Act 4

Scene 1

Doña Elvire, Leonor

I must now dare to be an awkward friend,
Since I can’t bear your strange behaviour:
Within an hour you have forgot Moncade,
That poor, sad, perfect man.

            He is disgraced.

And is he less because of that disgrace?
What, can your heart feel such a tenderness,
And then, just like that, when you should so choose,
Replace your lovers like your handkerchiefs?

You don’t find my behaviour very shrewd?
I loved Moncade while he was lovable,
When favour coined his love a precious jewel,
Surrounded everywhere by games and cheer;
And I tried hard to have him for my own,
Since I am always seeking smiles and joy.
But now this great reversal shows in him
A soul full up with troubles and despair,
That he is less a thing of joy than tears;
How could I then see him as the same man?
Where would my soul be, or my acumen?
Support a little now your reasoning.

Why it would show a daring constancy,
And courage......

      What, nothing that’s more tangible?
Fie on your constancy, ‘tis out of style,
A fairy tale dressed up as righteousness;
If our ancestors were caught up in it,
The great wide world is well-recovered now.
Believe me, Leonor, right now at court
We don’t believe in putting chains on love;
Since he’s a child, we think he likes to laugh,
And rather than torture, we play with him.

‘Tis true that seeing how you treat his flame,
I can’t deny you think it all a game.
But I must know one thing most certainly,
Did not you love Moncade ere his disgrace?
Was that a bluff, or no?

         You know me well,
I hate all lovely things, and never love;
Whatever might remove from me the name
Of greatest beauty I hate mortally.
Our Lindamire seemed more charming than me
When she had the King’s favourite in her thrall.
As soon as she had charmed his honoured eyes,
She brought down in an instant all my rage.
But hatred for the mistress spurred me on,
I never loved the Lover, which to show
With further proof, I have a conquest made
This very hour; I having cast a glance
Towards Don Lope, I suspect by now
He has been firmly snared by my good looks.

The more you speak, the less I understand.
This way of loving, and this sudden change,
Is mystifying to plain folk like me.
But let that go, love has its mysteries
Which it deigns not impart on simpletons;
So change you may, and hate him too, I guess.
But with Clotaire betraying him, Elvire,
‘Tis lowest baseness of a feeble soul.

Should I rather take part in his disgrace,
And spend my fairest days in banishment
Because of some belief that helps no one?
I’ve thought everything through most carefully:
Since I loved Lindamire as I myself,
Since she doth love Moncade, she might, in sorrow,
Let slip some gripe and be exiled with him,
Now, if her love brings her to such extremes,
Suspicion then would fall on me, her friend.
The least of envy coming near the King
Might with a breath direct his rage on me.
So I must from this scandal free myself
By showing that I am their enemy.
By seeming keen to not be seen with them,
I pull myself clear out of danger’s way.
In fact, someone might think me generous:
Exile is good for such unhappy souls.
I thank the skies my heart does not desire
Ambition, knowing this is what it costs.
Let those that seek it penetrate those heights,
I’ll never trust its false illusion’s charms.
I know what glory is, and sincere love,
But I do loathe disgrace, and love the court.
Resplendent eyes are tarnished with fat tears,
Three days of suffering saps us of our charms,
And I like mine, and want to keep them whole;
That’s why I swore that I would never cry.
My thoughts are these, do take them or them leave,
I want no further disagreement now.
If you like suffering, let us split the bill:
You weep for me, and I will laugh for you.
Does that sound good to you?

            I can no more,
I did not look for this— but what’s this Page?

‘Tis from dear Don Lope. What is’t?

Scene 2

[Enter Page]

               This note
Will let you know, Madame.

           I smell his hand.

Since I met thine eyes, e’en now,
I, without my bidding, sense
In myself impatience,
It to quell, I know not how;
My soul I feel doth move a strange new way,
My heart is soft, though thrown as on the sea;
I know not what ‘tis, but, Madame, dare say
This pain may have no other cure but thee.

Ha! Nothing more gallant. Tell me, my friend,
How does your virtue like this love letter?
I go not out tonight, Page, he may come.
Tell him to find me here, and serve me so.   [Exit Page]

Scene 3

Well now, dear constancy, my style of love
Is’t more delightful, or uncomfortable?
Go on, what say you?

         That a flame so quick
Will go out just as quick, and ‘tis no prize.

A pretty moral. There, there, I’m content
That it should only fill a vacancy;
I leave the rest to chance, who always comes,
And would, if he were constant, kiss me so.
At least he saves me from the cruel disgrace
Of being young and pretty with no lover.
Here comes Clotaire. All’s well, Seigneur?

Scene 4

[Enter Clotaire]

               Good luck
Continues with its favour unto us.
Listen now to a most important scheme,
Which will escape us if we do not act:
Disgusted by the fury of the King
Goes precious Lindamire all with Moncade
Into exile, and pledges him her troth.

O gods! Who would have thought her such a prude!
But how come you to know of this event?

A man I keep in her employ in secret
Who loves me dearly let me know of this;
Moncade’s exile is to a far province
Where Lindamire reigns almost like a Prince,
It having once belonged to her own house,
And this arrangement may conceal some treason;
If so indeed, Madame, such an intrigue
Would grant us high influence in the court,
The King being alerted by us two.
Just think of the position that awaits:
No single favour could escape our grasp,
And we could fill the exile’s vacancy.

O skies! Let’s run and tell this precious news.

What, you agree to this abhorrent crime?
This cruel treason?

      Oh, see the heroine?
Is it a crime to be political?
Do you know just what misery and pain
Are owed unto rebellious subjects’ friends?

Elvire has got it right. It has been said
That all one’s friends take part in one’s own crime.
Believe me, Leonor, don’t get involved.
We dally too much on this vital plan,
Let’s find the King. But for your part, Madame,
I would be loathe to cast blame on a woman.
Might you...

     Of course, Seigneur, I’ll take it on.

Let’s go. But look! The Prince comes here himself.

Scene 5

[Enter The King and Carlos]

Just Skies! Must it be, in this savage time,
A true and honest friend has grown so rare?

Might I, Seigneur, without disturbing you,
Impart some news unto your Majesty?

Thou mayst.

     I find it difficult to say:
That noble person, with a glorious heart,
Whose soul had stood unmoved by Cupid’s darts,
Lindamire, in a word, has come to love;
She will accompany Moncade’s journey,
Pity at last conquers her strong courage;
She had a heart of steel, love frightened her.
But great hearts to compassion bend and break.

Is’t possible, O gods, that vanity!
That fierce beauty!

         Seigneur, yes, even her!
Will she then share in her lover’s exile?

Who could have guessed at such a turn from her?

Seigneur, exemplary virtues are oft
No more than masks to hide all bad affairs;
Ne’er put your faith into a heart of stone,
That seems impervious to love’s approach,
We don’t love less, we who know to pretend,
And our flames can be more endurable.

How could they love so, and in banishment...

I love her so, Seigneur, the gods save me;
Yet she deserves your righteous punishment,
For following an exile who spurned you;
My heart for loving her should too be shunned,
And yet might Heaven still preserve me yet
That you may judge Elvire’s true sentiments.
Seigneur, if I may so presume to say,
There may be more disgruntled courtesans,
If I judge rightly on this banishment.
I know not much, but I do know women,
I know how spite can reign within their souls.
You have her soul hurt where ‘tis delicate.
I understand not what it is to rule,
But were I you, I would suspect her much.
Witness what she may do, and think on it.

If I might say a word or two on that,
Seigneur, suspicion is most sensible.
Great Kings like you do seldom take notice
And stoop yourselves to look among the rabble,
Your thoughts are occupied with grand projects,
And but in passing hear your subjects’ wish.
But we less potent ones, we common folk
Have made an art of seeing others’ minds,
We note all things, nothing escapes our eyes.
And so, as one humble and curious
I dare step forward on this point to say
That it is wise to survey Lindamire.
I fear this voyage has a plural bent;
Recall where Moncade keeps his other house.

The crucial nature of this information
Shall be rewarded with its proper due.
Yet thy great zeal was not sought after here,
I am surprised to find it come from thee,
Thou being not my subject.

             Lord, your grace
Does sway to you more hearts than does your crown.
And once one has the joy of seeing you,
All thoughts must bend to doing you all good.

Thou dost confuse me, Prince; my good genius
Doth work aforce to reconcile this case,
Since Moncade surely must have won thy heart.
He seemed always to treat thee most warmly,
I now recall it was at his own prayer
That I did rescue thee in this last war;
And further, it was his own steadfast zeal
That brought you in asylum to this place.
Such service done for thy sole benefit
Did seem to hold thy heart as in his net,
And thou wert most suspicious, as I thought.

Me? Suspect? Me, Seigneur, my heart captured?
If I received such benefits from someone,
I knew it all did flow from your kind hand:
Whatever be the stream that carries them,
You are their source, and I owe all to you.

Scene 6

[Enter LINDAMIRE, unseen]

Yes. But thy friendship, which thou seemedst to show?

Hear this.

   I loved the favour of his master,
And never was there for me more delight
Than gratefully receiving his King’s gifts.
If I must make my feelings known to you,
My heart wished you might be less generous:
We all saw with regret his favour grow,
And your best subjects murmured secretly.

He tells you true, Seigneur, and if I may,
In fact, I found his ego sickening.

You craven..

     All the Kingdom felt like us.

‘Tis true, Seigneur, this information’s crucial.

O good gods, Lindamire!

         And souls like these
Give helpful service for the good of crowns.
Go on, continue with your honest counsel,
Endeavour to defame an injured friend,
Lay out before our eyes a fancied crime,
‘Tis all that comes from Elvire and Clotaire.
Oh! Great King, can it be your Majesty
Suffers such baseness and such cowardice?
Your kingdom’s glory, Prince, amazing Monarch,
See you without a wince this loathsome pair?

Calm thou, calm thou this frenzy most extreme,
We know the source of this behaviour.
They have informed me of thy happy voyage
That Moncade’s love today sets thee upon.
Thou’st no doubt heard so, and this frenzy comes
From being caught with such sweet plans in place.

I did not know of their deep treachery,
And nothing of their slander heard til now.

Why then, this voyage is a fairy tale?

I wish not to deny you, Majesty:
I had designed a voluntary exile
Since I so love a quiet solitude,
It was to leave behind the courtly world,
Because of pure disgust moreso than love.

I will not probe thee further on this point.
One very seldom sees girls of thine age
Exile themselves from court without regret
If love hath not its secret part to play.
I see all thy designs, and what shall come,
And since love is most often without bound,
‘Tis well to think best how to circumvent
The troubles that this flame may yet ignite.
I will to work.   [Exeunt the King and Carlos]

      Follow the King, Madame.
Let us arrange for our dear friend’s departure.   [Exeunt Clotaire, Elvire, and Leonor]

Oh skies that read our hearts! Touch now the King’s,
Or make it so his rage falls but on me.   [Exit]

End of Act 4

Act 5