bless the good king, Heaven!

_Caesa._ Oh most strange patience! most rare stretch of temper!
What! bless the man who thought you treacherous, base,
Ungrateful!

_Orsi._ And because he thought me such,
(Remembering only what his fault deserves,
Forgetting all that's due to mine own honour)
Shall I become the wretched thing he thought me?
Prove his suspicions just? quit the proud station
Where injured Virtue towers and sink me down to
His level who oppressed me? Oh, not so!
When hostile arms strain every nerve to crush me,
Pang follows pang, and wrong to wrong succeeds,
Piled like the Alps, each loftier than the last one,
To pay those wrongs with good, those pangs with kindness,
To raise the foe once fallen, bind his gored breast,
And heap, with generous zeal, favours on favours,
Till his repentant spirit melts and bleeds
To think he ever pained a heart like mine,
Such is _my_ hate! such my proud soul's whole object.
The only vengeance noble minds should take.

_Caesa._ Farewell, then, since far other hate is mine,
And asks for other vengeance. I'll to seek it.

_Orsi._ Stay, youth, and hear me. Ere you quit this spot.
Since virtue has no power to chain or awe thee,
Swear to forgo thy traitorous schemes, or straight
I'll seek the king----

_Caesa._ You dare not: no, you dare not.
Nay, start not. I but know my power and use it.
Look on these lips and eyes; they are Victoria's.
And shall Victoria's lips be sealed forever?
And shall Victoria's eyes be closed in death?
E'en while you rage, with looks so fond you eye me,
They speak, your love will guaranty your silence.

_Orsi._ 'Tis true, too true: but dear and cruel boy,
Though threats succeed not, let these tears prevail,
Tears for thy dying virtue. Oh look round thee!
See to mankind what curses bad kings are,
And learn from them the blessings of a good one.

_Caesa._ Father, in vain you urge me. Know I've sworn
Alfonso's death. My mother's shade demands it.
Who asked that promise, with an oath confirmed.
And what she asked I gave.

_Orsi._ Oh! Wherefore did'st thou?
Since she required an oath to seal thy promise,
Thou shouldst have known thy promise must be wrong.
Virtue and truth are in themselves convincing,
Nor need the feeble sanction of man's lips;
As the sun needs no aid from foreign orbs,
Itself a fire-formed world of light and glory.
What meant thine oath? What meant those magic words?
Save by thy lips to bind thy hand to do
What makes each