SCENE V

NEPI: _a sullen evening over the volcanic country_. DUKE CESARE DE VALENTINOIS DELLA ROMAGNA _lies stretched on a black litter along the terrace of the castle, under a clump of pomegranate-trees covered with blood-red apples_.

_A beautiful_ MUTE _sits on the ground and watches his every look or gesture_.

CESARE.

Banished from all the passion of events, While, like a sisterhood of Fates, at Rome, The Conclave sits-- While hot night compasses these empty hills That once had fire and action! [_To the girl at his feet._ O my Silence, What health in you, what pleasantness! A refuge, A sepulchre, yet not of death! They call Love blind: the finer love is dumb-- Our horses’ love, our dogs’, our falcons’, thine.

[_She rises by him to be caressed. As_ MADONNA DE’ CATANEI _comes to him, with a cup in her hand, the girl draws back and curls herself up in the roots of a cypress-tree_.

VANOZZA.

It is the hour: forgive me, I have brought you The draught, my Duke.... But let me take your hand, And guide it to your lips.

[_He drinks: suddenly she kisses the blond hair over his forehead._

You have been very near To death!

CESARE.

Its grey sea-bank that almost beached me Were bliss to this denuded country. Mother, You loved my father fierily?

VANOZZA.

God knows I mourn him; But as my very god I worshipped him.

CESARE.

I am no Prince.... My lands Are almost gone; only the citadels Keep pledge of my old force. You and your Pope Gave me no tenure on the earth. I curse you, I curse you both. What was there left but ashes For me, he being extinguished?

VANOZZA.

Excellence, you brought me Along with you, and from our enemies, For safety.

CESARE.

--It is blood, The fascination of deep heritage, Compels the old race back to every city I vaunted mine.... I do not want you near, I brought you out of danger. Openly You are my mother, openly I drew you Behind my litter to a refuge: always, Till I am powerless, you will feel my power, Protecting you....

_Enter_ MESSER AGAPITO DA AMALIA.

And is Giovanni Sforza Restored to Pesaro?

AGAPITO

My lord, he is.

[CESARE _makes a hissing groan_.

CESARE.

Is Guidobaldo in Urbino yet?

AGAPITO.

My lord, he is.

CESARE.

And all the Duchy lost?

AGAPITO.

All the fair Umbrian Duchy has relapsed From your control. [_A silence._

CESARE.

Pandolfo Malatesta Has entered Rimini?

AGAPITO.

Oh, cease to question More of your fortune, with the purple Of pestilence across your lips, the trembling Of fever in your hands of war, beloved.

CESARE.

Giacomo d’Appiano has returned To Piombino?

AGAPITO.

Yes.

CESARE.

Ah, to my Piombino, Messer da Vinci Has re-erected for defence, a jewel Wrought by a cunning jeweller, a threat To Florence, a towered joy! So d’Appiano Calls it his own again?

AGAPITO.

Yes, and it called him back.

CESARE.

Agapito, there still is worse behind. Something not said is in you--publish it!

AGAPITO.

Don Michelotto by the Florentines With his whole troop is captured.

CESARE.

Michelotto! My curse on Florence! Messer Macchiavelli Promised safe-conduct to him ... and delayed, Playing me false.... What, Michelotto lost! All of my army, but these failing troops Camped on this sultry marl. Revolted dogs, That fawned about my chase! ... Agapito, Faithful, my pen, my representative As signature is of oneself, go yonder, Beside the cypress, gaze along the verge, Where the great plateaux bow down to its base From the Tiber valley: see if the Lord Vera Is riding hither With news of our new Pontiff. My suspense-- Forced by the Sacred College to withdraw, When ill almost to death, my troops and cannon Ten miles away from Rome! Agapito!

[_He lays his hand on his_ SECRETARY’S.

--Hot?

AGAPITO.

[_Kissing his hand._] Still the cruel sickness, empire’s canker? [_Turning to the cypress-mound_] I will look out.

[_He stands by the trees. The_ MUTE _half-rears herself up, her face to the horizon_.

CESARE.

[_To_ VANOZZA.] You gave me No rights: then why not happy chance? Of chance Has been my life, fortune my reeling glory. Why did you bear me under stars conspired Against the hour when fortune was supreme For gain or loss? I am a thing of hazard.... You could not breed even luck in me, or give me The moment that is power.

[VANOZZA _looks at him a long time in silence: then she falls on her knees at his side, and presses her lips against the ruby ring on his thumb_.

VANOZZA.

But I affirm You are more wonderful than all the stars; You are immortal for great fame, for greater Than I can give the wording of. I bore you-- You are sacred, sacred. All the saints of heaven Hold you in virtue! I had many dreams When you were born. My Prince, though I could give you No rights, and fortune is not in our hands To give it where we love, I give you faith, A mother’s, simple as the faith I give To the High God--though He were poor, and nowhere Had place to lay His head.

CESARE.

No marvel My father, God’s own Sovereign-Vicar, loved you For over twenty years and with deep fire, As Jove loved mortals, as he took Europa On broad bull-shoulders, over many seas, To the quiet cave where she should bear a king. No marvel that this beauty, Proud even to rudeness in its provocation, Was as his hearth! Rodrigo Borgia’s son Asks your forgiveness.

VANOZZA.

Excellence!... But loose me! Are you so strong? Your breath beats at the nostrils as his beat. Loose!... Let me meet Messer Agapito....

[_The_ MUTE _has pointed toward the horizon, touching_ AGAPITO’S _sleeve; he has watched intently for some time, and now advances_.

AGAPITO.

News, news, Signore! I did not tell you till these travellers Were at our very gates.

CESARE.

[_Shivering._] The dew comes down. Mother, the cloak with ermine! [_She goes out._

[_The_ MUTE _creeps under the bushes to the further side of the litter and takes_ CESARE’S _hand that falls that way_.

LORD CARDINAL GIOVANNI VERA OF PERUGIA _enters attended_.

VERA.

Della Rovere, Since you packed cards with him to save your Duchy, Vicariate and Gonfaloniership, Selling him all your Spanish votes, has triumphed, Yea, of your making, is Pope Julius now, Julius the Second.

CESARE.

Julius--Cesar Must be allies.

VERA.

I knelt down at his feet, I told his Holiness you lay in peril, Close on your death, and longed to die in Rome.

CESARE.

[_With a laugh._] Well, he was touched?

VERA.

He welcomes you, Gives you your old apartments in the Palace, And only dwarfs your escort to a hundred And fifty men.

CESARE.

[_Touching_ VERA’S _wrist_.] Lord Vera, He told me, in hot pleading of his cause, Perchance I was his son. Conceive it, Vera-- Twice of St. Peter’s line! We are complaisant, For we can take all glory at its worth.

[MADONNA DE’ CATANEI _returns with the cloak of crimson and ermine. She and the_ MUTE _wrap it round_ CESARE’S _shoulders_.

O mother, hear! [_Breaking into merry laughter._ The Vatican receives us as before; The Vatican! [VANOZZA _brushes tears from her eyes_. And shortly We shall recover all our own again, Rimini, Piombino, Imola, The duchies and the principalities. Even now each fortress in Romagna keeps As a locked coffer proof against our foes. The Vatican! The Stanze! The Gonfalon! We hold our very course.