No More Learning

The monarch is
Engaged in urgent business. No one now
Can be admitted.

EBOLI.
Has he signed, as yet,
The fatal sentence? He has been deceived.

DOMINGO (giving her a significant look at a distance).
The Princess Eboli!

EBOLI (going to him).
What! you here, priest?
The very man I want! You can confirm
My testimony!

[She seizes his hand and would drag him into the cabinet.

DOMINGO.
I? You rave, princess!

FERIA.
Hold back. The king cannot attend you now.

EBOLI.
But he must hear me; he must hear the truth
The truth, were he ten times a deity.

EBOLI.
Man, tremble at the anger of thy idol.
I have naught left to hazard.

[Attempts to enter the cabinet; ALVA rushes out, his eyes
sparkling, triumph in his gait. He hastens to DOMINGO,
and embraces him.

ALVA.
Let each church
Resound with high To Dennis. Victory
At length is ours.

DOMINGO.
What! Ours?

ALVA (to DOMINGO and the other GRANDEES).
Now to the king.
You shall hereafter hear the sequel from me.




ACT V.

SCENE I.

A chamber in the royal palace, separated from a large fore-court
by an iron-barred gate. Sentinels walking up and down. CARLOS
sitting at a table, with his head leaning forward on his arms, as
if he were asleep. In the background of the chamber are some
officers, confined with him. The MARQUIS POSA enters, unobserved
by him, and whispers to the officers, who immediately withdraw.
He himself steps close up to CARLOS, and looks at him for a few
minutes in silent sorrow. At last he makes a motion which awakens
him out of his stupor. CARLOS rises, and seeing the MARQUIS, starts
back. He regards him for some time with fixed eyes, and draws his
hand over his forehead as if he wished to recollect something.

MARQUIS.
Carlos! 'tie I.

CARLOS (gives him his hand).
Comest thou to me again?
'Tis friendly of thee, truly.

MARQUIS.
Here I thought
Thou mightest need a friend.

CARLOS.
Indeed! was that
Thy real thought? Oh, joy unspeakable!
Right well I knew thou still wert true to me.

MARQUIS.
I have deserved this from thee.

CARLOS.
Hast thou not?
And now we understand each other fully,
It joys my heart. This kindness, this forbearance
Becomes our noble souls. For should there be
One rash, unjust demand amongst my wishes,
Wouldst thou, for that, refuse me what was just?
Virtue I know may often be severe,
But never is she cruel and inhuman.
Oh! it hath cost thee much; full well I know
How thy kind heart with bitter anguish bled
As thy hands decked the victim for the altar.

MARQUIS.
What meanest thou, Carlos?

CARLOS.
Thou, thyself, wilt now
Fulfil the joyous course I should have run.
Thou wilt bestow on Spain those golden days
She might have hoped in vain to win from me.
I'm lost, forever lost; thou saw'st it clearly.
This fatal love has scattered, and forever,
All the bright, early blossoms of my mind.
To all the great, exalted hopes I'm dead.
Chance led thee to the king--or Providence,--
It cost thee but my secret--and at once
He was thine own--thou may'st become his angel:
But I am lost, though Spain perhaps may flourish.
Well, there is nothing to condemn, if not
My own mad blindness. Oh, I should have known
That thou art no less great than tender-hearted.

MARQUIS.
No! I foresaw not, I considered not
That friendship's generous heart would lead thee on
Beyond my worldly prudence. I have erred,
My fabric's shattered--I forgot thy heart.

CARLOS.
Yet, if it had been possible to spare
Her fate--oh, how intensely I had thanked thee!
Could I not bear the burden by myself?
And why must she be made a second victim?
But now no more, I'll spare thee this reproach.
What is the queen to thee? Say, dost thou love her?
Could thy exalted virtue e'er consult
The petty interests of my wretched passion?
Oh, pardon me! I was unjust----

MARQUIS.
Thou art so!
But not for this reproach. Deserved I one,
I merit all--and then I should not stand
Before you as I do.
[He takes out his portfolio.
I have some letters
To give you back of those you trusted to me.

CARLOS (looks first at the letters, then at the MARQUIS, in
astonishment).
How!

MARQUIS.
I return them now because they may
Prove safer in thy custody than mine.

CARLOS.
What meanest thou? Has his majesty not read them?
Have they not been before him?

MARQUIS.
What, these letters!

CARLOS.
Thou didst not show them all, then?

MARQUIS.
Who has said
That ever I showed one?

CARLOS (astonished).
Can it be so?
Count Lerma----

MARQUIS.
He! he told thee so! Now all
Is clear as day. But who could have foreseen it?
Lerma! Oh, no, he hath not learned to lie.
'Tis true, the king has all the other letters.

CARLOS (looks at him long with speechless astonishment).
But wherefore am I here?

MARQUIS.
For caution's sake,
Lest thou should chance, a second time, to make
An Eboli thy confidant.

CARLOS (as if waking from a dream).
Ha! Now
I see it all--all is explained.

MARQUIS (goes to the door).
Who's there?



SCENE II.

DUKE ALVA. The former.

ALVA (approaching the PRINCE with respect, but turning his
back on the MARQUIS during the whole scene).
Prince, you are free. Deputed by the king
I come to tell you so.

[CARLOS looks at the MARQUIS with astonishment.
General silence.

And I, in truth,
Am fortunate to have this honor first----

CARLOS (looking at both with extreme amazement, after a pause,
to the DUKE).
I am imprisoned, duke, and set at freedom,
Unconscious of the cause of one or other.

ALVA.
As far as I know, prince, 'twas through an error,
To which the king was driven by a traitor.

CARLOS.
Then am I here by order of the king?

ALVA.
Yes, through an error of his majesty.

CARLOS.
That gives me pain, indeed. But when the king
Commits an error, 'twould beseem the king,
Methinks, to remedy the fault in person.
I am Don Philip's son--and curious eyes
And slanderous looks are on me. What the king
Hath done from sense of duty ne'er will I
Appear to owe to your considerate favor.
I am prepared to appear before the Cortes,
And will not take my sword from such a hand.

ALVA.
The king will never hesitate to grant
Your highness a request so just. Permit
That I conduct you to him.

CARLOS.
Here I stay
Until the king or all Madrid shall come
To lead me from my prison. Take my answer.

[ALVA withdraws. He is still seen for some time
lingering in the court and giving orders to the guards.



SCENE III.

CARLOS and MARQUIS POSA.

CARLOS (after the departure of the DUKE, full of expectation and
astonishment, to the MARQUIS).
What means all this? Inform me, Roderigo--
Art thou not, then, the minister?

MARQUIS.
I was,
As thou canst well perceive----
[Going to him with great emotion.
O Carlos! Now

I have succeeded--yes--it is accomplished--
'Tis over now--Omnipotence be praised,
To whom I owe success.

CARLOS.
Success! What mean you?
Thy words perplex me.

MARQUIS (takes his hand).
Carlos! thou art saved--
Art free--but I----
[He stops short.

CARLOS.
But thou----

MARQUIS.
Thus to my breast
I press thee now, with friendship's fullest right,
A right I've bought with all I hold most dear.
How great, how lovely, Carlos, is this moment
Of self-approving joy?

CARLOS.
What sudden change
I mark upon thy features! Proudly now
Thy bosom heaves, thine eyes dart vivid fire!

MARQUIS.
We must say farewell, Carlos! Tremble 'not,
But be a man! And what thou more shalt hear,
Promise me, not by unavailing sorrow,
Unworthy of great souls, to aggravate
The pangs of parting. I am lost to thee,
Carlos, for many years--fools say forever.

[CARLOS withdraws his hand, but makes no reply.

Be thou a man: I've reckoned much on thee--
I have not even shunned to pass with thee
This awful hour--which men, in words of fear,
Have termed the final one. I own it, Carlos,
I joy to pass it thus. Come let us sit--
I feel myself grown weary and exhausted.

[He approaches CARLOS, who is in a lifeless stupor, and
allows himself to be involuntarily drawn down by him.

Where art thou? No reply! I must be brief.
Upon the day that followed our last meeting
At the Carthusian monastery the king
Called me before him. What ensued thou knowest,
And all Madrid.
Thou hast not heard, however,
Thy secret even then had reached his ears--
That letters in the queen's possession found
Had testified against thee. This I learned
From his own lips--I was his confidant.

[He pauses for CARLOS' answer, but he still
remains silent.

Yes, Carlos, with my lips I broke my faith--
Guided the plot myself that worked thy ruin.
Thy deed spoke trumpet-tongued; to clear thee fully
'Twas now too late: to frustrate his revenge
Was all that now remained for me; and so
I made myself thy enemy to-serve thee
With fuller power--dost thou not hear me, Carlos,

CARLOS.
Go on! go on! I hear thee.

MARQUIS.
To this point
I'm guiltless. But the unaccustomed beams
Of royal favor dazzled me. The rumor,
As I had well foreseen, soon reached thine ears
But by mistaken delicacy led,
And blinded by my vain desire to end
My enterprise alone, I kept concealed
From friendship's ear my hazardous design.
This was my fatal error! Here I failed!
I know it. My self-confidence was madness.
Pardon that confidence--'twas founded, Carlos,
Upon our friendship's everlasting base.

[He pauses. CARLOS passes from torpid silence to
violent agitation.

That which I feared befell. Unreal dangers
Alarmed your mind. The bleeding queen--the tumult
Within the palace--Lerma's interference--
And, last of all, my own mysterious silence,
Conspired to overwhelm thy heart with wonder.
Thou wavered'st, thought'st me lost; but far too noble
To doubt thy friend's integrity, thy soul
Clothed his defection with a robe of honor,
Nor judged him faithless till it found a motive
To screen and justify his breach of faith.
Forsaken by thy only friend--'twas then
Thou sought'st the arms of Princess Eboli--
A demon's arms! 'Twas she betrayed thee, Carlos!
I saw thee fly to her--a dire foreboding
Struck on my heart--I followed thee too late!
Already wert thou prostrate at her feet,
The dread avowal had escaped thy lips--
No way was left to save thee.

CARLOS.
No! her heart
Was moved, thou dost mistake, her heart was moved.

MARQUIS.
Night overspread my mind. No remedy,
No refuge, no retreat was left to me
In nature's boundless compass. Blind despair
Transformed me to a fury--to a tiger--
I raised my dagger to a woman's breast.
But in that moment--in that dreadful moment--
A radiant sunbeam fell upon my soul.
"Could I mislead the king! Could I succeed
In making him think me the criminal!
However improbable, the very guilt
Will be enough to win the king's belief.
I'll dare the task--a sudden thunderbolt
May make the tyrant start--what want I further?
He stops to think, and Carlos thus gains time
To fly to Brussels. "

CARLOS.
And hast thou done this?

MARQUIS.
I have despatched a letter to Prince William,
Saying I loved the queen, and had escaped
The king's mistrust in the unjust suspicion
Which falsely fell on thee--that I had found
Means, through the monarch's favor, to obtain
Free access to the queen. I added, further,
That I was fearful of discovery--
That thou hadst learned my secret, and hadst sped
To Princess Eboli, with hopes through her
To warn the queen--that I had made thee prisoner--
And now that all seemed lost, I had resolved
To fly to Brussels. This same letter I----

CARLOS (interrupts him, terrified).
Hast surely not intrusted to the post!
Thou knowest that letters to Brabant and Flanders----

MARQUIS.
Are given to the king; and as things go
Taxis would seem to have discharged his duty.

CARLOS.
Heavens! then I'm lost.

MARQUIS.
How lost? What meanest thou?

CARLOS.
And thou, alas! art lost together with me--
This dreadful fraud my father ne'er will pardon.

MARQUIS.
This fraud! Thou'rt mad! Who will disclose it to him?

CARLOS (regards him with a fixed look).
Who! Dost thou ask? I will myself.

MARQUIS.
Thou ravest!
Stand back----

CARLOS.
Away! For heaven's sake hold me not.
While I stay here, he's hiring the assassins.

MARQUIS.
Then is our time more precious--and we still
Have much to say.

CARLOS.
What! Before all is finished?

[He makes another effort to go. The MARQUIS holds him
by the arm, and looks at him impressively.

MARQUIS.
Carlos! was I so scrupulous--so eager--
When thou, a boy, didst shed thy blood for me?

CARLOS (with emotion, and full of admiration).
Kind Providence!

MARQUIS.
Reserve thyself for Flanders!
The kingdom is thy destiny--'tis mine
To give my life for thee.

CARLOS (takes his hand with deep sensibility).
No, no! he will not,
Cannot resist a virtue so sublime.
I will conduct thee to him, and together,
Arm linked in arm, will we appear before him.
Then thus will I address him: "Father, see,
This is the way a friend acts towards his friend. "
Trust me, 'twill move him--it will touch his heart.
He's not without humanity,--my father.
Yes, it will move him. With hot tears, his eyes
Will overflow--and he will pardon us.

[A shot is fired through the iron grating. CARLOS leaps up.

Whom was that meant for?

MARQUIS (sinking down).
I believe--for me.

CARLOS (falling to the earth with a loud cry of grief).
O God of mercy!

MARQUIS.
He is quick--the king.
I had hoped--a little longer--Carlos--think
Of means of flight--dost hear me? --of thy flight.
Thy mother--knows it all--I can no more.
[Dies.

[CARLOS remains by the corpse, like one bereft of life.
After some time the KING enters, accompanied by many GRANDEES;
and starts, panic-struck, at the sight. A general and deep
silence. The GRANDEES range themselves in a semi-circle round
them both, and regard the KING and his SON alternately. The
latter continues without any sign of life. The KING regards
him in thoughtful silence.



SCENE IV.

The KING, CARLOS, the DUKESS ALVA, FERIA, and MEDINA SIDONIA,
PRINCE OF PARMA, COUNT LERMA, DOMINGO, and numerous GRANDEES.

KING (in a gentle tone).
Thy prayer hath met a gracious hearing, prince,
And here I come, with all the noble peers
Of this my court, to bring thee liberty.

[CARLOS raises his eyes and looks around him like one awakened
from a dream. His eyes are fixed now on the KING, now on the
corpse; he gives no answer.

Receive thy sword again. We've been too rash!

[He approaches him, holds out his hand, and assists him to rise.

My son's not in his place; Carlos, arise!
Come to thy father's arms! His love awaits thee.

CARLOS (receives the embrace of the KING without any consciousness.
Suddenly recollects himself, pauses and looks fixedly at him).
Thou smell'st of blood--no, I cannot embrace thee!

[Pushes his father back. All the GRANDEES are in commotion.
CARLOS to them:--

Nay, stand not there confounded and amazed! --
What monstrous action have I done? Defiled
The anointed of the Lord! Oh, fear me not,
I would not lay a hand on him. Behold,
Stamped on his forehead is the damning brand!
The hand of God hath marked him!

KING (about to go quickly).
Nobles! follow.

CARLOS.
Whither? You stir not from this spot.

[Detaining the KING forcibly with both hands, while with one
he manages to seize the sword which the KING has brought with
him, and it comes from the scabbard.

KING.
What! Draw
A sword upon thy father?

ALL THE GRANDEES (drawing their swords).
Regicide!

CARLOS (holding the KING firmly with one hand, the naked sword
in the other).
Put up your swords! What! Think you I am mad?
I am not so: or you were much to blame
Thus to remind me, that upon the point
Of this my sword, his trembling life doth hover.
I pray you, stand aloof; for souls like mine
Need soothing. There--hold back! And with the king
What I have yet to settle touches not
Your loyalty. See there--his hand is bloody!
Do you not see it? And now look you here!

[Pointing to the corpse.

This hath he done with a well-practised hand.

KING (to the GRANDEES, who press anxiously around him).
Retire! Why do you tremble? Are we not
Father and son? I will yet wait and see
To what atrocious crime his nature----

CARLOS.
Nature
I know her not. Murder is now the word!
The bonds of all humanity are severed,
Thine own hands have dissolved them through the realm.
Shall I respect a tie which thou hast scorned?
Oh, see! see here! the foulest deed of blood
That e'er the world beheld. Is there no God
That kings, in his creation, work such havoc?
Is there no God, I ask? Since mother's wombs
Bore children, one alone--and only one--
So guiltlessly hath died. And art thou sensible
What thou hast done? Oh, no! he knows it not:
Knows not that he has robbed--despoiled the world
Of a more noble, precious, dearer life
Than he and all his century can boast.

KING (with a tone of softness).
If I have been too hasty, Carlos--thou
For whom I have thus acted, should at least
Not call me to account.

CARLOS.
Is't possible!
Did you then never guess how dear to me
Was he who here lies dead? Thou lifeless corpse!
Instruct him--aid his wisdom, to resolve
This dark enigma now. He was my friend.
And would you know why he has perished thus?
He gave his life for me.

KING.
Ha? my suspicions!

CARLOS.
Pardon, thou bleeding corpse, that I profane
Thy virtue to such ears. But let him blush
With deep-felt shame, the crafty politician,
That his gray-headed wisdom was o'erreached,
E'en by the judgment of a youth. Yes, sire,
We two were brothers! Bound by nobler bands
Than nature ties. His whole life's bright career
Was love. His noble death was love for me.