Gersa. In mine it will.
I blush to think of my unchastened tongue;
But I was haunted by the monstrous
ghost
Of all our slain battalions. Sire, reflect,
And pardon you will grant, that, at this hour,
The bruisèd remnants
of our stricken camp
Are huddling undistinguished, my dear friends,
With common thousands, into shallow
graves.
Otho. Enough, most noble Gersa. You are free
To cheer the brave remainder of your host
By your own
healing presence, and that, too.
Not as their leader merely, but their king;
For, as I hear, the wily enemy
Who
eased the crownet from your infant brows,
Bloody Taraxa, is among the dead.
Gersa. Then I retire, so generous Otho, please,
Bearing with me a weight of benefits
Too heavy to be
borne.
Otho. It is not so;
Still, understand me, King of Hungary,
Nor judge my open purposes awry.
Though I did
hold you high in my esteem
For your self’s sake, I do not personate
The stage-play emperor to entrap
applause,
To set the silly sort o’ the world agape,
And make the politic smile; no, I have heard
How in the
Council you condemned this war,
Urging the perfidy of broken faith,—
For that I am your friend.
Gersa. If ever, sire,
You are my enemy, I dare here swear
’Twill not be Gersa’s fault. Otho, farewell!
Otho. Will you return, prince, to our banqueting?
Gersa. As to my father’s board I will return.
Otho. Conrad, with all due ceremony, give
The prince a regal escort to his camp;
Albert, go thou and
bear him company.
Gersa, farewell!
Gersa. All happiness attend you!
Otho. Return with what good speed you may, for soon
We must consult upon our terms of peace.
[Exeunt Gersa and Albert with others.
To prop my empire’s dome. Conrad, in thee
I have another steadfast one, to uphold
The portals of my state; and, for my own
Pre-eminence and safety, I will strive
To keep thy strength upon its pedestal.
For, without thee, this day I might have been
A show-monster about the streets of Prague,
In chains, as just now stood that noble prince:
And then to me no mercy had been shown,
For when the conquered lion is once dungeoned
Who lets him forth again, or dares to give
An old lion sugar- cakes of mild reprieve?
Not to thine ear alone I make confession,
But to all here, as, by experience,
I know how the great basement of all power
Is frankness, and a true tongue to the world;
And how intriguing secrecy is proof
Of fear and weakness, and a hollow state.
Conrad, I owe thee much.
Conrad. To kiss that hand,
My Emperor, is ample recompense
For a mere act of duty.
Otho. Thou art wrong;
For what can any man on earth do more?
We will make trial of your house’s welcome,
My
bright Auranthe!
Conrad. How is Friedburg honoured!
Enter Ethelbert and six Monks
Ethelbert. The benison of Heaven on your head,
Imperial Otho!
Otho. Who stays me? Speak! Quick!
Ethelbert. Pause but one moment, mighty conqueror,
Upon the threshold of this house of joy.
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