Aro. Those are the Danes that witness to my shame! Gust. Perish the opprobrious term! Not so, Arvida; Myself will be the guardian of thy fame; While I attend them, clear that cloud, my brother, [Exit. Arv. Of thy Gustavus! O wretch, wretch, cursed wretch! What is this time and place, and toys of circum stance, That wind our actions so, as Heaven's own hand Thus, thus to be driven out from my own breast! Enter GUSTAVus, followed by the Dalecarlians, 3d Dale. Let us be sure 'tis he himself. 4th Dale. Our general. 5th Dale. And we will fight while weapons can be found. 6th Dale. Or hands to wield them. 7th Dale. Get on the bank, Gustavus. And. Do, my lord. Gust. My countrymen ! 1st Dale. Ho! hear him! 2d Dale. Peace! 3d Dale. Peace! 4th Dale. Peace! Gust. Amazement, I perceive, hath filled your hearts, And joy, for that your lost Gustavus, 'scaped, Through wounds, imprisonments, and chains, and deaths, Thus sudden, thus unlooked for, stands before ye! Who quaff the tears of orphans, bathe in blood, And. O, they are villains, every Dane of them, Practised to stab and smile-to stab the babe That smiles upon them! Arn. What accursed hours Roll o'er those wretches, who, to fiends like these, Gust. O Liberty! Heaven's choice prerogative! Like the bold stork you seek the wintery shore, Beam glory to the nations! All. Liberty! Liberty! Gust. Are ye not marked, ye men of Dalecar. lia, Are ye not marked, by all the circling world, From the proud summit of their glittering thrones Through the famed course of thirteen hundred years, Aloof hath held invasion from your hills, 2d Dale. Never, never! 4th Dale. Die all! Gust. Yes, die by piecemeal! Leave not a limb o'er which a Dane may triumph! Now, from my soul, I joy, I joy, my friends, 3 S To see ye feared; to see that even your foes ter: True courage but from opposition grows; That strikes for liberty?-That strikes to save And his large honours from eternal infamy? What, doubt we then? Shall we, shall we stand here, Till motives, that might warm an ague's frost, 3d Dale. On! lead us on, Gustavus! one word more Is but delay of conquest. Gust. Take your wish. He, who wants arms, may grapple with the foe, Thin though our ranks, though scanty be our bands, Bold are our hearts, and nervous are our hands! With us, truth, justice, fame, and freedom close, Each, singly, equal to an host of foes. I feel, I feel them fill me out for fight, They lift my limbs as feathered Hermes light! Or, like the bird of glory, towering high, Thunder within his grasp, and lightning in his eye! [Exeunt. ACT IV. SCENE I.-Before the camp. Enter CRISTIERN, TROLLIO, and Attendants. Crist. YOUR observation's just; I see it, Trollio: Men are machines, with all their boasted freedom; Their movements turn upon some favourite sion; Let art but find the latent foible out, And to the spur unspeedy: They who boast it And such Arvida was; though now, I trust, pas-He is too far advanced in our designs To think of a retreat. We touch the spring, and wind them at our plea sure. Troll. Let Heaven spy out for virtue, and then starve it! But vice and frailty are the statesman's quarry, The objects of our search, and of our science; Marked by our smiles, and cherished by our bounty. 'Tis hence, you lord it o'er your servile senates; How low the slaves will stoop to gorge their lusts, When aptly baited! even the tongues of patriots (Those sons of clamour) oft relax the nerve Within the warmth of favour. Crist. How else should kings subsist? For what is power, But the nice conduct of another's weakness? That thing called virtue is the bane of govern ment, A libel on the state, that asks suppression; Troll. Impossible! Crist. Then you have seen him? Tell me, tell me, Peterson; What said he? Eh! How looked the mighty rebel? His means, his scope, the pride of his presump tion Give me the whole! Peter. Last night, my gracious lord, While yet I held your messenger in conference, Arrived, who brought a letter from Gustavus, Wherein, digesting many flagrant terms Of mutinous import against the state Of your high dignity, by morning light He prayed me to attend him; boasting much Of plenteous hopes, and means of boldest enterprize. Of this I gave you notice; and ere dawn Crist. Who were his adherents? Peter. The traitor Anderson, and a few friends, To whom, ere I set out, he stood revealed. And when I seemed to question on his powers Of rivalship, the props whereon he meant To lift contention to the princely front Of such high opposition; he replied, His powers were near your person. Crist. How! what's here? [Looks on the pacquet. To Laurens, Aland, Haquin, and Roderic! Confusion! Treason's in our camp! Who's there? Gent. My liege! Crist. Bear this to Norbi The Swedish captains. -Bid him seize Once more return Gustavus to the battle, [Gives a signet. New nerve his arm, and wreath his brow with Troll. Might I but presumeCrist. I will not be controuled-bid him seize all, Soldiers and chiefs! by hell, there's not a Swede, But lurks an instrument to prompt rebellion, And plots upon my life! Look there, 'tis evident: [Gives Trollio a letter. They are all leagued, confederate with Gustavus, The abettors of his treason. Trol. It should seem so: And yet it should not-Tell me, Peterson, too warm To give the least cold colour for suspicion. Troll. I fear, my friend, I fear he has o'erreached you. conquest; Say, would you not repent that e'er you saved This dreadful man, the foe of your great race; Who pours impetuous in his country's cause To spoil you of a kingdom? Cristina. No, my friend. Had I to death, or bondage, sold my sire, But death ere night must fill a long account; As a rocked infant's meekness; such as tempts, Cristina. Then you found him. Luer. I did: and warned him, but in vain; for death To him appeared more grateful than to find Cristina. Give me the manner-quick-soft, good Laertes! Enter CRISTIERN, TROLLIO, Peterson, Crist. Damned, double traitor! O cursed, false Arvida! Guard well the Swedish prisoners, bind them With gallant shew your thousand Danes rode forth, But shall return no more! I marked for action, A band of desperate resolutes rush on them, Scarce numbering to a tenth, and in mid way They closed; the shock was dreadful, nor your Danes Could bear the madding charge; a while they stood; Then shrunk, and broke, and turned- -When, lo, behind, Fast wheeling from the right and left, there poured, Who intercepted their return, and, caught Crist. 'Tis Gustavus ! No mortal else, not Ammon's boasted son, Crist. And no more? Offi. No more, That yet appear. Crist. We count six times their sum. To check this frenzy in your son-look to it, Aug. Come, my Gustava, come, my little cap tive!. We shall be free; our tyrant is grown kind; Gustava. Will you go, mother? Aug. So help me, mercy! Yes, I'll go, my And I will give thee to thy father's fondness, In Heaven; who sit on thrones, with loves, and joys, Crist. Is this my answer? Come forth, ye ministers of death, come forth! Enter Ruffians, whọ seize Augusta and Gustava. Pluck them asunder! We shall prove you, lady! 'Tis my damned lot, thus ever to be crossed With rank blown pride, and insolence eternal. Gustava. O mother, take me, take me from these men! They fright me with their looks. Aug. Alas, my child, I cannot take thee from them. Gustava. O, they will hurt me: can't you take me, mother? Aug. They can't, they cannot hurt you, my | Too narrow for thy claim. But if thou think'st Gustava. Fear not, my little one! your name should be A charm o'er cowardice, for you are called After your valiant brother; he'll disown you, He will not love you, if you fear, Gustava. Cristina. Ah! I can hold no longer. sir, Royal Thus on my knees, and lower, lower still- Aug. Ha! who art thou? That look'st so like the inhabitants of Heaven, Crist. Away, they come. I'll hear no more of your ill-timed petitions. Crist. I will none on't; leave me ! Offi. My liege, Gustavus, though with much re- Consents to one hour's truce. His soldiers rest Crist. I see, fall back Stand firm-Be ready, slaves, and, on the word, Hold! Gust. Ha! it is, it is my mother! Crist. Tell me, Gustavus, tell me why is this? The imperious rights, the sanctitude of kings, Gust. Justice! Sanctitude! That crowns are vilely propertied, like coin, Not even the high anointing hand of Heaven Absolves all faith; and who invades our rights, Crist. Licentious traitor! thou canst talk it. Who made thee umpire of the rights of kings, Gust. Mistaken man! I come, empowered and strengthened in thy weak ness. For though the structure of a tyrant's throne Troll. Profane, and alien to the love of heaven! As sacred to damnation? Gust. Yes, I know, When such as thou, with sacrilegious hand, And rights! O patience! Rights! What rights, To shut out virtue, and unfold those gates, thou tyrant? Yes, if perdition be the rule of power; If wrongs give right; O then, supreme in mischief! Thou wert the lord, the monarch of the world! That heaven itself had barred against the lusts |