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Before the Castle of Petrella. | |
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Enter BEATRICE and LUCRETIA above on the Ramparts | |
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| Beatrice. They come not yet. | |
| Lucretia. ’Tis scarce midnight. | |
| Beatrice. How slow | 5 |
| Behind the course of thought, even sick with speed, | |
| Lags leaden footed time! | |
| Lucretia. The minutes pass… | |
| If he should wake before the deed is done? | |
| Beatrice. O, mother! He must never wake again. | 10 |
| What thou hast said persuades me that our act | |
| Will but dislodge a spirit of deep hell | |
| Out of a human form. | |
| Lucretia. ’Tis true he spoke | |
| Of death and judgment with strange confidence | 15 |
| For one so wicked; as a man believing | |
| In God, yet recking not of good or ill. | |
| And yet to die without confession!… | |
| Beatrice. Oh! | |
| Believe that Heaven is merciful and just, | 20 |
| And will not add our dread necessity | |
| To the amount of his offences. | |
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Enter OLIMPIO and MARZIO, below | |
| Lucretia. See, | |
| They come. | 25 |
| Beatrice. All mortal things must hasten thus | |
| To their dark end. Let us go down. [Exeunt LUCRETIA and BEATRICE from above. | |
| Olimpio. How feel you to this work? | |
| Marzio. As one who thinks | |
| A thousand crowns excellent market price | 30 |
| For an old murderer’s life. Your cheeks are pale. | |
| Olimpio. It is the white reflection of your own, | |
| Which you call pale. | |
| Marzio. Is that their natural hue? | |
| Olimpio. Or ’tis my hate and the deferred desire | 35 |
| To wreak it, which extinguishes their blood. | |
| Marzio. You are inclined then to this business? | |
| Olimpio. Ay. | |
| If one should bribe me with a thousand crowns | |
| To kill a serpent which had stung my child, | 40 |
| I could not be more willing. | |
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Enter BEATRICE and LUCRETIA, below | |
| Noble ladies! | |
| Beatrice. Are ye resolved? | |
| Olimpio. Is he asleep? | 45 |
| Marzio. Is all | |
| Quiet? | |
| Lucretia. I mixed an opiate with his drink: | |
| He sleeps so soundly… | |
| Beatrice. That his death will be | 50 |
| But as a change of sin-chastising dreams, | |
| A dark continuance of the Hell within him, | |
| Which God extinguish! But ye are resolved? | |
| Ye know it is a high and holy deed? | |
| Olimpio. We are resolved. | 55 |
| Marzio. As to the how this act | |
| Be warranted, it rests with you. | |
| Beatrice. Well, follow! | |
| Olimpio. Hush! Hark! What noise is that? | |
| Marzio. Ha! some one comes! | 60 |
| Beatrice. Ye conscience-stricken cravens, rock to rest | |
| Your baby hearts. It is the iron gate, | |
| Which ye left open, swinging to the wind, | |
| That enters whistling as in scorn. Come, follow! | |
| And be your steps like mine, light, quick and bold. [Exeunt. | 65 |
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