It were too bad a prison-house for goblins.
Beside, (you'll smile, my lord) but true it is,
My last night's sleep was very sorely haunted
By what had passed between us in the morning.
O sleep of horrors! Now run down and stared at

By forms so hideous that they mock remembrance-
Now seeing nothing and imagining nothing,
But only being afraid-stifled with fear!

While every goodly or familiar form

Had a strange power of breathing terror round me!'
I saw you in a thousand fearful shapes;

And, I entreat your lordship to believe me,
In my last dream-

Ordonio.

Isidore.

Of falling down that chasm, when Alhadra
Wak'd me: she heard my heart beat.

Ordonio.

Well?

I was in the act

Strange enough!

Never, my lord!

Had you been here before?

Isidore.

But mine eyes do not see it now more clearly,

Than in my dream I saw-that very chasm.

65

70

75

80

Ordonio (after a pause). I know not why it should be! yet

Ordonio. Why that's my case; and yet the soul recoils from

it

"Tis so with me at least. But you, perhaps,

Have sterner feelings?

Isidore.

Something troubles you.

How shall I serve you? By the life you gave me,
By all that makes that life of value to me,

85

172-3. In the Biographia Literaria, 1817, ii. 73 Coleridge puts these lines into another shape :

The simplest and the most familiar things

Gain a strange power of spreading awe around them. See note by J. D. Campbell, P. W., 1893, p. 651.

68-73 om. Edition 1. 71 afraid] afraid Editions 2, 3, 1829. (stands lost in thought, then after a pause). Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829. 1, 2, 3, 1829.

82 Ordonio

is is Editions

My wife, my babes, my honour, I swear to you,
Name it, and I will toil to do the thing,

If it be innocent! But this, my lord!
Is not a place where you could perpetrate,
No, nor propose a wicked thing.

The darkness,

gc

When ten strides off we know 'tis cheerful moonlight,
Collects the guilt, and crowds it round the heart.

It must be innocent.

One of our family knew this place well.

Isidore. Who? when? my lord?

Ordonio.

95

What boots it, who or when?

Hang up thy torch-I'll tell his tale to thee.

100

[They hang up their torches on some ridge in the cavern.

He was a man different from other men,
And he despised them, yet revered himself.

Isidore (aside). He? He despised? Thou'rt speaking of thy

self!

I am on my guard, however: no surprise.

What, he was mad?

Ordonio.

[Then to ORDONIO.

All men seemed mad to him!

105

Nature had made him for some other planet,

And pressed his soul into a human shape
By accident or malice. In this world
He found no fit companion.

Isidore. Of himself he speaks.

Mad men are mostly proud.
Ordonio.

He walked alone,

And phantom thoughts unsought-for troubled him.
Something within would still be shadowing out
All possibilities; and with these shadows

His mind held dalliance. Once, as so it happened,
A fancy crossed him wilder than the rest:
To this in moody murmur and low voice
He yielded utterance, as some talk in sleep:
The man who heard him.-

115

Why did'st thou look round? Isidore. I have a prattler three years old, my lord!

120

97 It must be innocent. [ORDONIO darkly, and in the feeling of self-justification, tells what he conceives of his own character and actions, speaking of himself in the third person. Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829. 103 He? He] He? He Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

In truth he is my darling. As I went

From forth my door, he made a moan in sleep-
But I am talking idly-pray proceed!

And what did this man?

Ordonio.

With this human hand

125

He gave a substance and reality
To that wild fancy of a possible thing.-

Well it was done!

Why babblest thou of guilt?

The deed was done, and it passed fairly off.

And he whose tale I tell thee-dost thou listen?

Isidore. I would, my lord, you were by my fire-side, 130 I'd listen to you with an eager eye,

Though you began this cloudy tale at midnight,

But I do listen-pray proceed, my lord.

Ordonio. Where was I?

Isidore.
Ordonio. Surveying all things with a quiet scorn,
Tamed himself down to living purposes,
The occupations and the semblances
Of ordinary men-and such he seemed!
But that same over ready agent-he-
Isidore. Ah! what of him, my lord?
Ordonio.

He of whom you tell the tale-

135

He proved a traitor, 140

Betrayed the mystery to a brother-traitor,
And they between them hatch'd a damnéd plot
To hunt him down to infamy and death.
What did the Valdez? I am proud of the name
Since he dared do it.-

[ORDONIO grasps his sword, and turns off from ISIDORE, then after a pause returns.

Our links burn dimly.

Isidore. A dark tale darkly finished! Nay, my lord! Tell what he did.

Ordonio. That which his wisdom promptedHe made the traitor meet him in this cavern, And here he kill'd the traitor.

Isidore.

145

He had not wit enough to be a traitor.
Poor thick-eyed beetle! not to have foreseen
That he who gulled thee with a whimpered lie

127 Well it was done! [Then very 140 him... He] him... He, Editions 1,

124 this] his Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829. wildly. Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

2, 3, 1829.

To murder his own brother, would not scruple
To murder thee, if e'er his guilt grew jealous,
And he could steal upon thee in the dark!
Ordonio. Thou would'st not then have come, if-
Isidore. Oh yes, my lord!

I would have met him arm'd, and scar'd the coward.

155

[ISIDORE throws off his robe; shews himself armed, and draws his sword.

Ordonio. Now this is excellent and warms the blood! 160 My heart was drawing back, drawing me back

With weak and womanish scruples. Now my vengeance
Beckons me onwards with a warrior's mien,
And claims that life, my pity robb'd her of—
Now will I kill thee, thankless slave, and count it
Among my comfortable thoughts hereafter.
Isidore. And all my little ones fatherless-

165

Die thou first. [They fight, ORDONIO disarms ISIDORE, and in disarming him throws his sword up that recess opposite to which they were standing. ISIDORE hurries into the recess with his torch, ORDONIO follows him; a loud cry of 'Traitor! Monster!' is heard from the cavern, and in a moment ORDONIO returns alone.

Ordonio. I have hurl'd him down the chasm! treason for treason.

He dreamt of it: henceforward let him sleep,

A dreamless sleep, from which no wife can wake him. 170 His dream too is made out-Now for his friend.

SCENE II

[Exit ORDONIO.

The interior Court of a Saracenic or Gothic Castle, with the Iron Gate of a Dungeon visible.

Teresa. Heart-chilling superstition! thou canst glaze Ev'n pity's eye with her own frozen tear.

In vain I urge the tortures that await him;

155 thee] thee Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829. After 167 [They fight... standing. (The rest of the stage-direction is here omitted.)

Isid. (springing wildly towards Ordonio). Still I can strangle thee!
Ord.

I'll kill thee, but not so. Go fetch thy sword.

Nay fool, stand off!

[ISIDORE hurries into the recess with his torch, ORDONIO follows him returns alone. Edition 1.

...

171 dream] dream Editions Scene II is headed 'The Sea

169 dreamt] dreamt Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829. 1, 2, 3, 1829. Before I stage-direction om. Coast The interior... of Dungeon visible. Editions 2, 3, 1829.

Edition 1.

Even Selma, reverend guardian of my childhood,
My second mother, shuts her heart against me!
Well, I have won from her what most imports
The present need, this secret of the dungeon
Known only to herself.-A Moor! a Sorcerer!
No, I have faith, that Nature ne'er permitted
Baseness to wear a form so noble. True,
I doubt not that Ordonio had suborned him
To act some part in some unholy fraud;
As little doubt, that for some unknown purpose
He hath baffled his suborner, terror-struck him,
And that Ordonio meditates revenge!

But my resolve is fixed! myself will rescue him,
And learn if haply he knew aught of Alvar.

Enter VALDEZ.

Valdez. Still sad?—and gazing at the massive door
Of that fell dungeon which thou ne'er had'st sight of,
Save what, perchance, thy infant fancy shap'd it
When the nurse still'd thy cries with unmeant threats.
Now by my faith, girl! this same wizard haunts thee!
A stately man, and eloquent and tender-
Who then need wonder if a lady sighs

Even at the thought of what these stern Dominicans—
Teresa. The horror of their ghastly punishments

25

That I should feel too little for mine enemy,

Doth so o'ertop the height of all compassion,

If it were possible I could feel more,

Even though the dearest inmates of our household
Were doom'd to suffer them. That such things are-

Valdez. Hush, thoughtless woman!

Teresa.

More than a woman's spirit.

Valdez.

What if Monviedro or his
I dare not listen to you.
Teresa.

30

Nay, it wakes within me

No more of this

These were my Alvar's lessons, and whene'er
I bend me o'er his portrait, I repeat them,
As if to give a voice to the mute image.

17 know] knew Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829. This same wizard haunts you Edition 1. After 23 [With a sneer. Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829. indignation). Editions 1, 2, 3, 1829.

18 Valdez. Still sad, Teresa ! 19-22 om. Edition 1. 26 Teresa (with solemn 33 woman's] woman Edition 1.