Riego; or, the Spanish Martyr, Act III (drama) [pp. 302-306]

Riego; or, the Spaanish Martlyir.
FERDINAND'S terrors vanish on reaching his Palace. There
he receives the gratulations of his courtiers on his tri umph over the Liberals.
From distant land and age remote? Our country,
Heaven be praised, shapes not her polity
By foreign models; nor doth precedents
Supply to prop the ca,ise of anarchy.
Arguelles. Thanks, thanks to Saez, who lauds her
bright example.
Till Monks became her masters, in what region
Of the earth dwelt spirits more hold and free. Our sires
Abjured the creed by their degenerate sons
Espoused. Stern Arragon, with rugged hand,
Seating his monarch on the throne, this lesson
Taught him.-I-, whose power surpasses thine,
olake thee my king, provided thou respect'st
My rights: if not-NOT. And his lovely partner,
The fair Castile, in her unwedded prime,
Brutal Orduno and the stubborn Henry
Stript of the regal robe? Who here so base
Would justify their crimes, or mourn their fate?
Such be his doom, who, to a nation's ruin,
Shall power pervert, confided for its good.
Saez. And who doth here indict his lawful King?
Or what the mighty crimes he could commit
At which his factionis subjects dare take umbrage?
Arguelles recounts various acts of Royal misrule and op pression:
The Courtiers having dispersed, a scheme is planned by
SAEZ for the seizure of the chiefs of the Liberals to which, having been absolved from his oaths by the
Pope's NUNCIO, the King readily assents.
The scene changes to R1EGO's house. After a brief dia logue, during which RIECO presents DIAZ with the
sword of his father [PORLtIER,] the latter retires with
leave to join the band of Isla, and DONA THERESA
Saez. Suc h rant in PLAZA MAYOR, would, mrethinks,
Find fitter audience. * * The proofs-the proofs!
Thus challenged RIEGO steps forth, and produces the king's
letter to Angouleme-found on his Chaplain, VINUESSA.
Various punishments are proposed-death, deposition,
exile, &c.;-but finally, through the treachery of Abisbal,
Ballesteros, and Morillo, the King is acquitted. He is
then conducted by Mina from the Ante-chamber through
the hall; where terrified by the stern resolution of Riego,
Mina, &c., to obtain some pledges for future security to
Spain, he gives such as content the greater part of the
Liberals, and retires, amid the acclamations of the popu lace. Riego, Mina, &c., hold a short colloquy secretly
watched by Saez. Without are heard shouts of "Death
to the nation?" Down with Riego?" &c.
Doisa Theresa. S ome spirit s ure of evil haunts
house.
But now Diaz I met-like thee-quite lost
In thought. In soldier trim proudly he past
As tho' he knew me not. Almost I fancied
'Twas Porlier's self! [Sighs.]
Riego. In form and feature:-aye,
In every generous quality of soul,The living image of his murdered sire!
Yes: Such my earliest friend, when our young hearts,
Smit with the love of ancient lore, and fired
By deed3 of ancient glory, first communed
In Salamanca's learned halls, and vowe(I
Immortal enmity to tvrants!-Blasted
Were all his buoyant hopes! And Freedom mourns
His fall!
Dora The. But Hope may point to Porlier's friend
And to his orphan boy, whom Heaven hath spared
To twine around our hearts, and emulate
His father's virtues. Say, lives not your Porlier
Still in our Diaz?
Riego. Fond illusion! Yes;
I'll cherish it, and think'tis Porlier's self,
Surviving in his son t' avenge his country's
Injuries and his own.
Dora The. [Sighing deeply.] A thorny path
I fear must yet be trod by him and thee.
Mina. Hah! Hearken to
Your doom and Spain's. Ye are duped, and all is lost.
Riego. Never! while Mina wears a sword.
Mina. A toy!
An idle toy, sleeping within its sheath,
When forth it should have leapt to rescue Spain.
Riego. Think'st not, my friend, that Spain may yet be
safe,
Her councils shaped by Arguelles T
Arguelles. Rather say
Her forces led by thee and Mina.
MlI/ina. Tush!
A feint! the monk and his bribed minions laughed
To see ye duped.
Arguelles. This night the pledge redeemed.
.M'ine. But, say'tis forfeit?
Riego. Let him play us false:
Isla's brave band-thy Navarrese-at call:Thy sword will do its office; aye, and mine
Shall hew the marble from his heart whereon
To build Spain's peace.
.llina. Now spring my hopes afresh.
Riego. Short breathing time is left us to prepare.
ina. Minutes shall do the work of hours.
In the midst the these fearful anticipations, the expected
summons to meet the King's council, arrives. RIEGO
attends the Messengers, and is treacherously conveyed
to a dungeon of the Inquisition.
306
[MAY,
lst. Courtier. A glorious victory?
2nd Co?tr. A rout! A rout!
K. Ferd. Sooth,'twas no less: All Madrid
Greeted our triumph. Heard ye the shouts?
lst. Cour. No voice did cheer more loudly than my own.
2nd. Cour. One sounded'bove the rest-".Long live
the King
'Twas mine.
Ist. Monk.,Death to the Aation!" That the note I
raised, which drowned the rest.
3rd Cour. But marked ye how
That note was lost when on yet higher key
" The Kig?,,,,! The Absolute King!" burst from my lips,
And straight was echoed by a thousand tongues.
Chamorro. Chamorro spied ye; burrowing'mid the
crowd;'Till rose the cry, 11 Ric,-o comes Ah, Mina!"
And then, like mice, away ye scampered. Pshaw!
Pshaw! God ne'er made your peers and monks for soldiers.
enters:
the
[END or AcT III.]