The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge Volume II Part 36

[_NAOMI advances with the sword towards OSORIO._

_Alhadra._ Nay, bear him forth! Why should this innocent maid Behold the ugliness of death?

_Osorio (with great majesty)._ O woman!

I have stood silent like a slave[596:1] before thee, That I might taste the wormwood and the gall, And satiate this self-accusing spirit 305 With bitterer agonies than death can give.

[_The_ Moors _gather round him in a crowd, and pa.s.s off the stage._

_Alhadra._ I thank thee, Heaven! thou hast ordain'd it wisely, That still extremes bring their own cure. That point In misery which makes the oppressed man Regardless of his own life, makes him too 310 Lord of the oppressor's! Knew I an hundred men Despairing, but not palsied by despair, This arm should shake the kingdoms of this world; The deep foundations of iniquity Should sink away, earth groaning from beneath them; 315 The strong holds of the cruel men should fall, Their temples and their mountainous towers should fall; Till desolation seem'd a beautiful thing, And all that were and had the spirit of life Sang a new song to him who had gone forth 320 Conquering and still to conquer!

THE END[597:1]

FOOTNOTES:

[596:1] In _MS. II_ 'worm' has the place of 'slave', which is the word in _MS. I_.

[597:1] On a blank page of _MS. III_ some one, probably Bowles, has written:--'Upon the whole a very masterly production, and with judicious contractments might be rendered an interesting Drama on the stage.'

LINENOTES:

[1-106] om. Remorse.

[39] The hanging] Yon pendent Corr. in MS. III.

[41]

hanging] { pendent { flowerlike

Corr. in MS. III.

[45] that] this Corr. in MS. III.

[Affixed to 57] _Naomi, the second in command to Isidore, enters in haste._ MS. III erased.

[After 61] stage-direction erased MS. III.

[62] _Moorish Seaman_] _Naomi_ Corr. in MS. III.

[100-106] Erased MS. III.

[107 foll.] _vide ante_, 'The Dungeon,' p. 185.

[121] steaming] steam and Corr. in MS. III, Remorse.

[125] ever more] _evermore_ Remorse.

[After 136]

I am chill and weary! Yon rude bench of stone, In that dark angle, the sole resting-place!

But the self-approving mind is its own light, And Life's best warmth still radiates from the heart Where love sits brooding, and an honest purpose.

_Enter TERESA._ [_Retires out of sight._

Corr. in MS. III, Remorse.

Stage-direction affixed to 136 and 136-9 erased in MS. III: om. Remorse.

[Between 136 and 137:]

I am chill and weary, &c. . . . honest purpose.

_Enter TERESA with a taper._

_Teresa._ It has chilled my very life--my own voice scares me; Yet when I hear it not I seem to lose The substance of my being--my strongest grasp Sends inwards but weak witness that I am.

I seek to cheat the echo.--How the half sounds Blend with this strangled light! Is he not here-- [_Looking round._ O for one human face here--but to see One human face here to sustain me.--Courage!

It is but my own fear! The life within me, It sinks and wavers like this cone of flame, Beyond which I scarce dare look onward! Oh!

If I faint? If this inhuman den should be At once my death-bed and my burial vault?

[_Faintly screams as ALVAR emerges from the recess._

_Alvar (rushes towards her, and catches her as she is falling)._ O gracious heaven! it is, it is Teresa!

Shall I reveal myself? The sudden shock Of rapture will blow out this spark of life, And joy complete what terror has begun.

O ye impetuous beatings here, be still!

Teresa, best beloved! pale, pale, and cold!

Her pulse doth flutter! Teresa! my Teresa!

_Teresa (recovering)._ I heard a voice; but often in my dreams I hear that voice! and wake and try--and try-- To hear it waking! but I never could-- And 'tis so now--even so! Well! he is dead-- Murdered perhaps! And I am faint, and feel As if it were no painful thing to die!

_Alvar._ Believe it not, sweet maid! Believe it not, Beloved woman! 'Twas a low imposture Framed by a guilty wretch.

_Teresa._ Ha! Who art thou?

_Alvar._ Suborned by his brother--

_Teresa._ Didst thou murder him?

And dost thou now repent? Poor troubled man, I do forgive thee, and may Heaven forgive thee!

_Alvar._ Ordonio--he----

_Teresa._ If thou didst murder him-- His spirit ever at the throne of G.o.d Asks mercy for thee: prays for mercy for thee, With tears in Heaven!

_Alvar._ Alvar was not murdered.

Be calm! be calm, sweet maid!

_Teresa._ Nay, nay, but tell me! [_A pause._ O 'tis lost again!

This dull confused pain-- [_A pause._ Mysterious man!

Methinks I can not fear thee: for thine eye Doth swim with love and pity--Well! Ordonio-- Oh my foreboding heart! And he suborned thee, And thou didst spare his life? Blessings shower on thee, As many as the drops twice counted o'er In the fond faithful heart of his Teresa!