Est. If ever souls
Lay bare to human eyes, read now in ours
The loyalty which you will find in every subject!
Ruiz. Be merciful! Earth aches through her rock-ribs
With our old woes, and it is you may heal them!
Ber. Pity will teach thee soon to love our land!
Car. My lords, already I love Mexico,
And would forego the peace of Miramar,—
All happy days that from the future lean
To meet my smiles, as trifles whose light thought
Shames this great hour; but when in dream I see
My lord beset by foes in foreign land,
The help he needs beyond a three-months’ sea,
My princess pride flags to a peasant fear
For one dear life!
Est. Wrong not yourself, your lord,
And Mexico, O gentlest lady—
Car. Nay—
Est. Say yea, and our expectant land will feel
The thrill of that affirmative across
The glad Atlantic! Yea—and France, whose name
Is in our hearts as God’s, will bless thy tongue!
Say yea, and noble England, watchful Spain,
Who with great France began the holy work
Of blessed liberation will applaud
With happy echoes to the guardian skies!
Say yea, and the white spirit of the Church
Will take ’neath her soft wings our blood-drenched land,
That waits but for that word to hail thy lord
Regenerator, king!
Car. My lords, my lords,
We are but human! Mayhap we will not keep
The love that we have won!
Senor Hur. Fear not, O princess!
Behind your throne, with unretreating sword,
Will stand the first great power of all the world!
Thus speak I for the emperor of France!
Princess Metternich.