LONDON: THE MARCHIONESS OF SALISBURY’S [A large reception-room is disclosed, arranged for a conversazione. It is an evening in summer following, and at present the chamber is empty and in gloom. At one end is an elaborate device, representing Britannia offering her assistance to Spain, and at the other a figure of Time crowning the Spanish Patriots’ flag with laurel.]

SPIRIT OF THE YEARS O clarionists of human welterings, Relate how Europe’s madding movement brings This easeful haunt into the path of palpitating things!

RUMOURS [chanting] The Spanish King has bowed unto the Fate Which bade him abdicate: The sensual Queen, whose passionate caprice Has held her chambering with “the Prince of Peace,” And wrought the Bourbon’s fall, Holds to her Love in all; And Bonaparte has ruled that his and he Henceforth displace the Bourbon dynasty.

II The Spanish people, handled in such sort, As chattels of a Court, Dream dreams of England. Messengers are sent In secret to the assembled Parliament, In faith that England’s hand Will stouten them to stand, And crown a cause which, hold they, bond and free Must advocate enthusiastically.

SPIRIT OF THE YEARS So the Will heaves through Space, and moulds the times, With mortals for Its fingers! We shall see Again men’s passions, virtues, visions, crimes, Obey resistlessly The purposive, unmotived, dominant Thing Which sways in brooding dark their wayfaring! [The reception room is lighted up, and the hostess comes in. There arrive Ambassadors and their wives, the Dukes and Duchesses of RUTLAND and SOMERSET, the Marquis and Marchioness of STAFFORD, the Earls of STAIR, WESTMORELAND, GOWER, ESSEX, Viscounts and Viscountesses CRANLEY and MORPETH, Viscount MELBOURNE, Lord and Lady KINNAIRD, Baron de ROLLE, Lady CHARLES GRENVILLE, the Ladies CAVENDISH, Mr. and Mrs. THOMAS HOPE, MR. GUNNING, MRS. FITZHERBERT, and many other notable personages. Lastly, she goes to the door to welcome severally the PRINCE OF WALES, the PRINCES OF FRANCE, and the PRINCESS CASTELCICALA.]

LADY SALISBURY [to the Prince of Wales] I am sorry to say, sir, that the Spanish Patriots are not yet arrived. I doubt not but that they have been delayed by their ignorance of the town, and will soon be here.

PRINCE OF WALES No hurry whatever, my dear hostess. Gad, we’ve enough to talk about! I understand that the arrangement between our ministers and these noblemen will include the liberation of Spanish prisoners in this country, and the providing ’em with arms, to go back and fight for their independence.

LADY SALISBURY It will be a blessed event if they do check the career of this infamous Corsican. I have just heard that that poor foreigner Guillet de la Gevrillière, who proposed to Mr. Fox to assassinate him, died a miserable death a few days ago the Bicetre—probably by torture, though nobody knows. Really one almost wishes Mr. Fox had—-. O here they are! [Enter the Spanish Viscount de MATEROSA, and DON DIEGO de la VEGA. They are introduced by CAPTAIN HILL and MR. BAGOT, who escort them. LADY SALISBURY presents them to the PRINCE and others.]

PRINCE OF WALES By gad, Viscount, we were just talking of ’ee. You had some adventures in getting to this country?

MATEROSA [assisted by Bagot as interpreter] Sir, it has indeed been a trying experience for us. But here we are, impressed by a deep sense of gratitude for the signal marks of attachment your country has shown us.

PRINCE OF WALES You represent, practically, the Spanish people?

MATEROSA We are immediately deputed, sir, By the Assembly of Asturias, More sailing soon from other provinces. We bring official writings, charging us To clinch and solder Treaties with this realm That may promote our cause against the foe. Nextly a letter to your gracious King; Also a Proclamation, soon to sound And swell the pulse of the Peninsula, Declaring that the act by which King Carlos And his son Prince Fernando cede the throne To whomsoever Napoléon may appoint, Being an act of cheatery, not of choice, Unfetters us from our allegiant oath.

MRS. FITZHERBERT The usurpation began, I suppose, with the divisions in the Royal Family?

MATEROSA Yes, madam, and the protection they foolishly requested from the Emperor; and their timid intent of flying secretly helped it on. It was an opportunity he had been awaiting for years.

MRS. FITZHERBERT All brought about by this man Godoy, Prince of Peace!

PRINCE OF WALES Dash my wig, mighty much you know about it, Maria! Why, sure, Boney thought to himself, “This Spain is a pretty place; ’twill just suit me as an extra acre or two; so here goes.”

DON DIEGO [aside to Bagot] This lady is the Princess of Wales?

BAGOT Hsh! no, Senor. The Princess lives at large at Kensington and other places, and has parties of her own, and doesn’t keep house with her husband. This lady is—well, really his wife, you know, in the opinion of many; but—-

DON DIEGO Ah! Ladies a little mixed, as they were at our Court! She’s the Pepa Tudo to THIS Prince of Peace?

BAGOT O no—not exactly that, Senor.

DON DIEGO Ya, ya. Good. I’ll be careful, my friend. You are not saints in England more than we are in Spain!

BAGOT We are not. Only you sin with naked faces, and we with masks on.

DON DIEGO Virtuous country!

DUCHESS OF RUTLAND It was understood that Ferdinand, Prince of Asturias, was to marry a French princess, and so unite the countries peacefully?

MATEROSA It was. And our credulous prince was tempted to meet Napoléon at Bayonne. Also the poor simple King, and the infatuated Queen, and Manuel Godoy.

DUCHESS OF RUTLAND Then Godoy escaped from Aranjuez?

MATEROSA Yes, by hiding in the garret. Then they all threw themselves upon Napoléon’s protection. In his presence the Queen swore that the King was not Fernando’s father! Altogether they form a queer little menagerie. What will happen to them nobody knows.

PRINCE OF WALES And do you wish us to send an army at once?

MATEROSA What we most want, sir, are arms and ammunition. But we leave the English Ministry to co-operate in its own wise way, anyhow, so as to sustain us in resenting these insults from the Tyrant of the Earth.

DUCHESS OF RUTLAND [to the Prince of Wales] What sort of aid shall we send, sir?

PRINCE OF WALES We are going to vote fifty millions, I hear. We’ll whack him, and preserve your noble country for ’ee, Senor Viscount. The debate thereon is to come off to-morrow. It will be the finest thing the Commons have had since Pitt’s time. Sheridan, who is open to it, says he and Canning are to be absolutely unanimous; and, by God, like the parties in his “Critic,” when Government and Opposition do agree, their unanimity is wonderful! Viscount Materosa, you and your friends must be in the Gallery. O, dammy, you must!

MATEROSA Sir, we are already pledged to be there.

PRINCE OF WALES And hark ye, Senor Viscount. You will then learn what a mighty fine thing a debate in the English Parliament is! No Continental humbug there. Not but that the Court has a trouble to keep ’em in their places sometimes; and I would it had been one in the Lords instead. However, Sheridan says he has been learning his speech these two days, and has hunted his father’s dictionary through for some stunning long words.—Now, Maria [to Mrs. Fitzherbert], I am going home.

LADY SALISBURY At last, then, England will take her place in the forefront of this mortal struggle, and in pure disinterestedness fight with all her strength for the European deliverance. God defend the right! [The Prince of Wales leaves, and the other guests begin to depart.]

SEMICHORUS I OF THE YEARS [aerial music] Leave this glib throng to its conjecturing, And let four burdened weeks uncover what they bring!

SEMICHORUS II The said Debate, to wit; its close in deed; Till England stands enlisted for the Patriots’ needs.

SEMICHORUS I And transports in the docks gulp down their freight Of buckled fighting-flesh, and gale-bound, watch and wait.

SEMICHORUS II Till gracious zephyrs shoulder on their sails To where the brine of Biscay moans its tragic tales.

CHORUS Bear we, too, south, as we were swallow-vanned, And mark the game now played there by the Master-hand! [The reception-chamber is shut over by the night without, and the point of view rapidly recedes south, London and its streets and lights diminishing till they are lost in the distance, and its noises being succeeded by the babble of the Channel and Biscay waves.]