Unworthy of great souls, to aggravate
The pangs of parting. I am lost to thee,
Carlos, for many years-fools say forever.
[CARLOS withdraws his hand, but makes no reply.
Be thou a man: I've reckoned much on thee-
I have not even shunned to pass with thee
This awful hour-which men, in words of fear,
Have termed the final one. I own it, Carlos,
I joy to pass it thus. Come let us sit-
I feel myself grown weary and exhausted.
[He approaches CARLOS, who is in a lifeless stupor, and
allows himself to be involuntarily drawn down by him.
Where art thou? No reply! I must be brief.
Upon the day that followed our last meeting
At the Carthusian monastery the king
Called me before him. What ensued thou knowest,
And all Madrid. Thou hast not heard, however,
Thy secret even then had reached his ears-
That letters in the queen's possession found
Had testified against thee. This I learned
From his own lips-I was his confidant.
[He pauses for CARLOS' answer, but he still
remains silent.
Yes, Carlos, with my lips I broke my faith-
Guided the plot myself that worked thy ruin.
Thy deed spoke trumpet-tongued; to clear thee fully
'Twas now too late: to frustrate his revenge
Was all that now remained for me; and so
I made myself thy enemy to-serve thee
With fuller power-dost thou not hear me, Carlos,
CARLOS.
Go on! go on! I hear thee.
MARQUIS.
To this point
I'm guiltless. But the unaccustomed beams
Of royal favor dazzled me. The rumor,
As I had well foreseen, soon reached thine ears
But by mistaken delicacy led,
And blinded by my vain desire to end
My enterprise alone, I kept concealed
From friendship's ear my hazardous design.
This was my fatal error! Here I failed!
I know it. My self-confidence was madness.
Pardon that confidence-'twas founded, Carlos,
Upon our friendship's everlasting base.
[He pauses. CARLOS passes from torpid silence to
violent agitation.
That which I feared befell. Unreal dangers
Alarmed your mind. The bleeding queen-the tumult
Within the palace-Lerma's interference-
And, last of all, my own mysterious silence,
Conspired to overwhelm thy heart with wonder.
Thou wavered'st, thought'st me lost; but far too noble
To doubt thy friend's integrity, thy soul
Clothed his defection with a robe of honor,
Nor judged him faithless till it found a motive
To screen and justify his breach of faith.
Forsaken by thy only friend-'twas then
Thou sought'st the arms of Princess Eboli-
A demon's arms! 'Twas she betrayed thee, Carlos!
I saw thee fly to her-a dire foreboding
Struck on my heart-I followed thee too late!
Already wert thou prostrate at her feet,
The dread avowal had escaped thy lips-
No way was left to save thee.
CARLOS.
No! her heart
Was moved, thou dost mistake, her heart was moved.
MARQUIS.
Night overspread my mind. No remedy,
No refuge, no retreat was left to me
In nature's boundless compass. Blind despair
Transformed me to a fury-to a tiger-
I raised my dagger to a woman's breast.
But in that moment-in that dreadful moment-
A radiant sunbeam fell upon my soul.
'Could I mislead the king! Could I succeed
In making him think me the criminal!
However improbable, the very guilt
Will be enough to win the king's belief.
I'll dare the task-a sudden thunderbolt
May make the tyrant start-what want I further?
He stops to think, and Carlos thus gains time
To fly to Brussels.'
CARLOS.
And hast thou done this?
MARQUIS.
I have despatched a letter to Prince William,
Saying I loved the queen, and had escaped
