enough of this-
What would the king?
MARQUIS.
The king? I can, it seems,
Retaliate quickly on my rigid judge
And what I have deferred so long to tell,
Your majesty, perhaps, would willingly
Longer defer to hear. But still it must
Be heard. The king requests your majesty
Will grant no audience to the ambassador
Of France to-day. Such were my high commands-
They're executed.
Marquis, is that all
You have to tell me from him?
MARQUIS.
Nearly all
That justifies me thus to seek your presence.
QUEEN.
Well, marquis, I'm contented not to hear
What should, perhaps, remain a secret from me.
MARQUIS.
True, queen! though were you other than yourself,
I should inform you straight of certain things-
Warn you of certain men-but this to you
Were a vain office. Danger may arise
And disappear around you, unperceived.
You will not know it-of too little weight
To chase the slumber from your angel brow.
But 'twas not this, in sooth, that brought me hither,
Prince Carlos--
QUEEN.
What of him? How have you left him?
MARQUIS.
E'en as the only wise man of his time,
In whom it is a crime to worship truth-
And ready, for his love to risk his life,
As the wise sage for his. I bring few words-
But here he is himself.
[Giving the QUEEN a letter.
QUEEN (after she has read it).
He says he must
Speak with me--
MARQUIS.
So do I.
QUEEN.
And will he thus
Be happy-when he sees with his own eyes,
That I am wretched?
MARQUIS.
No; but more resolved,
More active.
QUEEN.
How?
MARQUIS.
Duke Alva is appointed
To Flanders.
QUEEN.
Yes, appointed-so I hear.
MARQUIS.
The king cannot retract:-we know the king.
This much is clear, the prince must not remain
Here in Madrid, nor Flanders be abandoned.
QUEEN.
And can you hinder it?
MARQUIS.
Perhaps I can,
But then the means are dangerous as the evil-
Rash as despair-and yet I know no other.
QUEEN.
Name them.
MARQUIS.
To you, and you alone, my queen,
Will I reveal them; for from you alone,
Carlos will hear them named without a shudder.
The name they bear is somewhat harsh.
QUEEN.
Rebellion!
MARQUIS.
He must prove faithless to the king, and fly
With secrecy to Brussels, where the Flemings
Wait him with open arms. The Netherlands
Will rise at his command. Our glorious cause
From the king's son will gather matchless strength,
The Spanish throne shall tremble at his arms,
And what his sire denied him in Madrid,
That will he willingly concede in Brussels.
QUEEN.
You've spoken with the king to-day-and yet
Maintain all this.
MARQUIS.
Yes, I maintain it all,
Because I spoke with him.
QUEEN (after a pause).
The daring plan
Alarms and pleases me. You may be right-
The thought is bold, and that perhaps enchants me.
Let it but ripen. Does Prince Carlos know it?
MARQUIS.
It was my wish that he should hear it first
From your own lips.
QUEEN.
The plan is doubtless good,
But then the prince's youth--
MARQUIS.
No disadvantage!
He there will find the bravest generals
Of the Emperor Charles-an Egmont and an Orange-
In battle
daring, and in council wise.
QUEEN (with vivacity).
True-the design is grand and beautiful!
The prince must act; I feel it sensibly.
The part he's doomed to play here in Madrid
Has bowed me to the dust on his account.
I promise him the aid of France and Savoy;
I think with you, lord marquis-he must act-
But this design needs money--
MARQUIS.
It is ready.
QUEEN.
I, too, know means.
MARQUIS.
May I then give him hopes
Of seeing you?
QUEEN.
I will consider it.
MARQUIS.
The prince, my queen, is urgent for an answer.
I promised to procure it.
[Presenting his writing tablet to the QUEEN.
Two short lines
Will be enough.
QUEEN (after she has written).
When do we meet again?
MARQUIS.
Whene'er you wish.
QUEEN.
Whene'er I wish it, marquis!
How can I understand this privilege?
MARQUIS.
As innocently, queen, as e'er you may.
But we enjoy it-that is sure enough.
QUEEN (interrupting).
How will my heart rejoice should this become
A refuge for the liberties of Europe,
And this through him! Count on my silent aid!
MARQUIS (with animation).
Right well I knew your heart would understand me.
[The DUCHESS OLIVAREZ enters.
QUEEN (coldly to the MARQUIS).
My lord! the king's commands I shall respect
As law. Assure him of the queen's submission.
[She makes a sign to him. Exit MARQUIS.
SCENE IV.
A Gallery.
DON CARLOS, COUNT LERMA.
CARLOS.
Here we are undisturbed. What would you now
Impart to me?
LERMA.
Your highness has a friend
Here at the court.
CARLOS (starting).
A friend! I knew it not!
But what's your meaning?
LERMA.
I must sue for pardon
That I am learned in more than I should know.
But for your highness' comfort I've received it
From one I may depend upon-in short,
I have it from myself.
CARLOS.
Whom speak you of?
LERMA.
The Marquis Posa.
CARLOS.
What!
LERMA.
And if your highness
Has trusted to him more of what concerns you
Than every one should know, as I am led
To fear--
CARLOS.
You fear!
LERMA.
He has been with the king.
CARLOS.
Indeed!
LERMA.
Two hours in secret converse too.
CARLOS.
Indeed!
LERMA.
The subject was no trifling matter.
CARLOS.
That I can well believe.
LERMA.
And several times
I heard your name.
CARLOS.
That's no bad sign, I hope.
LERMA.
And then, this morning, in the king's apartment,
The queen was spoken of mysteriously.
CARLOS (starts back astonished).
Count Lerma!
LERMA.
When the marquis had retired
I was commanded to admit his lordship
In future unannounced.
CARLOS.
Astonishing!
LERMA.
And without precedent do I believe,
Long as I served the king--
CARLOS.
'Tis strange, indeed!
How did you say the queen was spoken of?
LERMA (steps back).
No, no, my prince! that were against my duty.
CARLOS.
'Tis somewhat strange! One secret you impart.
The other you withhold.
LERMA.
The first was due
To you, the other to the king.
CARLOS.
You're right.
LERMA.
And still I've thought you, prince, a man of honor.
CARLOS.
Then you have judged me truly.
LERMA.
But all virtue
Is spotless till it's tried.
CARLOS.
Some stand the trial.
LERMA.
A powerful monarch's favor is a prize
Worth seeking for; and this alluring bait
Has ruined many a virtue.
CARLOS.
Truly said!
LERMA.
And oftentimes 'tis prudent to discover-
What scarce can longer be concealed.
CARLOS.
Yes, prudent
It may be, but you say you've ever known
The marquis prove himself a man of honor.
LERMA.
And if he be so still my fears are harmless,
And you become a double gainer, prince.
[Going.
CARLOS (follows him with emotion, and presses his hand).
Trebly I gain, upright and worthy man,
I gain another friend, nor lose the one
Whom I before possessed.
[Exit LERMA.
SCENE V.
MARQUIS POSA comes through the gallery. CARLOS.
MARQUIS.
Carlos! My Carlos!
CARLOS.
Who calls me? Ah! 'tis thou-I was in haste
To gain the convent! You will not delay.
[Going.
MARQUIS.
Hold! for a moment.
CARLOS.
We may be observed.
MARQUIS.
No chance of that. 'Tis over now. The queen--
CARLOS.
You've seen my father.
MARQUIS.
Yes! he sent for me.
CARLOS (full of expectation).
Well!
MARQUIS.
'Tis all settled-you may see the queen.
CARLOS.
Yes! but the king! What said the king to you?
MARQUIS.
Not much. Mere curiosity to learn
My history. The zeal of unknown friends-
I know not what. He offered me employment.
CARLOS.
Which you, of course, rejected?
MARQUIS.
Yes, of course
CARLOS.
How did you separate?
MARQUIS.
Oh, well enough!
CARLOS.
And was I mentioned?
MARQUIS.
Yes; in general terms.
[Taking out a pocketbook and giving it to the PRINCE.
See here are two lines written by the queen,
To-morrow I will settle where and how.
CARLOS (reads it carelessly, puts the tablet in his pocket,
and is going).
You'll meet me at the prior's?
MARQUIS.
Yes! But stay