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.
