The Complete Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Illustrated Edition). Samuel Taylor Coleridge
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Off! he that touches me with his hand of flesh,
I’ll rend his limbs asunder! I have strength
With this bare arm to scatter you like ashes.
Alhadra. My husband —
Ordonio. Yes, I murdered him most foully. 235
Alvar and Teresa. O horrible!
Alhadra. Why did’st thou leave his children?
Demon, thou should’st have sent thy dogs of hell
To lap their blood. Then, then I might have hardened
My soul in misery, and have had comfort.
I would have stood far off, quiet though dark, 240
And bade the race of men raise up a mourning
For a deep horror of desolation,
Too great to be one soul’s particular lot!
Brother of Zagri! let me lean upon thee.
The time is not yet come for woman’s anguish, 245
I have not seen his blood — Within an hour
Those little ones will crowd around and ask me,
Where is our father? I shall curse thee then!
Wert thou in heaven, my curse would pluck thee thence!
Teresa. He doth repent! See, see, I kneel to thee! 250
O let him live! That agéd man, his father ——
Alhadra. Why had he such a son?
[Shouts from the distance of Rescue! Rescue! Alvar!
Alvar! and the voice of VALDEZ heard.
Rescue? — and Isidore’s spirit unavenged? —
The deed be mine! [Suddenly stabs ORDONIO.
Now take my life!
Ordonio (staggering from the wound). Atonement!
Alvar (while with Teresa supporting Ordonio). Arm of avenging
Heaven 255
Thou hast snatched from me my most cherished hope —
But go! my word was pledged to thee.
Ordonio. Away!
Brave not my Father’s rage! I thank thee! Thou —
[Then turning his eyes languidly to ALVAR.
She hath avenged the blood of Isidore!
I stood in silence like a slave before her 260
That I might taste the wormwood and the gall,
And satiate this self-accusing heart
With bitterer agonies than death can give.
Forgive me, Alvar!
Oh! — could’st thou forget me! [Dies.
[ALVAR and TERESA bend over the body of ORDONIO.
Alhadra (to the Moors). I thank thee, Heaven! thou hast ordained
it wisely, 265
That still extremes bring their own cure. That point
In misery, which makes the oppressed Man
Regardless of his own life, makes him too
Lord of the Oppressor’s — Knew I a hundred men
Despairing, but not palsied by despair, 270
This arm should shake the kingdoms of the world;
The deep foundations of iniquity
Should sink away, earth groaning from beneath them;
The strongholds of the cruel men should fall,
Their temples and their mountainous towers should fall; 275
Till desolation seemed a beautiful thing,
And all that were and had the spirit of life,
Sang a new song to her who had gone forth,
Conquering and still to conquer!
[ALHADRA hurries off with the Moors; the stage fills
with armed Peasants, and Servants, ZULIMEZ and
VALDEZ at their head. VALDEZ rushes into ALVAR’S
arms.
Alvar. Turn not thy face that way, my father! hide, 280
Oh hide it from his eye! Oh let thy joy
Flow in unmingled stream through thy first blessing.
[Both kneel to VALDEZ.
Valdez. My Son! My Alvar! bless, Oh bless him, heaven!
Teresa. Me too, my Father?
Valdez. Bless, Oh bless my children!
[Both rise.
Alvar. Delights so full, if unalloyed with grief, 285
Were ominous. In these strange dread events
Just Heaven instructs us with an awful voice,
That Conscience rules us e’en against our choice.
Our inward Monitress to guide or warn,
If listened to; but if repelled with scorn, 290
At length as dire Remorse, she reappears,
Works in our guilty hopes, and selfish fears!
Still bids, Remember! and still cries, Too late!
And while she scares us, goads us to our fate.
[After 41] As in a dream I ask; if it be a dream Edition 1.
[After 46] [Shuddering. Editions 2, 3, 1829.
[After 48] [Faintly … recess, and moves hastily towards her.
Edition 1.
[After 55] Teresa (recovering, looks round wildly). Editions 1, 2, 3,
1829.
Teresa (retires from him, and feebly supports herself against a
pillar of the dungeon). Ha! who art thou?
Alvar (exceedingly affected). Suborned, &c.
Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.
Teresa (wildly). Nay, nay, but tell me!
[A pause, then presses her forehead.
O ‘tis lost again!
This dull confused pain. [A pause, she gazes at ALVAR.
Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.
[After 103] [Retiring, she returns hastily and embracing ALVAR.
Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.
[Before 106] Ordonio (with affected gravity). Edition 1 (c) (?).
[After 115] [Waving his hand to ALVAR. Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.
Edition 1. [ALVAR … and throwing it to the ground, &c. Editions 2,
3, 1829.
1, 2, 3, 1829.
[After 195] [ORDONIO with frantic wildness runs, &c. Editions 1, 2, 3,
1829.
at once awe and terror). Touch me not! Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.
vacancy). Editions 2, 3, 1829.
[After 229] (Alvar presses on as if to defend Ordonio.) Edition 1.
[After 244] [Struggling to suppress her feelings. Editions 1, 2, 3,
1829.
The deed be mine! (Suddenly stabs ORDONIO.) Now take my life!
Alv. (while with TERESA supporting ORDONIO). Arm of