as a favour, bid me from thy presence;Let me no longer be the wondering food
Of all these eyes; prythee command me hence!
Otho.
Do not mistake me, Gersa. That you may not,
Come, fair Auranthe, try if your soft hands
Can manage those hard rivets to set free
So brave a prince and soldier.
Auranthe (sets him free). Welcome task!
Gersa.
I am wound up in deep astonishment!
Thank you, fair lady. Otho! emperor!
You rob me of myself; my dignity
Is now your infant; I am a weak child.
Otho.
Give me your hand, and let this kindly grasp
Live in our memories.
Gersa.
In mine it will.
I blush to think of my unchasten’d tongue;
But I was haunted by the monstrous ghost
Of all our slain battalions. Sire, reflect,
And pardon you will grant, that, at this hour,
The bruised remnants of our stricken camp
Are huddling undistinguish’d my dear friends,
With common thousands, into shallow graves.
Otho.
Enough, most noble Gersa. You are free
To cheer the brave remainder of your host
By your own healing presence, and that too,
Not as their leader merely, but their king;
For, as I hear, the wily enemy,
Who eas’d the crownet from your infant brows,
Bloody Taraxa, is among the dead.
Gersa.
Then I retire, so generous Otho please,
Bearing with me a weight of benefits
Too heavy to be borne.
Otho.
It is not so;
Still understand me, King of Hungary,
Nor judge my open purposes awry.
Though I did hold you high in my esteem
For your self’s sake, I do not personate
The stage-play emperor to entrap applause,
To set the silly sort o’ the world agape,
And make the politic smile; no, I have heard
How in the Council you condemn ‘d this war,
Urging the perfidy of broken faith,
For that I am your friend.
Gersa.
If ever, sire,
You are mine enemy, I dare here swear
‘Twill not be Gersa’s fault. Otho, farewell!
Otho.
Will you return, Prince, to our banqueting?
Gersa.
As to my father’s board I will return.
Otho.
Conrad, with all due ceremony, give
The prince a regal escort to his camp;
Albert, go thou and bear him company.
Gersa, farewell!
Gersa.
All happiness attend you!
Otho.
Return with what good speed you may; for soon
We must consult upon our terms of peace.
And thus a marble column do I build
To prop my empire’s dome. Conrad, in thee
I have another stedfast one, to uphold
The portals of my state; and, for my own
Pre-eminence and safety, I will strive
To keep thy strength upon its pedestal.
For, without thee, this day I might have been
A show-monster about the streets of Prague,
In chains, as just now stood that noble prince:
And then to me no mercy had been shown,
For when the conquered lion is once dungeon’d,
Who lets him forth again? or dares to give
An old lion sugar-cates of mild reprieve?
Not to thine ear alone I make confession,
But to all here, as, by experience,
I know how the great basement of all power
Is frankness, and a true tongue to the world;
And how intriguing secrecy is proof
Of fear and weakness, and a hollow state.
Conrad, I owe thee much.
Conrad.
To kiss that hand,
My emperor, is ample recompense,
For a mere act of duty.
Otho.
Thou art wrong;
For what can any man on earth do more?
We will make trial of your house’s welcome,
My bright Auranthe!
Conrad.
How is Friedburg honoured!
Ethelbert.
The benison of heaven on your head,
Imperial Otho!
Otho.
Who stays me? Speak! Quick!
Ethelbert.
Pause but one moment, mighty conqueror
Upon the threshold of this house of joy.
Otho.
Pray, do not prose, good Ethelbert, but speak
What is your purpose.
Ethelbert.
The restoration of some captive maids,
Devoted to Heaven’s pious ministries,
Who,
