Seized on the town of Faviaux, and displaced
The royal banners for the rebel. Orleans
(Never too daring), when I reach'd the camp,
Blamed me for acting-mark-without his orders;
Upon this quibble Richelieu razed my name
Out of the general pardon.

BARADAS.

Yet released you

From the Bastile

DE MAUPRAT.

To call me to his presence,

And thus address me: "You have seized a town
Of France without the orders of your leader,
And for this treason, but one sentence-DEATH."

Death!

BARADAS.

DE MAUPRAT.

"I have pity on your youth and birth, Nor wish to glut the headsman; join your troop, Now on the march against the Spaniards; change The traitor's scaffold for the soldier's grave; Your memory stainless, they who shared your crime Exiled or dead, your king shall never learn it."

BARADAS.

Oh tender pity! Oh most charming prospect!
Blown into atoms by a bomb, or drill'd
Into a cullender by gunshot! Well?

DE MAUPRAT.

You have heard if I fought bravely. Death became Desired as Daphne by the eager Daygod.

Like him, I chased the nymph-to grasp the laurel! I could not die!

BARADAS.

Poor fellow!

DE MAUPRAT.

When the cardinal

Review'd the troops, his eye met mine; he frown'd,

Summon'd me forth. "How's this?" quoth he; "you have shunn'd

The sword, beware the axe! 'twill fall one day!"
He left me thus; we were recall'd to Paris,

And you know all!

BARADAS.

And, knowing this, why halt you, Spell'd by the rattlesnake, while in the breasts Of your firm friends beat hearts, that vow the death Of your grim tyrant? Wake! Be one of us; The time invites; the king detests the cardinal; Dares not disgrace; but groans to be delivered Of that too great a subject; join your friends, Free France, and save yourself.

DE MAUPRAT.

Hush!

Richelieu bears

A charm'd life: to all who have braved his power,
One common end-the block.

The block your doom!

Than the assassin.

BARADAS.

Nay; if he live,

DE MAUPRAT.

Better the victim, count,
France requires a Richelieu,

But does not need a Mauprat. Truce to this;

All time one midnight, where my thoughts are spectres. What to me fame? What love?

BARADAS.

Love? I am young

Yet dost thou love not?

DE MAUPRAT.

BARADAS.

And Julie fair! (Aside) It is so;

Upon the margin of the grave, his hand

Would pluck the rose that I would win and wear!

(Aloud)* [Thou lovest

* That in brackets omitted in representation.

DE MAUPRAT.

Who, lonely in the midnight tent, Gazed on the watchfires in the sleepless air, Nor chose one star amid the clustering hosts To bless it in the name of some fair face Set in his spirit, as that star in heaven? For our divine affections, like the spheres, Move ever, ever musical.

BARADAS.

As one who fed on poetry.

You speak

DE MAUPRAT.

Why, man,

The thoughts of lovers stir with poetry

As leaves with summer-wind. The heart that loves Dwells in an Eden, hearing angel-lutes,

As Eve in the first garden. Hast thou seen

My Julie, and not felt it henceforth dull

To live in the common world, and talk in words

That clothe the feelings of the frigid herd?

Upon the perfumed pillow of her lips

As on his native bed of roses flush'd

With Paphian skies-Love smiling sleeps: her voice, The bless'd interpreter of thoughts as pure

As virgin wells where Dian takes delight,

Or fairies dip their changelings! In the maze
Of her harmonious beauties, modesty

(Like some severer grace that leads the choir
Of her sweet sisters), every airy motion
Attunes to such chaste charm, that passion holds
His burning breath, and will not with a sigh
Dissolve the spell that binds him! Oh those eyes
That woo the earth, shadowing more soul than lurks
Under the lids of Psyche! Go! thy lip

Curls at the purfled phrases of a lover;
Love thou, and if thy love be deep as mine,
Thou wilt not laugh at poets.

BARADAS (aside).

With each word

Thou wak'st a jealous demon in my heart,

And my hand clutches at my

hilt

DE MAUPRAT (gayly).

No more!

I love! Your breast holds both my secrets; never
Unbury either! Come, while yet we may,
We'll bask us in the noon of rosy life:

Lounge through the gardens, flaunt it in the taverns,
Laugh, game, drink, feast: if so confined my days,
Faith, I'll enclose the nights. Pshaw! not so grave;
I'm a true Frenchman! Vive la bagatelle !

(As they are going out, enter Huguet and four arquebusiers.)

HUGUET.

Messire de Mauprat, I arrest you! Follow

To the lord cardinal.

DE MAUPRAT.

You see, my friend,

I'm out of my suspense! the tiger's play'd
Long enough with his prey. Farewell! Hereafter
Say, when men name me, "Adrien de Mauprat
Lived without hope and perish'd without fear!"

[Exeunt de Mauprat, Huguet, &c.

BARADAS.

Farewell! I trust for ever! I design'd thee
For Richelieu's murderer, but as well his martyr!
In childhood you the stronger, and I cursed you:
In youth the fairer, and I cursed you still;
And now my rival! While the name of Julie
Hung on thy lips, I smiled, for then I saw
In my mind's eye the cold and grinning death
Hang o'er thy head the pall! Ambition, love,
Ye twin-born stars of daring destinies,
Sit in my house of life! By the king's aid
I will be Julie's husband, in despite
Of my lord cardinal. By the king's aid
I will be minister of France in spite

Of my lord cardinal; and then, what then?

The king loves Julie-feeble prince-false master

(Producing and gazing on the parchment.)

Then, by the aid of Bouillon and the Spaniard,
I will dethrone the king; and all-ha! ha!
All, in despite of my lord cardinal.

[Exit.

SCENE II.

A room in the Palais Cardinal, the walls hung with arras. A large screen in one corner. A table covered with books, papers, &c. A rude clock in a recess. Busts, statues, bookcases, weapons of different periods, and banners suspended over Richelieu's chair.

Richelieu.-Joseph.

RICHELIEU.

And so you think this new conspiracy
The craftiest trap yet laid for the old fox?

Fox! Well, I like the nickname! What did Plutarch
Say of the Greek Lysander?

JOSEPH.

I forget.

RICHELIEU.

That where the lion's skin fell short, he eked it
Out with the fox's! A great statesman, Joseph,
That same Lysander!

A weed of hasty growth;

First gentleman of the chamber; titles, lands,
And the king's ear! it cost me six long winters
To mount as high, as in six little moons
This painted lizard- But I hold the ladder,
And when I shake, he falls! What more?

JOSEPH.

A scheme

To make your orphan-ward an instrument
To aid your foes. You placed her with the queen,
One of the royal chamber, as a watch
I' th' enemy's quarters-