PERSONSREPRESENTED
ALBOVINE,KingoftheLombards。
ALMACHILDES,ayoungLombardwarrior。
NARSETES,anoldleaderandcounsellor。
ROSAMUND,QueenoftheLombardsHILDEGARD,anobleLombardmaiden。
SCENE,VERONA
Time,June573
ACTI
AhallinthePalace:acurtaindrawnmidwayacrossit。
EnterALBOVINEandNARSETES。
ALBOVINE。
Thisisnomatterofthewars:inwarThyking,oldfriend,islessthankingofthine,Andcomradelessthanfollower。HastthoulovedEverlovedwoman,notaschancemaylove,Butasthouhastlovedthyswordorfriendorme?
Thouhastshewnmelovemorestoutofheartthandeath。
Deathquailedbeforetheewhenthougav\'stmelife,Bornedowninbattle。
NARSETES。
Woman?AsIloveFlowersintheirseason。Aroseisbutarose。
ALBOVINE。
Dostthouknowrosefromthistleorbindweed?Man,Speakasournorthwindspeaks,ifharshandhard
Truth。
NARSETES。
WhiteIknowfromred,anddarkfrombright,Andmilkfrombloodinhawthornflowers:butnotWomanfromwoman。
ALBOVINE。
HowshouldGodourLord,Excepthiseyeseefurtherthanhisworld?
Forwomenevermakethemselvesanew,Meseems,tomatchandmockthemaker。Friend,IfeverIwerefriendofthineinfight,Speak,andIbidtheenotspeaktruth:IknowThytongueknowsnoughtbuttruthorsilence。
NARSETES。
IsitAking\'sorfriend\'spart,king,tobidhisfriendSpeakwhatheknowsnot?Speakthenthou,thatI
Mayfindthywillandanswerit。
ALBOVINE。
IamfainAndlothtotelltheehowitwringsmyheartThatnowthishardeyedheavysouthernsunHathwroughtitswilluponusallayearAndyetIknownotifmywifebemine。
NARSETES。
ThymeanestmanatarmshadknowneredawnBlinkedonhisbridalbirthday。
ALBOVINE。
DidIbidtheeMock,andforgetmeforthyfriendIsaynot,King?Isthyheartsolightandleanathing,Solooseinfaithandfaintinlove?IbadetheeStandtome,helpme,holdmyhandinthineAndgivemyheartbackanswer。Thisitis,Oldfriendandfool,thatgnawsmylifeintwain
Thewormthatwrithesandfeedsaboutmyheart
ThedevilandGodarecryingineitherearOnemurderouswordforever,nightandday,Darkdayanddeadlynightanddeadlyday,Canshelovetheewhoslewestherfather?I
Loveher。
NARSETES。
Thywifeshouldlovetheeasthysire\'sLovedhim。Thouartworthawomanheartforheart。
ALBOVINE。
Mysire\'swifelovedhim?Hershehadnotslain。
WouldGodImightbutdieandburninhellAndknowmylovehadlovedme!
NARSETES。
IsthynameBabe?Sweetarebabesasflowersthatwedthesun,Butmanmaybenotbornababeagain,Andlessthanmanmaywoman。RosamundStandsradiantnowinroyalprideofplaceAswifeofthineandqueenofLombardsnotCunimund\'sdaughter。HadstthouslainhersireShamefully,shamewerethinetohavesoughtherhandAndshamewereherstolovethee:buthediedManfully,bythymightierhandthanhisManfullymastered。War,bornblindasfire,Fednotasfireuponher:manyamaidAsroyaldiesdisrobedofallbutshameAndeventodeathburntupforshame\'ssake:sheLives,bythygrace,imperial。
ALBOVINE。
HeorI,Herlordorsire,whichhathmostpartinher,Thishourshalltrybetweenus。
EnterROSAMUND。
ROSAMUND。
Royallord,Thyweddedhandmaidcravesoftheeagrace。
ALBOVINE。
Mysovereignbidsherbondmanwhatshewill。
ROSAMUND。
Ibidtheemockmenot:ImayasktheeAught,andbeheardofanysavemylord。
ALBOVINE。
Go,friend。[ExitNARSETES。]
Speaknow。Sayfirstwhatailsthee?
ROSAMUND。
Me?
ALBOVINE。
Thyvoicewashoneyheartedmusic,sweetAswineandgladasclarions:notinbattleMightmanhavemoreofjoythanItohearitAndfeeldelightdanceinmyheartandlaughTooloudforhearingsaveitsown。Thourose,WhydidGodgivetheemorethanallthykinWhoseprideisperfumeonlyandcolour,this?
Music?Norosebutminesings,andthebirdsHushalltheirheartstohearken。DostthouhearnotHowheavysoundshernotenow?
ROSAMUND。
Sire,notI。
ButsireIshouldnotcallthee。
ALBOVINE。
Surely,no。
Ibadetheespeak:Ididnotbidtheesing:
Thoucanstnotspeakandsingnot。
ROSAMUND。
Albovine,IhadatheartasimplethingtocraveAndthoughtnotonthyflatteriesasIthinknotNow。KnowestthounotmyhandmaidHildegardFreeborn,anoblemaiden?
ALBOVINE。
AndafairAsevershonelikesundawnonthesnows。
ROSAMUND。
Ihadathearttopleadforherwiththee。
ALBOVINE。
Plead?hastthoufoundhernoblemaidenhoodIgnoblyturnedunmaidenlike?ImaynotLightlybelieveit。
ROSAMUND。
Believeitnotatall。
Wouldstthouthinkshameofmelightly?ShelovesAsmightamaidwhosekinwerenortherngodsThefairestfacedofwarriorsLombardborn,ThineAlmachildes。
ALBOVINE。
Ifhelovesnother,Morefoolishethanwarrioreven,thoughwarHavewakenedlaughterinhiseyes,andleftHisgoldenhairfreshgilded,whenhishandHadwonthecrownthatclaspsaboy\'sbrowscloseWithfirstbornsignofbattle。
ROSAMUND。
NosuchfoolMayliveinsuchawarrior;ifhelovenotSomelovelinessnothers。NofaceasbrightCrownedwithsofairaMayflowercrownofpraiseLackedeveryetlove,ifitseyesweresetWithalltheirsoultoloveward。
ALBOVINE。
Ay?
ROSAMUND。
IknownotAmansofairofface。Ilikehimwell。
Andwellhehathservedandlovesthee。
ALBOVINE。
Ay?TheboySeemswinsomethenwithwomen。
ROSAMUND。
HildegardHathhearkenedwhenhespakeofloveitmaybe,Lightly。
ALBOVINE。
Tohershallnomanlightlyspeak。
Thymaidenandournaturalkinisshe。
Wiltthouspeakwithhimlightly?
ROSAMUND。
Ifthouwilt,Gladly。
ALBOVINE。
Theboyshallwaituponthywill。[Exit。]
ROSAMUND。
MyheartisheavierthanthisheatthatweighsWithalltheweightofJuneonus。IknownotWhy。Andthefeastiscloseonus。IwouldThisnightwerenowtomorrowmorn。IknownotWhy。
EnterALMACHILDES。
Ah!Whatwouldyou?
ALMACHILDES。
Queen,ourlordthekingBademebeforetheehither。
ROSAMUND。
Truth:Iknowit。
Thouartlovedandhonouredofourlordtheking。
Dostthou,whomhonourlovesbeforethytime,Love?
ALMACHILDES
Ay:thynoblehandmaid,Hildegard。
Iknownotifsheloveme。