War with _them_ too?

_Lor._ With all their house, till theirs or mine are nothing.

_Bar._ And the deep agony of his pale wife,
And the repressed convulsion of the high
And princely brow of his old father, which
Broke forth in a slight shuddering, though rarely,
Or in some clammy drops, soon wiped away
In stern serenity; these moved you not? 360
[_Exit_ LOREDANO.
He's silent in his hate, as Foscari
Was in his suffering; and the poor wretch moved me
More by his silence than a thousand outcries
Could have effected. 'Twas a dreadful sight
When his distracted wife broke through into
The hall of our tribunal, and beheld
What we could scarcely look upon, long used
To such sights. I must think no more of this,
Lest I forget in this compassion for
Our foes, their former injuries, and lose 370
The hold of vengeance Loredano plans
For him and me; but mine would be content
With lesser retribution than he thirsts for,
And I would mitigate his deeper hatred
To milder thoughts; but, for the present, Foscari
Has a short hourly respite, granted at
The instance of the elders of the Council,
Moved doubtless by his wife's appearance in
The hall, and his own sufferings.--Lo! they come:
How feeble and forlorn! I cannot bear 380
To look on them again in this extremity:
I'll hence, and try to soften Loredano.[ba]
[_Exit_ BARBARIGO.

ACT II.

SCENE I.--_A hall in the_ DOGE'S _Palace_.

_The_ DOGE _and a Senator_.

_Sen._ Is it your pleasure to sign the report
Now, or postpone it till to-morrow?

_Doge_. Now;
I overlooked it yesterday: it wants
Merely the signature. Give me the pen--
[_The_ DOGE _sits down and signs the paper_.
There, Signor.

_Sen._ (_looking at the paper_). You have forgot; it is not signed.

_Doge_. Not signed? Ah, I perceive my eyes begin
To wax more weak with age. I did not see
That I had dipped the pen without effect.[bb]

_Sen._ (_dipping the pen into the ink, and placing the paper
before the_ DOGE). Your hand,