No More Learning

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 expect
Should he attain to power? The prince! No foe
Am I of his. Far other cares than these
Gnaw at my rest--cares for the throne--for God,
And for his holy church! The royal prince--
(I know him, I can penetrate his soul),
Has formed a horrible design, Toledo!
The wild design--to make himself the regent,
And set aside our pure and sacred faith.
His bosom glows with some new-fangled virtue,
Which, proud and self-sufficient, scorns to rest
For strength on any creed. He dares to think!
His brain is all on fire with wild chimeras;
He reverences the people! And is this
A man to be our king?

ALVA.
Fantastic dreams!
No more. A boy's ambition, too, perchance
To play some lofty part! What can he less?
These thoughts will vanish when he's called to rule.

DOMINGO.
I doubt it!
Of his freedom he is proud,
And scorns those strict restraints all men must bear
Who hope to govern others. Would he suit
Our throne? His bold gigantic mind
Would burst the barriers of our policy.
In vain I sought to enervate his soul
In the loose joys of this voluptuous age.
He stood the trial. Fearful is the spirit
That rules this youth; and Philip soon will see
His sixtieth year.

ALVA.
Your vision stretches far!

DOMINGO.
He and the queen are both alike in this.
Already works, concealed in either breast,
The poisonous wish for change and innovation.
Give it but way, 'twill quickly reach the throne.
I know this Valois! We may tremble for
The secret vengeance of this quiet foe
If Philip's weakness hearken to her voice!
Fortune so far hath smiled upon us. Now
We must anticipate the foe, and both
Shall fall together in one fatal snare.
Let but a hint of such a thing be dropped
Before the king, proved or unproved, it reeks not!
Our point is gained if he but waver. We
Ourselves have not a doubt; and once convinced,
'Tis easy to convince another's mind.
Be sure we shall discover more if we
Start with the faith that more remains concealed.

ALVA.
But soft! A vital question! Who is he
Will undertake the task to tell the king?

DOMINGO.
Nor you, nor I! Now shall you learn, what long
My busy spirit, full of its design,
Has been at work with, to achieve its ends.
Still is there wanting to complete our league
A third important personage. The king
Loves the young Princess Eboli--and I
Foster this passion for my own designs.
I am his go-between. She shall be schooled
Into our plot. If my plan fail me not,
In this young lady shall a close ally--
A very queen, bloom for us. She herself
Asked me, but now, to meet her in this chamber.
I'm full of hope. And in one little night
A Spanish maid may blast this Valois lily.

ALVA.
What do you say! Can I have heard aright?
By Heaven! I'm all amazement. Compass this,
And I'll bow down to thee, Dominican!
The day's our own.

DOMINGO.
Soft! Some one comes: 'tis she--
'Tis she herself!

ALVA.
I'm in the adjoining room
If you should----

DOMINGO.
Be it so: I'll call you in.

[Exit ALVA.



SCENE XI.

PRINCESS, DOMINGO.

DOMINGO.
At your command, princess.

PRINCESS.
We are perhaps
Not quite alone?
[Looking inquisitively after the DUKE.
You have, as I observe,
A witness still by you.

DOMINGO.
How?

PRINCESS.
Who was he,
That left your side but now?

DOMINGO.
It was Duke ALVA.
Most gracious princess, he requests you will
Admit him to an audience after me.

PRINCESS.
Duke Alva! How? What can he want with me?
You can, perhaps, inform me?

DOMINGO.
I? --and that
Before I learn to what important chance
I owe the favor, long denied, to stand
Before the Princess Eboli once more?
[Pauses awaiting her answer.
Has any circumstance occurred at last
To favor the king's wishes? Have my hopes
Been not in vain, that more deliberate thought
Would reconcile you to an offer which
Caprice alone and waywardness could spurn?
I seek your presence full of expectation----

PRINCESS.
Was my last answer to the king conveyed?

DOMINGO.
I have delayed to inflict this mortal wound.
There still is time, it rests with you, princess,
To mitigate its rigor.

PRINCESS.
Tell the king
That I expect him.

DOMINGO.
May I, lovely princess,
Indeed accept this as your true reply?

PRINCESS.
I do not jest. By heaven, you make me tremble
What have I done to make e'en you grow pale?

DOMINGO.
Nay, lady, this surprise--so sudden--I
Can scarcely comprehend it.

PRINCESS.
Reverend sir!
You shall not comprehend it. Not for all
The world would I you comprehended it.
Enough for you it is so--spare yourself
The trouble to investigate in thought,
Whose eloquence hath wrought this wondrous change.
But for your comfort let me add, you have
No hand in this misdeed,--nor has the church.
Although you've proved that cases might arise
Wherein the church, to gain some noble end,
Might use the persons of her youthful daughters!
Such reasonings move not me; such motives, pure,
Right reverend sir, are far too high for me.

DOMINGO.
When they become superfluous, your grace,
I willingly retract them.

PRINCESS.
Seek the king,
And ask him as from me, that he will not
Mistake me in this business. What I have been
That am I still. 'Tis but the course of things
Has changed. When I in anger spurned his suit,
I deemed him truly happy in possessing
Earth's fairest queen. I thought his faithful wife
Deserved my sacrifice. I thought so then,
But now I'm undeceived.

DOMINGO.
Princess, go on!
I hear it all--we understand each other.

PRINCESS.
Enough. She is found out. I will not spare her.
The hypocrite's unmasked! --She has deceived
The king, all Spain, and me. She loves, I know
She loves! I can bring proofs that will make you tremble.
The king has been deceived--but he shall not,
By heaven, go unrevenged! The saintly mask
Of pure and superhuman self-denial
I'll tear from her deceitful brow, that all
May see the forehead of the shameless sinner.
'Twill cost me dear, but here my triumph lies,
That it will cost her infinitely more.

DOMINGO.
Now all is ripe, let me call in the duke.

[Goes out.

PRINCESS (astonished).
What means all this?



SCENE XII.

The PRINCESS, DUKE ALVA, DOMINGO.

DOMINGO (leading the DUKE in).
Our tidings, good my lord,
Come somewhat late. The Princess Eboli
Reveals to us a secret we had meant
Ourselves to impart to her.

ALVA.
My visit, then,
Will not so much surprise her, but I never
Trust my own eyes in these discoveries.
They need a woman's more discerning glance.

PRINCESS.
Discoveries! How mean you?

DOMINGO.
Would we knew
What place and fitter season you----

PRINCESS.
Just So!
To-morrow noon I will expect you both.
Reasons I have why this clandestine guilt
Should from the king no longer be concealed.

ALVA.
'Tis this that brings us here. The king must know it.
And he shall hear the news from you, princess,
From you alone:--for to what tongue would he
Afford such ready credence as to yours,
Friend and companion ever of his spouse?

DOMINGO.
As yours, who more than any one at will
Can o'er him exercise supreme command.

ALVA.
I am the prince's open enemy.

DOMINGO.
And that is what the world believes of me.
The Princess Eboli's above suspicion.
We are compelled to silence, but your duty,
The duty of your office, calls on you
To speak. The king shall not escape our hands.
Let your hints rouse him, we'll complete the work.

ALVA.
It must be done at once, without delay;
Each moment now is precious. In an hour
The order may arrive for my departure.

DOMINGO (after a short pause, turns to the PRINCESS).
Cannot some letters be discovered? Truly,
An intercepted letter from the prince
Would work with rare effect. Ay! let me see--
Is it not so? You sleep, princess, I think,
In the same chamber with her majesty?

PRINCESS.
The next to hers. But of what use is that?

DOMINGO.
Oh, for some skill in locks! Have you observed
Where she is wont to keep her casket key?

PRINCESS (in thought).
Yes, that might lead to something; yes, I think
The key is to be found.

DOMINGO.
Letters, you know,
Need messengers. Her retinue is large;
Who do you think could put us on the scent?
Gold can do much.

ALVA.
Can no one tell us whether
The prince has any trusty confidant?

DOMINGO.
Not one; in all Madrid not one.

ALVA.
That's strange!

DOMINGO.
Rely on me in this. He holds in scorn
The universal court. I have my proofs.

ALVA.
Stay! It occurs to me, as I was leaving
The queen's apartments, I beheld the prince
In private conference with a page of hers.

PRINCESS (suddenly interrupting).
O no! that must have been of something else.

DOMINGO.
Could we not ascertain the fact? It seems
Suspicious.
[To the DUKE.
Did you know the page, my lord!

PRINCESS.
Some trifle; what else could it be?
Enough, I'm sure of that. So we shall meet again
Before I see the king; and by that time
We may discover much.