With gore from wounds, I felt not? Did the blast
Beat on this body, frost-and-famine-numbed,
Till my hard flesh distinguished not itself
From the insensate mail, its fellow warrior?
And have I brought home with me Victory,
And with her, hand in hand, firm-footed Peace,
Her countenance twice lighted up with glory,
As if I had charmed a goddess down from Heaven?
But these will flee abhorrent from the throne
Of usurpation!

[Murmurs increase---and cries of onward!
onward!

Have you then thrown off shame,
And shall not a dear friend, a loyal subject,
Throw off all fear? I tell ye, the fair trophies
Valiantly wrested from a valiant foe,
Love's natural offerings to a rightful king,
Will hang as ill on this usurping traitor,
This brother-blight, this Emerick, as robes
Of gold plucked from the images of gods
Upon a sacrilegious robber's back.

Enter Lord Casimir.

Cas. Who is this factious insolent, that dares

brand

The elected King, our chosen Emerick?

My father!

R. Kiu. Casimir! He, he a traitor!

Too soon, indeed, Ragozzi! have I learnt it. [aside. Cas. My father and my lord!

R. Kiu.

I know thee not!

Leader. Yet the remembrancing did sound right

filial.

R. Kiu. A holy name and words of natural duty Are blasted by a thankless traitor's utterance.

Cas. O hear me, Sire! not lightly have I sworn Homage to Emerick. Illyria's sceptre Demands a manly hand, a warrior's grasp. The queen Zapolya's self-expected offspring At least is doubtful: and of all our nobles, The king inheriting his brother's heart, Hath honoured us the most. Your rank, my lord! Already eminent, is-all it can beConfirmed: and me the king's grace hath appointed Chief of his council and the lord high steward. R. Kiu. (Bought by a bribe !) I know thee now still less.

Cas. So much of Raab Kiuprili's blood flows here, That no power, save that holy name of father, Could shield the man who so dishonoured me. R. Kiu. The son of Raab Kiuprili a bought

bond-slave,

Guilt's pander, treason's mouth-piece, a gay parrot, School'd to shrill forth his feeder's usurp'd titles, And scream, Long live king Emerick!

Leaders.

Aye, king Emerick!

Stand back, my lord! Lead us, or let us pass.

Soldier. Nay, let the general speak!

Soldiers.

R. Kiu.

Hear him! hear him!

Assembled lords and warriors of Illyria,

Hear me,

Hear, and avenge me! Twice ten years have I
Stood in your presence, honoured by the king;
Beloved and trusted. Is there one among you
Accuses Raab Kiuprili of a bribe ?

Or one false whisper in his sovereign's ear?
Who here dares charge me with an orphan's rights
Outfaced, or widow's plea left undefended?

And shall I now be branded by a traitor,

A bought, bribed wretch, who, being called my son,
Doth libel a chaste matron's name,
and plant
Hensbane and aconite on a mother's grave?
The underling accomplice of a robber,
That from a widow and a widow's offspring
Would steal their heritage? To God a rebel,
And to the common father of his country
A recreant ingrate !

Cas.

Sire! your words grow dangerous.

High-flown romantic fancies ill-beseem

Your age and wisdom. 'Tis a statesman's virtue,
To guard his country's safety by what means
It best may be protected-come what will

Of these monk's morals!

R. Kiu. (aside.)

Ha! the elder Brutus

Made his soul iron, though his sons repented,

They boasted not their baseness. [draws his sword.

Infamous changeling;

Recant this instant, and swear loyalty,

And strict obedience to thy sovereign's will;
Or, by the spirit of departed Andreas,
Thou diest-

[Chiefs, &c. rush to interpose; during the

tumult, enter Emerick, alarmed.

Eme. Call out the guard! Ragozzi! seize the

assassin.

Kiuprili? Ha!

[making signs to the guard to retire.

Pass on, friends! to the palace.

[Music recommences.---The Procession passes into the Palace.

Eme. What? Raab Kiuprili? What? & father's Against his own son's breast?

R. Kiu.

[sword

"Twould best excuse him,

Were he thy son, Prince Emerick. I abjure him.

Eme. This is my thanks, then, that I have com

menced

A reign to which the free voice of the nobles
Hath called me, and the people, by regards
Of love and grace to Raab Kiuprili's house?
R. Kiu. What right hadst thou, Prince Eme-
rick, to bestow them?

Eme. By what right dares Kiuprili question me? R. Kiu. By a right common to all loyal subjects

To me a duty! As the realm's co-regent
Appointed by our sovereign's last free act,
Writ by himself.—(Grasping the Patent.)
Eme. Ay!-Writ in a delirium !

R. Kiu. I likewise ask, by whose authority
The access to the sovereign was refused me?
Eme. By whose authority dared the general leave

His camp and army, like a fugitive?

R. Kiu. A fugitive, who, with victory for his

comrade,

Ran, open-eyed, upon the face of death!
A fugitive, with no other fear, than bodements
To be belated in a loyal purpose—

At the command, Prince! of my king and thine,
Hither I came; and now again require

Audience of Queen Zapolya; and (the States Forthwith convened) that thou dost show at large, On what ground of defect thou'st dared annul This thy King's last and solemn act---hast dared Ascend the throne, of which the law had named, And conscience should have made thee a protector. Eme. A sovereign's ear ill brooks a subject's

questioning!

Yet for thy past well-doing---and because
'Tis hard to erase at once the fond belief
Long cherished, that Illyria had in thee
No dreaming priest's slave, but a Roman lover
Of her true weal and freedom---and for this, too,
That, hoping to call forth to the broad day-light
And fostering breeze of glory all deservings,
I still had placed thee foremost.

R. Kiu.

Prince! I listen

Eme. Unwillingly I tell thee, that Zapolya, Maddened with grief, her erring hopes proved

idle--

Cas. Sire! speak the whole truth! Say, her fraud detected!