Chapter 13

RENUCHIO _bringeth_ GISMUND _out of her chamber, to whom_ TANCRED _saith_.

TANCRED. Renuchio, depart: leave us alone. [_Exit_ RENUCHIO. Gismund, if either I could cast aside All care of thee! or if thou wouldst have had Some care of me, it would not now betide, That either thorough thy fault my joy should fade, Or by thy folly I should bear the pain Thou hast procur'd: but now 'tis neither I Can shun the grief, whom thou hast more than slain: Nor may'st thou heal or ease the grievous wound Which thou hast given me. That unstained life, Wherein I joy'd, and thought it thy delight, Why hast thou lost it? Can it be restor'd? Where is thy widowhood, there is thy shame. Gismund, it is no man's nor men's report, That have by likely proofs inform'd me thus. Thou know'st how hardly I could be induc'd To vex myself, and be displeas'd with thee, With flying tales of flattering sycophants. No, no, there was in us such settled trust Of thy chaste life and uncorrupted mind That if these eyes had not beheld thy shame. In vain ten thousand censures could have told That thou didst once unprincelike make agree With that vile traitor County Palurin: Without regard had to thyself or me, Unshamefastly to stain thy state and mine. But I, unhappiest, have beheld the same, And, seeing it, yet feel th'exceeding grief That slays my heart with horror of that thought: Which grief commands me to obey my rage, And justice urgeth some extreme revenge, To wreak the wrongs that have been offer'd us. But nature, that hath lock'd within thy breast Two lives, the same inclineth me to spare Thy blood, and so to keep mine own unspilt. This is that overweening love I bear To thee undutiful, and undeserved. But for that traitor, he shall surely die; For neither right nor nature doth entreat For him, that wilfully, without all awe Of gods or men, or of our deadly hate, Incurr'd the just displeasure of his king; And to be brief, I am content to know What for thyself thou canst object to us, Why thou should'st not together with him die. So to assuage the griefs that overthrow Thy father's heart.

GISMUND. O king and father, humbly give her leave To plead for grace, that stands in your disgrace. Not that she recks this life,[72] for I confess I have deserv'd, when so it pleaseth you, To die the death, mine honour and my name, As you suppose, distained with reproach: And well contented shall I meet the stroke That must dissever this detested head From these lewd limbs. But this I wish were known, That now I live not for myself alone. For when I saw that neither my request, Nor the entreaty of my careful aunt, Could win your highness' pleasure to our will; "Then love, heat of the heart, life of the soul, Fed by desire, increasing by restraint," Would not endure controlment any more, But violently enforc'd my feeble heart (For who am I, alas! still to resist Such endless conflicts?) to relent and yield: Therewith I chose him for my lord and pheer, Guiscard mine Earl, that holds my love full dear. Then if it be so settled in your mind, He shall not live, because he dar'd to love Your daughter: thus I give your grace to know. Within his heart there is inclos'd my life. Therefore, O father, if that name may be Sweet to your ears, and that we may prevail By name of father, that you favour us: But otherwise, if now we cannot find That which our falsed hope did promise us; Why then proceed, and rid our trembling hearts Of these suspicions; since neither in this case His good deserts in service to your grace, Which always have been just, nor my desires, May mitigate the cruel rage of grief That strains your heart, but that mine Earl must die; Then all in vain you ask, what I can say, Why I should live. Sufficeth for my part To say I will not live, and so resolve.

TANCRED. Dar'st thou so desperate decree thy death?

GISMUND. A dreadless heart delights in such decrees.

TANCRED. Thy kind abhorreth such unkindly thoughts.

GISMUND. Unkindly thoughts they are to them that live In kindly love.

TANCRED. As I do unto thee.

GISMUND. To take his life who is my love from me?

TANCRED. Have I then lost thy love?

GISMUND. If he shall lose His life, that is my love.

TANCRED. Thy love? Begone. Return into thy chamber.

GISMUND. I will go.

[GISMUND _departeth to her chamber_.