The German Classics of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries Volume Vi Part 69

But no, thou weepst, and tears no lies can tell.

Behold, I also weep, I weep for rage, From hot and unslaked pa.s.sion for revenge!

Come, here's a ring to set your torch within.

Go to the town, a.s.semble all the folk, And bid them straight unto this castle come With arms, as chance may put within their reach; And I, when morning comes, with written word, Will bring the people here, at my command-- Children of toil and hard endeavor, they, As an avenger at their head I'll go, And break down all the strongholds of the great, Who, half as servants, half again as lords, Serve but themselves and overrule their master.

Ruler and ruled, thus shall it be, and I, Avenging, will wipe out that hybrid throng, So proud of blood, or flowing in their veins, Or dripping on their swords from others' wounds.

Thy light here leave and go! I'll stay alone And hatch the progeny of my revenge.

[_The servant puts his torch into the ring beside the door and withdraws._]

KING (_taking a step forward_).

What moves there? Can it be there still is life?

Give answer!

ISAAC. Gracious Lord ill-doer, O, O, spare us, good a.s.sa.s.sin!

KING. You, old man?

Remind me not that Rachel was your child; It would deface her image in my soul.

And thou--art thou not Esther?

ESTHER. Sire, I am.

KING. And is it done?

ESTHER. It is.

KING. I knew it well, Since I the castle entered. So, no plaints!

For know, the cup is full; an added drop Would overflow, make weak the poisonous draught.

While she still lived I was resolved to leave her, Now dead, she ne'er shall leave my side again; And this her picture, here upon my breast, Will 'grave its image there, strike root within-- For was not mine the hand that murdered her?

Had she not come to me, she still would play, A happy child, a joy to look upon.

Perhaps--but no, not that! No, no, I say!

No other man should ever touch her hand, No other lips approach her rosy mouth, No shameless arm--she to the King belonged, Though now unseen, she still would be my own.

To royal might belongs such might of charms!

ISAAC. Speaks he of Rachel?

ESTHER. Of thy daughter, yes.

Though grief increase the value of the loss, Yet must I say: Too high you rate her worth.

KING. Think'st thou? I tell thee, naught but shadows we-- I, thou, and others of the common crowd; For if thou'rt good, why then, thou'rt learned it so; If I am honest, I but saw naught else; Those others, if they murder,--as they do-- Well, so their fathers did, came time and need!

The world is but one great reechoing, And all its harvest is but seed from seed.

But she was truth itself, ev'n though deformed, And all she did proceeded from herself, A-sudden, unexpected, and unlearned.

Since her I saw I felt myself alive, And to the dreary sameness of my life 'Twas only she gave character and form.

They tell that in Arab desert wastes The wand'rer, long tormented in the sands, Long tortured with the sun's relentless glare, Some time may find a blooming island's green, Surrounded by the surge of arid waves; There flowers bloom, there trees bestow their shade, The breath of herbs mounts soothing in the breeze And forms a second heav'n, arched 'neath the first.

Forsooth the serpent coils among the brush; A famished beast, tormented by like thirst, Perchance comes, too, to slake it at this spring; Yet, tired and worn, the wand'rer doth rejoice, Sucks in with greedy lips the cooling draught, And sinks down in the rank luxuriant growth.

Luxuriant growth! In faith! I'll see her now-- See once again that proud and beauteous form, That mouth which drew in breath and breathed out life, And which, now silenced ever, evermore, Accuses me of guarding her so ill.

ESTHER. Go not, O Sire! Now that the deed is done, Let it be done. The mourning be for us!

Estrange thyself not from thy people, Sire.

KING. Think'st thou? The King I am--thou know'st full well.

She suffered outrage, but myself no less.

Justice, and punishment of ev'ry wrong I swore upon my coronation day, And I will keep my oath until the death.

To do this, I must make me strong and hard, For to my anger they will sure oppose All that the human breast holds high and dear-- Mem'ries from out my boyhood's early days, My manhood's first sweet taste of woman's love, Friends.h.i.+p and grat.i.tude and mercy, too; My whole life, roughly bundled into one, Will stand, as 'twere against me, fully armed, And challenge me to combat with myself.

I, therefore, from myself must first take leave.

Her image, as I see it here and there, On every wall, in this and every corner Shows her to me but in her early bloom, With all her weaknesses, with all her charm.

I'll see her now, mistreated, wounded, torn; Will lose myself in horror at the sight, Compare each b.l.o.o.d.y mark upon her form With this, her image, here upon my breast.

And learn to deal with monsters, like to like.

(_As ESTHER has risen._)

Speak not a word to me! I will! This torch Shall, like myself, inflamed, illume the way; Gleaming, because destructive and destroyed.

She is in yonder last and inmost room, Where I so oft--

ESTHER. She was, and there remains.

KING (_has seized the torch_).

Methinks 'tis blood I see upon my way.

It is the way to blood. O fearful night!

[_He goes out at the side door to the left._]

ISAAC. We're in the dark.

ESTHER. Yes, dark is round about, And round about the horror's horrid night.

But daylight comes apace. So let me try If I can thither bear my weary limbs.

[_She goes to the window, and draws the curtain._]

The day already dawns, its pallid gleam Shudders to see the terrors wrought this night-- The difference 'twixt yesterday and now.

(_Pointing to the scattered jewels on the floor._)

There, there it lies, our fortune's scattered ruin-- The tawdry baubles, for the sake of which We, we--not he who takes the blame--but we A sister sacrificed, thy foolish child!

Yea, all that comes is right. Whoe'er complains, Accuses his own folly and himself.

ISAAC (_who has seated himself on the chair_).

Here will I sit. Now that the King is here I fear them not, nor all that yet may come.

_The centre door opens. Enter MANRIQUE, and GARCERAN, behind them the QUEEN, leading her child by the hand, and other n.o.bles._

MANRIQUE. Come, enter here, arrange yourselves the while.

We have offended 'gainst his Majesty, Seeking the good, but not within the law.

We will not try now to evade the law.

ESTHER (_on the other side, raising the overturned table with a quick movement_).

Order thyself, disorder! Lest they think That we are terrified, or cowards prove.