Aye, send thy miserable
ruffians
forth;
They never shall return.
They never shall return.
Byron
_
Lo! it sounds--it tolls!
_Doge_ (_aloud_).
Hark, Signor of the Night! and you, ye hirelings,
Who wield your mercenary staves in fear,
It is your knell. --Swell on, thou lusty peal!
Now, knaves, what ransom for your lives?
_Sig_. Confusion!
Stand to your arms, and guard the door--all's lost 230
Unless that fearful bell be silenced soon.
The officer hath missed his path or purpose,
Or met some unforeseen and hideous obstacle,[ey]
Anselmo, with thy company proceed
Straight to the tower; the rest remain with me.
[_Exit part of the Guard. _
_Doge_. Wretch! if thou wouldst have thy vile life, implore it;
It is not now a lease of sixty seconds.
Aye, send thy miserable ruffians forth;
They never shall return.
_Sig_. So let it be!
They die then in their duty, as will I. 240
_Doge_. Fool! the high eagle flies at nobler game
Than thou and thy base myrmidons,--live on,
So thou provok'st not peril by resistance,
And learn (if souls so much obscured can bear
To gaze upon the sunbeams) to be free.
_Sig_. And learn thou to be captive. It hath ceased,
[_The bell ceases to toll_.
The traitorous signal, which was to have set
The bloodhound mob on their patrician prey--
The knell hath rung, but it is not the Senate's!
_Doge_ (_after a pause_).
All's silent, and all's lost!
_Sig_. Now, Doge, denounce me 250
As rebel slave of a revolted Council!
Have I not done my duty?
Lo! it sounds--it tolls!
_Doge_ (_aloud_).
Hark, Signor of the Night! and you, ye hirelings,
Who wield your mercenary staves in fear,
It is your knell. --Swell on, thou lusty peal!
Now, knaves, what ransom for your lives?
_Sig_. Confusion!
Stand to your arms, and guard the door--all's lost 230
Unless that fearful bell be silenced soon.
The officer hath missed his path or purpose,
Or met some unforeseen and hideous obstacle,[ey]
Anselmo, with thy company proceed
Straight to the tower; the rest remain with me.
[_Exit part of the Guard. _
_Doge_. Wretch! if thou wouldst have thy vile life, implore it;
It is not now a lease of sixty seconds.
Aye, send thy miserable ruffians forth;
They never shall return.
_Sig_. So let it be!
They die then in their duty, as will I. 240
_Doge_. Fool! the high eagle flies at nobler game
Than thou and thy base myrmidons,--live on,
So thou provok'st not peril by resistance,
And learn (if souls so much obscured can bear
To gaze upon the sunbeams) to be free.
_Sig_. And learn thou to be captive. It hath ceased,
[_The bell ceases to toll_.
The traitorous signal, which was to have set
The bloodhound mob on their patrician prey--
The knell hath rung, but it is not the Senate's!
_Doge_ (_after a pause_).
All's silent, and all's lost!
_Sig_. Now, Doge, denounce me 250
As rebel slave of a revolted Council!
Have I not done my duty?
