Act III, Scene 3

[The Mountains--The Castle of Manfred at some distance--A Terrace before a Tower.--Time, Twilight.]

[HERMAN, MANUEL, and other dependants of MANFRED.]

HERMAN
'Tis strange enough! night after night, for years,
He hath pursued long vigils in this tower,
Without a witness. I have been within it,--
So have we all been oft-times; but from it,
Or its contents, it were impossible
To draw conclusions absolute, of aught
His studies tend to. To be sure, there is
One chamber where none enter: I would give
The fee of what I have to come these three years,
To pore upon its mysteries.

MANUEL
'Twere dangerous;
Content thyself with what thou know'st already.

HERMAN
Ah! Manuel! thou art elderly and wise,
And couldst say much; thou hast dwelt within the castle--
How many years is't?

MANUEL
Ere Count Manfred's birth,
I served his father, whom he nought resembles.

HERMAN
There be more sons in like predicament!
But wherein do they differ?

MANUEL
I speak not
Of features or of form, but mind and habits;
Count Sigismund was proud, but gay and free,--
A warrior and a reveller; he dwelt not
With books and solitude, nor made the night
A gloomy vigil, but a festal time,
Merrier than day; he did not walk the rocks
And forests like a wolf, nor turn aside
From men and their delights.

HERMAN
Beshrew the hour,
But those were jocund times! I would that such
Would visit the old walls again; they look
As if they had forgotten them.

MANUEL
These walls
Must change their chieftain first. Oh! I have seen
Some strange things in them, Herman.

HERMAN
Come, be friendly;
Relate me some to while away our watch:
I've heard thee darkly speak of an event
Which happened hereabouts, by this same tower.

MANUEL
That was a night indeed! I do remember
'Twas twilight, as it may be now, and such
Another evening:--yon red cloud, which rests
On Eigher's pinnacle, so rested then,--
So like that it might be the same; the wind
Was faint and gusty, and the mountain snows
Began to glitter with the climbing moon;
Count Manfred was, as now, within his tower,--
How occupied, we knew not, but with him
The sole companion of his wanderings
And watchings--her, whom of all earthly things
That lived, the only thing he seemed to love,--
As he, indeed, by blood was bound to do,
The Lady Astarte, his----
Hush! who comes here?

[Enter the ABBOT.]

ABBOT
Where is your master?

HERMAN
Yonder in the tower.

ABBOT
I must speak with him.

MANUEL
'Tis impossible;
He is most private, and must not be thus
Intruded on.

ABBOT
Upon myself I take
The forfeit of my fault, if fault there be--
But I must see him.

HERMAN
Thou hast seen him once
his eve already.

ABBOT
Herman! I command thee,
Knock, and apprize the Count of my approach.

HERMAN
We dare not.

ABBOT
Then it seems I must be herald
Of my own purpose.

MANUEL
Reverend father, stop--
I pray you pause.

ABBOT
Why so?

MANUEL
But step this way,
And I will tell you further.
[Exeunt.]