s nurse, who loves her with a fierce sort of passion, and it
is she who commits the crime that causes the play to be called a
tragedy. This final scene brings out a flood of the most violent
vituperation from this veritable virago, some of it exceedingly low in
tone. The friar leaves with the threat to have a red-hot nail run
through her hellish tongue, and La Catanaise, standing alone, gives
vent to her fury in threats of murder.

The next act reveals the Hall of Honor in the Castel-Nuovo at Naples.
Andrea in anger proclaims himself king, and in the presence of the Queen
and the Italian courtiers gives away one after another all the offices
and honors of the realm to his Hungarian followers. A conflict with
drawn swords is about to ensue, when the Queen rushes between the
would-be combatants, reminding them of the decree of the Pope; but
Andrea in fury accuses the Queen of conduct worthy a shameless
adventuress, and cites the reports that liken her to Semiramis in her
orgies. The Prince of Taranto throws down his glove to the enraged
Andrea, who replies by a threat to bring him to the executioner. The
Prince of Taranto answers that the executioner may be the supreme law
for a king,

"Mai per un qu'a l'ounour dins lou pies e dins l'amo,
Uno escorno, cousin, se purgo eme la lamo."

But for one who has honor in his breast and his soul,
An insult, cousin, is purged with the sword.

Andrea turns to his knights, and leaving the room with them points to
the flag bearing the block and axe as emblems. The partisans of Joanna
remain full of indignation. La Catanaise addresses them. The Sicilians,
she says, waste no time in words, but have a speedier method of
punishing a wrong, and she reminds them of the massacre at Palermo. The
Prince of Taranto discountenances the proposed crime, for the Queen's
fair name would suffer. But the fierce woman points to the flag. "Do you
see that axe hanging from a thread? You are all cowards! Let me act
alone." And the Prince nobly replies, "Philippine, battles are fought in
the sunlight; men of our renown, men of my stamp, do not crouch down in
the dark shadow of a plot." And the Catanaise again shows the flag. "Do
you see the axe falling upon the block?"

Joanna enters to offer the Prince her thanks for his chivalrous defence
of her fair name, and dismisses the other courtiers. The ensuing brief
scene between the Queen and the Prince is really very eloquent and very
beaut