The Complete Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley — Complete eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 1,285 pages of information about The Complete Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley — Complete.

The Complete Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley — Complete eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 1,285 pages of information about The Complete Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley — Complete.

BEATRICE: 
What ’twas weak to do,
’Tis weaker to lament, once being done;
Take cheer!  The God who knew my wrong, and made
Our speedy act the angel of His wrath,
Seems, and but seems, to have abandoned us. 115
Let us not think that we shall die for this. 
Brother, sit near me; give me your firm hand,
You had a manly heart.  Bear up!  Bear up! 
O dearest Lady, put your gentle head
Upon my lap, and try to sleep awhile: 
120
Your eyes look pale, hollow, and overworn,
With heaviness of watching and slow grief. 
Come, I will sing you some low, sleepy tune,
Not cheerful, nor yet sad; some dull old thing,
Some outworn and unused monotony, 125
Such as our country gossips sing and spin,
Till they almost forget they live:  lie down! 
So, that will do.  Have I forgot the words? 
Faith!  They are sadder than I thought they were.

SONG: 
False friend, wilt thou smile or weep 130
When my life is laid asleep? 
Little cares for a smile or a tear,
The clay-cold corpse upon the bier! 
Farewell!  Heighho! 
What is this whispers low?
135
There is a snake in thy smile, my dear;
And bitter poison within thy tear.

Sweet sleep, were death like to thee,
Or if thou couldst mortal be,
I would close these eyes of pain; 140
When to wake?  Never again. 
O World!  Farewell! 
Listen to the passing bell! 
It says, thou and I must part,
With a light and a heavy heart.
145

[THE SCENE CLOSES.]

SCENE 5.4: 
A HALL OF THE PRISON. 
ENTER CAMILLO AND BERNARDO.

CAMILLO: 
The Pope is stern; not to be moved or bent. 
He looked as calm and keen as is the engine
Which tortures and which kills, exempt itself
From aught that it inflicts; a marble form,
A rite, a law, a custom:  not a man. 5
He frowned, as if to frown had been the trick
Of his machinery, on the advocates
Presenting the defences, which he tore
And threw behind, muttering with hoarse, harsh voice: 
’Which among ye defended their old father
10
Killed in his sleep?’ Then to another:  ’Thou
Dost this in virtue of thy place; ‘tis well.’ 
He turned to me then, looking deprecation,
And said these three words, coldly:  ‘They must die.’

BERNARDO: 
And yet you left him not?

Copyrights
Project Gutenberg
The Complete Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley — Complete from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.