And guard the weaker places—warily ask,

What if considerations of a sort,

Reasons of a kind, arise from out the strange

Peculiar unforeseen new circumstance

Of this our (candor owns) abnormal act,

To bar the right of us revenging so?

"Impunity were otherwise your meed:

Go slay your wife and welcome,"—may be urged,—

"But why the innocent old couple slay,

Pietro, Violante? You may do enough,