Seb. Farewell; my life’s not worth another word.

Emp. [To the Guards.] Perform your orders.

Alm. Stay, take my farewell too! 
Farewell the greatness of Almeyda’s soul!—­
Look, tyrant, what excess of love can do;
It pulls me down thus low as to thy feet; [Kneels to him.
Nay, to embrace thy knees with loathing hands,
Which blister when they touch thee:  Yet even thus,
Thus far I can, to save Sebastian’s life.

Emp. A secret pleasure trickles through my veins: 
It works about the inlets of my soul,
To feel thy touch, and pity tempts the pass: 
But the tough metal of my heart resists;
’Tis warmed with the soft fire, not melted down.

Alm. A flood of scalding tears will make it run. 
Spare him, Oh spare!  Can you pretend to love,
And have no pity?  Love and that are twins. 
Here will I grow;
Thus compass you with these supplanting cords,
And pull so long till the proud fabrick falls.

Emp. Still kneel, and still embrace:  ’Tis double pleasure, So to be hugged, and see Sebastian die.

Alm. Look, tyrant, when thou nam’st Sebastian’s death,
Thy very executioners turn pale. 
Rough as they are, and hardened in their trade
Of death, they start at an anointed head,
And tremble to approach.—­He hears me not,
Nor minds the impression of a god on kings;
Because no stamp of heaven was on his soul,
But the resisting mass drove back the seal.—­
Say, though thy heart be rock of adamant,
Yet rocks are not impregnable to bribes: 
Instruct me how to bribe thee; name thy price;
Lo, I resign my title to the crown;
Send me to exile with the man I love,
And banishment is empire.

Emp. Here’s my claim, [Clapping his Hand to his Sword. And this extinguished thine; thou giv’st me nothing.

Alm. My father’s, mother’s, brother’s death, I pardon;
That’s somewhat sure; a mighty sum of murder,
Of innocent and kindred blood struck off. 
My prayers and penance shall discount for these,
And beg of heaven to charge the bill on me: 
Behold what price I offer, and how dear,
To buy Sebastian’s life!

Emp. Let after-reckonings trouble fearful fools;
I’ll stand the trial of those trivial crimes: 
But, since thou begg’st me to prescribe my terms,
The only I can offer are thy love,
And this one day of respite to resolve. 
Grant, or deny; for thy next word is fate,
And fate is deaf to prayer.

Alm. May heaven be so, [Rising up.
At thy last breath, to thine!  I curse thee not;
For, who can better curse the plague, or devil,
Than to be what they are?  That curse be thine.—­
Now, do not speak, Sebastian, for you need not;
But die, for I resign your life.—­Look, heaven,
Almeyda dooms her dear Sebastian’s death! 
But is there heaven? for I begin to doubt;
The skies are hushed, no grumbling thunders roll.—­
Now take your swing, ye impious; sin unpunished;
Eternal Providence seems overwatched,
And with a slumbering nod assents to murder.