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Should see the light."

Chorus (CAJETAN and BOHEMUND).

What hast thou said, my mistress?

Woe! Woe!

ISABELLA.

For this her ruthless father spoke

The dire behest of death. I rescued her,

The innocent, the doomed one; from my arms

The babe was torn; to stay the curse of heaven,

And save my sons, the mother gave her child;

And now by robber hands her brother falls;

My child is guiltless. Oh, she slew him not!

CHORUS.

Woe! Woe!

ISABELLA.

No trust the fabling readers of the stars

Have e'er deserved. Hear how another spoke

With comfort to my soul, and him I deemed

Inspired to voice the secrets of the skies!

"My daughter should unite in love the hearts

Of my dissevered sons;" and thus their tales

Of curse and blessing on her head proclaim

Each other's falsehood. No, she ne'er has brought

A curse, the innocent; nor time was given

The blessed promise to fulfil; their tongues

Were false alike; their boasted art is vain;

With trick of words they cheat our credulous ears,

Or are themselves deceived! Naught ye may know

Of dark futurity, the sable streams

Of hell the fountain of your hidden lore,

Or yon bright spring of everlasting light!

First Chorus (CAJETAN).

Woe! Woe! thy tongue refrain!

Oh, pause, nor thus with impious rage

The might of heaven profane;

The holy oracles are wise-

Expect with awe thy coming destinies!

ISABELLA.

My tongue shall speak as prompts my swelling heart;

My griefs shall cry to heaven. Why do we lift

Our suppliant hands, and at the sacred shrines

Kneel to adore? Good, easy dupes! What win we

From faith and pious awe? to touch with prayers

The tenants of yon azure realms on high,

Were hard as with an arrow's point to pierce

The silvery moon. Hid is the womb of time,

Impregnable to mortal glance, and deaf

The adamantine walls of heaven rebound

The voice of anguish:-Oh, 'tis one, whate'er

The flight of birds-the aspect of the stars!

The book of nature is a maze-a dream

The sage's art-and every sign a falsehood!

Second Chorus (BOHEMUND).

Woe! Woe! Ill-fated woman, stay

Thy maddening blasphemies;

Thou but disown'st, with purblind eyes,

The flaming orb of day!

Confess the gods,-they dwell on high-

They circle thee with awful majesty!

All the Knights.

Confess the gods-they dwell on high-

They circle thee with awful majesty!

BEATRICE.

Why hast thou saved thy daughter, and defied

The curse of heaven, that marked me in thy womb

The child of woe? Short-sighted mother!-vain

Thy little arts to cheat the doom declared

By the all-wise interpreters, that knit

The far and near; and, with prophetic ken,

See the late harvest spring in times unborn.

Oh, thou hast brought destruction on thy race,

Withholding from the avenging gods their prey;

Threefold, with new embittered rage, they ask

The direful penalty; no thanks thy boon

Of life deserves-the fatal gift was sorrow!

Second Chorus (BERENGAR) looking towards the door

with signs of agitation.

Hark to the sound of dread!

The rattling, brazen din I hear!

Of hell-born snakes the hissing tones are near!

Yes-'tis the furies' tread!

CAJETAN.

In crumbling ruin wide,

Fall, fall, thou roof, and sink, thou trembling floor

That bear'st the dread, unearthly stride!

Ye sable damps arise!

Mount from the abyss in smoky spray,

And pall the brightness of the day!

Vanish, ye guardian powers!

They come! The avenging deities

DON CAESAR, ISABELLA, BEATRICE. The Chorus.

[On the entrance of DON CAESAR the Chorus station themselves

before him imploringly. He remains standing alone in the

centre of the stage.

BEATRICE.

Alas! 'tis he--

ISABELLA (stepping to meet him).

My Caesar! Oh, my son!

And is it thus I meet the? Look! Behold!

The crime of hand accursed!

[She leads him to the corpse.

First Chorus (CAJETAN, BERENGAR).

Break forth once more

Ye wounds! Flow, flow, in swarthy flood,

Thou streaming gore!

ISABELLA.

Shuddering with earnest gaze, and motionless,

Thou stand'st.-yes! there my hopes repose, and all

That earth has of thy brother; in the bud

Nipped is your concord's tender flower, nor ever

With beauteous fruit shall glad a mother's eyes,

DON CAESAR.

Be comforted; thy sons, with honest heart,

To peace aspired, but heaven's decree was blood!

ISABELLA.

I know thou lovedst him well; I saw between ye,

With joy, the bands old Nature sweetly twined;

Thou wouldst have borne him in thy heart of hearts

With rich atonement of long wasted years!

But see-fell murder thwarts thy dear design,

And naught remains but vengeance!

DON CAESAR.

Come, my mother,

This is no place for thee. Oh, haste and leave

This sight of woe.

[He endeavors to drag her away.

ISABELLA (throwing herself into his arms).

Thou livest! I have a son!

BEATRICE.

Alas! my mother!

DON CAESAR.

On this faithful bosom

Weep out thy pains; nor lost thy son,-his love

Shall dwell immortal in thy Caesar's breast.

First Chorus (CAJETAN, BERENGAR, MANFRED).

Break forth, ye wounds!

Dumb witness! the truth proclaim;

Flow fast, thou gory stream!

ISABELLA (clasping the hands of DON CAESAR and BEATRICE).

My children!

DON CAESAR.

Oh, 'tis ecstasy! my mother,

To see her in thy arms! henceforth in love

A daughter-sister--

ISABELLA (interrupting him).

Thou hast kept thy word.

My son; to thee I owe the rescued one;

Yes, thou hast sent her--

DON CAESAR (in astonishment).

Whom, my mother, sayst thou,

That I have sent?

ISABELLA.

She stands before thine eyes-

Thy sister.

DON CAESAR.

She! My sister?

ISABELLA.

Ay, What other?

DON CAESAR.

My sister!

ISABELLA.

Thou hast sent her to me!

DON CAESAR.

Horror!

His sister, too!

CHORUS.

Woe! woe!

BEATRICE.

Alas! my mother!

ISABELLA.

Speak! I am all amaze!

DON CASAR.

Be cursed the day

When I was born!

ISABELLA.

Eternal powers!

DON CAESAR.

Accursed

The womb that bore me; cursed the secret arts,

The spring of all this woe; instant to crush thee,

Though the dread thunder swept-ne'er should this arm

Refrain the bolts of death: I slew my brother!

Hear it and tremble! in her arms I found him;

She was my love, my chosen bride; and he-

My brother-in her arms! Thou hast heard all!

If it be true-oh, if she be my sister-

And his! then I have done a deed that mocks

The power of sacrifice and prayers to ope