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Scenes From The Magico Prodigioso: From The Spanish Of Calderon
by
[EXIT.]
JUSTINA: I
Appeal to Heaven against thee; so that Heaven
May scatter thy delusions, and the blot 145
Upon my fame vanish in idle thought,
Even as flame dies in the envious air,
And as the floweret wanes at morning frost;
And thou shouldst never–But, alas! to whom
Do I still speak?–Did not a man but now 150
Stand here before me?–No, I am alone,
And yet I saw him. Is he gone so quickly?
Or can the heated mind engender shapes
From its own fear? Some terrible and strange
Peril is near. Lisander! father! lord! 155
Livia!–
[ENTER LISANDER AND LIVIA.]
LISANDER:
Oh, my daughter! What?
LIVIA:
What!
JUSTINA:
Saw you
A man go forth from my apartment now?–
I scarce contain myself!
LISANDER:
A man here!
JUSTINA:
Have you not seen him?
LIVIA:
No, Lady.
JUSTINA: I saw him.
LISANDER: ‘Tis impossible; the doors 160
Which led to this apartment were all locked.
LIVIA [ASIDE]:
I daresay it was Moscon whom she saw,
For he was locked up in my room.
LISANDER:
It must
Have been some image of thy fantasy.
Such melancholy as thou feedest is 165
Skilful in forming such in the vain air
Out of the motes and atoms of the day.
LIVIA:
My master’s in the right.
JUSTINA:
Oh, would it were
Delusion; but I fear some greater ill.
I feel as if out of my bleeding bosom 170
My heart was torn in fragments; ay,
Some mortal spell is wrought against my frame;
So potent was the charm that, had not God
Shielded my humble innocence from wrong,
I should have sought my sorrow and my shame 175
With willing steps.–Livia, quick, bring my cloak,
For I must seek refuge from these extremes
Even in the temple of the highest God
Where secretly the faithful worship.
LIVIA:
Here.
NOTE:
179 Where Rossetti; Which 1824.
JUSTINA [PUTTING ON HER CLOAK]:
In this, as in a shroud of snow, may I 180
Quench the consuming fire in which I burn,
Wasting away!
LISANDER:
And I will go with thee.
LIVIA:
When I once see them safe out of the house
I shall breathe freely.
JUSTINA:
So do I confide
In thy just favour, Heaven!
LISANDER:
Let us go. 185
JUSTINA:
Thine is the cause, great God! turn for my sake,
And for Thine own, mercifully to me!