ly covered
with blood and dust, carrying everywhere dismay through an entire army.
I have seen by his valor a hundred squadrons broken; and, to tell thee
still something more--more than brave soldier, more than great leader,
he is----

_Don Rodrigo._ Pray, finish.

_Don Diego._ The father of Chimene.

_Don Rodrigo._ The----

_Don Diego._ Do not reply; I know thy love. But he who lives dishonored
is unworthy of life; the dearer the offender the greater the offence. In
short, thou knowest the insult, and thou holdest [in thy grasp the means
of] vengeance. I say no more to thee. Avenge me, avenge thyself! Show
thyself a son worthy of a father such as I [am]. Overwhelmed by
misfortunes to which destiny reduces me, I go to deplore them. Go, run,
fly, and avenge us!

Scene VII.--DON RODRIGO.

Pierced even to the depth [_or,_ bottom of the heart] by a blow
unexpected as well as deadly, pitiable avenger of a just quarrel and
unfortunate object of an unjust severity, I remain motionless, and my
dejected soul yields to the blow which is slaying me. So near seeing my
love requited! O heaven, the strange pang [_or,_ difficulty]! In this
insult my father is the person aggrieved, and the aggressor is the
father of Chimene!

What fierce conflicts [of feelings] I experience! My love is engaged
[_lit._ interests itself] against my own honor. I must avenge a father
and lose a mistress. The one stimulates my courage, the other restrains
my arm. Reduced to the sad choice of either betraying my love or of
living as a degraded [man], on both sides my situation is wretched
[_lit._ evil is infinite]. O heaven, the strange pang [_or,_
difficulty]! Must I leave an insult unavenged? Must I punish the father
of Chimene?

Father, mistress, honor, love--noble and severe restraint--a bondage
still to be beloved [_lit._ beloved tyranny], all my pleasures are dead,
or my glory is sullied. The one renders me unhappy; the other unworthy
of life. Dear and cruel hope of a soul noble but still enamored, worthy
enemy of my greatest happiness, thou sword which causest my painful
anxiety, hast thou been given to me to avenge my honor? Hast thou been
given to me to lose Chimene?

It is better to rush [_lit._ run] to death. I owe [a duty] to my
mistress as well as to my father. I draw, in avenging myself, her hatred
and her rage; I draw upon myself his [i.e. my father's] contempt by
not avenging myself. To my sweetest hope the one [alternative]