That, to the city and the plain-to earth,
And listening heaven, proclaims the glorious tale
Of Rome re-born, and Freedom. See, the clouds
Are swept away, and the moon's boat of light
Sails in the clear blue sky, and million stars
Look out on us, and smile.

Hark! that great voice

Hath broke our bondage. Look, without a stroke
The capitol is won-the gates unfold—
The keys are at our feet. Alberti, friend,
How shall I pay thy service? Citizens !
First to possess the palace citadel—

The famous strength of Rome; then to sweep on,
Triumphant, through her streets.

Oh! glorious wreck

RIENZI pauses.

Of gods and Cæsars! thou shalt reign again,
Queen of the world; and I-come on, come on,
My people!

Citizens. Live Rienzi-live our Tribune!

RIENZI.

MISS MITFOrd.

Second Selection.

Enter COLONNA, URSINI, FRANGIPANI, SAVELLI, CASTELLO,

ETC.

Col. Gibbet and cord! a base plebeian death! And he the head of the great Roman name,

That rivalled the Colonna! Ursini,

Thy brother shall not die. The grief is thine,
The shame is general. How say ye, barons?

Urs. If ye resist ye share his doom, Plead! plead ! Dissemble with the tyrant,-stifle hate,

And master scorn, as I have done. Plead for him.
Col. To Cola! Can I frame my speech to sue

To Cola-most familiar of the drones

That thronged my hall of afternoons, content
To sit below the salt, and bear all jests,—
The retinue and pest of greatness. Sue
To Cola!

Urs. Fear not, but revenge will come

We being friends, from whose dissension sprang
The usurper's strength. An hour will come.

Lord Angelo

Enter ANGELO COLONNA.

Thou wilt not fail us.

Ang. Surely, no! 'tis stern,

[Goes up to URSINI.

Revengeful, cruel, pitiless! The people

To soothe the fickle people—yet he's wiser:

He'll be persuaded.

Fra. He approaches.

Rie. Why, this

Enter RIENZI attended.

Is well, my lords, this full assemblage. Now
The chief of Rome stands fitly girt with names
Strong as their towers around him. Fall not off,
And we shall be impregnable.

Angelo Colonna,

A double welcome!

Rome lacked half her state

Rie. When last his name was on my lips-Well, sir,
Thy suit, thy suit! If pardon, take at once
My answer-No.

Ang. Yet, mercy—

Rie. Angelo,

Waste not thy pleadings on a desperate cause

And a resolved spirit. She awaits thee.

Haste to that fairer court.

My Lord Colonna,

This is a needful justice.

Col. Noble Tribune,

It is a crime which custom

Rie. Ay, the law

[Exit A. COLONNA.

Of the strong against the weak-your law, the law
Of the sword and spear. But, gentles, ye live now
Under the good estate.

Sav. He is noble.

Rie. Therefore,

A thousand times he dies. Ye are noble, sirs,

And need a warning.

Col. Sick, almost to death.

Rie. Ye have less cause to grieve.

Cas. Remember, Tribune,

He hath two uncles, cardinals. Wouldst outrage
The sacred college?

Rie. The lord cardinals,

Meek, pious, lowly men, and loving virtue,
Will render thanks to him who wipes a blot
So flagrant from their name.

Col. An Ursini!

Head of the Ursini!

Urs. Mine own brother!

Rie. And darest talk thou to me of brothers?

Thou,

Whose groom-wouldst have me break my own just laws,

To save thy brother? Thine! Hast thou forgotten

When that most beautiful and blameless boy,
The prettiest piece of innocence that ever
Breathed in this sinful world, lay at thy feet,
Slain by thy pampered minion, and I knelt
Before thee for redress, whilst thou-didst never
Hear talk of retribution! This is justice,
Pure justice, not revenge!-Mark well, my lords,
Pure equal justice. Martin Ursini

Had open trial, is guilty, is condemned,

And he shall die!

If

Col. Yet listen to us

Rie. Lords,

ye could
before me all the peers,
range
Prelates, and potentates of Christendom,-
The holy pontiff kneeling at my knee,
And emperors crouching at my feet, to sue
For this great robber, still I should be blind
As justice. But this very day a wife,
One infant hanging at her breast, and two,
Scarce bigger, first born twins of misery,
Clinging to the poor rags that scarcely hid
Her squalid form, grasped at my bridal-rein

To beg her husband's life; condemned to die
For some vile petty theft, some paltry scudi ;
And, whilst the fiery war-horse chafed and reared,
Shaking his crest, and plunging to get free,
There, amidst the dangerous coil, unmoved, she stood,
Pleading in broken words, and piercing shrieks,
And hoarse low shivering sobs, the very cry
Of nature! And, when I at last said No-
For I said No to her she flung herself

And those poor innocent babes between the stones
And my hot Arab's hoofs. We saved them all,—
Thank heaven, we saved them all! but I said No
To that sad woman, midst her shrieks. Ye dare not
Ask me for mercy now.

Sav. Yet he is noble!

Let him not die a felon's death.

Rie. Again,

Ye weary me. No more of this.

Colonna,

Thy son loves my fair daughter. 'Tis a union,
However my young Claudia might have graced
A monarch's side, that augurs hopefully-
Bliss to the wedded pair, and peace to Rome,
And it shall be accomplished." Good my lords,
I bid ye to the bridal; one and all,

66

I bid ye to the bridal feast.

A fair good morrow!

And now

MISS MITFORD.

RICHARD II.

Enter KING RICHARD, JOHN OF GAUNT, and attendants. K. Rich. Old John of Gaunt, time-honoured Lancaster, Hast thou, according to thy oath and band,

Brought hither Henry Hereford, thy bold son;
Here to make good the boisterous late appeal,
Which then our leisure would not let us hear,
Against the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray ?
Gaunt. I have, my liege.

K. Rich. Tell me, moreover, hast thou sounded him,
If he appeal the duke on ancient malice;

Or worthily, as a good subject should,

On some known ground of treachery in him?

Gaunt. As near as I could sift him on that argument, On some apparent danger seen in him,

Aimed at your highness-no inveterate malice.

K. Rich. Then call them to our presence face to face, And frowning, brow to brow, ourselves will hear

The accuser and the accused freely speak

[Exeunt some Attendants. High stomached are they both, and full of ire,

In rage, deaf as the sea, hasty as fire.

Re-enter Attendants with BOLINGBROKE and NORFOLK. Boling. May many years of happy days befall My gracious sovereign, my most loving liege! Nor. Each day still better other's happiness; Until the heavens, envying earth's good hap, Add an immortal title to your crown !

K. Rich. We thank you both: yet one but flatters us, As well appeareth by the cause you come ;

Namely, to appeal each other of high treason.
Cousin of Hereford, what dost thou object
Against the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray ?

Boling. First (Heaven be the record to my speech!)
In the devotion of a subject's love,

Tendering the precious safety of my prince,
And free from other misbegotten hate,
Come I appellant to this princely presence.
Now, Thomas Mowbray, do I turn to thee,
And mark my greeting well; for what I speak
My body shall make good upon this earth,
Or my divine soul answer it in heaven.
Thou art a traitor, and a miscreant ;
Too good to be so, and too bad to live ;
Since the more fair and crystal is the sky,
The uglier seem the clouds that in it fly.
Once more, the more to aggravate the note,
With a foul traitor's name stuff I thy throat;
And wish (so please my sovereign), ere I move,

What my tongue speaks, my right drawn sword may prove.
Nor. Let not my cold words here accuse my

zeal :