See the Morn of Freedom rise,
Bright'ning glorious in our skies;
Before the vivifying ray

The night of vassalage fades away,
And Despotism dies;

Melting from our dazzled sight,
Like unto dissolving spray
In the depths of liquid light.

*Justice rules with high dominion,
Genius plumes his eagle pinion,
Every patriot soul is burning,
Kindled with the sacred flame,
Golden ages are returning,
Eras of eternal Fame!

And thou great Rodna! lab'ring to the skies,
Where Fame aloft holds back the solemn prize,
Tempting thy soul to achieve each dangerous
Now that thy well-concerted toils succeed,

deed;

Thy country's plausive voice shall prove thy glorious meed..

Once again with power array'd,
Snow-clad Dacia lifts her head,
Gaily bright'ning in the blaze,
Rodna, of thy hard-earn'd praise.
Her free spirits, here assembled,
In divine equality,

To catch the accents of thy voice,

To which their hearts have ofttimes trembled,

When it called on Liberty,

Hail thee, Champion of their choice!

Hungaria's advocate! whose patriot zeal

Pleads energetic, and ensures her weal,

By thine omnipotence of tongue,

Behold the fell despoiler flung

From that arbitrary throne,

Whose glittering pomp her false ambition fed,

And made indignant nations groan.

To righteous Rodna now she bows her rayless head!

Move your feet to our sound,

Whilst we greet all this ground

With his honour and his name,

Who defends our lives from shame.

Sons of Genius! Souls of fire!
Sweep with daring hand the lyre,
For ne'er did Duna's haunted stream
To our patriot poet's dream

Like argument inspire.

Worth alone shall reign victorious;
Pomp unequalled! Triumph glorious!
Feudal power the neck is bending,
He hath heard the stern decree;
See the serfs their bonds are rending,
Hungary rise! Rejoice! You are free!

(A voice without.)

Make way there for her Highness!

Mob. Break off! The Queen approaches. (The crowd and soldiery leave a passage for the Queen, through which she advances up the stage.)

Qu.

Ro.

Masters!..

(Aside.) Dogs! Masters!..

To the Mob, with a forced calmness.)

My good subjects, what's the cause You make my house your inn? Have I been gracious,

Have I been ever mild, and must my state

Be forced to stoop so low, that you can violate
My privacy unbidden?

Now rate her roundly.

1st Mob. We will have none other than Rodna. 2nd. He shall be Marshal !

3rd. Make him Palatine!

4th. Let Bankban bleed!

5th. And him, too, that led the army hither from Waradin,

The murderer of Ragotski!

Qu. Leave not me out, but to your list of slaughter
Couple a royal name, and grace the scroll

That tells your triumph;-all shall be let blood,
So please ye will it so.

We'll have no tyrants!

1st Mob.
Qu. (Vehemently) Shiver my crown to fragments!

You rule illegally.

Mob. Qu. (Vehemently) Take each of ye a gem, and reign together!

Mob. You keep no faith.

Qu. (Vehemently) My sceptre answers that! Yonder it sleeps;

It has grown out of use,.. that's plain.. Let it go.
None set me else? Come! What have you to say ?
And you? and you? (To LORD RODNA) And
you?

1st Mob. What means this?

Qu. (In excess of passion.)

Tear my dominions into shreds. . . divide me! And the Tartars overwhelm ye! [Exit. Ro. For all this spice of temper, fellow Citizens, Be not put off your rights. Passion is female, She is female all: capricious, apt to flame With every little check; and then she shoots Vagaries out of the mind, as children sparks From fire-sticks.

Qu.

Ro.

Qu.

(Re-enter QUEEN.)

Will ye rather, Sirs, anoint
Some upstart with the regal unction? Make him
Palatine? Is't so? Marshal? And what then?
The topmost round comes next. 'Tis you I talk of,
The devil that tents in your eye, betrays you
know it.

Most puissant Prince be thou at full ourself:
There is the throne. Ascend!

Your friends will cry All hail! and royalty
Shall be your subject, for in common view
Myself will grace your pageant with my chains.
(Aside)-Oh that my knight were come!

Please you, my Liege,

Are you content that I assume

(Interrupting)-Assume?

You do assume, be I content or not.

Ro. The generalship of the armies?

Qu.

Ro.

Any thing:

I have a little power, . . not much-Ï'll sign
My shame anon: order the rest. In turn,
I am bound to beg one boon?

Qu. (Solemnly)—

Name it your Highness.

Thou dost inflict such injuries upon me,

As if I were not that I am.

(With commanding passion)-Begone!

That's what I have to beg. Get hence! My hate Should rest betwixt my soul and Heaven, who knows

It is the only worship I can lift

To the great King of kings.

(Enter NADASTIS, and approaches the Queen
in an abrupt disturbed manner.)

Qu. (In a quick hollow voice.)—Speak it at once!

(NADASTIS whispers the Queen.) Qu. You put my breath from me. They will not stir? Ye naked chasms of voracious earth

Qu.

Swallow them! Oh my brain!

(NADASTIS speaks low again.) A prisoner!

Lord Waradin? God Man! And on what charge.? (NADASTIS speaks low again.)

Qu. Murder! Murder of whom? Who arraigns him? Who dares? Impossible! The laws are mine. Oh death! He was my last best hope, and now I've none, save Heaven only. [Exit NADASTIS. (The QUEEN, absorbed in thought, retires up the stage.)

(Enter HASSAN.)

HA.

My good Lord.

Ro.

Well, what now Hassan?

HA. I have both your enemies under lock and key,

Your greatness is at flow.

Ro.

If I dont think it!

on the

Fortune rains showers: I'll cast me

waters, Swelled up unto their height. Roll on ye waves Of time! but whither? While I dream, I die. (Leans his back against the throne, with his eyes fixed on the ground.)

Qu. (Aside)

(QUEEN comes forward.)

The pain of this is gone. My soul doth pause.

Within me, it is as the hollow rest

Of the high tempest, and my dearest hopes
Have dashed themselves to pieces. I have
considered

What fits my state. I'll make my fate mine own,
By being owner of a constancy

That shall controul it. (To RODNA)-My Lord
Palatine,

What's to ensue?

Ro. (Roused.)-But wholesome rigour; chiefly,
That for your safety, for the which I bend
My studies, both these traitors should be sentenced
To death.

Qu. (With a faint shriek)—

Ro. Qu.

Not death! O'God's name, dear my Lord,
Have your desires with interest: you'll use
The staff of office worth'ly, and in th' scope
Of law, the Palatine should be our Marshal,
But for

Pray plead no more.

Who pleads? The blows Shower'd upon Tartar crests at Waradin, plead Loudly to bribe his life. . . Since it is so Ro. His crime is capital, and he must die, Lest the innocent land teem traitors.

Qu.

Ro.

....

Traitors! God! He is not choked! To move you I will ransom Him with my own deserts. Tell thou thy Queen She may dispose of him.

Firm is their doom,

Ro.

I am Queen Gertrude yet! Then do I sue,
And my breath lack persuasion? They are free:
I bid them live.

They are respited until
To morrow's dawn,-so much we tender them.