And in her beams I felt myself eclipsed;
I envied her the lovely, cloudless calm,
That kept her soul from earthly tumults free.
And was this soft serenity but show?
Would she at both feasts revel, holding up
Her virtue's godlike splendor to our gaze,
And riot in the secret joys of vice?
And shall the false dissembler cozen thus,
And win a safe immunity from this
That no avenger comes? By heavens she shall not!
I once adored her,--that demands revenge:--
The king shall know her treachery--the king!
[After a pause.
'Tis the sure way to win the monarch's ear!

[Exit.

SCENE X.

A chamber in the royal palace.
DUKE OF ALVA, FATHER DOMINGO.

DOMINGO.
Something to tell me!

ALVA.
Ay! a thing of moment,
Of which I made discovery to-day,
And I would have your judgment on it.

DOMINGO.
How!
Discovery! To what do you allude?

ALVA.
Prince Carlos and myself this morning met
In the queen's antechamber. I received
An insult from him--we were both in heat--
The strife grew loud--and we had drawn our swords.
Alarmed, from her apartments rushed the queen.
She stepped between us,--with commanding eye
Of conscious power, she looked upon the prince.
'Twas but a single glance,--but his arm dropped,
He fell upon my bosom--gave me then
A warm embrace, and vanished.

DOMINGO (after a pause).
This seems strange.
It brings a something to my mind, my lord!
And thoughts like these I own have often sprung
Within my breast; but I avoid such fancies--
To no one have I e'er confided them.
There are such things as double-edged swords
And untrue friends,--I fear them both.
'Tis hard to judge among mankind, but still more hard
To know them thoroughly. Words slipped at random
Are confidants offended--therefore I
Buried my secret in my breast, till time
Should drag it forth to light. 'Tis dangerous
To render certain services to kings.
They are the bolts, which if they miss the mark,
Recoil upon the archer! I could swear
Upon the sacrament to what I saw.
Yet one eye-witness--one word overheard--
A scrap of paper--would weigh heavier far
Than my most strong conviction! Cursed fate
That we are here in Spain!

ALVA.
And why in Spain?

DOMINGO.
There is a chance in every court but this
For passion to forget itself, and fall.
Here it is warned by ever-wakeful laws.
Our Spanish queens would find it hard to sin--
And only th