greets you,His loyal fellow-warriors. [Guards retire.
Chef Ragozzi. Pardon my surprise.
Thus sudden from the camp, and unattended!
What may these wonders prophesy?
Raab Kiuprili. Tell me first, 15
How fares the king? His majesty still lives?
Chef Ragozzi. We know no otherwise; but Emerick’s friends
(And none but they approach him) scoff at hope.
Raab Kiuprili. Ragozzi! I have reared thee from a child,
And as a child I have reared thee. Whence this air 20
Of mystery? That face was wont to open
Clear as the morning to me, shewing all things.
Hide nothing from me.
Chef Ragozzi. O most loved, most honoured,
The mystery that struggles in my looks
Betrayed my whole tale to thee, if it told thee 25
That I am ignorant; but fear the worst.
And mystery is contagious. All things here
Are full of motion: and yet all is silent:
And bad men’s hopes infect the good with fears.
Raab Kiuprili. I have trembling proof within how true thou
speakest. 30
Chef Ragozzi. That the prince Emerick feasts the soldiery,
Gives splendid arms, pays the commanders’ debts,
And (it is whispered) by sworn promises
Makes himself debtor — hearing this, thou hast heard
All —— 35
But what my lord will learn too soon himself.
Raab Kiuprili. Ha! — Well then, let it come! Worse scarce can come.
This letter written by the trembling hand
Of royal Andreas calls me from the camp
To his immediate presence. It appoints me, 40
The Queen, and Emerick, guardians of the realm,
And of the royal infant. Day by day,
Robbed of Zapolya’s soothing cares, the king
Yearns only to behold one precious boon,
And with his life breathe forth a father’s blessing. 45
Chef Ragozzi. Remember you, my lord! that Hebrew leech
Whose face so much distempered you?
Raab Kiuprili. Barzoni?
I held him for a spy; but the proof failing
(More courteously, I own, than pleased myself),
I sent him from the camp.
Chef Ragozzi. To him, in chief, 50
Prince Emerick trusts his royal brother’s health.
Raab Kiuprili. Hide nothing, I conjure you! What of him?
Chef Ragozzi. With pomp of words beyond a soldier’s cunning,
And shrugs and wrinkled brow, he smiles and whispers!
Talks in dark words of women’s fancies; hints 55
That ‘twere a useless and a cruel zeal
To rob a dying man of any hope,
However vain, that soothes him: and, in fine,
Denies all chance of offspring from the Queen.
Raab Kiuprili. The venomous snake! My heel was on its head, 60
And (fool!) I did not crush it!
Chef Ragozzi. Nay, he fears
Zapolya will not long survive her husband.
Raab Kiuprili. Manifest treason! Even this brief delay
Half makes me an accomplice —— (If he live,)
[Is moving toward the palace.
If he but live and know me, all may ——
Chef Ragozzi. Halt! [Stops him. 65
On pain of death, my Lord! am I commanded
To stop all ingress to the palace.
Raab Kiuprili. Thou!
Chef Ragozzi. No place, no name, no rank excepted —
Raab Kiuprili. Thou!
Chef Ragozzi. This life of mine, O take it, Lord Kiuprili!
I give it as a weapon to thy hands, 70
Mine own no longer. Guardian of Illyria,
Useless to thee, ‘tis worthless to myself.
Thou art the framer of my nobler being;
Nor does there live one virtue in my soul,
One honourable hope, but calls thee father. 75
Yet ere thou dost resolve, know that yon palace
Is guarded from within, that each access
Is thronged by armed conspirators, watched by ruffians
Pampered with gifts, and hot upon the spoil
Which that false promiser still trails before them. 80
I ask but this one boon — reserve my life
Till I can lose it for the realm and thee!
Raab Kiuprili. My heart is rent asunder. O my country,
O fallen Illyria, stand I here spell-bound?
Did my King love me? Did I earn his love? 85
Have we embraced as brothers would embrace?
Was I his arm, his thunderbolt? And now
Must I, hagridden, pant as in a dream?
Or, like an eagle, whose strong wings press up
