Don Carlos (play)

SCENE X.

A chamber in the royal palace.

DUKE OF ALVA, FATHER DOMINGO.

DOMINGO.

Something to tell me!

ALVA.

Ay! a thing of moment,

Of which I made discovery to-day,

And I would have your judgment on it.

DOMINGO.

How!

Discovery! To what do you allude?

ALVA.

Prince Carlos and myself this morning met

In the queen's antechamber. I received

An insult from him-we were both in heat-

The strife grew loud-and we had drawn our swords.

Alarmed, from her apartments rushed the queen.

She stepped between us,-with commanding eye

Of conscious power, she looked upon the prince.

'Twas but a single glance,-but his arm dropped,

He fell upon my bosom-gave me then

A warm embrace, and vanished.

DOMINGO (after a pause).

This seems strange.

It brings a something to my mind, my lord!

And thoughts like these I own have often sprung

Within my breast; but I avoid such fancies-

To no one have I e'er confided them.

There are such things as double-edged swords

And untrue friends,-I fear them both.

'Tis hard to judge among mankind, but still more hard

To know them thoroughly. Words slipped at random

Are confidants offended-therefore I

Buried my secret in my breast, till time

Should drag it forth to light. 'Tis dangerous

To render certain services to kings.

They are the bolts, which if they miss the mark,

Recoil upon the archer! I could swear

Upon the sacrament to what I saw.

Yet one eye-witness-one word overheard-

A scrap of paper-would weigh heavier far

Than my most strong conviction! Cursed fate

That we are here in Spain!

ALVA.

And why in Spain?

DOMINGO.

There is a chance in every court but this

For passion to forget itself, and fall.

Here it is warned by ever-wakeful laws.

Our Spanish queens would find it hard to sin-

And only there do they meet obstacles,

Where best 'twould serve our purpose to surprise them.

ALVA.

But listen further: Carlos had to-day

An audience of the king; the interview

Lasted an hour, and earnestly he sought

The government of Flanders for himself.

Loudly he begged, and fervently. I heard him

In the adjoining cabinet. His eyes

Were red with tears when I encountered him.

At noon he wore a look of lofty triumph,

And vowed his joy at the king's choice of me.

He thanked the king. "Matters are changed," he said,

"And things go better now." He's no dissembler:

How shall I reconcile such contradictions?

The prince exults to see himself rejected,

And I receive a favor from the king

With marks of anger! What must I believe?

In truth this new-born dignity doth sound

Much more like banishment than royal favor!

DOMINGO.

And is it come to this at last? to this?

And has one moment crumbled into dust

What cost us years to build? And you so calm,

So perfectly at ease! Know you this youth?

Do you foresee the fate we may expect

Should he attain to power? The prince! No foe

Am I of his. Far other cares than these

Gnaw at my rest-cares for the throne-for God,

And for his holy church! The royal prince-

(I know him, I can penetrate his soul),

Has formed a horrible design, Toledo!

The wild design-to make himself the regent,

And set aside our pure and sacred faith.

His bosom glows with some new-fangled virtue,

Which, proud and self-sufficient, scorns to rest

For strength on any creed. He dares to think!

His brain is all on fire with wild chimeras;

He reverences the people! And is this

A man to be our king?

ALVA.

Fantastic dreams!

No more. A boy's ambition, too, perchance

To play some lofty part! What can he less?

These thoughts will vanish when he's called to rule.

DOMINGO.

I doubt it! Of his freedom he is proud,

And scorns those strict restraints all men must bear

Who hope to govern others. Would he suit

Our throne? His bold gigantic mind

Would burst the barriers of our policy.

In vain I sought to enervate his soul

In the loose joys of this voluptuous age.

He stood the trial. Fearful is the spirit

That rules this youth; and Philip soon will see

His sixtieth year.

ALVA.

Your vision stretches far!

DOMINGO.

He and the queen are both alike in this.

Already works, concealed in either breast,

The poisonous wish for change and innovation.

Give it but way, 'twill quickly reach the throne.

I know this Valois! We may tremble for

The secret vengeance of this quiet foe

If Philip's weakness hearken to her voice!

Fortune so far hath smiled upon us. Now

We must anticipate the foe, and both

Shall fall together in one fatal snare.

Let but a hint of such a thing be dropped

Before the king, proved or unproved, it reeks not!

Our point is gained if he but waver. We

Ourselves have not a doubt; and once convinced,

'Tis easy to convince another's mind.

Be sure we shall discover more if we

Start with the faith that more remains concealed.

ALVA.

But soft! A vital question! Who is he

Will undertake the task to tell the king?

DOMINGO.

Nor you, nor I! Now shall you learn, what long

My busy spirit, full of its design,

Has been at work with, to achieve its ends.

Still is there wanting to complete our league

A third important personage. The king

Loves the young Princess Eboli-and I

Foster this passion for my own designs.

I am his go-between. She shall be schooled

Into our plot. If my plan fail me not,

In this young lady shall a close ally-

A very queen, bloom for us. She herself

Asked me, but now, to meet her in this chamber.

I'm full of hope. And in one little night

A Spanish maid may blast this Valois lily.

ALVA.

What do you say! Can I have heard aright?

By Heaven! I'm all amazement. Compass this,

And I'll bow down to thee, Dominican!

The day's our own.

DOMINGO.

Soft! Some one comes: 'tis she-

'Tis she herself!

ALVA.

I'm in the adjoining room

If you should--

DOMINGO.

Be it so: I'll call you in.

[Exit ALVA.