Observed the youthful lovers’ tender parting.
The Count, much moved, at Telimena looked,
And said, “What beauty even in a scene
So simple! when a shepherdess’s soul
Must with a warrior’s part, even as a boat
Parts from a ship in tempest! Truly, nought
Can kindle tenderness within the heart,
As when heart parts from heart. Time is like wind,
It but extinguishes a feeble light;
A great fire flames but stronger from the wind.
My heart can love more strongly from afar.
Soplica, I have held thee for a rival,
And this mistake of our sad variance,
Which forced me to draw sword on you, one cause
Has been. I see my error, since thou for
The shepherdess didst sigh, but I had given
My heart to this fair nymph. Let our offences
Be drowned in blood of foes. We will not strive
With murderers’ swords against each others’ lives.
Let otherwise our lovers’ quarrel be
Decided; let us strive who shall excel
In strength of love! Let us both leave behind
The objects dear unto our hearts, and let us
Both hasten upon swords, on spears to rush.
Let us together strive in steadfastness,
In woe, in sufferings, and with valiant arm.
Pursue our foes.” He spoke, on Telimena
He looked, but she replied not, sore amazed.
“But, Count,” the Judge broke in, “wherefore must you
Depart, of such necessity? Believe me,
You may in safety dwell upon your lands;
The government may strip and scourge the poor
Nobility, but you are certain, Count,
Whole to remain. You know how high your rank;
You are tolerably rich; with half your income
You may redeem yourself from prison.” “That,”
The Count replied, “agrees not with my mood;
As I may be no lover, I will be
A hero. For the cares of love I summon
The comforters of glory; if I am
A beggar of the heart, I will be great
In arms!” Said Telimena: “What debars you
From love and happiness?” “My destiny’s
Power,” said the Count; “the darkness of forebodings,
That by mysterious movement swiftly rush
To foreign regions, unaccustomed deeds.
I own I wished in Telimena’s honour
To light the flame to-day at Hymen’s altar,
But an example far too beautiful
This young man gives me, of his own free will
Tearing his nuptial garland off, and rushing
To prove his heart in accidents of fate,
Changing, and in the bloody chance of war.
To-day for me likewise an epoch new
Is opening. The sounding of my sword
Birbante-Rocca once did echo back.
Oh, may its sound through Poland spread as well!”
He ended, on his sword-hilt proudly smote.
To blame. “Ay!” Robak spoke; “such goodwill hard it were
Ride off, and money take with thee.
Thou mayest perhaps equip a band of men
Like Wladimir Potocki, who amazed
The Frenchmen, giving to the treasury
A million; like Prince Dominic Radziwill,
Who pledged his lands and furniture, and armed
Two regiments of horse. Ride off, and take
Money; we now enough of hands possess,
But there is want of money in the Duchy,
Ride ye away, we take our leave of you.”
With sad eyes Telimena on him glanced.
“Alas!” she said, “I see nought will restrain thee.
My hero! when thou enterest warlike lists
On thy love’s colour turn a tender glance.”
Thus saying, a ribbon from her dress she took,
She fashioned therewith a cockade, and pinned it
To the Count’s bosom. “Let this colour lead thee
Up to the fiery cannon, shining spears,
And rain of bullets; when by valiant deeds
Thou winnest glory, and with deathless laurels
Thou shalt enwreathe thy bloodstained helm and crest
With victory proud, ev’n then turn thou thine eyes
On this cockade. Remember thou whose hand
Fastened that colour there.” She reached her hand
To him. The Count then, kneeling, kissed that hand,
And Telimena to one eye approached
Her handkerchief, but with the other looked
From high upon the Count, who bade farewell,
Most deeply moved. She sighed-but-shrugged her shoulders.
But said the Judge, “Sir Count, make haste, ’tis late;”
And Friar Robak cried, with threatening mien,
“Enough of this! make haste!” The orders thus
Both of the Judge and of the priest divide
The loving pair, and drive them from the room.
Meantime did Thaddeus embrace his uncle
With tears, and Robak’s hand kissed. Robak pressed
Unto his bosom the lad’s forehead, laying
His hands in form of cross upon his head,
Looked up to heaven, and said, “My son! depart
With God!” and wept. But Thaddeus already
Had passed the threshold. “What!” then asked the Judge,
“Will you not tell him, brother, anything?
And now, poor boy, shall he learn nothing, ere
He part?”—“No, nothing,” said the priest, long weeping,
With face hid in his hands. “And wherefore should
The poor lad know that he a father has,
Who hid him from the world, as being a villain
And murderer? God knows, how I did long
To tell my son, but of this consolation
I make unto the Lord a sacrifice
To expiate my former crimes.” “Then,” said
The Judge, “ ’tis time to think now of thyself.
Consider at thine age, and in thy plight,
Thou couldst not with the others emigrate.
Thou once did say thou knewest a house, where thou
Couldst hide thyself. Say where? Let us make haste.
A carriage waiteth ready harnessed. Was it
Not in the forest, in the keeper’s hut?”
Shaking his head, said Robak, “ ’Twill be time
To-morrow. Now, my brother, send thou to
The parish priest, that he may swiftly come
Here with the sacrament. Send all from hence;
Thou only, with the Klucznik, here remain.
Close thou the doors.” Robak’s commands the Judge
Fulfilled, and sat beside him on the couch;
Gervasy stood, and with his elbow leaned
Upon his rapier’s hilt, and with his brow
Supported on his hand. Robak, before
He spoke, his glance fixed on the Klucznik’s face,
And kept mysterious silence. As a surgeon
On a diseased body lightly lays
At first his hand, ere he the sharp blade prove,
Thus Robak softened of his piercing eyes
The glance severe; long o’er Gervasy’s face
He held them mute. At length, as he would give
Blindfold the stroke, he covered with his hand
His eyes, and with a powerful voice he said:
“I am Jacek Soplica.” At these words
Pale grew the Klucznik, forward bent, and stood
One half all stooping forward; stood, supported
On one foot, like a flying stone, from high
Arrested on its path; his eyes wide staring;
Lips wide apart, with white teeth threatening;
His whiskers bristling; from his hand the rapier
Abandoned on the ground his knees held fast;
His right hand, closely pressing,
