The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge Volume II Part 28

_Alhadra._ Was not Osorio my husband's friend?

_Old Man._ He kill'd my son in battle; yet our chieftain Forced me to sheathe my dagger. See--the point Is bright, unrusted with the villain's blood!

_Alhadra._ He is your chieftain's murderer!

_Naomi._ He dies by Alla!

_All (dropping on one knee)._ By Alla! 375

_Alhadra._ This night a reeking slave came with loud pant, Gave Ferdinand a letter, and departed, Swift as he came. Pale, with unquiet looks, He read the scroll.

_Maurice._ Its purport?

_Alhadra._ Yes, I ask'd it.

He answer'd me, 'Alhadra! thou art worthy 380 A n.o.bler secret; but I have been faithful To this bad man, and faithful I will be.'

He said, and arm'd himself, and lit a torch; Then kiss'd his children, each one on its pillow, And hurried from me. But I follow'd him 385 At distance, till I saw him enter _there_.

_Naomi._ The cavern?

_Alhadra._ Yes--the mouth of yonder cavern.

After a pause I saw the son of Velez Rush by with flaring torch; he likewise enter'd-- There was another and a longer pause-- 390 And once, methought, I heard the clash of swords, And soon the son of Velez reappear'd.

He flung his torch towards the moon in sport, And seem'd as he were mirthful! I stood listening Impatient for the footsteps of my husband! 395

_Maurice._ Thou called'st him?

_Alhadra._ I crept into the cavern: 'Twas dark and very silent. [_Then wildly._ What said'st thou?

No, no! I did not dare call, Ferdinand!

Lest I should hear no answer. A brief while, Belike, I lost all thought and memory 400 Of that for which I came! After that pause, O G.o.d! I heard a groan!--and follow'd it.

And yet another groan--which guided me Into a strange recess--and there was _light_, A _hideous_ light! his torch lay on the ground-- 405 Its flame burnt dimly o'er a chasm's brink.

I spake--and while I spake, a feeble groan Came from that chasm! It was his last! his death groan!

_Maurice._ Comfort her, comfort her, Almighty Father!

_Alhadra._ I stood in unimaginable trance 410 And agony, that cannot be remember'd, Listening with horrid hope to hear a groan!

But I had heard his last--my husband's death-groan!

_Naomi._ Haste! let us go!

_Alhadra._ I look'd far down the pit.

My sight was bounded by a jutting fragment, 415 And it was stain'd with blood! Then first I shriek'd!

My eyeb.a.l.l.s burnt! my brain grew hot as fire!

And all the hanging drops of the wet roof Turn'd into blood. I saw them turn to blood!

And I was leaping wildly down the chasm 420 When on the further brink I saw his sword, And it said, Vengeance! Curses on my tongue!

The moon hath moved in heaven, and I am here, And he hath not had vengeance! Ferdinand!

Spirit of Ferdinand! thy murderer lives! 425 Away! away! [_She rushes off, all following._

END OF THE FOURTH ACT

FOOTNOTES:

[564:1] The square brackets (which appear in both MSS.) seem to indicate that these words were an 'aside'. _P. W._ 1893, p. 499. _Editor's Note_.

[565:1] Against this pa.s.sage Coleridge has written in MS. II:--'This will be held by many for a mere Tragedy-dream--by many who have never given themselves the trouble to ask themselves from what grounds dreams pleased in Tragedy, and wherefore they have become so common. I believe, however, that in the present case, the whole is here psychologically true and accurate. Prophetical dreams are things of nature, and explicable by that law of the mind in which where dim ideas are connected with vivid feelings, Perception and Imagination insinuate themselves and mix with the forms of Recollection, till the Present appears to exactly correspond with the Past. Whatever is partially like, the Imagination will gradually represent as wholly like--a law of our nature which, when it is perfectly understood, woe to the great city Babylon--to all the superst.i.tions of Men!' _P. W._, 1893, p. 499.

[567:1] Against this pa.s.sage Coleridge writes in MS. II:--'Under the mask of the third person Osorio relates his own story, as in the delusion of self-justification and pride, it appeared to himself--at least as he wished it to appear to himself.' _P. W._, 1893, p. 499.

'Osorio darkly, and in the feeling of self-justification, tells what he conceives of his own character and actions--speaking of himself in the third person.' _MS. III_.

[570:1] Against this line Coleridge writes in MS. II:--'Osorio has thrust Ferdinand down the chasm. I think it an important instance how Dreams and Prophecies cooperate to their own completion.' _P. W._, 1893, p. 501.

LINENOTES:

[1-3] Erased MS. III.: om. Remorse.

{ [*water drops*]

This ceaseless dreary sound of { dropping water-- I would they had not fallen upon my Torch!

Corr. in MS. III.

[5-6] In inverted commas. Remorse.

[8] cannot] can not Remorse. cranny] crevice Remorse.

[12] MS. III erased.

[Between 11 and 13]

(_a_) Any thing but this crash of water drops!

These dull abortive sounds that fret the silence With puny thwartings and mock opposition!

So beats the death-watch to a sick man's ear

Remorse.

(_b_) Anything but this { crash of water-drops { [*noise*]

{ scoffing At broken measure { [*mocking*] intervals-- Their discontinuous, interruptive sound { These { [*With*] dull abortive &c.

MS. III erased.

Affixed to variant (a) of l. 12 '--this at all events is the final result of this correction.' _S. T. C._

[13] A h.e.l.lish pit! O G.o.d--'tis that I dreamt of! Corr. in MS. III: A h.e.l.lish pit! The very same I dreamt of! Remorse.

[Affixed to 13] 'You mean like the dream presented to my mind when under the influence of the night-mare. This is most ludicrously expressed.' C.

Ll[oyd]

[16] I swear that I saw something Remorse.