Semiramis and Other Plays Part 25

SCENE 1. The Tuileries.

SCENE 2. Miramar.

CHARACTERS

MAXIMILIAN, Emperor of Mexico CARLOTTA, Empress of Mexico LOUIS NAPOLEON, Emperor of France EUGENIE, Empress of France BENITO JUAREZ, President of Mexico IGNACIO, nephew to Juarez RAFAEL MENDORES, friend of Ignacio ASEFFA, wife of Rafael TREVINO, ESCOBEDO, GARZA, officers in the Liberal Army MIRAMON, leader of the Imperial party MARSHAL BAZAINE, head of the French Army in Mexico MARQUEZ, MEJIA, MENDEZ, DUPIN, LOPEZ, of the Imperial army ABBOT of Lacroma ARCHBISHOP LABASTIDA, head of the Mexican church PRINCE SALM-SALM, friend and officer of Maximilian PRINCE ZICHY, RUIZ, BERZABAL, ESTRADA, Mexican n.o.bles LADY MARIA, sister to Count Charles PRINCESS SALM-SALM PRINCESS ZICHY PRINCESS METTERNICH SENOR HURBET, GENERAL CASTLENAU, MARQUIS DE GALLIFET, in the service of Louis Napoleon AUSTRIAN, BELGIAN, PRUSSIAN, and other foreign ministers at the court of Napoleon III.

Imperial soldiers, Liberal soldiers, guards, rabble, ladies of honor, officers of the court, etc., etc.

CARLOTTA

ACT I.

Scene I: Reception hall, castle of Miramar, near Trieste. Enter Count Charles, book in hand.

Char. Ah, books must be put by for swords, I wot, When this wild journey to the West begins.

'Tis change enough! O shifting, shuffling life!

Come, Shakespeare, magic mason, build me worlds That never shake however winds may blow, Founded on dream imperishable! (Sits and reads.

Enter Lady Maria)

Mar. Charles!

Not reading! Dost know what day it is?

Char. Ay, sister!

A day to make a scholar tremble, and hug His books in fever of farewell.

Mar. Didst see The splendid carriages glittering up the drive?

And O, so many!

Char. They have arrived?

Mar. Arrived!

Why, all the Mexican deputies, arrayed Like their own sunsets,--the amba.s.sadors From Austria, Belgium, France,--the princesses, And countesses, now in the guest-room wait The stroke of twelve to enter! 'Tis nearly time, And you sit here! Put by your Englishman!

Come, put him by, I say! He's dead; we live.

He's had his due and pa.s.sed.

Char. Nay, his account Is writ forever current. His book of praise Time closes not, but waits some language new To enter it, and at his monument Fame yet stands carving.

Mar. (Taking book and closing it) So! She's time enough!

We've other work. (Gently) Is not the princess sad?

Char. I pray her heavy tears, weighing like stones, Will hold her back from sea!

Mar. Hush, Charles! She comes!

(Enter Carlotta, richly dressed)

Car. Ah, cousins, tr.i.m.m.i.n.g now your smiles to greet The deputies?

Char. Nay, calling up our tears To grace farewell to Miramar!

Car. No tears!

We'll think but of an empire and a crown, Not Miramar!

(Enter Maximilian, dressed in the uniform of Vice-Admiral of the Austrian navy)

Max. An empire and a crown?

At last I am out-rivalled in your heart!

Car. Nay, nay, thou know'st, my lord, thou art my empire!

Grant me so much as now I look upon And I'm as rich as Jove with Saturn's sceptre New-swinging o'er the world!

Char. Then you risk much For an unstable throne.

Car. Not risk!

Char. The men Who've governed Mexico, for the most part, Have paid their heads for it.

Mar. O, Charles!

Char. 'Tis true.

Car. Our safety is in the Emperor of France.

He's the strong angel in this n.o.ble scheme!

Char. Safety in him? Nay, madam, by my soul, The lightest smile that breaks upon his lips, As though a breeze but touched there, hides a plot May hang our hearts with lead!

Car. How you misjudge him!

In Paris when he pledged his faith to us His eyes more than his words a.s.sured his heart Unto our cause. I trust him, yea, I trust him!

Char. There is a woman on the throne of France!

She is the Eve to this slow-blooded Adam, Dutch-born Napoleon, and holdeth up The globe as 't were an apple for his hand.

She builds mock images of dreams that died On Helena's lone rock, and teaches him They are not ghosts of dream but dream indeed!

Mexico, burning with gold and sunset's fire, Pouring the crimson of internal strife, To her is but a jewel in crude bed She'd have you pick and polish for her crown!

Car. Had you but heard her sweet devoted voice Pleading with us for sake of the true Church To finish now this great emprise begun, You would believe her holy.

Char. If she is holy, And if Napoleon be true in this, Then is he G.o.d's perfection of a man, And she earth's sole and sainted paragon!

But wait--O wait and see ere you risk life And honor!