But craved my country's justice on his head,
The justice due unto the humblest being
Who hath a wife whose faith is sweet to him,
Who hath a home whose hearth is dear to him,
Who hath a name whose honour's all to him,
When these are tainted by the accursing breath
Of Calumny and Scorn.

Ber. Fal.

And what redress

Did you expect as his fit punishment?

Doge. Death! Was I not the sovereign of the state-
Insulted on his very throne, and made

A mockery to the men who should obey me?
Was I not injured as a husband? scorn'd
As man? reviled, degraded, as a prince?
Was not offence like his a complication
Of insult and of treason?-and he lives!
Had he instead of on the Doge's throne
Stampt the same brand upon a peasant's stool,
His blood had gilt the threshold; for the carle
r Had stabb'd him on the instant.

Ber. Fal.

Do not doubt it,
He shall not live till sunset-leave to me

The means, and calm yourself.

Doge.

Hold, nephew: this

Would have sufficed but yesterday; at present

I have no further wrath against this man.

Ber. Fal. What mean you? is not the offence redoubled By this most rank-I will not say—acquittal;

For it is worse, being full acknowledgment

Of the offence, and leaving it unpunish'd?
Doge. It is redoubled, but not now by him:
The Forty hath decreed a month's arrest-
We must obey the Forty.

Ber. Fal.

Obey them!

Who have forgot their duty to the sovereign?

Doge. Why, yes,-boy, you perceive it then at last: Whether as fellow citizen who sues

For justice, or as sovereign who commands it,
They have defrauded me of both my rights;
(For here the sovereign is a citizen;)

But notwithstanding, harm not thou a hair
Of Steno's head-he shall not wear it long.

Ber. Fal. Not twelve hours longer, had you left to me
The mode and means: if you had calmly heard me,
I never meant this miscreant should escape,
But wish'd you to repress such gusts of passion,
That we more surely might devise together

His taking off.

Doge.

No, nephew, he must live;

At least, just now-a life so vile as his

Were nothing at this hour; in th' olden time

Some sacrifices ask'd a single victim,

Great expiations ask'd a hecatomb.

Ber. Fal. Your wishes are my law; and yet I fain

Would prove to you how near unto my heart

The honour of our house must ever be.

Doge. Fear not; you shall have time and place of proof: But be not thou too rash, as I have been.

I am ashamed of my own anger, now;
I pray you pardon me.

Ber. Fal.

Why that's my uncle!

The leader, and the statesman, and the chief
Of commonwealths, and sovereign of himself!
I wonder'd to perceive you so forget
All prudence in your fury at these years,
Although the cause-

Doge.

Ay, think upon the cause

Forget it not:-When you lie down to rest,

Let it be black among your dreams; and when

The morn returns, so let it stand between
The sun and you, as an ill omen'd cloud
Upon a summer-day of festival:

So will it stand to me;-but speak not, stir not,-
Leave all to me; we shall have much to do,
And you shall have a part.-But now retire,
'Tis fit I were alone.

Ber. Fal. (taking up and placing the ducal bonnet on the Ere I depart,

table.)

I pray you to resume what you have spurn'd,

Till you can change it haply for a crown.
And now I take my leave, imploring you
In all things to rely upon my duty

As doth become your near and faithful kinsman,
And not less loyal citizen and subject.

[Exit Bertuccio Faliero.

Doge, (solus.) Adieu, my worthy nephew.-Hollow

bauble!

[Taking up the ducal cap.

Beset with all the thorns that line a crown,

Without investing the insulted brow
With the all swaying majesty of kings;
Thou idle, gilded, and degraded toy,
Let me resume thee as I would a vizor.

[Puts it on.

How my brain aches beneath thee! and my temples
Throb feverish under thy hishonest weight.
Could I not turn thee to a diadem?

Could I not shatter the Briarean sceptre
Which in this hundred-handed senate rules,
Making the people nothing, and the prince
A pageant? In my life I have achieved
Tasks not less dfficult-achieved for them,
Who thus repay me!-Can I not requite them?
Oh for one year! Oh! but for even a day
Of my full youth, while yet my body served

My soul as serves the generous steed his lord,
I would have dash'd amongst them, asking few
In aid to overthrow these swoln patricians;
But now I must look round for other hands
To serve this hoary head;-but it shall plan
In such a sort as will not leave the task
Herculean, though as yet 'tis but a chaos
Of darkly-brooding thoughts: my fancy is
In her first work, more nearly to the light
Holding the sleeping images of things
For the selection of the pausing judgment.-
The troops are few in-

Vin.

Enter Vincenzo.

There is one without

Craves audience of your highness.
Doge.

I'm unwell

I can see no one, not even a patrician-
Let him refer his business to the council.

Vin. My lord, I will deilver your reply;
It cannot much import-he's a plebeian,
The master of a galley, I believe.

Doge. How! did you say the patron of a galley? That is I mean a servant of the state:

Admit him, he may be on public service.

[Exit Vincenzo.

Doge, (solus.) This patron may be sounded; I will try

I know the people to be discontented;

They have cause, since Sapienza's adverse day,
When Genoa conquer'd; they have further cause,
Since they are nothing in the state, and in
The city worse than nothing-mere machines,
To serve the nobles' most patrician pleasure.
The troops have long arrears of pay oft promised,
And murmur deeply-any hope of change

[bim.

Will draw them forward: they shall pay themselves With plunder-but the priests-I doubt the priest-hood Will not be with us; they have hated me

Since that rash hour, when madden'd with the drone,
*I smote the tardy bishop at Treviso,

Quickening his holy march; yet ne'ertheless,
They may be won, at least their chief at Rome,
By some well-timed concessions; but, above
All things, I must be speedy; at my hour
Of twilight little light of life remains.
Could I free Venice, and avenge my wrongs,
I had lived too long, and willingly would sleep
Next moment with my sires; and wanting this,
Better than sixty of my fourscore years
Had been already where-how soon I care not-
The whole must be extinguish'd;—better that
They ne'er had been, than drag me on to be
The thing these arch-oppressors fain would make me.
Let me consider-of efficient troops

There are three thousand posted at

Vin.

Enter Vincenzo and Israel Bertuccio.

May it please

Your highness, the same patron whom I spake of
Is here to crave your patience.

Doge. Vincenzo.

Leave the chamber
[Exit Vincenzo..

Sir, you may advance-what would you?

Is. Ber. Redress.

Doge.

1s. Ber:

Of whom?

Of God and of the Doge.

Doge. Alas! my friend, you seek it of the twain Of least respect and interest in Venice.

You must address the council.

* An historical fact. See Marin Sanuto's Lives of the Doges.