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We willingly will lengthen them to eight,
As sign of our esteem.

Doge. Not eight hours, signor,

Nor even eight minutes-There's the ducal ring,
And so

The Adriatic 's free to wed another.

Chief of the Ten. Yet go not forth so quickly.

Doge. I am old, sir,

And even to move but slowly must begin

To move betimes.

Prepare

[Pointing to the Ten's deputation.

To part from hence upon the instant.

Chief of the Ten. Why

So rashly?'t will give scandal.

Doge. Answer that;

It is your province.-Sirs, bestir yourselves :

[To the Ten.

[To the servants.

There is one burthen which I beg you bear
With care, although 't is past all further harm-
But I will look to that myself.

BYRON.

VENICE PRESERVED.

First Selection.

RENAULT, JAFFIER, PIERRE, SPINOSA, ELLIOT, DURAND,

THEODORE.

Ren. My friends, 'tis late: are we assembled—all.
Spi. All-all!

Ren. Oh! you're men, I find,

Fit to behold your fate, and meet her summons.

To-morrow's rising sun must see you all

Deck'd in your honours. Are the soldiers ready?
Pie. All-all!

Ren. You, Durand, with your thousand, must possess St. Mark's; you, captain, know your charge already; 'Tis to secure the ducal palace :

e all this done with the least tumult possible, Till in each place you post sufficient guards;

Then sheathe your swords in every breast you meet. Jaff. [aside.]. Oh, reverend cruelty! thrice bloody villain !

Ren. During this execution, Durand, you
Must in the midst keep your battalia fast :
And, Theodore, be sure to plant the cannon
That may command the streets;

This done, we'll give the general alarm,
Apply petards, and force the ars'nal gates;
Then fire the city round in several places,
Or with our cannon, if it dare resist,

Batter to ruin. But above all, I charge you,
Shed blood enough; spare neither sex nor age,
Name nor condition: if there lives a senator
After to-morrow, though the dullest rogue
That e'er said nothing, we have lost our ends.
If possible, let's kill the very name
Of senator, and bury it in blood.

Jaff. [aside.] Merciless, horrid

enough!

slave! Ay, blood

Shed blood enough, old Renault! how thou charm'st me. Ren. But one thing more, and then farewell, till fate Join us again, or separate us for ever :

But let us all remember,

We wear no common cause upon our swords.
Let each man think that on his single virtue
Depends the good and fame of all the rest.
Eternal honour or perpetual infamy.

You droop, sir.

[To Jaffier.

Jaff. No: with the most profound attention
I've heard it all, and wonder at thy virtue.
Ren. Let's consider

That we destroy oppression-avarice;
A people nursed up equally with vices

And loathsome lusts, which nature most abhors,
And such as without shame, she cannot suffer.

Jaff. [aside.] O Belvidera, take me to thy arms,
And show me where 's my peace, for I have lost it.

[Exit.

Ren. Without the least remorse, then let's resolve

With fire and sword t' exterminate these tyrants,
Under whose weight this wretched country labours.
Pie. And may those powers above that are propitious
To gallant minds, record this cause and bless it!

Ren. Thus happy, thus secure of all we wish for,
Should there, my friends, be found among us one
False to this glorious enterprise, what fate,
What vengeance, were enough for such a villain ?

All. Death here without repentance, hell hereafter.
Ren. Let that be my lot, if, as here I stand,
Listed by fate among her darling sons,

Though I had one only brother, dear by all
The strictest ties of nature,

Join'd in this cause, and had but ground for fear

He meant foul play, may this right hand drop from me, If I'd not hazard all my future peace,

And stab him to the heart before you?

Who

Who would do less? Would'st thou not, Pierre, the same?
Pie. You've singled me, sir, out for this hard question,
As if 't were started only for my sake;

Am I the thing you fear? Here, here's my bosom :
Search it with all your swords. Am I a traitor ?

Ren. No; but I fear your late commended friend
Is little less. Come, sirs, 'tis now no time
To trifle with our safety. Where's this Jaffier?
Spi. He left the room just now, in strange disorder.
Ren. Nay, there is danger in him: I observed him;
During the time I took for explanation,

He was transported from most deep attention
To a confusion which he could not smother.
What's requisite for safety must be done
With speedy execution; he remains

Yet in our power; I, for my own part, wear

A dagger.

Pie. Well?

Ren. And I could wish it.

Pie. Where?

Ren. Buried in his heart.

Pie. Away! We're yet all friends.

[Goes to RENAult.

No more of this; 't will breed ill blood among us.

Spi. Let us all draw our swords, and search the house; Pull him from the dark hold where he sits brooding O'er his cold fears, and each man kill his share of him. Pie. Who talks of killing? Who's he'll shed the

blood

That's dear to me? Is 't you, or you, sir?

[Passing from left to right. What not one speak? How you stand gaping all On your grave oracle, your wooden god there! Yet not a word? Then, sir, I'll tell you a secret: Suspicion's but at best a coward's virtue.

Ren. A coward?

Pie. Put-put up thy sword, old man ; Thy hand shakes at it.

[TO RENAULT.

Come, let's heal this breach;

I am too hot: we may yet live all friends.

Spi. Till we are safe, our friendship cannot be so.
Pie. Again, Who's that?

Spi. 'Twas I.

The. And I.

Ren. And I.

Spi. And all.

Let's die like men, and not be sold like slaves.

Pie. One such word more, by heaven I'll to the

senate,

And hang ye all, like dogs, in clusters.

Why peep your coward swords half out their sheaths?
Why do you not all brandish them like mine?

You fear to die, and yet dare talk of killing.
Ren. Go to the senate, and betray us-haste!
Secure thy wretched life; we fear to die
Less than thou dar'st be honest.

Pie. That's rank falsehood.

Fearst thou not death? Fie-there a knavish itch

In that salt blood, an utter foe to smarting!

[Exit RENAULT.

Away-disperse all to your several charges,

And meet to-morrow where your honour calls you.
I'll bring that man whose blood you so much thirst for;
And you shall see him venture for you fairly.
Hence-hence-I say.

Spi. I fear we have been to blame,

And done too much.

The. 'Twas too far urged against the man you love. All. Forgive us, gallant friend.

Pie. Nay, now you've found

The way to melt and cast me as you will.

O what a dangerous precipice have we 'scaped?
How near a fall was all we'd been long building!
What an eternal blot had stained our glories,
If one, the bravest and the best of men,
Had fallen a sacrifice to rash suspicion,

Butchered by those whose cause he came to cherish !
O could you know him all, as I have known him—
How good he is, how just, how true, how brave,
You would not leave this place till you had seen him,
And gained remission for the worst of follies.
Come but to-morrow, all your doubts shall end,
And to your loves me better recommend,

That I've preserved your fame and saved my friend.

OTWAY.

VENICE PRESERVED.

Second Selection.

The DUKE OF VENICE and SENATORS. Enter OFFICER. Duke. Speak, there! What disturbance?

Offi. A prisoner have the guards seized in the street Who says he comes to inform this reverend council About the present danger.

Enter OFFICER, JAFFIER, CAPTAIN, and Guards.

All. Give him entrance. [Exit OFFICER.] Well, who are you?

Jaff. A villain!

Would every man that hears me

Would deal so honestly, and own his title !

Duke. 'Tis rumoured that a plot has been contrived Against the state, and you've a share in 't, too.

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