To love and shelter-shall we therefore find
No refuge in this merciless wide world?

Oh, think what deep wrongs must have blotted out
First love, then reverence, in a child's prone mind,
Till it thus vanquish shame and fear! O think!
I have borne much, and kissed the sacred hand
Which crushed us to the earth, and thought its stroke
Was perhaps some paternal chastisement!

Have excused much, doubted; and, when no doubt
Remained, have sought by patience, love, and tears,
To soften him; and, when this could not be,

I have knelt down through the long sleepless nights
And lifted up to God, the Father of all,

Passionate prayers; and when these were not heard
I have still borne-until I meet you here,
Princes and kinsmen, at this hideous feast,
Given at my brothers' deaths. Two yet remain,
His wife remains and I, whom, if ye save not,
Ye may soon share such merriment again
As fathers make over their children's graves.
O Prince Colonna, thou art our near kinsman;
Cardinal, thou art the Pope's chamberlain;
Camillo, thou art the chief justiciary:

Take us away!

Cen. (He has been conversing with Camillo during the first part of Beatrice's speech; he hears the conclusion, and now advances.)

I hope my good friends here

Will think of their own daughters or perhaps
Of their own throats-before they lend an ear
To this wild girl.

Beatr. Not noticing the words of Cenci.)
Dare no one look on me?

None answer? Can one tyrant overbear
The sense of many best and wisest men?
Or is it that I sue not in some form

Of scrupulous law, that ye deny my suit?
O God! that I were buried with my brothers'
And that the flowers of this departed spring
Were fading on my grave! and that my father
Were celebrating now one feast for all

Cam. A bitter wish for one so young and gentle. Can we do nothing?

Colon. Nothing that I see.

Count Cenci were a dangerous enemy;
Yet I would second any one.

A Card. And I.

Cen. Retire to your chamber, Insolent girl! Beatr. Retire thou, impious man! Ay, hide thyself Where never eye can look upon thee more! Wouldst thou have honour and obedience, Who art a torturer? Father, dever dream, That thou mayest overbear this company, But ill must come of ill.-Frown not on me? Haste, hide thyself, lest with avenging looks My brothers' ghosts should hunt thee from thy seat! Cover thy face from every living eye, Aud start if thou but hear a human step: Seek out some dark and silent corner, there Bow thy white head before offended God, And we will kneel around, and fervently Pray that he pity both ourselves and thee.

Cen. My friends, I do lament this insane girl
Has spoilt the mirth of our festivity.

Good night, farewell. I will not make you longer
Spectators of our dull domestic quarrels.-

Another time.

(Exeunt all but Cenci and Beatrice.) My brain is swimming round.

Give me a bowl of wine!

(To Beatrice.) Thou painted viper!

Beast that thou art! fair and yet terrible!
I know a charm shall make thee meek and tame.
Now get thee from my sight!

(Exit Beatrice)

Here, Andrea,

Fill up this goblet with Greek wine. I said

I would not drink this evening, but I must;

For, strange to say, I feel my spirits fail

wine.)

With thinking what I have decreed to do. (Drinking the

Be thou the resolution of quick youth

Within my veins, and manhood's purpose stera,

And age's firm, cold, subtle villany;

As thou west auteed my children's blood

Which I did thirst to drink. The charm works well;
It must be done; it shall be done, I swear!

(Exit)

ACT II.

SCENE. I.

An Apartment in the Cenci Puluce. Enter Luoresta and
BERNARDO.

Lucr. Weep not my gentle boy; he struck but me,
Who have borne deeper wrongs. In truth, if he
Mad killed me, he had done a kinder deed.

O God Almighty, do thou look upon us,
We have no other friend but only thee!
Yet weep not; though I love you as my own,
I am not your true mother.

Ber. Oh more, more,

Than ever mother was to any child,

That have you been to me! Had he not been

My father, do you think that I should weep?

fdone?

Lucr. Alas! poor boy, what else couldst thou hare

Enter BEATRICE.

Beatr. (In a hurried vnice.)

Did he pass this way? Have you seen him, brother? Ah! no; that is his step upon the stairs;

'Tis nearer now; his hand is on the door;

Mother, if I to thee have ever been.

A duteous child, now save me! Thou, great God,

Whose image upon eartha father is,

Dost thou indeed abandon me? He comes;

The door is opening now; I see his face ;
He frowns on others, but he smiles on me,
Even as he did after the feast.last night.

Enter a Servant.

Almighty God, how merciful thou art!

'Tis but Orsino's servantWell, what news? Serv. My master hids me say, the Holy .der

Has sent back your petition thus unopened. (Giving a And he demands at what hour 'twere secure

To visit you again.

Lucr. At the Ave Mary.

[paper.)

(Exit Servant.)

See, daughter, our last hope has failed. Ah me,
How pale you look! you tremble, and you stand
Wrapped in some fixed and fearful meditation,
As if one thought were overstrong for you:
Your eyes have a chill glare. O dearest child,
Are you gone mad? If not, pray speak to me.
Beatr. You see I am not mad; I speak to you.
Lucr. You talked of something that your father did
After that dreadful feast? Could it be worse
Than when he smiled, and cried, My sons are dead!
And every one looked in his neighbour's face

To see if others were as white as he?

At the first word he spoke, 1 felt the blood
Rush to my heart, and fell into a trance;
And when it past I sat all weak and wild;
Whilst you alone stood up, and with strong words
Checked his unnatural pride; and I could see
The devil was rebuked that lives in him.
Until this hour thus you have ever stood
Between us and your father's moody wrath
Like a protecting presence: your firm mind
Has been our only refuge and defence:
What can have thus subdued it?
Have given you that cold melancholy look,
Succeeding to your unaccustomed fear?

What can now

Beatr. What is it that you say? I was just thinking

Twere better not to struggle any more.

Men, like my father, have been dark and bloody,

Yet never-Oh! before worse comes of it,

'Twere wise to die: it ends in that at last.

Lucr. Oh, talk not so, dear child! Tell me at once What did your father do or say to you?

He stayed not after that accursed feast

One moment in your chamber.-Speak to me

Ber. O sister, sister, prithee speak to us

Beatr. (Speaking very slowly with a forced calmness.) it was one word, mother, one little word; One look, one smile. (wildly)

eled Oh he has trampled me

Under his feet, and made the blood stream down
My palid cheeks. And he has given us all
Ditch water, and the fever-stricken flesh
Of buffaloes, and bade us eat or starve,
And we have eaten. He has made me look
On my beloved Bernardo, when the rust
Of heavy chains had gangrened his sweet limbs,
And I have never yet despaired-but now!
What would I say ?

(Recovering herself.)

Ah! no. 'tis nothing new.
The sufferings we all share have made me wild:
He only struck and cursed me as he passed.
He said he looked, he did,-nothing at all
Beyond his wont, yet it disordered me.
Alas! I am forgetful of my duty,

I should preserve my senses for your sake.

Lucr. Nay, Beatrice, have courage, my sweet girl,
If any one despairs it should be I,

Who loved him once, and now must live with him.
Till God in pity call for him or me.

For you may, like your sister, find some husband,

And smile, years hence, with children round your knees; Whilst I, then dead, and all this hideous coil,

Shall be remembered only as a dream.

Beatr. Talk not to me, dear lady, of a husband.

Did you not nurse me when my mother died?
Did you not shield me and that dearest boy?
And had we any other friend but you
In infancy, with gentle words and looks,
To win our father not to murder us?
And shall I now desert you? May the ghost
Of my dead mother plead against my soul
If I abandon her who filled the place
She left with more even than a mother's love!
Ber. And I am of my sister's mind. Indeed
I would not leave you in this wretchedness,
Even though the Pope should make me free to 1.
In some blithe place, like others of my age,
With sports, and delicate food, and the fresh alt.
Oh, never think that I will leave you, mother'
Luer My dear dear children!