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SCENE II

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My lord, a noise !

This way hark!
Ludolph. Yes, yes! A hope! A music!
A glorious clamour! How I live again!
[Exeunt.

SCENE II. - Another part of the Forest
Enter ALBERT (wounded).

Albert. O! for enough life to support me

on

To Otho's feet!

Enter LUDOLPH.

Ludolph. Thrice villanous, stay there!
Tell me where that detested woman is,
Or this is through thee!

Albert.

My good Prince, with me
The sword has done its worst; not without
worst
Done to another,
I see you know it all-
Ludolph.

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Conrad has it home

Where is his sister?

Enter AURANTHE.

Auranthe. Albert !
Ludolph. Ha!

There

There! there! - He is

the paramour!

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hug him - dying! O, thou inno

cence,

Shrine him and comfort him at his last

gasp,

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Kiss down his eyelids! Was he not thy

love?

Wilt thou forsake him at his latest hour?
Keep fearful and aloof from his last gaze,
His most uneasy moments, when cold death
Stands with the door ajar to let him in?

Albert. O that that door with hollow slam

would close

Upon me sudden, for I cannot meet,
In all the unknown chambers of the dead,
Such horrors -

Ludolph. Auranthe ! what can he mean?
What horrors? Is it not a joyous time?
Am I not married to a paragon
'Of personal beauty and untainted soul?'
A blushing fair-eyed purity? A sylph,

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OTHO, ERMINIA, ETHELBERT, and a Physician, discovered.

Otho. O, my poor boy! My son! My son! My Ludolph!

Have ye no comfort for me, ye physicians Of the weak body and soul?

Ethelbert.
"T is not in medicine,
Either of heaven or earth, to cure, unless
Fit time be chosen to administer.

Otho. A kind forbearance, holy Abbot.
Come,

Erminia; here, sit by me, gentle girl;
Give me thy hand; hast thou forgiven me?
Erminia. Would I were with the saints

to pray for you!

Otho. Why will ye keep me from my darling child?

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Physician. Forgive me, but he must not
see thy face.

Otho. Is then a father's countenance a
Gorgon?

Hath it not comfort in it? Would it not Console my poor boy, cheer him, help his spirits?

Let me embrace him; let me speak to him; I will! Who hinders me? Who's Emperor ?

Physician. You may not, Sire; 't would overwhelm him quite,

He is so full of grief and passionate wrath; Too heavy a sigh would kill him, or do

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Indeed!

Once he complain'd of weariness. Physician. 'Tis good, 't is good; let him but fall asleep,

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That saves him.

Otho. Gersa, watch him like a child; Ward him from harm, and bring me better news!

Physician. Humour him to the height.

I fear to go;

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For should he catch a glimpse of my dull garb,

It might affright him, fill him with suspicion

That we believe him sick, which must not be.

Gersa. I will invent what soothing means

I can.

[Exit GERSA. Physician. This should cheer up your Highness; weariness

Is a good symptom, and most favourable; It gives me pleasant hopes. Please you, walk forth

Upon the terrace; the refreshing air
Will blow one half of your sad doubts

away.

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[Exeunt. The remedy grows hopeless!

SCENE V. A Banqueting Hall, bril liantly illuminated, and set forth with all costly magnificence, with suppertables laden with services of gold and silver. A door in the back scene, guarded by two Soldiers. Lords, Ladies, Knights, Gentlemen, etc., whispering sadly, and ranging themselves; part entering and part discovered.

1st Knight. Grievously are we tantalized, one and all;

Sway'd here and there, commanded to and fro,

As though we were the shadows of a sleep, And link'd to a dreaming fancy. What do we here?

Gonfred. I am no seer; you know we must obey

The prince from A to Z, though it should be

To set the place in flames. I pray, hast

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Here he

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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

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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,
Hangings of heaven's clouds, purple and
gold,

Slung from the spheres; gauzes of silver

mist,

Loop'd up with cords of twisted wreathed Her nostrils, small, fragrant, fairy-delicate;

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Sigifred.
'Tis late; the lights of festival are ever 49
Quench'd in the morn.

Ludolph. 'Tis not to-morrow then?
Sigifred. 'Tis early dawn.
Gersa.

Say you so, Prince ?

Her lips-I swear no human bones e'er

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We'll have her presently; ay, 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.

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[A soft strain of Music. Ludolph. Ye have none better? No, I am content;

Indeed full time we slept; 'T is a rich sobbing melody, with reliefs
Full and majestic; it is well enough,
And will be sweeter, when you see her pace
Sweeping into this presence, glistened o'er
With emptied caskets, and her train upheld
By ladies, habited in robes of lawn,
Sprinkled with golden crescents, others
bright

Ludolph. I say I quarrel'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.

here:

There should be three more

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