Scene III

The mountains by moonlight. Alhadra alone in a Moorish dress.

Alhadra. Yon hanging woods, that touch'd by autumn seem
As they were blossoming hues of fire and gold;

The hanging Act V, l. 41.
The flower-like woods, most lovely in decay,

The many clouds, the sea, the rock, the sands,
Lie in the silent moonshine: and the owl,
(Strange! very strange!) the scritch-owl only wakes!
Sole voice, sole eye of all this world of beauty!
Unless, perhaps, she sing her screeching song
To a herd of wolves, that skulk athirst for blood.
Why such a thing am I?—Where are these men?
I need the sympathy of human faces,
To beat away this deep contempt for all things,
Which quenches my revenge. O! would to Alla,
The raven, or the sea-mew, were appointed
To bring me food! or rather that my soul
Could drink in life from the universal air!
It were a lot divine in some small skiff
Along some Ocean's boundless solitude,
To float for ever with a careless course,
And think myself the only being alive.
[Vide post Osorio, Act V, ll. 39-56.]
My children!—Isidore's children!—Son of Valdez,
This hath new strung mine arm. Thou coward tyrant!
To stupify a woman's heart with anguish,
Till she forgot—even that she was a mother!

[She fixes her eye on the earth. Then drop in one after another, from different parts of the stage, a considerable number of Morescoes, all in Moorish garments and Moorish armour. They form a circle at a distance round Alhadra, and remain silent till Naomi enters.

Remorse.

the] these Remorse.

spell-blasted] spell-blasted Remorse.

Stage-direction om. Remorse.

All] All Morescoes. Remorse.

One to Another] One Morescoe (to another). Remorse.

Murder? Not murder'd? Remorse.

After [Stage-direction] Alhadra (to Naomi, who advances from the circle). Remorse.

house] sons MS. III. Wet with the life-blood of the son of Valdez Remorse.

After

Enter Warville. MS. III.

[A pause.
Ordonio was your chieftain's murderer

Remorse.

[360-70]

Erased MS. III.

[360-75]

om. Remorse.

[373-80]

Erased MS. III.

Stage-direction All (kneeling). Remorse.

After Alhadra. This night your chieftain armed himself Remorse.

Affixed to (not in S. T. C.'s handwriting) and erased:

Naomi.

Proceed, proceed, Alhadra.

Alhadra.

Yestermorning
He stood before our house, startful and gloomy,
And stirr'd up fierce dispute with Ferdinand,
I saw him when the vehement Gripe of Conscience
Had wrenched his features to a visible agony.
When he was gone Ferdinand sighed out 'Villain'
And spake no other word.

Warville (mournfully).

The brother of Albert.

MS. III erased.

[Note.—Warville was a character introduced into the deleted passage 360-70, the name being always altered by S. T. C. to 'Maurice'.]

[376-84]

om. Remorse.

its] their Corr. in MS. III.

there] there Remorse.

a pause] a while Remorse.

Stage-direction om. Remorse.

A brief while] A little while Corr. in MS. III erased.

God] Heaven Remorse.

light] light Remorse.

hideous] hideous Remorse.

while] whilst Remorse.

Erased MS. III. Naomi. Comfort her, Alla! Remorse.

go] onward Remorse.

his] the MS. III.

After

All. Away! away! [She rushes off, all following her.

Remorse.