geance-restore thee to thy native land-and thy native land to peace-wouldst thou not rank Elvira with the good? ROL. To judge the action I must know the means. ROL. How to be used? ELV. I will conduct thee to the tent where fell Pizarro sleeps; the scourge of innocence-the terror of thy race -the fiend that desolates thy afflicted country. ROL. Hast thou not been injured by Pizarro? ELV. Deeply as scorn and insult can infuse their deadly venom. ROL. And thou ask'st that I shall murder him in his sleep! ELV. Would he not have murdered Alonzo in his chains? He that sleeps and he that's bound are equally defenceless. Hear me, Rolla: so may I prosper in this perilous act, as searching my full heart I have put by all rancorous motive of private vengeance there, and feel that I advance to my dread purpose in the cause of human nature, and at the call of sacred justice. ROL.The god of justice sanctifies no evil as a step towards good. Great actions cannot be achieved by wicked means. ELV. Then, Peruvian, since thou dost feel so coldly for thy country's wrongs, this hand, though it revolt my soul, shall strike the blow. ROL. Then is thy destruction certain, and for Peru thou perishest! Give me the dagger! ELV. Now follow me; but first-and dreadful is the hard necessity-thou must strike down the guard. ROL. The soldier who was on duty here? ELV. Yes, him; else, seeing thee, the alarm will be instant. ROL. And I must stab that soldier as I pass?-Take back thy dagger. ELV. Rolla? ROL. That soldier, mark me, is a man! All are not men that bear the human form. He refus'd my prayers ---refused my gold-denying to admit me-till his own feelings bribed him. For my nation's safety, I would not harm that man. ELV. Then he must with us. I will answer for his safety. ROL. Be that plainly understood between us: for, whate'er betide our enterprise, I will not risk a hair of that man's head, to save my heartstrings from consuming fire. [Exeunt, L. U. E. SCENE II.-The Inside of Pizarro's Tent-PIZARRO on a couch, at the back of stage, c. Piz. [In his sleep.] No mercy, traitor. Now at his heart! Stand off there, you-let me see him bleed! Ha! ha! ha! Let me hear that groan again. Enter ROLLA and ELVIRA, L. ELV. (L. C.) There!-Now lose not a moment. ROL. Thou must leave me now. This scene of blood fits not a woman's presence. ELV. But a moments pause may ROL. Go!-retire to thy own tent, and return not here. I will come to thee, Be thou not known in this business, I implore thee! ELV. I will withdraw the guard that waits. [Exit Elvira, L. ROL. (L. c.) Now have I in my power the accursed destroyer of my country's peace: yet tranquilly he rests. God! can this man sleep? Pız. [In his sleep.] Away! away! hideous fiends! Tear not my bosom thus! ROL. No: I was in error-the balm of sweet repose be never more can know. Look here, ambition's fools! Ye, by whose inhuman pride the bleeding sacrifice of nations is held as nothing, behold the rest of the guilty! He is in my power; and one blow!-No! my heart and hand refuse the act: Rolla cannot be an assassin!-Yet Elvira must be saved.[Approaches the couch.] Pizarro! awake! Piz. [Starts up.] Who?-Guard !— ROL. Speak not another word is thy death-call not for aid! this arm will be swifter than thy guard. Piz. Who art thou? and what is thy will? ROL. I am thine enemy! Peruvian Rolla! Thy death is not my will, or I could have slain thee sleeping. Piz. Speak, what else? ROL. Now thou art a my mercy, answer me! Did a Peruvian ever yet wrong or injure thee, or any of thy nation? Didst thou, or any of thy nation, ever yet show inercy to a Peruvian in thy power? Now shalt thou feel and if thou hast a heart, thou'lt feel it keenly-—a Peru-. vian's vengeance !—[ Drops the dagger at his feet. ]— There! Pız. Is it possible! ROL. Can Pizarro be surprised at this? I thought forgi veness of injuries had been the Christian's precept. Thou see'st, at least, it is the Peruvian's practice. Pız. Rolla, thou hast indeed surpris'd-subdued me. [Retires, L Re-enter ELVIRA, L.-(Not seeing Pizarro. ELV. (L. c. ) Is it done? Is he dead?—[ Sees Piz.]— How! still living! Then I am lost! And for you, wretched. Peruvians! mercy is no more! Oh, Rolla! treacherous or cowardly! Pız. How can it be, that—. ROL. Away! Elvira speaks ske knows not what!-Leave me [To Elvira ], Iconjure thee, with Pizarro. ELV. How! Rolla, dost thou think I shall retract—or that I meanly will deny, that in thy hand I placed a poniard to be plunged into that tyrant's heart? No! my sole regret is, that I trusted to thy weakness, and did not strike the blow myself. Too soon thou'lt learn that mercy to that man is direct cruelty to all thy race! Pız. Guard! quick! a guard, to seize this frantic wo man. ELV. (R.) Yes, a guard! I call them too! And soon I know they'll lead me to my death. But think not, Pizarro, the fury of thy flashing eyes shall awe me for a moment! Nor think that woman's anger, or the feelings of an injured heart, prompted me to this design. No! had I been only influenced so, thus failing, shame and remorse would weigh me down. But, though defeated and destroyed, as now I am, such is the greatness of the cause that urged me, I shall perish, glorying in the attempt, and my last breath of life shall speak the proud avowal of my purpose-to have rescued millions of innocents from the blood-thirsty tyranny of one-by ridding the insulted world of thee! ROL. Had the act been noble as the motive, Rolla would not have shrunk from its performance. Enter GUARDS, R. Piz. Seize this discovered fiend, who sought to kill your leader. ELV. Touch me not, at the peril of your souls; I am your prisoner, and will follow you. But thou, their triumphant leader, first shalt hear me. Yet, first, for thee, Roll, accept my forgiveness; even had I been the victim of thy nobleness of heart, I should have admired thee for it. But'twas myself provoked my doom. Thou wouldst have shielded me. Let not thy contempt follow me to the grave. Didst thou but know the fiend-like arts by which this hypocrite first undermined the virtue of a guileless heart! how, even in the pious sanctuary wherein I dwelt, by corruption and by fraud he practised upon those in whom I most confided-till my distempered fancy led me, step by step, into the abyss of guilt Piz. Why am I not obeyed? Tear her hence. ELV. 'Tis past but didst thou know my story, Rolla, thou wouldst pity me. ROL. From my soul I do pity thee. Pız. Villains! drag her to the dungeon!-prepare the torture instantly. ELV. Soldiers-but a moment more. 'Tis to applaud your general; it is to tell the astonished world, that, for once, Pizarro's sentence is an act of justice; yes, rack me with the sharpest tortures that ever agoniz'd the hu man frame; it will be justice. Yes, bid the minions of thy fury wrench forth the sinews of those arms that have caressed, and-even defended thee! Bid them pour burning metal into the bleeding cases of these eyes, that so oft, oh God! have hung with love and homage on thy look; then approach me, bound on the abhorred wheel there glut thy savage eyes with the convulsive spasms of that dishonoured bosom, which was once thy pillow!Yet will I bear it all; for it will be justice, all! And, when thou shalt bid them tear me to my death, hoping that thy unshrinking ears may at last be feasted with the music of my cries, I will not utter one shriek or groan ;but to the last gasp, my body's patience shall deride thy vengeance, as my soul defies thy power. Pız. Hear'st thou the wretch whose hands were even now prepared for murder? ROL. Yes! And if her accusation's false, thou wilt not shrink from hearing her: if true, thy barbarity cannot make her suffer the pangs thy conscience will inflict on thee. ELV. (c.) And now, farewell, world! Rolla, farewell! Farewell, thou condemned of heaven! [To Pizarro.] for repentance and remorse, I know, will never touch thy heart. We shall meet again. Ha! be it thy horror here, to know that we shall meet hereafter! And when thy parting hour approaches, hark to the knell, whose dreadful beat will strike to thy despairing soul. Then will vi→ brate on thy ear the curses of the cloister'd saiut from whom thou stolest me. Then, the last shrieks which burst from my mother's breaking heart, as she died, appealing to her God against the seducer of her child! Then the blood-stifled groan of my murder'd brother, murdered by thee, fell monster, seeking atonement for his sister's ruin'd honour! I hear them now. To me the recollection's madness! At such an hour-what will it be to thee? Pız. A moment's more delay, and at the peril of your lives ELV. I have spoken, and the last mortal frailty of my |