The Siege of Numantia Page #5

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

								

      To match the worth and value of your own.

Soldier.

      Two Numantines accredited are here,
      With solemn message, Scipio, to thee.

SCIPIO.

      What keeps them back? Why do they not appear?

Soldier.

      They wait behind for thy permission free.

SCIPIO.

      Be they ambassadors, their right is clear.

Soldier.

      I judge them so.

SCIPIO.

                       Then let them come to me;
      'Tis always good the enemy to know,
      Whether a true heart or a false he show.
      For Falsehood never cometh in such wise
      Enwrapped in Truth, that we may not descry
      Some little cranny in the close disguise,
      Through which to gaze upon the secret lie.
      To listen to the foe is always wise,
      We profit more than we can lose thereby;
      In things of war experience shows, in sooth,
      That what I say is well-established truth.

    Enter the Numantine Ambassadors, First and Second.

First Ambassador.

      If, good my lord, thou grant us without fear
      To speak the message we have brought this day,
      Where now we stand, or to thy private ear,
      We shall deliver all we come to say.

SCIPIO.

      Speak freely, then, I grant you audience here.

First Ambassador.

      With this permission, in such courteous way
      Conceded to us by thy regal grace,
      I shall proceed to state our urgent case.
      Numantia, to whom my birth I owe,
      Hath sent me, noble general, to thee,
      As to the bravest Roman Scipio
      The night e'er covered, or the day can see;
      And begs of thee the friendly hand to show,
      In token that thou graciously agree
      To cease the struggle that hath raged so long,
      And caused to thee and her such cruel wrong.
      She says, that from the Roman Senate's law,
      And rule, she never would have turned aside,
      Had not some brutal Consuls, with their raw
      And ruthless hands, done outrage to her pride.
      With fiercer statutes than the world e'er saw,
      With greedy lust, extending far and wide,
      They placed upon our necks such grievous yoke,
      As might the meekest citizens provoke.
      Throughout the time, with such a lengthened bound,
      Wherein both sides have made such cruel sport,
      No brave commander have we ever found
      Whose kindness or whose favour we could court.
      But now, at length, that Fate hath brought it round
      To guide our vessel to so good a port,
      We joyfully haul in our warlike sails,
      Prepared for any treaty--that avails.
      Nor think, my lord, that it is fear alone
      Which makes us sue for peace at such an hour;
      By proofs unnumbered it is widely known
      That still Numantia wields an arm of power.
      It is thy worth and valour lure us on,
      And give assurance that our luck will tower
      Far higher than our highest hopes extend,
      To have thee for our master and our friend.
      On such an errand have we come to-day.
      My lord, make answer as it pleaseth thee.

SCIPIO.

      Since but a late repentance ye display,
      Your friendship is of small account to me.
      Give, give anew the sturdy right arm play,
      For what mine own is worth I fain would see;
      Since in its might hath fortune deigned to place
      My added glory, and your fell disgrace.
      To sue for peace will hardly recompense
      The shameless doings of so many years.
      Let war and rapine come; and in defence
      Bring out anew your files of valiant spears

Second Ambassador.

      Take heed, my lord; for this false confidence
      Brings in its train a thousand cheats and fears;
      And this bold arrogance which thou dost show
      But nerves our arms to strike a harder blow.
      Our plea for peace, on which thou now hast frowned,
      Although we urged it with the best intent,
      Will make our righteous cause be wide renowned,
      And Heaven itself will give its blest assent.
      Mark, ere thou treadest on Numantian ground,
      Oft wilt thou prove, and to thy heart's content,
      What bolts of wrath the insulted foe can send,
      Who wished to be thy vassal, and good friend.

SCIPIO.

      Hast thou aught more to say?

First Ambassador.

                                   No, we have more
      To do, since thou, my lord, will have it so.
      Thou hast refused the just peace we implore,
      And hast belied thy better self, I know;
      Soon wilt thou see the power we have in store,
      When thou hast showed us all thou hast to show,
      For prating peace away is easier far
      Than breaking through the serried ranks of war.

SCIPIO.

      Thou speakest truth; and now to make it plain
      That I can treat in peace, in war command,
      Your proffered friendship I do now disdain;
      I here remain the sworn foe of your land,
      And so with this ye may return again.

Second Ambassador.

      Meanst thou, my lord, on this resolve to stand?

SCIPIO.

      Yes, I do mean it.

Second Ambassador.

                         Then, To arms! I say,
      And no Numantian voice will answer, Nay!

            [Exeunt the Ambassadors; and QUINTUS FABIUS, brother
                of SCIPIO, says:

QUINTUS FABIUS.

      Methinks our indolence, which now is past,
      Hath made you bold within our midst to brawl;
      But now the wished-for time hath come at last,
      When ye will see our glory, and your fall.

SCIPIO.

      Vain boasting, Fabius, is beneath the caste
      Of valiant men, with honour at their call;
      So calm thy threats, to good persuasion yield,
      And keep thy courage for the battle-field.
      Though, sooth, I do not mean that this proud foe
      Should meet us hand to hand in very deed.
      Some other way to conquest will I go,
      Which promises to bring me better speed.
      I mean to curb their pride, their wits o'erthrow,
      And on itself to let their fury feed;
      For with a deep wide ditch I'll gird them round,
      And hunger fierce will bear them to the ground.
      No longer shall this soil be coloured red
      With Roman blood. Sufficient for the State
      Is what these Spaniards have already shed
      In this long brutal war, and obstinate.
      Now bare your arms for other work instead,--
      This hard-bound earth to break and excavate;
      They serve us better, foul with dust and mud,
      Than when bedabbled with the foeman's blood.
      Let no one in the ranks this duty shun,
      But join in strife his neighbour to surpass.
      Let officer and private work as one,
      Without distinction, or respect of class.
      Myself will seize the spade, and when begun
      Will break the ground as deftly as the mass.
      Do all as I, and let what will befall,
      This scheme of mine will satisfy you all.

QUINTUS FABIUS.

      O valiant sir, my brother and my lord,
      In this we recognize thy prudent care,
      For it were folly, by the wise ignored,
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