Thy fond fidelity for a time deprives

Of such support! But for myself alone,
May all the winds of heaven howl down the Gulf,

And tear the vessel, till the mariners,
Appall'd, turn their despairing eyes on me,

As the Phenicians did on Jonah, then

Cast me out from amongst them, as an offering

To appease the waves. The billow which destroys me

Will be more merciful than man, and bear me

Dead, but still bear me to a native grave,
From fishers' hands, upon the desolate strand,
Which, of its thousand wrecks, hath ne'er received
One lacerated like the heart which then

Will be-But wherefore breaks it not? why live I?
Mar. To man thyself, I trust, with time, to master
Such useless passion. Until now thou wert

A sufferer, but not a loud one: why,

What is this to the things thou hast borne in silenceImprisonment and actual torture?

There must be life yet in that heart-he could not Thus leave me.

Doge. Mar.

Daughter!

Hold thy peace, old man!

I am no daughter now-thou hast no son. Oh, Foscari !

Offi.

We must remove the body.

Mar. Touch it not, dungeon miscreants! your base

office

Ends with his life, and goes not beyond murder,
Even by your murderous laws. Leave his remains
To those who know to honour them.
Offi.
I must
Inform the signory, and learn their pleasure.

Doge. Inform the signory from me, the Doge,
They have no further power upon those ashes:
While he lived, he was theirs, as fits a subject-
Now he is mine-my broken-hearted boy!

Mar. And I must live! Doge.

Mar. My children!

[Exit Officer.

Your children live, Marina. true- they live, and I must live To bring them up to serve the state, and die As died their father. Oh! what best of blessings Were barrenness in Venice! Would my mother Had been so ?

Doge. Mar.

My unhappy children!

What!

You feel it then at last-you!-Where is now
The stoic of the state?

Doge (throwing himself down by the body). Here!
Ay, weep on!

Mar.

I thought you had no tears- you hoarded them Until they are useless; but weep on! he never Shall weep more-never, never more.

Enter LOREDANO and BARBARIGO.

Lor. What's here ? Mar. Ah! the devil come to insult the dead! Avaunt!

Incarnate Lucifer! 't is holy ground.

A martyr's ashes now lie there, which make it
A shrine. Get thee back to thy place of torment!
Bar. Lady, we knew not of this sad event,
But pass'd here merely on our path from council.
Mar. Pass on.

Lor.
We sought the Doge.
Mar. (pointing to the Doge, who is still on the
ground by his son's body). He's busy, look,
About the business you provided for him.
Are ye content?

No, ye only make them,

Sirs, I am ready.

This edict.

Lor. Yet 'twas important.
Doge.

Only repeat-I am ready.
Bar.

No not now.

If 't was sc, I can

It shall not be

Just now, though Venice totter'd o'er the deep
Like a frail vessel. I respect your griefs.

Doge. I thank you. If the tidings which you bring Are evil, you may say them; nothing further

Can touch me more than him thou look'st on there;
If they be good, say on: you need not fear
That they can comfort me.

Bar.
I would they could!
Doge. I spoke not to you, but to Loredano.
He understands me.

Inter his son before we press upon him

Men may,

Lor. Let him call up into life My sire and uncle- I consent. Even aged men, be, or appear to be, Sires of a hundred sons, but cannot kindle An atom of their ancestors from earth. The victims are not equal: he has seen His sons expire by natural deaths, and I My sires by violent and mysterious maladies. I used no poison, bribed no subtle master Of the destructive art of healing, to Shorten the path to the eternal cure. His sons- -and he had four-are dead, without My dabbling in vile drugs. Bar. And art thou sure He dealt in such?

Lor.

And so he seem'd not long

To flow through the dead lips of Foscari-
The body bleeds in presence of the assassin.
[TO LOREDANO.

Thou cowardly murderer by law, behold
How death itself bears witness to thy deeds!
Doge. My child! this is a phantasy of grief.
Bear hence the body. [To his attendants.] Signors,
if it please you,

Within an hour I'll hear you.

[Exeunt DOGE, MARINA, and attendants with the body. Manent LOREDANO and BARBARIGO. He must not He said himself that naught Could give him trouble farther.

And foreign traitor?

Lor.

After the very night in which "the Ten" (Join'd with the Doge) decided his destruction, Met the great Duke at day-break with a jest, Demanding whether he should augur him "The good day or good night?" his Dogeship answer'd,

"That he in truth had pass'd a night of vigil, In which (he added with a gracious smile), There often has been question about you.' 'T was true; the question was the death resolved Of Carmagnuola, eight months ere he died; And the old Doge, who knew him doom'd, smiled [hand

Bar. Humanity!

Lor.

Because his son is dead?

I have and had a father.

Destroy'd by him, or through him, the account
Were fearfully against him, although narrow'd
To private havoc, such as between him
And my dead father.

An historical fact. See Daru, tom. ii.

Offi. A melancholy one-to call the attendance Of

Doge. True-true-true: I crave your pardon. I Begin to fail in apprehension, and

Wax very old-old almost as my years.

Till now I fought them off, but they begin
To overtake me.

Enter the Deputation, consisting of six of the Signory, and the Chief of the Ten.

Noble men, your pleasure! Chief of the Ten. In the first place, the Council doth condole

With the Doge on his late and private grief.

Doge. No more-no more of that.
Chief of the Ten.

Accept the homage of respect?

Doge.

Accept it as 't is given-proceed.

Chief of the Ten.

Will not the Duke

I do

"The Ten,"

With a selected Giunta from the senate
Of twenty-five of the best born patricians,
Having deliberated on the state

Of the republic, and the o'erwhelming cares
Which, at this moment, doubly must oppress
Your years, so long devoted to your country,
Have judged it fitting, with all reverence,
Now to solicit from your wisdom (which
Upon reflection must accord in this)
The resignation of the ducal ring,
Which you have worn so long and venerably:
And to prove that they are not ungrateful, nor
Cold to your years and services, they add
An appanage of twenty hundred golden
Ducats, to make retirement not less splendid
Than should become a sovereign's retreat.
Doge. Did I hear rightly?
Chief of the Ten.

Doge. No

Need I say again?

Have you done?

Chief of the Ten. I have spoken. Twenty-four Hours are accorded you to give an answer.

Doge. I shall not need so many seconds.
Chief of the Ten.

Right!

Will now retire.

Doge.

I protest

As you please

I'll take their voices on it ne'ertheless,

| And see whose most may sway them, yours or mine. [Exeunt BARBARIGO and LOREDano.

We

Stay! Four and twenty hours

Will alter nothing which I have to say.

Chief of the Ten. Speak!
Doge.

When I twice before reiterated

My wish to abdicate, it was refused me:
And not alone refused, but ye exacted
An oath from me that I would never more
Renew this instance. I have sworn to die
In full exertion of the functions which
My country call'd me here to exercise.
According to my honour and my conscience-
I cannot break my oath.
Chief of the Ten.

Reduce us not

To the alternative of a decree, Instead of your compliance.

Mar.

This

They tortured from him.
May be pure patriotism. I am a woman :
To me my husband and my children were
Country and home. I loved him—how I loved him!
I have seen him pass through such an ordeal as
The old martyrs would have shrunk from: he is gone,
And I, who would have given my blood for him,
Have nought to give but tears! But could I compass
The retribution of his wrongs! - Well, well!
I have sons, who shall be men.
Doge.
Your grief distracts you.
Mar. I thought I could have borne it, when I
saw him

Bow'd down by such oppression; yes, I thought
That I would rather look upon his corse
Than his prolong'd captivity: - I am punish'd
For that thought now. Would I were in his grave!
Doge. I must look on him once more.
Mur.

Come with me!

Doge. Is he

Mar.

Our bridal bed is now his bier.

In such an hour too!

Doge.

Oh, the tyrants!

'Tis the fittest time;

And

An hour ago I should have felt it.

Mar.

[Exeunt the DOGE and MARINA.

Enter BARBARIGO and LOREDANO. Bar. (to an Attendant). Where is the Doge? Att. This instant retired hence With the illustrious lady his son's widow. Lor. Where?

Att.

To the chamber where the body lies.

Bar. Let us return, then. Lor.

You forget, you cannot.

We have the implicit order of the Giunta
To await their coming here, and join them in
Their office: they 'll be here soon after us.

Bar. And will they press their answer on the Doge? Lor. "T was his own wish that all should be done promptly.

He answer'd quickly, and must so be answer'd;
His dignity is look'd to, his estate
Cared for- what would he more?

Bar.

Die in his robes: He could not have lived long; but I have done My best to save his honours, and opposed This proposition to the last, though vainly. Why would the general vote compel me hither? Lor. 'Twas fit that some one of such different

thoughts

From ours should be a witness, lest false tongues
Should whisper that a harsh majority

Dreaded to have its acts beheld by others.

Bar. And not less, I must needs think, for the sake Of humbling me for my vain opposition.

You are ingenious, Loredano, in
Your modes of vengeance, nay, poetical,
A very Ovid in the art of hating;
'Tis thus (although a secondary object,
Yet hate has microscopic eyes), to you
I owe, by way of foil to the more zealous,

They speak your language, watch your nod, approve
Your plans, and do your work. Are they not yours?
Lor. You talk unwarily. "Twere best they hear
This from you.
[not
Bar.

Oh! they'll hear as much one day From louder tongues than mine; they have gone beyond

Even their exorbitance of power: and when

This happens in the most contemn'd and abject
States, stung humanity will rise to check it.
Lor. You talk but idly.
Bur.

Here come our colleagues.

Chief of the Ten.

That remains for proof.

Enter the Deputation as before.

Is the Duke aware

We seek his presence? Att.

He shall be inform'd.

[Exit Attendant.

Lor.

Your answer, Francis Foscari !
Doge. If I could have foreseen that my old age
Was prejudicial to the state, the chief
Of the republic never would have shown
Himself so far ungrateful, as to place

His own high dignity before his country;
But this life having been so many years
Not useless to that country, I would fain
Have consecrated my last moments to her.
But the decree being render'd, I obey. 1
Chief of the Ten. If you would have the three
days named extended,

We willingly will lengthen them to eight,
As sign of our esteem.

Doge.

Nor even eight minutes

Not eight hours, signor,

there's the ducal ring, [Taking off his ring and cap.

And there the ducal diadem. And so

The Adriatic 's free to wed another.

Chief of the Ten. Yet go not forth so quickly.
Doge.
I am old, sir,

And even to move but slowly must begin
To move betimes. Methinks I see amongst you
A face I know not-Senator! your name,
You, by your garb, Chief of the Forty!
Mem.

I am the son of Marco Memmo. 2
Doge.

Signor,

Ah!

But sons and fathers! —

Your father was my friend. What, ho! my servants there!

Enter the DOGE.

[To the Ten. [To the Servants. There is one burthen which I beg you bear With care, although 't is past all further harmBut I will look to that myself. Bar.

It is your province. - Sirs, bestir yourselves :

The body of his son.

Doge.

He means

And call Marina,

My daughter!

Enter MARINA.

Doge. Elsewhere.

And everywhere.

Mar. Doge.

Get thee ready; we must mourn

True; but in freedom,
Without these jealous spies upon the great.
Signors, you may depart: what would you more?
We are going: do you fear that we shall bear
The palace with us? Its old walls, ten times
As old as I am, and I'm very old,

Have served you, so have I, and I and they
Could tell a tale; but I invoke them not
To fall upon you! else they would, as erst

The meekness of his soul. All things alike! Among the six that came with the decree, Foscari saw one he knew not, and inquired His name. I am the son of Marco Memmo,' Ah!' he replied, thy father was my friend!'" ROGERS.]