Ricar. All's lost!—the foe prevails!
What must be done, Orsino?
Orsi. Where's the king?
Ricar. He fights still.
Orsi. Seek him! save him! bid him fly,
Fly with all speed: thou know'st to find his courser.
Away!
Ricar. General, thou'rt wounded!
Orsi. 'Tis no matter.
Ricar. Thou'lt bleed to death.——
Orsi. And if I should, I care not:
The king, the king!—Oh! waste no thought on me:
The best of subjects can but lose one life,
But thousands perish when a good king bleeds.
Nay, speed!
Ricar. [Looking out.] See! see! our troops—
Orsi. They fly, by heaven!
Turn, turn, ye cowards! 'Tis Orsino calls!
Follow, slaves follow me, and die or conquer!
[Soldiers enter pursued by Henriquez, &c. Orsino rallies them, and drives Henriquez back.]
Scene IV.—Before the walls of Burgos—The storm continues.
Enter Cæsario.
Cæsa. Shall I ne'er find him? Shall my mother's spirit
Still ask revenge in vain? This flame, which burns
My blood up, shall it ne'er be quenched with his?
'Tis he! 'tis he!—I see the high plume waving
O'er his crowned helmet:—Thunders, cease, nor rob me,
Of his expiring shriek!—Turn, turn, Alfonso!
[Exit.
[Shouts of victory.]
Enter Henriquez, Melchior, Marcos, Gomez, and soldiers.
Hen. We triumph, Melchior!—See our trusty squadrons
Range the field unopposed. But where's our chief?
Mar. How now! what clamour.——
Mel. Look, Henriquez, look!
Cæsario and the king in single combat!
Hen. They come this way!—mark, with their ponderous blows
How their shields ring!—Cæsario loses ground!
Yield thee, Alfonso!—Interposing between Alfonso
and Cæsario, who enter fighting.
Cæsa. Back, I say! back, back!
No arm but mine——
Alfon. Cæsario, pause, and hear me!
Whate'er thou wilt——
Cæsa. Thy life!
Alfon. Medina's dukedom,
And Amelrosa.
Cæsa. Flames consume the tongue,
That names her! Thou hast rent my wound anew,
Recalling what was mine, but is no longer!
Look to thy heart, for if my sword can reach it,
Thou diest!—Come on!—[They fight; Alfonso
loses his sword, and is beaten on his knees.]
Cæsa. Thou'rt mine!—and thus—[At the moment
that he motions to stab Alfonso, Orsino, without
his helmet, deadly pale, and bleeding profusely,
rushes in, and arrests his arm.]
Orsi. Hold, hold!
Cæsa. My father bleeding! Horror!
Orsi. Does that pain thee?
Oh by this blood, a father's blood, the same
Which fills thy veins, and feeds thy life I charge thee,
Shed not thy king's.
Cæsa. Father thy prayers are vain!
He broke my mother's heart! his own must bleed for't!
Release my arm.
Orsi. My son, I kiss thy feet:
Thy father kneels; let him not kneel in vain.
Nay, if thou stirr'st, my deadliest curse.——
Cæsa. 'Twill grieve me,
But yet e'en that I'll brave:—Curse; still I'll strike!
No more!
Orsi. Can nought appease thee——
Cæsa. Nothing, nothing!
Alfon. Nay, cease, Orsino: 'tis in vain——
Cæsa. True, true!
This to thy heart.
Orsi. Oh! yet arrest thy sword,
My son.——
Cæsa. He dies!
Orsi. One word, but one!
Cæsa. Despatch them.
Orsi. Swear, ere you strike the blow, if still your power
Answers your will, as now it does, the king
Has not an hour to live!
Cæsa. An hour?—An age!
Thrones shall not buy that hour. By hell I swear,
Alfonso breathes his last, if fate allows me
To live one moment more.
Orsi. [Stabbing him.] Then die this moment.
Cæsa. My heart, my heart!—Oh! oh!
[Falls lifeless at Orsino's feet.