esire to know! and will not waste
Omniscience upon phantoms. Out with it!
If you seek aid from me--or else be silent. 40
And eat your thoughts--till they breed snakes within you.

_Arn._ Olimpia!

_Caes._ I thought as much--go on.

_Arn._ I thought she had loved me.

_Caes._ Blessings on your Creed!
What a good Christian you were found to be!
But what cold Sceptic hath appalled your faith
And transubstantiated to crumbs again
The _body_ of your Credence?

_Arn._ No one--but--
Each day--each hour--each minute shows me more
And more she loves me not--

_Caes._ Doth she rebel?

_Arn._ No, she is calm, and meek, and silent with me, 50
And coldly dutiful, and proudly patient--
Endures my Love--not meets it.

_Caes._ That seems strange.
You are beautiful and brave! the first is much
For passion--and the rest for Vanity.

_Arn._ I saved her life, too; and her Father's life,
And Father's house from ashes.

_Caes._ These are nothing.
You seek for Gratitude--the Philosopher's stone.

_Arn._ And find it not.

_Caes._ You cannot find what is not.
But _found_ would it content you? would you owe
To thankfulness what you desire from Passion? 60
No! No! you would be _loved_--what you call loved--
_Self-loved_--loved for _yourself_--for neither health,
Nor wealth, nor youth, nor power, nor rank, nor beauty--
For these you may be stript of--but _beloved_
As an abstraction--for--you know not what!
These are the wishes of a moderate lover--
And _so_ you love.

_Arn._ Ah! could I be beloved,
Would I ask wherefore?

_Caes._ Yes! and not believe
The answer--You are jealous.

_Arn._ And of whom?

_Caes._ It may be of yourself,[252] for Jealousy 70
Is as a shadow of the Sun. The Orb
Is mighty--as you mortals deem--and to
Your little Universe seems universal;
But, great as He appears, and is to you,
The smallest cloud--the slightest vapour of
Your humid earth enables you to look
Upon a Sky which you revile as dull;
Though your eyes dare not gaze on it when