Count Julian Part 14

EGI. Julian, base man, 'tis true.

He comes a prince, no warrior, at this hour.

MUZA. His sword, O queen, would not avail him now.

ABD. Julian, I feel less anger than regret.

No violence of speech, no obloquy, No accusation shall escape my lips: Need there is none, nor reason, to avoid My questions: if thou value truth, reply.

Hath not Roderigo left the town and camp?

Hath not thy daughter?

EGI. Past the little brook Toward the Betis--from a tower I saw The fugitives, far on their way; they went Over one bridge, each with armed men--not half A league of road between them--and had joined But that the olive-groves along the path Concealed them from each other--not from me: Beneath me the whole level I surveyed, And, when my eyes no longer could discern Which track they took, I knew it from the storks Rising in clouds above the reedy plain.

MUZA. Deny it, if thou canst.

JUL. I ordered it.

ABD. None could besides: lo! things in such a ma.s.s Falling together on observant minds, Create suspicion and establish proof: Wanted there fresh--why not employ our arms?

Why go alone?

MUZA. To parley, to conspire, To reunite the Spaniards, which we saw, To give up treaties, close up enmities, And ratify the deed with Moorish blood.

JUL. Gladly would Spain procure your safe return, Gladly would pay large treasures, for the aid You brought against oppression -

MUZA. Pay she shall - The treasures of her soil, her ports, her youth: If she resist, if she tumultuously Call forth her brigands and we lose a man, Dreadful shall be our justice; war shall rage Through every city, hamlet, house, and field, And, universal o'er the gasping land, Depopulation.

JUL. They shall rue the day Who dare these things.

MUZA. Let order then prevail.

In vain thou sendest far away thy child, Thy counsellor the metropolitan, And Sisabert--prudence is mine no less.

Divide with us our conquests, but the king Must be delivered up.

JUL. Never by me.

MUZA. False then were thy reproaches, false thy grief.

JUL. O Egilona! were thine also feigned?

ABD. Say, lovely queen, neglectful of thy charms Turned he his eyes toward the young Covilla?

Did he pursue her to the mad excess Of breaking off her vows to Sisabert, And marrying her, against the Christian law?

MUZA. Did he prefer her so?

ABD. Could he prefer To Egilona -

EGI. Her! the child Covilla?

Eternal hider of a foolish face, Incapable of anything but shame, To me? old man! to me? O Abdalazis!

No: he but followed with slow pace my hate.

And cannot pride check these unseemly tears.

[Goes.

MUZA. The most offended, an offended woman, A wife, a queen, is silent on the deed.

ABD. Thou disingenuous and ign.o.ble man, Spreading these rumours! sending into exile All those their blighting influence injured most: And whom? thy daughter and adopted son, The chieftains of thy laws and of thy faith.

Call any witnesses, proclaim the truth, And set, at last, thy heart, thy fame, at rest.

JUL. Not, if I purposed or desired to live, My own dishonour would I e'er proclaim Amid vindictive and reviling foes.

MUZA. Calling us foes, avows he not his guilt?

Condemns he not the action we condemn, Owning it his, and owning it dishonour?

'Tis well my cares pressed forward, and struck home.

JUL. Why smilest thou? I never saw that smile But it portended an atrocious deed.

MUZA. After our manifold and stern a.s.saults, With every tower and battlement destroyed, The walls of Ceuta still were strong enough -

JUL. For what? who boasted now her brave defence, Or who forbade your entrance, after peace?

MUZA. None: for who could? their engines now arose To throw thy sons into the arms of death.

For this erect they their proud crests again.

Mark him at last turn pale before a Moor.

JUL. Imprudent have they been, their youth shall plead.

ABD. O father, could they not have been detained?

MUZA. Son, thou art safe and wert not while they lived.

ABD. I feared them not.

MUZA. And therefore wert not safe: Under their star the blooming Egilona Would watch for thee the nuptial lamp in vain.

JUL. Never, oh never, hast thou worked a wile So barren of all good! speak out at once, What hopest thou by striking this alarm?

It shocks my reason, not my fears or fondness.

MUZA. Be happy then as ignorance can be; Soon wilt thou hear it shouted from our ranks.

Those who once hurled defiance o'er our heads, Scorning our arms, and scoffing at our faith, The nightly wolf hath visited, unscared, And loathed them as her prey; for famine first, Achieving in few days the boast of year; Sank their young eyes and opened us the gates: Ceuta, her port, her citadel, is ours.

JUL. Blessed boys! inhuman as thou art, what guilt Was theirs?

MUZA. Their father's.

JUL. Oh, support me, Heaven!

Against this blow! all others I have borne.

Ermenegild! thou mightest, sure, have lived!

A father's name awoke no dread of thee!

Only thy mother's early bloom was thine!

There dwelt on Julian's brow--thine was serene - The brightened clouds of elevated souls, Feared by the most below: those who looked up Saw, at their season, in clear signs, advance Rapturous valour, calm solicitude, All that impatient youth would press from age, Or sparing age sigh and detract from youth: Hence was his fall! my hope! myself! my Julian!

Alas! I boasted--but I thought on him, Inheritor of all--all what? my wrongs - Follower of me--and whither? to the grave - Ah, no: it should have been so years far hence!

Him at this moment I could pity most, But I most prided in him; now I know I loved a name, I doted on a shade.