And young delight, your love (life's firstborn glory), My own lost youth breathes musical!

DE MAUPRAT.

I'll seek

Temple and priest henceforward, were it but
To learn Heaven's choicest blessings.

RICHELIEU.

Thou shalt seek

Temple and priest right soon; the morrow's sun
Shall see across those barren thresholds pass
The fairest bride in Paris. Go, my children;'
Even I loved once! Be lovers while ye may!
How is it with you, sir? You bear it bravely :
You know, it asks the courage of a lion.

[Exeunt Julie and De Mauprat

RICHELIEU.

Oh! godlike power! Wo, rapture, penury, wealth,
Marriage and death, for one infirm old man
Through a great empire to dispense-withhold-
As the will whispers! And shall things, like motes
That live in my daylight; lackeys of court wages,
Dwarf'd starvelings, mannikins, upon whose shoulders
The burden of a province were a load

More heavy than the globe on Atlas, cast

Lots for my robes and sceptre? France! I love thee!
All earth shall never pluck thee from my heart!
My mistress France, my wedded wife, sweet France,
Who shall proclaim divorce for thee and me!

[Exit Richelieu

ACT II.

Second Bay.

SCENE I.

A splendid apartment in Mauprat's new house. Casements opening to the gardens, beyond which the domes of the Luxembourg Palace.

Enter Baradas.

BARADAS.

Mauprat's new home: too splendid for a soldier!
But o'er his floors-the while I stalk-methinks
My shadow spreads gigantic to the gloom
The old rude towers of the Bastile cast far
Along the smoothness of the jocund day.

Well, thou hast 'scaped the fierce caprice of Richelieu;
But art thou farther from the headsman, fool?

Thy secret I have whisper'd to the king;

Thy marriage makes the king thy foe. Thou stand'st
On the abyss; and in the pool below

I see a ghastly, headless phantom mirror'd;
Thy likeness ere the marriage moon hath waned.
Meanwhile-meanwhile-ha! ha! if thou art wedded,
Thou art not wived.

Enter Mauprat (splendidly dressed).

MAUPRAT.

Was ever fate like mine?

So bless'd and yet so wretched!

BARADAS.

Joy, De Mauprat! Why, what a brow, man, for your wedding-day!

DE MAUPRAT.

Jest not! Distraction!

BARADAS.

What, your wife a shrew

Already? Courage, man—the common lot!

D

DE MAUPRAT.

Oh! that she were less lovely or less loved!

Riddles again!

BARADAS.

DE MAUPRAT.

You know what chanced between

The cardinal and myself.

BARADAS.

This morning brought

Your letter: faith, a strange account! I laugh'd
And wept at once for gladness.

DE MAUPRAT.

We were wed

At noon; the rite performed, came hither; scarce
Arrived, when-

BARADAS.

Well?

DE MAUPRAT.

Wide flew the doors, and lo,

Messire de Beringhen, and this epistle!

BARADAS.

'Tis the king's hand! the royal seal!

DE MAUPRAT.

Read-read

RARADAS (reading).

"Whereas Adrien de Mauprat, colonel and chevalier in our armies, being already guilty of high treason by the seizure of our town of Faviaux, has presumed, without our knowledge, consent, or sanction, to connect himself by marriage with Julie de Mortemar, a wealthy orphan attached to the person of her majesty, without our knowledge or consent-We do hereby proclaim said marriage contrary to law. On penalty of death, Adrien de Mauprat will not communicate with the said Julie de Mortemar by word or letter, save in the presence of our faithful servant the Sieur de Beringhen, and then with such respect and decorum as are due to a demoi

selle attached to the court of France, until such time as it may suit our royal pleasure to confer with the Holy Church on the formal annulment of the marriage, and with our council on the punishment to be awarded to Messire de Mauprat, who is cautioned for his own sake to preserve silence as to our injunction, more especially to Mademoiselle de Mortemar.

"Given under our hand and seal at the Louvre.

BARADAS (returning the letter).

" LOUIS."

Amazement! Did not Richelieu say, the king
Knew not your crime?

DE MAUPRAT.

He said so.

BARADAS.

Poor De Mauprat!

See you the snare, the vengeance worse than death, Of which you are the victim?

DE MAUPRAT.

Ha!

BARADAS (aside).

It works!

(Julie and De Beringhen in the gardens.)

You have not sought the cardinal yet to—

DE MAUPRAT.

No!

Scarce yet my sense awaken'd from the shock;
Now I will seek him.

Your wife! De Beringhen! Be on your guard;
Obey the royal orders to the letter.

I'll look around your palace.
A princely mansion!

By my troth,

Can want no visiters.

DE MAUPRAT.

Stay

BARADAS.

So new a bridegroom
Your servant, madam!

Oh, happy pair! oh, charming picture!

[Exit through a side-door.

JULIE.

Adrien,

You left us suddenly.

Are you not well?

DE MAUPRAT.

Oh, very well; that is, extremely ill!

JULIE.

Ill, Adrien? (taking his hand).

DE MAUPRAT.

Not when I see thee.

(He is about to lift her hand to his lips when De Beringhen coughs and pulls his mantle. Mauprat drops the hand and walks away.)

JULIE.

Alas!

Should he not love me?

DE BERINGHEN (aside).

Have a care; I must

Report each word, each gesture to his majesty.

DE MAUPRAT.

Sir, if you were not in his majesty's service,
You'd be the most officious, impudent,
Damn'd busybody ever interfering

In a man's family affairs.

DE BERINGHEN.

But as

I do belong, sir, to his majesty