An Apartment in a Palace. Politian and Baldazzar

BALDAZZAR.Arouse thee now, Politian!Thou must not—nay indeed, indeed, thou shalt notGive way unto these humours. Be thyself!Shake off the idle fancies that beset thee,And live, for now thou diest!

POLITIAN.Not so, Baldazzar!Surely I live.

BALDAZZAR.Politian, it doth grieve meTo see thee thus.

POLITIAN.Baldazzar, it doth grieve meTo give thee cause for grief, my honoured friend.Command me, Sir! what wouldst thou have me do?At thy behest I will shake off that natureWhich from my forefathers I did inherit,Which with my mother’s milk I did imbibe,And be no more Politian, but some other.Command me, Sir!

BALDAZZAR.To the field then—to the field—To the senate or the field.

POLITIAN.Alas! alas!There is an imp would follow me even there!There is an imp hath followed me even there!There is——what voice was that?

BALDAZZAR.I heard it not.I heard not any voice except thine own,And the echo of thine own.

POLITIAN.Then I but dreamed.

BALDAZZAR.Give not thy soul to dreams: the camp—the courtBefit thee—Fame awaits thee—Glory calls—And her the trumpet-tongued thou wilt not hearIn hearkening to imaginary soundsAnd phantom voices.

POLITIAN.It is a phantom voice!Didst thou not hear it then?

BALDAZZAR.I heard it not.

POLITIAN.Thou heardst it not!——Baldazzar, speak no moreTo me, Politian, of thy camps and courts.Oh! I am sick, sick, sick, even unto death,Of the hollow and high-sounding vanitiesOf the populous Earth! Bear with me yet awhile!We have been boys together—school-fellows—And now are friends—yet shall not be so long—For in the eternal city thou shalt do meA kind and gentle office, and a Power—A Power august, benignant and supreme—Shall then absolve thee of all farther dutiesUnto thy friend.

BALDAZZAR.Thou speakest a fearful riddle;I will not understand.

POLITIAN.Yet now as FateApproaches, and the Hours are breathing low,The sands of Time are changed to golden grains,And dazzle me, Baldazzar. Alas! alas!I cannot die, having within my heartSo keen a relish for the beautifulAs hath been kindled within it. Methinks the airIs balmier now than it was wont to be—Rich melodies are floating in the winds—A rarer loveliness bedecks the earth—And with a holier lustre the quiet moonSitteth in heaven.—Hist! hist! thou canst not sayThou hearest not now, Baldazzar?

BALDAZZAR.Indeed I hear not.

POLITIAN.Not hear it!—listen now—listen!—the faintest sound,And yet the sweetest that ear ever heard!A lady’s voice!—and sorrow in the tone!Baldazzar, it oppresses me like a spell!Again!—again!—how solemnly it fallsInto my heart of hearts! that eloquent voiceSurely I never heard—yet it were wellHad I but heard it with its thrilling tonesIn earlier days!

BALDAZZAR.I myself hear it now.Be still!—the voice, if I mistake not greatly,Proceeds from yonder lattice—which you may seeVery plainly through the window—it belongs,Does it not? unto this palace of the Duke.The singer is undoubtedly beneathThe roof of his Excellency—and perhapsIs even that Alessandra of whom he spokeAs the betrothed of Castiglione,His son and heir.

POLITIAN.Be still!—it comes again!

“And is thy heart so strongAs for to leave me thus,Who hath loved thee so long,In wealth and woe among?And is thy heart so strongAs for to leave me thus?Say nay—say nay!”

BALDAZZAR.The song is English, and I oft have heard itIn merry England—never so plaintively—Hist! hist! it comes again!

“Is it so strongAs for to leave me thus,Who hath loved thee so long,In wealth and woe among?And is thy heart so strongAs for to leave me thus?Say nay—say nay!”

POLITIAN.All is not still.

BALDAZZAR.Let us go down.

POLITIAN.Go down, Baldazzar, go!

BALDAZZAR.The hour is growing late—the Duke awaits us,—Thy presence is expected in the hallBelow. What ails thee, Earl Politian?

“Who hath loved thee so long,In wealth and woe among,And is thy heart so strong?Say nay—say nay!”

BALDAZZAR.Let us descend!—’tis time. Politian, giveThese fancies to the wind. Remember, pray,Your bearing lately savoured much of rudenessUnto the Duke. Arouse thee! and remember!

POLITIAN.Remember? I do. Lead on! I do remember.Let us descend. Believe me, I would give,Freely would give, the broad lands of my earldomTo look upon the face hidden by yon lattice—“To gaze upon that veiled face, and hearOnce more that silent tongue.”

BALDAZZAR.Let me beg you, sir,Descend with me—the Duke may be offended.Let us go down, I pray you.

Voice“Say nay!—say nay!”

POLITIAN’Tis strange!—’tis very strange—methought the voiceChimed in with my desires and bade me stay!Sweet voice! I heed thee, and will surely stay.Now be this Fancy, by Heaven, or be it Fate,Still will I not descend. Baldazzar, makeApology unto the Duke for me;I go not down to-night.

BALDAZZAR.Your lordship’s pleasureShall be attended to. Good night, Politian.

POLITIAN.Good night, my friend, good night.