The QUEEN, MARQUIS POSA.

QUEEN
(full of astonishment).
How! Marquis, dare I trust my eyes? Are you
Commissioned to me from the king?

MARQUIS.
Does this
Seem such a wonder to your majesty?
To me 'tis otherwise.

QUEEN.
The world must sure
Have wandered from its course! That you and he—
I must confess——

MARQUIS.
It does sound somewhat strange—
But be it so. The present times abound
In prodigies.

QUEEN.
But none can equal this.

MARQUIS.
Suppose I had at last allowed myself
To be converted, and had weary grown
Of playing the eccentric at the court
Of Philip. The eccentric! What is that?
He who would be of service to mankind
Must first endeavor to resemble them.
What end is gained by the vain-glorious garb
Of the sectarian? Then suppose—for who
From vanity is so completely free
As for his creed to seek no proselytes?
Suppose, I say, I had it in my mind
To place my own opinions on the throne!
QUEEN.
No, marquis! no! Not even in jest could I
Suspect you of so wild a scheme as this;
No visionary you! to undertake
What you can ne'er accomplish.

MARQUIS.
But that seems
To be the very point at issue.

QUEEN.
What
I chiefly blame you, marquis, for, and what
Could well estrange me from you—is——

MARQUIS.
Perhaps
Duplicity!

QUEEN.
At least—a want of candor.
Perhaps the king himself has no desire
You should impart what now you mean to tell me.

MARQUIS.
No.
QUEEN.
And can evil means be justified
By honest ends? And—pardon me the doubt—
Can your high bearing stoop to such an office?
I scarce can think it.

MARQUIS.
Nor, indeed, could I,
Were my sole purpose to deceive the king.
'Tis not my wish—I mean to serve him now
More honestly than he himself commands.

QUEEN.
'Tis spoken like yourself. Enough of this—
What would the king?

MARQUIS.
The king? I can, it seems,
Retaliate quickly on my rigid judge
And what I have deferred so long to tell,
Your majesty, perhaps, would willingly
Longer defer to hear. But still it must
Be heard. The king requests your majesty
Will grant no audience to the ambassador
Of France to-day. Such were my high commands—
They're executed.
QUEEN.
Marquis, is that all
You have to tell me from him?

MARQUIS.
Nearly all
That justifies me thus to seek your presence.

QUEEN.
Well, marquis, I'm contented not to hear
What should, perhaps, remain a secret from me.

MARQUIS.
True, queen! though were you other than yourself,
I should inform you straight of certain things—
Warn you of certain men—but this to you
Were a vain office. Danger may arise
And disappear around you, unperceived.
You will not know it—of too little weight
To chase the slumber from your angel brow.
But 'twas not this, in sooth, that brought me hither,
Prince Carlos——

QUEEN.
What of him? How have you left him?

MARQUIS.
E'en as the only wise man of his time,
In whom it is a crime to worship truth—
And ready, for his love to risk his life,
As the wise sage for his. I bring few words—
But here he is himself.

[Giving the QUEEN a letter.

QUEEN
(after she has read it).
He says he must
Speak with me——

MARQUIS.
So do I.

QUEEN.
And will he thus
Be happy—when he sees with his own eyes,
That I am wretched?

MARQUIS.
No; but more resolved,
More active.

QUEEN.
How?

MARQUIS.
Duke Alva is appointed
To Flanders.

QUEEN.
Yes, appointed—so I hear.

MARQUIS.
The king cannot retract:—we know the king.
This much is clear, the prince must not remain
Here in Madrid, nor Flanders be abandoned.

QUEEN.
And can you hinder it?

MARQUIS.
Perhaps I can,
But then the means are dangerous as the evil—
Rash as despair—and yet I know no other.

QUEEN.
Name them.

MARQUIS.
To you, and you alone, my queen,
Will I reveal them; for from you alone,
Carlos will hear them named without a shudder.
The name they bear is somewhat harsh.

QUEEN.
Rebellion!

MARQUIS.
He must prove faithless to the king, and fly
With secrecy to Brussels, where the Flemings
Wait him with open arms. The Netherlands
Will rise at his command. Our glorious cause
From the king's son will gather matchless strength,
The Spanish throne shall tremble at his arms,
And what his sire denied him in Madrid,
That will he willingly concede in Brussels.

QUEEN.
You've spoken with the king to-day—and yet
Maintain all this.

MARQUIS.
Yes, I maintain it all,
Because I spoke with him.

QUEEN
(after a pause).
The daring plan
Alarms and pleases me. You may be right—
The thought is bold, and that perhaps enchants me.
Let it but ripen. Does Prince Carlos know it?

MARQUIS.
It was my wish that he should hear it first
From your own lips.

QUEEN.
The plan is doubtless good,
But then the prince's youth——

MARQUIS.
No disadvantage!
He there will find the bravest generals
Of the Emperor Charles—an Egmont and an Orange—
In battle daring, and in council wise.

QUEEN
(with vivacity).
True—the design is grand and beautiful!
The prince must act; I feel it sensibly.
The part he's doomed to play here in Madrid
Has bowed me to the dust on his account.
I promise him the aid of France and Savoy;
I think with you, lord marquis—he must act—
But this design needs money——

MARQUIS.
It is ready.

QUEEN.
I, too, know means.

MARQUIS.
May I then give him hopes
Of seeing you?

QUEEN.
I will consider it.

MARQUIS.
The prince, my queen, is urgent for an answer.
I promised to procure it.
[Presenting his writing tablet to the QUEEN.
Two short lines
Will be enough.

QUEEN
(after she has written).
When do we meet again?

MARQUIS.
Whene'er you wish.

QUEEN.
Whene'er I wish it, marquis!
How can I understand this privilege?

MARQUIS.
As innocently, queen, as e'er you may.
But we enjoy it—that is sure enough.

QUEEN
(interrupting).
How will my heart rejoice should this become
A refuge for the liberties of Europe,
And this through him! Count on my silent aid!

MARQUIS
(with animation).
Right well I knew your heart would understand me.

[The DUCHESS OLIVAREZ enters.

QUEEN
(coldly to the MARQUIS).
My lord! the king's commands I shall respect
As law. Assure him of the queen's submission.

[She makes a sign to him. Exit MARQUIS.