Don Carlos, Friedrich Schiller [read any book .txt] 📗

naught of love - and she who truly loves Cares little for a crown! 'Twere better, prince, Then to divide the treasure - and at once - What says my prince? Have you done so already? Have you in truth? And do I know the blest one?

CARLOS. Thou shalt. I will unfold myself to thee, To thy unspotted innocence, dear maid, Thy pure, unblemished nature. In this court Thou art the worthiest - first - the only one To whom this soul has stood revealed. Then, yes! I will not now conceal it - yes, I love!

PRINCESS.
Oh, cruel heart! Does this avowal prove So painful to thee? Must I first deserve Thy pity - ere I hope to win thy love?

CARLOS (starting). What say'st thou?

PRINCESS.
So to trifle with me, prince! Indeed it was not well - and to deny The key - -

CARLOS.
The key! the key! Oh yes, 'tis so!

[After a dead silence.

I see it all too plainly! Gracious heaven!

[His knees totter, he leans against a chair, and covers
his face with his hands. A long silence on both sides.
The PRINCESS screams and falls.

PRINCESS. Oh, horrible! What have I done!

CARLOS.
Hurled down So far from all my heavenly joys! 'Tis dreadful!

PRINCESS (hiding her face in the cushion). Oh, God! What have I said?

CARLOS (kneeling before her).
I am not guilty. My passion - an unfortunate mistake - By heaven, I am not guilty - -

PRINCESS (pushing him from her).
Out of my sight, For heaven's sake!

CARLOS.
No, I will not leave thee thus. In this dread anguish leave thee - -

PRINCESS (pushing him forcibly away).
Oh, in pity - For mercy's sake, away - out of my sight! Wouldst thou destroy me? How I hate thy presence!

[CARLOS going.

Give, give me back the letter and the key. Where is the other letter?

CARLOS.
The other letter?

PRINCESS. That from the king, to me - -

CARLOS (terrified).
From whom?

PRINCESS. The one I just now gave you.

CARLOS.
From the king! To you!

PRINCESS. Oh, heavens, how dreadfully have I Involved myself! The letter, sir! I must Have it again.

CARLOS. The letter from the king! To you!

PRINCESS.
The letter! give it, I implore you By all that's sacred! give it.

CARLOS.
What, the letter That will unmask the saint! Is this the letter?

PRINCESS. Now I'm undone! Quick, give it me - -

CARLOS. The letter - -

PRINCESS (wringing her hands in despair). What have I done? O dreadful, dire imprudence!

CARLOS. This letter comes, then, from the king! Princess, That changes all indeed, and quickly, too. This letter is beyond all value - priceless! All Philip's crowns are worthless, and too poor To win it from my hands. I'll keep this letter.

PRINCESS (throwing herself prostrate before him as he is going). Almighty Heaven! then I am lost forever.

[Exit CARLOS.


SCENE IX.

The PRINCESS alone.

She seems overcome with surprise, and is confounded.
After CARLOS' departure she hastens to call him back.

PRINCESS. Prince, but one word! Prince, hear me. He is gone. And this, too, I am doomed to bear - his scorn! And I am left in lonely wretchedness, Rejected and despised!
[Sinks down upon a chair. After a pause
And yet not so; I'm but displaced - supplanted by some wanton. He loves! of that no longer doubt is left; He has himself confessed it - but my rival - Who can she be? Happy, thrice happy one! This much stands clear: he loves where he should not. He dreads discovery, and from the king He hides his guilty passion! Why from him Who would so gladly hail it? Or, is it not The father that he dreads so in the parent? When the king's wanton purpose was disclosed, His features glowed with triumph, boundless joy Flashed in his eyes, his rigid virtue fled; Why was it mute in such a cause as this? Why should he triumph? What hath he to gain If Philip to his queen - -

[She stops suddenly, as if struck by a thought, then
drawing hastily from her bosom the ribbon which she had
taken from CARLOS, she seems to recognize it.

Fool that I am! At length 'tis plain. Where have my senses been? My eyes are opened now. They loved each other Long before Philip wooed her, and the prince Ne'er saw me but with her! She, she alone Was in his thoughts when I believed myself The object of his true and boundless love. O matchless error! and have I betrayed My weakness to her?
[Pauses.
Should his love prove hopeless? Who can believe it? Would a hopeless love Persist in such a struggle? Called to revel In joys for which a monarch sighs in vain! A hopeless love makes no such sacrifice. What fire was in his kiss! How tenderly He pressed my bosom to his beating heart! Well nigh the trial had proved dangerous To his romantic, unrequited passion! With joy he seized the key he fondly thought The queen had sent: - in this gigantic stride Of love he puts full credence - and he comes - In very truth comes here - and so imputes To Philip's wife a deed so madly rash. And would he so, had love not made him bold? 'Tis clear as day - his suit is heard - she loves! By heaven, this saintly creature burns with passion; How subtle, too, she is! With fear I trembled Before this lofty paragon of virtue! She towered beside me, an exalted being, And in her beams I felt myself eclipsed; I envied her the lovely, cloudless calm, That kept her soul from earthly tumults free. And was this soft serenity but show? Would she at both feasts revel, holding up Her virtue's godlike splendor to our gaze, And riot in the secret joys of vice? And shall the false dissembler cozen thus, And win a safe immunity from this That no avenger comes? By heavens she shall not! I once adored her, - that demands revenge: - The king shall know her treachery - the king!
[After a pause. 'Tis the sure way to win the monarch's ear!

[Exit.


SCENE X.

A chamber in the royal palace.
DUKE OF ALVA, FATHER DOMINGO.

DOMINGO. Something to tell me!

ALVA.
Ay! a thing of moment, Of which I made discovery to-day, And I would have your judgment on it.

DOMINGO.
How! Discovery! To what do you allude?

ALVA. Prince Carlos and myself this morning met In the queen's antechamber. I received An insult from him - we were both in heat - The strife grew loud - and we had drawn our swords. Alarmed, from her apartments rushed the queen. She stepped between us, - with commanding eye Of conscious power, she looked upon the prince. 'Twas but a single glance, - but his arm dropped, He fell upon my bosom - gave me then A warm embrace, and vanished.

DOMINGO (after a pause).
This seems strange. It brings a something to my mind, my lord! And thoughts like these I own have often sprung Within my breast; but I avoid such fancies - To no one have I e'er confided them. There are such things as double-edged swords And untrue friends, - I fear them both. 'Tis hard to judge among mankind, but still more hard To know them thoroughly. Words slipped at random Are confidants offended - therefore I Buried my secret in my breast, till time Should drag it forth to light. 'Tis dangerous To render certain services to kings. They are the bolts, which if they miss the mark, Recoil upon the archer! I could swear Upon the sacrament to what I saw. Yet one eye-witness - one word overheard - A scrap of paper - would weigh heavier far Than my most strong conviction! Cursed fate That we are here in Spain!

ALVA.
And why in Spain?

DOMINGO. There is a chance in every court but this For passion to forget itself, and fall. Here it is warned by ever-wakeful laws. Our Spanish queens would find it hard to sin - And only there do they meet obstacles, Where best 'twould serve our purpose to surprise them.

ALVA. But listen further: Carlos had to-day An audience of the king; the interview Lasted an hour, and earnestly he sought The government of Flanders for himself. Loudly he begged, and fervently. I heard him In the adjoining cabinet. His eyes Were red with tears when I encountered him. At noon he wore a look of lofty triumph, And vowed his joy at the king's choice of me.

He thanked the king. "Matters are changed," he said, "And things go better now." He's no dissembler: How shall I reconcile such contradictions? The prince exults to see himself rejected, And I receive a favor from the king With marks of anger! What must I believe? In truth this new-born dignity doth sound Much more like banishment than royal favor!

DOMINGO. And is it come to this at last? to this? And has one moment crumbled into dust What cost us years to build? And you so calm, So perfectly at ease! Know you this youth? Do you foresee the fate we may