The Complete Works: Poetry, Plays, Letters and Extensive Biographies. John Keats

      Yes, yes! A hope! A music!

      A glorious clamour! How I live again! [Exeunt.

      O for enough life to support me on

      To Otho’s feet

      Thrice villainous, stay there

      Tell me where that detested woman is

      Or this is through thee!

      My good Prince, with me

      The sword has done its worst; not without worst

      Done to another Conrad has it home

      I see you know it all

      Ludolph. Where is his sister?

      AURANTHE rushes in.

      Albert!

      Ha! There! there! He is the paramour I

      There hug him dying! O, thou innocence,

      Shrine him and comfort him at his last gasp,

      Kiss down his eyelids! Was he not thy love?

      Wilt thou forsake him at his latest hour?

      Keep fearful and aloof from his last gaze,

      His most uneasy moments, when cold death

      Stands with the door ajar to let him in?

      O that that door with hollow slam would close

      Upon me sudden, for I cannot meet,

      In all the unknown chambers of the dead,

      Such horrors

      Ludolph. Auranthe! what can he mean?

      What horrors? Is it not a joyous time?

      Am I not married to a paragon

      “Of personal beauty and untainted soul”?

      A blushing fair-eyed Purity! A Sylph,

      Whose snowy timid hand has never sin’d

      Beyond a flower pluck’d, white as itself?

      Albert, you do insult my Bride your Mistress

      To talk of horrors on our wedding night.

      Alas! poor Prince, I would you knew my heart.

      ’Tis not so guilty

      Ludolph. Hear you he pleads not guilty

      You are not? or if so what matters it?

      You have escap’d me, free as the dusk air

      Hid in the forest safe from my revenge;

      I cannot catch you – You should laugh at me,

      Poor cheated Ludolph, make the forest hiss

      With jeers at me You tremble; faint at once,

      You will come to again. O Cockatrice,

      I have you. Whither wander those fair eyes

      To entice the Devil to your help, that he

      May change you to a Spider, so to crawl

      Into some cranny to escape my wrath?

      Albert. Sometimes the counsel of a dying man

      Doth operate quietly when his breath is gone

      Disjoin those hands part – part, do not destroy

      Each other forget her our miseries

      Are equal shar’d, and mercy is

      Ludolph. A boon

      When one can compass it. Auranthe, try

      Your oratory your breath is not so hitch’d

      Aye, stare for help

      [ALBERT groans and dies.

      There goes a spotted soul

      Howling in vain along the hollow night

      Hear him he calls you Sweet Auranthe, come!

      Auranthe. Kill me.

      No! What? upon our Marriage-night!

      The earth would shudder at so foul a deed

      A fair Bride, a sweet Bride, an innocent Bride!

      No, we must revel it, as ’tis in use

      In times of delicate brilliant ceremony:

      Come, let me lead you to our halls again

      Nay, linger not make no resistance sweet

      Will you Ah wretch, thou canst not, for I have

      The strength of twenty lions ‘gainst a lamb

      Now one adieu for Albert come away.

      [Exeunt.

      Was ever such a night?

      What horrors more?

      Things unbeliev’d one hour, so strange they are,

      The next hour stamps with credit.

      Your last news ?

      After the Page’s story of the death

      Of Albert and Duke Conrad?

      And the return

      Of Ludolph with the Princess.

      No more save

      Prince Gersa’s freeing Abbot Ethelbert,

      And the sweet lady, fair Erminia,

      From prison.

      Where are they now? hast yet heard?

      With the sad Emperor they are closeted ;

      I saw the three pass slowly up the stairs,

      The lady weeping, the old Abbot cowl’d.

      What next?

      I ache to think on’t.