Enter GERSA.

GERSA.

Put on your brightest looks; smile if you can ;
Behave as all were happy; keep your eyes
From the least watch upon him; if he speaks
To any one, answer collectedly,

Without surprise, his questions, howe'er strange.
Do this to the utmost,-though, alas! with me
The remedy grows hopeless! Here he comes,—
Observe what I have said,-show no surprise.

Enter LUDOLPH, followed by SIGIFRED and Page.
LUDOLPH.

A splendid company! rare beauties here!

I should have Orphean lips, and Plato's fancy,
Amphion's utterance, toned with his lyre,
Or the deep key of Jove's sonorous mouth,
To give fit salutation. Methought I heard,
As I came in, some whispers,-what of that?
'Tis natural men should whisper; at the kiss
Of Psyche given by Love, there was a buzz
Among the gods!-and silence is as natural.
These draperies are fine, and, being a mortal,
I should desire no better; yet, in truth,
There must be some superior costliness,
Some wider-domed high magnificence!
I would have, as a mortal I may not,
Hanging of heaven's clouds, purple and gold,
Slung from the spheres; gauzes of silver mist,
Loop'd up with cords of twisted wreathed light,
And tassell'd round with weeping meteors!
These pendent lamps and chandeliers are bright

15

20

25

30

35

40

As earthly fires from dull dross can be cleansed;
Yet could my eyes drink up intenser beams
Undazzled, this is darkness,-when I close
These lids, I see far fiercer brilliances,-

Skies full of splendid moons, and shooting stars,
And spouting exhalations, diamond fires,

And panting fountains quivering with deep glows!
Yes this is dark-is it not dark?

SIGIFRED.

My Lord,

'Tis late; the lights of festival are ever

Quench'd in the morn.

45

I say I quarrell'd with you;

We did not tilt each other, that's a blessing,-
Good gods! no innocent blood upon my head!

SIGIFRED.

Retire, Gersa!

LUDOLPH.

There should be three more here:

55

For two of them, they stay away perhaps,
Being gloomy-minded, haters of fair revels,-

They know their own thoughts best.

As for the third,

60

Deep blue eyes-semi-shaded in white lids,
Finish'd with lashes fine for more soft shade,
Completed by her twin-arch'd ebon brows-
White temples of exactest elegance,
Of even mould felicitous and smooth-
Cheeks fashion'd tenderly on either side,
So perfect, so divine that our poor eyes
Are dazzled with the sweet proportioning,
And wonder that 'tis so, the magic chance!
Her nostrils, small, fragrant, faery-delicate;
Her lips-I swear no human bones e'er wore
So taking a disguise-you shall behold her!

We'll have her presently; aye, you shall see her,
And wonder at her, friends, she is so fair-
She is the world's chief Jewel, and by heaven
She's mine by right of marriage—she is mine!
Patience, good people, in fit time I send
A Summoner-she will obey my call,
Being a wife most mild and dutiful.
First I would hear what music is prepared
To herald and receive her-let me hear!

SIGIFRED.

Bid the musicians soothe him tenderly.

LUDOLPH.

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70

75

80

[A soft strain of Music.

Ye have none better-no-I am content;

(59) A fresh fragment of the manuscript opens with this description of Auranthe; but the lines occur in an entirely different order: the sequence is—lines 71-2, 67-8, 59-66, 69-70; and Keats doubtless saw the artistic improvement to be compassed by transposition. In line 59 with stands cancelled in favour of in.

'Tis a rich sobbing melody, with reliefs
Full and majestic; it is well enough,
And will be sweeter, when ye see her pace
Sweeping into this presence, glisten'd o'er
With emptied caskets, and her train upheld
By ladies, habited in robes of lawn,
Sprinkled with golden crescents; (others bright
In silks, with spangles shower'd,) and bow'd to
By Duchesses and pearled Margravines-
Sad, that the fairest creature of the earth-
I pray you mind me not-'tis sad, I say,
That the extremest beauty of the world.
Should so entrench herself away from me,
Behind a barrier of engender'd guilt!

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90

95

SECOND LADY.

Ah! what a moan!

FIRST KNIGHT.

Most piteous indeed!

LUDOLPH.

She shall be brought before this company,

And then-then

FIRST LADY.

He muses.

GERSA.

O, Fortune, where will this end?

(90) The fragment of manuscript last mentioned does not extend further into the speech, and is mutilated here; but traces of some different conduct of the dialogue are preserved in the words he bursts in tears! and doth he not weep?

SIGIFRED.

I guess his purpose! Indeed he must not have
That pestilence brought in,-that cannot be,
There we must stop him.

GERSA.

I am lost! Hush, hush!

He is about to rave again.

100

LUDOLPH.

A barrier of guilt! I was the fool,

She was the cheater!

Who's the cheater now,

And who the fool? The entrapp'd, the caged fool, 105
The bird-lim'd raven? She shall croak to death
Secure! Methinks I have her in my fist,

To crush her with my heel! Wait, wait! I marvel
My father keeps away: good friend, ah! Sigifred!
Do bring him to me-and Erminia

I fain would see before I sleep-and Ethelbert,
That he may bless me, as I know he will

Though I have curs'd him.

110

To lead you to them

SIGIFRED.

Rather suffer me

LUDOLPH.

No, excuse me, no—

The day is not quite done-go bring them hither.

115

[Exit SIGIFRED.

(109) There is a further fragment of the manuscript extending

from My father to he enters now (line 137).

(111) In the manuscript, holy Ethelbert.