Volume 2 / Act 3 — Scene III
Reading edition
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.
[
337
]
the] these Remorse.
[
342
]
spell-blasted] spell-blasted Remorse.
[
345
]
Stage-direction om. Remorse.
[
348
]
All] All Morescoes. Remorse.
[
352
]
One to Another] One Morescoe (to another). Remorse.
[
353
]
Murder? Not murder'd? Remorse.
After 353 [Stage-direction] Alhadra (to Naomi, who advances from the circle). Remorse.
[
359
]
house] sons MS. III. Wet with the life-blood of the son of Valdez Remorse.
After 359
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.
[
375
]
Stage-direction All (kneeling). Remorse.
After 375 Alhadra. This night your chieftain armed himself Remorse.
Affixed to 375 (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.
[
384
]
its] their Corr. in MS. III.
[
386
]
there] there Remorse.
[
388
]
a pause] a while Remorse.
[
397
]
Stage-direction om. Remorse.
[
399
]
A brief while] A little while Corr. in MS. III erased.
[
402
]
God] Heaven Remorse.
[
404
]
light] light Remorse.
[
405
]
hideous] hideous Remorse.
[
407
]
while] whilst Remorse.
[
409
]
Erased MS. III. Naomi. Comfort her, Alla! Remorse.
[
414
]
go] onward Remorse.
[
421
]
his] the MS. III.
After 425
All. Away! away! [She rushes off, all following her.
Remorse.