Marina. And his son's prison ;-true, I have not

forgot it;

And if there were no other nearer, bitterer Remembrances, would thank the illustrious Memmo For pointing out the pleasures of the place. Memmo. Be calm!

Marina (looking up towards heaven.) I am; but
Oh, thou eternal God!

Canst thou continue so, with such a world?
Memmo. Thy husband yet may be absolved.
Marina.
He is,

In heaven. I pray you, signor senator,
Speak not of that; you are a man of office,
So is the Doge: he has a son at stake,
Now, at this moment, and I have a husband,
Or had, they are there within, or were at least
An hour since, face to face, as judge and culprit :
Will he condemn him?

Memmo.

Marina.

I trust not.

But if

He does not, there are those will sentence both.

There now would be no Venice. But let it

Live on, so the good die not, till the hour

Of nature's summons; but "the Ten's" is quicker, And we must wait on't. Ah! a voice of wail

[A faint cry within.

He shriek! No; that should be his father's part.
Not his-not his-he'll die in silence.

Memmo.

Again?

[A faint groan again within.

What!

Marina. His voice; it seem'd so: I will not
Believe it. Should he shrink, I cannot cease

To love; but-no-no-no-it must have been
A fearful pang which rung a groan from him.
Senator. And, feeling for thy husband's wrongs,
wouldst thou

Have him bear more than mortal pain, in silence? Marina. We all must bear our tortures. I have

not

Left barren the great house of Foscari,
Though they sweep both the Doge and son from

life;

I have endured as much in giving life

To those who will succeed them, as they can

In leaving it but mine were joyful pangs;

And yet they wrung me till I could have shriek'd, But did not, for my hope was to bring forth Heroes, and would not welcome them with tears. Memmo. All's silent now.

Marina.

Perhaps all's over; but

I will not deem it: he hath nerved himself,

And now defies them.

Enter an officer hastily.

Memmo. you?

VOL, V.--C

How now, friend, what seek

Officer. A leech. The prisoner has fainted.

Memmo.

"Twere better to retire.

Senator (offering to assist her.)

[Exit Officer. Lady,

I pray thee do so.

You! remember, lady!

Marina. Off! I will tend him.

Memmo.

Ingress is given to none within those chambers,
Except "the Ten," and their familiars.

Marina

Well,

I know that none who enter there return
As they have enter'd-many never; but
They shall not balk my entrance.

To trample on all human feelings, all

Ties which bind man to man, to emulate

The fiends, who will one day requite them in
Variety of torturing! Yet I'll pass.

Memmo. It is impossible.

Marina.

That shall be tried.

Despair defies even despotism: there is

That in my heart would make its way through hosts
With levell'd spears; and think you a few jailers
Shall put me from my path? Give me, then, way;
This is the Doge's palace; I am wife

Of the Duke's son, the innocent Duke's son,
And they shall hear this!

Memmo.

It will only serve

More to exasperate his judges.

Marina,

What

Are judges who give way to anger? they
Who do so are assassins. Give me way.

Even if she be so, cannot save her husband.
But see, the officer returns.

[The Officer passes over the stage with another person.

I hardly

Memmo.
Thought that the Ten had even this touch of pity,
Or would permit assistance to this sufferer.

Senator. Pity! Is't pity to recall to feeling
The wretch too happy to escape to death
By the compassionate trance, poor nature's last
Resource against the tyranny of pain?

Memmo I marvel they condemn him not at

once.

Senator. That's not their policy: they'd have him live,

Because he fears not death; and banish him,
Because all earth, except his native land,
To him is one wide prison, and each breath
Of foreign air he draws seems a slow poison,
Consuming but not killing.

Memmo.

Circumstance

Confirms his crimes, but he avows them not.

Senator. None, save the letter, which he says was written,

Address'd to Milan's duke, in the full knowledge
That it would fall into the senate's hands,

And thus he should be re-convey'd to Venice.
Memmo. But as a culprit.

Senator.

Yes, but to his country;

And that was all he sought, so he avouches.

Memmo. The accusation of the bribes was proved.

Senator. Not clearly, and the charge of homicide

Has been annull'd by the death-bed confession
Of Nicolas Erizzo, who slew the late

Chief of " the Ten."

Memmo.

Senator.

Then why not clear him?

They ought to answer; for it is well known
That Almoro Donato, as I said,

That

Was slain by Erizzo for private vengeance. Memmo. There must be more in this strange ⚫ process than

The apparent crimes of the accused discloseBut here come two of" the Ten;" let us retire. [Exeunt Memmo and Senator.

Enter Loredano and Barbarigo.

Barbarigo (addressing Loredano.) That were too much: believe me, 'twas not meet The trial should go further at this moment, Loredano. And so the Council must break up, and Justice

Pause in her full career, because a woman

Breaks in on our deliberations?

Barbarigo.

No,

That's not the cause; you saw the prisoner's state. Loredano. And had he not recover'd?

Barbarigo.

Upon the least renewal.

Loredano.

To relapse

"Twas not tried.

Barbarigo. 'Tis vain to murmur; the majority In council were against you.

Loredano.

Thanks to you, sir,

And the old ducal dotard, who combined

The worthy voices which o'erruled my own.

Barbarigo. I am a judge; but must confess that

part