His foes are!

What is it?

That is not what you intend?
Cries again!

Knight. Not one were heard

Had our prince dropt. The fiercest enemy
Had shrunk appall'd from such majestic beauty
Falling from heaven upon the earth beneath;
And his own people with closed teeth had fought.
Not for their lives, but for his death: no such
Loud acclamation, lady! had been heard,
But louder woe and wailing from the vanquisht.

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Giovanna (aside). Praises to thee, O Virgin! who concealedst

So kindly all my fondness, half my fears!

Acciajoli. The dust is rising nearer.

Who rides hither

In that black scarf? with something in his hand
Where the sword should be. "Tis a sword, I see,
In form at least. The dust hangs dense thereon,
Adhesive, dark.

Del Balzo. Seneschal! it was brighter
This morning, I would swear for it.
Acciajoli. He throws

The bridle on the mane.

Del Balzo. He enters

He comes.

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We shall hear all.

ACT V. SCENE III.

Luigi of Taranto (throwing up his vizor).

Pardon this

last disguise!

There was no time to take my vizor off,

Scarcely to throw my sword down in the hall.

My royal cousin! let a worthier hand

Conduct you to the city you have won,
The city of your fathers.

Giovanna. O Luigi !

None worthier, none more loyal, none more brave.
Cousin! by that dear name I do adjure you!

Let others.. these my friends and ministers .

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Conduct me to the city you have won,
The city of your fathers, as of mine.

Let none who carried arms against the worst
Of my own people (for the very worst
Have only been misguided) come into it
With me, or after. Well thou governest
Thy vassals, O Luigi! Be thy dukedom
Increast in all the wealth my gratitude
Can add thereto, in chases, castles, towns;
But hasten, hasten thither! There are duties
(Alas! thou knowest like ourselves what duties)
I must perform. Should ever happier days
Shine on this land, my people will remember,
With me, they shine upon it from Taranto.

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FRA RUPERT.

MALE CHARACTERS.

URBAN, Pope. BUTELLO, his nephew. CHARLES II., OF DURAZZO. OTHо, husband of Giovanna. FRA RUPERT. MAXIMIN. STEPHEN, a shepherd. HERALD. PAGE. MONK. CHANCELLOR. HIGH STEWARD. LORD CHAMBERLAIN. COUNSELLORS, SECRETARIES, OFFICERS, SOLDIERS.

FEMALE CHARACTERS.

GIOVANNA, Queen. MARGARITA, her niece, wife of Charles. AGNES OF DURAZZO. AGATHA, sister of Maximin.

ACT I. SCENE I.

VATICAN.

URBAN. DUrazzo.

Urban. Charles of Durazzo! I have found thee worthy To wear not only ducal coronet,

But in that potent, in that faithful hand,

To wield the royal sceptre.

Durazzo.

Holy father!

I am half-ready to accept the charge,

When it befalls me, studying your content.

Urban. So be it. The crown of Naples is now vacant.
Durazzo. Good heavens! is then my mother (let me

call her

Even my mother, by whose bounteousness

My fortunes grew, my youth was educated)

Giovanna! is she dead?

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Urban.

To virtuous deeds,

Like those, she long hath been so.

Durazzo.

His Beatitude,

The predecessor of your Holiness,

Who through her hands received his resting-place
At Avignon, when Italy rebell'd,

Absolved her from that heavy accusation

Her enemy the Hungarian brought against her.
Urban. I would not make Infallibility
Fallible, nor cross-question the absolved,
I merely would remove that stumbling-block
The kingdom from her.

Durazzo.

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Let another then

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I may look round and find one, if not nearer

In blood, yet fitter to perform the duties

Imposed on him by me.

Durazzo.

Is fitter.

Urban.

None, holy father!

Easy then are the conditions.

I would not place Butello, my own nephew,

Altho' deserving, and altho' besought

By many of the Neapolitans,

By many of the noble and the powerful

In every city of that realm, not him,

Durazzo! would I place, against thy interests,

So high. But haply from thy gratitude

Accept I might in his behalf a dukedom
Or petty principality, dependent

Upon our See or (may-be) independent;

For there are some who fain would have things so.
We must content the nations of the earth,
Whom we watch over, and who look to us
For peace and quiet in the world we rule.
Why art thou beating time so with thy foot
At
every word I speak? why look so stern

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50

And jerk thy head and rest thy hand on hip?

Thou art determin'd on it, art not thou?

Durazzo. I can not, will not, move her from her seat,

So help me, God!

Urban.

Impious young man! reflect!

I give thee time; I give thee all to-morrow.

ACT I. SCENE II.

A STREET IN NAPLES.

MAXIMIN. AGATHA.

Agatha. (to herself). 'Twas he! 'twas father Rupert.
Maximin (overhearing). Well! what then?

What wouldst thou with him? thou must wait his leisure :
I have some business first with father Rupert.
Agatha (gazing anxiously).
Maximin.

Can it be? can it be?
Have not men sins

As well as women? have not we our shrivers,

Our scourers, soderers, calkers, and equippers?

Agatha (embracing him). Forbear! O, for the love of

God, forbear!

Heed him not, Maximin! or he will cast

Thy soul into perdition; he has mine.

Maximin. And who art thou, good woman?
Agatha.

That fair name

Is mostly given with small courtesy,

As something tost at us indifferently

Or scornfully by higher ones. Thy sister
Was what thou callest her; and Rupert knows it.
Maximin. My sister? how! I had but Agatha.
Agatha !

Agatha. Maximin! we have not met
Since that foul day whose damps fell not on thee,
But fill'd our father's house while thou wert absent.
Thou, brother! brother! couldst not save my peace,
Let me save thine. He used to call me daughter,

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