By what had pass'd between us in the morning.
I saw you in a thousand hideous ways,
And doz'd and started, doz'd again and started.
I do entreat your lordship to believe me,
In my last dream

Osorio.

Ferdinand.

Of falling down that chasm, when Alhadra
She heard my heart beat!

55

Well?

I was in the act

Waked me.

Osorio.

Strange enough! 60

Had you been here before?

Ferdinand.

Never, my lord!

But my eyes do not see it now more clearly
Than in my dream I saw that very chasm.

[OSORIO stands in a deep studly-then, after a
pause.

Osorio. There is no reason why it should be so.

I believe, however, that in the present case, the whole is here psychologically true and accurate. Prophetical dreams are things of nature, and explicable by that law of the mind in which where dim ideas are connected with vivid feelings, Perception and Imagination insinuate themselves and mix with the forms of Recollection, till the Present appears to exactly correspond with the Past. Whatever is partially like, the Imagination will gradually represent as wholly like-a law of our nature which, when it is perfectly understood, woe to the great city Babylon to all the superstitions of Men!' P. W., 1893, p. 499.

Between 54 and 57:

O sleep of horrors! Now run down and stared at
By forms so hideous that they mock remembrance-
Now seeing nothing and imagining nothing,
But only being afraid-stifled with fear!

While every goodly or familiar form

Had a strange power of breathing terror round me!
I saw you in a thousand fearful shapes;

And I entreat your lordship to believe me, Remorse.
62 my] mine Remorse.

56 cm. Remorse.

I know not why it should be! yet it is― Remorse. from our nature, Remorse,

64 Ord. (after a pause) 65 Abhorrent

Osorio. Why that's my case: and yet 'tis still unpleasant. At least I find it so! But you, perhaps, .

Have stronger nerves?

Ferdinand.

Something doth trouble you.
How can I serve you? By the life you gave me,
By all that makes that life of value to me,

My wife, my babes, my honour, I swear to you,
Name it, and I will toil to do the thing,
If it be innocent! But this, my lord!
Is not a place where you could perpetrate,
No, nor propose a wicked thing. The darkness

(When ten yards off, we know, 'tis chearful moonlight)
Collects the guilt and crowds it round the heart.
It must be innocent.

70

75

[OSORIO walks round the cavern-then looking
round it.

One of our family knew this place well.
Ferdinand. Who? when? my lord.

Osorio.

80

What boots it who or when?

Hang up the torch. I'll tell his tale to thee.

[They hang [up] their torches in some shelf of [on some ridge in Remorse] the cavern. Osorio. He was a man different from other men, And he despised them, yet revered himself.1 Ferdinand. What? he was mad?

Osorio.

All men seem'd mad to him,

1 Against this passage Coleridge writes in MS. II: Under the mask of the third person Osorio relates his own story, as in the delusion of selfjustification and pride, it appeared to himself—at least as he wished it to appear to himself.' P. W., 1893, p. 499.

Osorio darkly, and in the feeling of self-justification, tells what he conceives of his own character and actions-speaking of himself in the third person.' MS. III.

67-70

Ord. Why that's my case! and yet the soul recoils from it— 'Tis so with me at least. But you, perhaps, Have sterner feelings?

Isid. (aside). He? He despised? Thou'rt speaking of thyself!

I am on my guard however: no surprise

[Then to ORDONIO. Remorse.

Their actions noisome folly, and their talk-
A goose's gabble was more musical.
Nature had made him for some other planet,
And press'd his soul into a human shape
By accident or malice. In this world

He found no fit companion!

Ferdinand.

Madmen are mostly proud.

Osorio.

86

90

Ah, poor wretch !

Ile walk'd alone,

And phantasies, unsought for, troubled him.
Something within would still be shadowing out
All possibilities, and with these shadows

His mind held dalliance. Once, as so it happen'd,
A fancy cross'd him wilder than the rest:
To this in moody murmur, and low voice,
He yielded utterance as some talk in sleep.
The man who heard him

95

Why didst thou look round? 100 Ferdinand. I have a prattler three years old, my lord!

In truth he is my darling. As I went

From forth my door, he made a moan in sleep

But I am talking idly-pray go on!

And what did this man?

Osorio.

With his human hand

105

[Then very wildly.

He gave a being and reality
To that wild fancy of a possible thing.
Well it was done.

Why babblest thou of guilt?

The deed was done, and it pass'd fairly off.

And he, whose tale I tell thee-dost thou listen?

Ferdinand. I would, my lord, you were by my fireside!

I'd listen to you with an eager eye,

Tho' you began this cloudy tale at midnight.
But I do listen-pray proceed, my lord!

Osorio. Where was I?

Ferdinand.

110

He of whom you tell the tale- 115

Tamed himself down to living purposes,
The occupations and the semblances
Of ordinary men-and such he seem'd.
But that some over-ready agent--he--
Ferdinand. Ah! what of him, my lord?
Osorio.

1 20

He proved a villain;

Betray'd the mystery to a brother villain;
And they between them hatch'd a damnéd plot
To hunt him down to infamy and death
To share the wealth of a most noble family,
And stain the honour of an orphan lady
With barbarous mixture and unnatural union.
What did the Velez? I am proud of the name,
Since he dared do it.

Osorio.

125

[OSORIO grasps his sword and turns off from FER-
DINAND, then, after a pause, returns.
Our links burn dimly.

129

Ferdinand. A dark tale darkly finish'd! Nay, my lord! Tell what he did.

Osorio (fiercely). That which his wisdom prompted. He made the traitor meet him in this cavern,

And here he kill'd the traitor.

Ferdinand.

No!-the fool.

He had not wit enough to be a traitor.
Poor thick-eyed beetle! not to have foreseen
That he, who gull'd thee with a whimper'd lie
To murder his own brother, would not scruple
To murder thee, if e'er his guilt grew jealous
And he could steal upon thee in the dark!

Osorio. Thou would'st not then have come, if-
Ferdinand.

135

O yes, my lord! 140 I would have met him arm'd, and scared the coward! [FERDINAND throws off his robe, shews himself armed, and draws his sword.

Osorio. Now this is excellent, and warms the blood! My heart was drawing back, drawing me back

120 some] same Remorse.

121-2

He proved a traitor,

Betrayed the mystery to a brother traitor Remorse. 125-7 om. Remorse. 131 Stage-direction om. Remorse.

Between 143 and 145.

With weak and womanish scruples. Now my vengeance
Beckons me onwards with a warrior's mien,

With womanish pulls of pity. Dusky slave,
Now I will kill thee pleasantly, and count it
Among my comfortable thoughts hereafter.

145

Ferdinand. And all my little ones fatherless! Die thou first.

[They fight. OSORIO disarms FERDINAND, and in disarming him, throws his sword up that recess, opposite to which they were standing.

Ferdinand (springing wildly towards Osorio). Still I strangle thee!

Osorio.

Nay, fool! stand off.

I'll kill thee-but not so! Go fetch thy sword.

can

[FERDINAND hurries into the recess with his torch. OSORIO follows him, and in a moment returns alone.

Osorio. Now this was luck! No bloodstains, no dead body!

His dream, too, is made out. Now for his friend.1

150

[Exit.

1 Against this line Coleridge writes in MS. II:-'Osorio has thrust Ferdinand down the chasm. I think it an important instance how Dreams and Prophecies coöperate to their own completion.' P. W., 1893, p. 501.

And claims that life, my pity robb'd her of—

Now will I kill thee, thankless slave, and count it Remorse. Affixed to 147. Ferdinand on hearing the threat of Osorio feels a momentary horror at the consequences of his being killed, and in tones of mingled fear and

sorrow

And all my little ones fatherless!

then bursting into indignation 'Die thou first', MS. III.

After 147 [They fight. ORDONIO disarms ISIDORE, and in disarming him throws his sword up that recess opposite to which they were standing. ISIDORE hurries into the recess with his torch, ORDONIO follows him; a loud cry of 'Traitor ! Monster!' is heard from the cavern, and in a moment ORDONIO returns alone.

Ordonio. I have hurl'd him down the chasm! treason for treason. He dreamt of it, henceforward let him sleep,

A dreamless sleep, from which no wife can wake him.
His dream too is made out-Now for his friend.

148-51 om. Remorse.

150 Now] So MS. III.

[Exit ORDONIO. Remorse.

Affixed to 150. Ferdinand's death is not sufficiently explained to the Audience. There should be a struggling behind the scene, as if Osorio had taken him unawares, and was hurrying him down the Precipice. An exclamation or even groans would add still more to the interest of the scene.' MS. III erased.