The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge Volume II Part 34

Healest thy wandering and distemper'd child: Thou pourest on him thy soft influences, Thy sunny hues, fair forms, and breathing sweets, Thy melodies of woods, and winds, and waters, 130 Till he relent, and can no more endure To be a jarring and a dissonant thing Amid this general dance and minstrelsy; But bursting into tears wins back his way, His angry spirit heal'd and harmoniz'd 135 By the benignant touch of love and beauty.

[_A noise at the dungeon-door. It opens, and OSORIO enters with a goblet in his hand._

_Osorio._ Hail, potent wizard! In my gayer mood I pour'd forth a libation to old Pluto; And as I brimm'd the bowl, I thought of thee!

_Albert (in a low voice)._ I have not summon'd up my heart to give 140 That pang, which I must give thee, son of Velez!

_Osorio (with affected levity)._ Thou hast conspired against my life and honour, Hast trick'd me foully; yet I hate thee not!

Why should I hate thee? This same world of ours-- It is a puddle in a storm of rain, 145 And we the air-bladders, that course up and down, And joust and tilt in merry tournament, And when one bubble runs foul of another,

[_Waving his hand at ALBERT._

The lesser must needs break!

_Albert._ I see thy heart!

There is a frightful glitter in thine eye, 150 Which doth betray thee. Crazy-conscienc'd man, This is the gaiety of drunken anguish, Which fain would scoff away the pang of guilt, And quell each human feeling!

_Osorio._ Feeling! feeling!

The death of a man--the breaking of a bubble. 155 'Tis true, I cannot sob for such misfortunes!

But faintness, cold, and hunger--curses on me If willingly I e'er inflicted them!

Come, share the beverage--this chill place demands it.

Friendship and wine! [_OSORIO proffers him the goblet._

_Albert._ Yon insect on the wall, 160 Which moves this way and that its hundred legs, Were it a toy of mere mechanic craft, It were an infinitely curious thing!

But it has life, Osorio! life and thought; And by the power of its miraculous will 165 Wields all the complex movements of its frame Unerringly, to pleasurable ends!

Saw I that insect on this goblet's brink, I would remove it with an eager terror.

_Osorio._ What meanest thou?

_Albert._ There's poison in the wine. 170

_Osorio._ Thou hast guess'd well. There's poison in the wine.

Shall we throw dice, which of us two shall drink it?

For one of us must die!

_Albert._ Whom dost thou think me?

_Osorio._ The accomplice and sworn friend of Ferdinand.

_Albert._ Ferdinand! Ferdinand! 'tis a name I know not. 175

_Osorio._ Good! good! that lie! by Heaven! it has restor'd me.

Now I am thy master! Villain, thou shalt drink it, Or die a bitterer death.

_Albert._ What strange solution Hast thou found out to satisfy thy fears, And drug them to unnatural sleep?

[_ALBERT takes the goblet, and with a sigh throws it on the ground._

_My_ master! 180

_Osorio._ Thou mountebank!

_Albert._ Mountebank and villain!

What then art thou? For shame, put up thy sword!

What boots a weapon in a wither'd arm?

I fix mine eye upon thee, and thou tremblest!

I speak--and fear and wonder crush thy rage, 185 And turn it to a motionless distraction!

Thou blind self-worshipper! thy pride, thy cunning, Thy faith in universal villainy, Thy shallow sophisms, thy pretended scorn For all thy human brethren--out upon them! 190 What have they done for thee? Have they given thee peace?

Cured thee of starting in thy sleep? or made The darkness pleasant, when thou wakest at midnight?

Art happy when alone? can'st walk by thyself With even step, and quiet cheerfulness? 195 Yet, yet thou mayst be saved.

_Osorio (stupidly reiterating the word)._ Saved? saved?

_Albert._ One pang-- Could I call up one pang of true remorse!

_Osorio._ He told me of the babe, that prattled to him, His fatherless little ones! Remorse! remorse!

Where gott'st thou that fool's word? Curse on remorse! 200 Can it give up the dead, or recompact A mangled body--mangled, dash'd to atoms!

Not all the blessings of an host of angels Can blow away a desolate widow's curse; And tho' thou spill thy heart's blood for atonement, 205 It will not weigh against an orphan's tear.

_Albert (almost overcome by his feelings)._ But Albert----

_Osorio._ Ha! it chokes thee in the throat, Even thee! and yet, I pray thee, speak it out.

Still Albert! Albert! Howl it in mine ear!

Heap it, like coals of fire, upon my heart! 210 And shoot it hissing through my brain!

_Albert._ Alas-- That day, when thou didst leap from off the rock Into the waves, and grasp'd thy sinking brother, And bore him to the strand, then, son of Velez!

How sweet and musical the name of Albert! 215 Then, then, Osorio! he was dear to thee, And thou wert dear to him. Heaven only knows How very dear thou wert! Why didst thou hate him?

O Heaven! how he would fall upon thy neck, And weep forgiveness!

_Osorio._ Spirit of the dead! 220 Methinks I know thee! Ha!--my brain turns wild At its own dreams--off--off, fantastic shadow!

_Albert (seizing his hand)._ I fain would tell thee what I am, but dare not!

_Osorio (retiring from him)._ Cheat, villain, traitor! whatsoe'er thou be I fear thee, man!

[_He starts, and stands in the att.i.tude of listening._

And is _this_ too my madness? 225

_Albert._ It is the step of one that treads in fear Seeking to cheat the echo.

_Osorio._ It approaches-- This nook shall hide me.

[_MARIA enters from a plank which slips to and fro._

_Maria._ I have put aside The customs and the terrors of a woman, To work out thy escape. Stranger! begone, 230 And only tell me what thou know'st of Albert.

[_ALBERT takes her portrait from his neck, and gives it her with unutterable tenderness._