But ye

have no right to reproach my length

Of days, since every hour has been the country's.

I am ready to lay down my life for her,

As I have laid down dearer things than life:
But for my dignity-I hold it of

The whole republic; when the general will

Is manifest, then you shall all be answered.

Chief of the Ten. We grieve for such an answer, but it

cannot

Avail you aught.

Doge. I can submit to all things,

But nothing will advance; no, not a moment.
What you decree-decree.

Chief of the Ten. Hear you then the last decree,
Definitive and absolute!

Doge. To the point—

To the point! I know of old the forms of office,

And gentle preludes to strong acts-Go on!

Chief of the Ten. You are no longer' Doge; you are released

From your imperial oath as sovereign;

Your ducal robes must be put off: but for
Your services, the state allots the appanage
Already mentioned in our former congress.
Three days are left you to remove from hence,
Under the penalty to see confiscated
All your own private fortune.

Doge. That last clause,

I am proud to say, would not enrich the treasury.
Chief of the Ten. Your answer, Duke!
Doge. If I could have foreseen that
my old age
Was prejudicial to the state, the chief
Of the republic never would have shown
Himself so far ungrateful, as to place
His own high dignity before his country;
But this life having been so many years
Not useless to that country, I would fain
Have consecrated my last moments to her.
But the decree being rendered, I obey.

Chief of the Ten. If you would have the three days named extended,

We willingly will lengthen them to eight,
As sign of our esteem.

Doge. Not eight hours, signor,

Nor even eight minutes-There's the ducal ring,
And so

The Adriatic 's free to wed another.

Chief of the Ten. Yet go not forth so quickly.

Doge. I am old, sir,

And even to move but slowly must begin

To move betimes.

Prepare

[Pointing to the Ten's deputation.

To part from hence upon the instant.

Chief of the Ten. Why

So rashly? 't will give scandal.

Doge. Answer that;

It is your province.-Sirs, bestir yourselves :

[To the Ten.

[To the servants.

There is one burthen which I beg you bear
With care, although 't is past all further harm-
But I will look to that myself.

BYRON.

VENICE PRESERVED.

First Selection.

RENAULT, JAFFIER, PIERRE, SPINOSA, ELLIOT, DURAND,

THEODORE.

Ren. My friends, 'tis late: are we assembled-all.

Spi. All-all!

Ren. Oh! you're men, I find,

Fit to behold your fate, and meet her summons.

To-morrow's rising sun must see you all

Deck'd in your honours. Are the soldiers ready?
Pie. All-all!

Ren. You, Durand, with your thousand, must possess St. Mark's; you, captain, know your charge already; 'Tis to secure the ducal palace :

Be all this done with the least tumult possible,
Till in each place you post sufficient guards;

Then sheathe your swords in every breast you meet.

Jaff. [aside.]. Oh, reverend cruelty! thrice bloody villain!

Ren. During this execution, Durand, you
Must in the midst keep your battalia fast:
And, Theodore, be sure to plant the cannon
That may command the streets;

This done, we'll give the general alarm,
Apply petards, and force the ars'nal gates;
Then fire the city round in several places,
Or with our cannon, if it dare resist,
Batter to ruin. But above all, I charge you,
Shed blood enough; spare neither sex nor age,
Name nor condition: if there lives a senator
After to-morrow, though the dullest rogue
That e'er said nothing, we have lost our ends.
If possible, let's kill the very name

Of senator, and bury it in blood.

Jaff. [aside.] Merciless, horrid slave! Ay, blood enough!

Shed blood enough, old Renault! how thou charm'st me. Ren. But one thing more, and then farewell, till fate Join us again, or separate us for ever:

But let us all remember,

We wear no common cause upon our swords.
Let each man think that on his single virtue
Depends the good and fame of all the rest.
Eternal honour or perpetual infamy.
You droop, sir.

[To Jaffier.

Jaff. No: with the most profound attention
I've heard it all, and wonder at thy virtue.
Ren. Let's consider

That we destroy oppression-avarice;

A people nursed up equally with vices

And loathsome lusts, which nature most abhors,
And such as without shame, she cannot suffer.
Jaff. [aside.] O Belvidera, take me to thy arms,
And show me where 's my peace, for I have lost it.

[Exit.

Ren. Without the least remorse, then let's resolve

With fire and sword t' exterminate these tyrants,
Under whose weight this wretched country labours.
Pie. And may those powers above that are propitious
To gallant minds, record this cause and bless it!

Ren. Thus happy, thus secure of all we wish for,
Should there, my friends, be found among us one
False to this glorious enterprise, what fate,
What vengeance, were enough for such a villain?
All. Death here without repentance, hell hereafter.
Ren. Let that be my lot, if, as here I stand,
Listed by fate among her darling sons,
Though I had one only brother, dear by all
The strictest ties of nature,

Join'd in this cause, and had but ground for fear

He meant foul play, may this right hand drop from me,
If I'd not hazard all my future peace,

And stab him to the heart before you?

Who

Who would do less? Would'st thou not, Pierre, the same?
Pie. You've singled me, sir, out for this hard question,
As if 't were started only for my sake;

Am I the thing you fear? Here, here's my bosom :
Search it with all your swords. Am I a traitor?

Ren. No; but I fear your late commended friend
Is little less. Come, sirs, 'tis now no time
To trifle with our safety. Where's this Jaffier?
Spi. He left the room just now, in strange disorder.
Ren. Nay, there is danger in him: I observed him;
During the time I took for explanation,

He was transported from most deep attention
To a confusion which he could not smother.
What's requisite for safety must be done
With speedy execution; he remains

Yet in our power; I, for my own part, wear

A dagger.

Pie. Well?

[Goes to RENAULT.

Ren. And I could wish it.

Pie. Where?

Ren. Buried in his heart.

Pie. Away! We're yet all friends.

No more of this; 't will breed ill blood among us.

Spi. Let us all draw our swords, and search the house; Pull him from the dark hold where he sits brooding O'er his cold fears, and each man kill his share of him. Pie. Who talks of killing? Who's he'll shed the

blood

That's dear to me? Is 't you, or you, sir?

[Passing from left to right. What not one speak? How you stand gaping all On your grave oracle, your wooden god there! Yet not a word? Then, sir, I'll tell you a secret: Suspicion's but at best a coward's virtue.

Ren. A coward?

Pie. Put-put up thy sword, old man ;

Thy hand shakes at it.

[To RENAULT.

Come, let's heal this breach;

I am too hot: we may yet live all friends.

Spi. Till we are safe, our friendship cannot be so.
Pie. Again, Who's that?

Spi. 'Twas I.

The. And I.

Ren. And I.

Spi. And all.

Let's die like men, and not be sold like slaves.

Pie. One such word more, by heaven I'll to the senate,

And hang ye all, like dogs, in clusters.

Why peep your coward swords half out their sheaths?

Why do you not all brandish them like mine?

You fear to die, and yet dare talk of killing.

Ren. Go to the senate, and betray us-haste!
Secure thy wretched life; we fear to die
Less than thou dar'st be honest.

Pie. That's rank falsehood.

Fearst thou not death? Fie-there a knavish itch

In that salt blood, an utter foe to smarting!

[Exit RENAULt.

Away-disperse all to your several charges,

And meet to-morrow where your honour calls you.
I'll bring that man whose blood you so much thirst for;
And you shall see him venture for you fairly.
Hence-hence-I say.