not, for my hands were full.
THIRD DESTINY Behold she cometh. Enter NEMESIS. FIRST DESTINY Say, where hast thou been??
My sisters and thyself are slow to-night.
NEMESIS I was detain'd repairing shattered thrones, Marrying fools, restoring dynasties,6 Avenging men upon their enemies, And making them repent their own revenge; Goading the wise to madness; from the dull Shaping out oracles to rule the world Afresh, for they were waxing out of date, And mortals dared to ponder for themselves, To weigh kings in the balance, and to speak Of freedom, the forbidden fruit.?Away! We have outstaid the hour?mount we our clouds! [Exeunt.]
SCENE 4. The Hall of ARIMANES.?ARIMANES on his Throne, a Glohe of Fire, surrounded by the SPIRITS.
Hymn of the SPIRITS Hail to our Master!?Prince of Earth and Air!? Who walks the clouds and waters?in his hand The sceptre of the elements, which tear Themselves to chaos at his high command! He breatheth?and a tempest shakes the sea; He speaketh?and the clouds reply in thunder; He gazeth?from his glance the sunbeams flee; He moveth?earthquakes rend the world asunder. Beneath his footsteps the volcanos rise;
5. The Greek and Roman goddess of vengeance, 6. Alluding to Byron's marriage and to the restoparticularly of the sin of hubris, overweening pre-ration of monarchies across Europe that followed sumption against the gods. the battle of Waterloo.
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IMANFRED, ACT 2 / 65 5 His shadow is the Pestilence; his path The comets herald through the crackling skies; And planets turn to ashes at his wrath. To him War offers daily sacrifice; To him Death pays his tribute; Life is his, is With all its infinite of agonies? And his the spirit of whatever is! Enter the DESTINIES and NEMESIS FIRST DESTINY Glory to Arimanes! on the earth His power increaseth?both my sisters did His bidding, nor did I neglect my duty! SECOND DESTINY Glory to Arimanes! we who bow The necks of men, bow down before his throne! THIRD DESTINY Glory to Arimanes!?we await His nod! NEMESIS Sovereign of Sovereigns! we are thine, And all that liveth, more or less, is ours, 25 And most things wholly so; still to increase Our power increasing thine, demands our care, And we are vigilant?Thy late commands Have been fulfilled to the utmost. Enter MANFRED. A SPIRIT What is here? A mortal!?Thou most rash and fatal wretch, Bow down and worship! SECOND SPIRIT I do know the man ? A Magian0 of great power, and fearful skill! magus THIRD SPIRIT BOW down and worship, slave!?What, know'st thou not Thine and our Sovereign??Tremble, and obey! ALL THE SPIRITS Prostrate thyself, and thy condemned clay, Child of the Earth! or dread the worst. 35 MANFRED I know it; And yet ye see I kneel not. FOURTH SPIRIT 'Twill be taught thee. MANFRED 'Tis taught already;?many a night on the earth, On the bare ground, have I bow'd down my face, And strew'd my head with ashes; I have known The fulness of humiliation, for I sunk before my vain despair, and knelt To my own desolation. FIFTH SPIRIT Dost thou dare Refuse to Arimanes on his throne What the whole earth accords, beholding not 45 The terror of his Glory-?Crouch! I say. MANFRED Bid him bow down to that which is above him, The overruling Infinite?the Maker Who made him not for worship?let him kneel, And we will kneel together. THE SPIRITS Crush the worm! Tear him in pieces!? FIRST DESTINY Hence! Avaunt!?he's mine.
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65 6 / GEORGE GORDON, LORD BYRON
Prince of the Powers invisible! This man Is of no common order, as his port And presence here denote; his sufferings Have been of an immortal nature, like 5 5 Our own; his knowledge and his powers and will, As far as is compatible with clay, Which clogs the ethereal essence, have been such As clay hath seldom borne; his aspirations Have been beyond the dwellers of the earth, 60 And they have only taught him what we know? That knowledge is not happiness, and science But an exchange of ignorance for that Which is another kind of ignorance. This is not all?the passions, attributes 65 Of earth and heaven, from which no power, nor being, Nor breath from the worm upwards is exempt, Have pierced his heart; and in their consequence Made him a thing, which I, who pity not, Yet pardon those who pity. He is mine, 70 And thine, it may be?be it so, or not, No other Spirit in this region hath A soul like his?or power upon his soul. NEMESIS What doth he here then? FIRST DESTINY Let him answer that. MANFRED Ye know what I have known; and without power 7 5 I could not be amongst ye: but there are Powers deeper still beyond?I come in quest Of such, to answer unto what I seek. NEMESIS What wouldst thou? MANFRED Thou canst not reply to me. Call up the dead?my question is for them, s o NEMESIS Great Arimanes, doth thy will avouch0 confirm The wishes of this mortal? ARIMANES Yea. NEMESIS Whom would'st thou Uncharnel? MANFRED One without a tomb?call up Astarte.7
NEMESIS Shadow! or Spirit! 85 Whatever thou art, Which still doth inherit The whole or a part Of the form of thy birth, Of the mould of thy clay, 90 Which returned to the earth, Re-appear to the day!
7. Byron applies to Manfred's beloved the name of Astarte (also known as Ashtoreth), goddess of !ove and fertility, the Eastern equivalent of the Greek goddess Aphrodite.
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IMANFRED, ACT 2 / 65 7
Bear what thou borest, The heart and the form, And the aspect thou worest
95 Redeem from the worm. Appear!?Appear!?Appear! Who sent thee there requires thee here!
[The Phantom of ASTARTE rises and stands in the midst.]
MANFRED Can this be death? there's bloom upon her cheek; But now I see it is no living hue,
IOO But a strange hectic0?like the unnatural red feverish flush Which Autumn plants upon the perish'd leaf. It is the same! Oh, God! that I should dread To look upon the same?Astarte!?No, I cannot speak to her?but bid her speak?
105 Forgive me or condemn me.
NEMESIS By the power which hath broken The grave which enthrall'd thee, Speak to him who hath spoken, Or those who have call'd thee!
no MANFRED She is silent, And in that silence I am more than answered. NEMESIS My power extends no further. Prince of air!
It rests with thee alone?command her voice. ARIMANES Spirit?obey this sceptre! NEMESIS Silent still!
lis She is not of our order, but belongs To the other powers. Mortal! thy quest is vain, And we are baffled
