The Siege of Numantia Page #12

The Siege of Numantia is a tragedy by Miguel de Cervantes set at the siege of Numantia. The play is divided into four acts. The dialogue is sometimes in tercets and sometimes in redondillas, but for the most part in octaves.

• History

								

      See, Corabino to the tower hath passed,
      And waves a peaceful banneret on high.
      Let us advance a space.

SCIPIO.

      Well, be it so.

CAIUS MARIUS.

      This spot is good, we need no further go.

            [CORABINO stands on the battlement, having a white
                banner on the point of his lance.

CORABINO.

      Ye Romans, say, from my position here
      Is't possible my voice your ears can reach?

CAIUS MARIUS.

      Be pleased to lower it, speak slow and clear,
      And then right well we'll understand your speech.

CORABINO.

      Entreat the General that he come near
      The entrance of the fosse; I do beseech
      That he will hear my message.

SCIPIO.

                                    Tell it now,
      For I am Scipio.

CORABINO.

                       Then listen thou.
      Numantia asks thee, prudent general,
      To ponder well how many years have flown
      Since war hath raged, with its commanding thrall,
      Between thy Roman people and our own;
      And haply to prevent that worse befall,
      When once this warfare to a plague hath grown,
      She much desires, if thou shouldst deem it right,
      To end it with a short and single fight.
      One soldier of her own she offers thee,
      To combat in the lists in open fray
      With one of yours, as stout and brave as he,
      To show their prowess with a full display.
      And if the evil Fates should so decree,
      That one shall perish in this glorious way,
      If it be ours, we shall resign our land;
      If it be yours; the war is at a stand.
      To make this solemn compact more secure,
      We offer thee of hostages the best.
      I know thou wilt consent; for thou art sure
      Of all the soldiers under thy behest,
      And knowest that the least thou canst procure
      Will cause to sweat, in face and loins and breast,
      Numantia's bravest, most determined son,
      And thus thy crowning triumph shall be won.
      Make answer now, my lord, if thou agree,
      And presently to work we shall proceed.

SCIPIO.

      Your words are jest and mirth and mockery;
      None but a fool would think of such a deed!
      Employ the means of meek and humble plea,
      If ye are eager that your necks be freed,
      Nor feel the rigour of the Roman knife,
      And from our powerful grip escape with life.
      If that brute beast, shut up within its cage,
      For savage wildness and ferocious will,
      Can there be tamed by dint of cunning sage,
      Through lapse of time, and means of crafty skill,
      The man who lets him free to vent his rage
      Will show himself a madman wilder still.
      Wild beasts are ye, as such we hold ye fast,
      And right or wrong, we'll tame ye at the last!
      In spite of you Numantia shall be mine,
      Nor cost me at the worst a single man;
      So let the boldest-minded of your line
      Break through the ditch and trenches if he can;
      And if my valour shows some little sign
      Of cowardice in working out this plan,
      Let now the gusty wind bear off the shame,
      And when I conquer, bear it back--as fame.

    [Exeunt SCIPIO and his men.

CORABINO.

      Coward! Wilt hear no more? Wilt hide thy shame?
      The just and equal combat dost thou fear?
      Thy conduct stamps contempt upon thy name,
      By no such means wilt thou sustain it here,
      Thine answer is so cowardly and tame.
      Ye Romans, cowards are ye, it is clear,
      Your trust is only in your teeming host,
      Ye fear to raise the doughty arms ye boast!
      O cruel, treacherous, of little worth,
      Conspirators and tyrants are ye all!
      Ungrateful, grasping, low in breed and birth,
      Ferocious, obstinate and rustical!
      Lascivious, base, renowned through all the earth
      For toiling hands whose bravery is small!
      What glory hope ye from our death and doom,
      While thus ye hold us in a living tomb?
      Ye squadrons close, or single files that scour
      The open field, where neither ditch nor wall
      Can offer hindrance to your rampant power,
      Or check the fatal fierce assault at all,
      'Twere well, instead of turning tail this hour,
      And keeping these your useless blades in thrall,
      That your vast army, boastful of its powers,
      Should grapple with this feeble band of ours.
      But as it is your long accustomed trade,
      To conquer men with numbers and with guile,
      These compacts, which for valiant men are made,
      Are ill-adapted to your crafty style.
      Ye timid hares, in savage skins arrayed,
      Go, trumpet forth your deeds, for in a while,
      I trust in mighty Jove to see you all
      Beneath Numantia's sovereignty and thrall.

            [He descends from the wall, and presently enter the
                Numantines who were present at the beginning of the
                Second Act, except MARQUINO, who threw himself into
                the sepulchre; and MORANDRO also enters.

THEOGENES.

      Our fate, dear friends, hath brought us to such stress,
      Our woes hang o'er us with such deepening gloom,
      That death would be supremest happiness.
      Ye saw; prophetic of our coming doom,
      The sacrifice with all its omens dread;
      Ye saw Marquino swallowed in the tomb;
      Our bold defiance hath to nothing led;
      What more remains to do I cannot tell,
      Except to speed our passage to the dead.
      This night let each Numantian bosom swell
      With ardour suited to our past renown,
      And let our actions match our purpose well;
      Let us with might the hostile wall break down,
      And on the field die fighting with the foe,
      And not like cowards in this straitened town.
      This deed will only serve, full well I know,
      To change the mode in which we have to die,
      For Death will march with us where'er we go.

CORABINO.

      In this thy bold resolve agreed am I,
      I fain would perish breaking down that wall,
      And single-handed breach it manfully.
      But one thing giveth me concern not small,
      For if our wives should hear of our design,
      Then sure am I that nothing will befall.
      For once, of old we had a purpose fine
      To sally forth and leave our wives behind.
      We each were ready horsed, and all in line,
      When they, who thought our purpose most unkind,
      Within an instant snatched our reins away,
      Nor left a single one. So, close confined,
      We had perforce within the walls to stay.
      So will it happen, and with ease, again,
      If so their tears their inmost thoughts betray.

MORANDRO.

      Our present plan to every one is plain,
      They all do know it, and in accents sad
      They pour their wailings forth with bitter pain;
      And cry: that be our fortunes good or bad,
      They all will go with us in woe or weal,
      Though of their company we be not glad.

            [_Here enter four or more women of Numantia, and LYRA
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