The Maccabaean

DONNA VIOLANTE:                                Count Tendilla!TENDILLA:                                 I!TORQUEMADA:Granada's conqueror, warrior for God?                                (Ferdinand shakes his head thoughtfully.)ISABELLA:Really the hearing's quite superfluous!FERDINAND:                                And yet—TORQUEMADA:We'll hear both sides.                                (to Tendilla):Of what misdeedDoes this unhappy sinner stand accused?TENDILLA:He had an understanding with the Moors.TORQUEMADA                                (with satisfaction):So!ISABELLA:The man's crime is monstrous!TORQUEMADA:And how did youDiscover this?TENDILLA:I seized a letter meantFor Ibn Hamon!ABARBANEL(with a gesture as if he expected the king now                                to speak):Sire!(Ferdinand makes motions as if about to                                speak and then appears to think of something                                else):LUCENA:                                Dishonor!ISABELLA:                                Treason!TORQUEMADA                                (to Abarbanel):Now speak! Sent you such writing to the foe?ABARBANEL:My king—TORQUEMADA:No pleading now, no trickery!You sent it? Yes or no?ABARBANEL                                (cheerfully):                                I did.ISABELLA:                                 Oh, oh!LUCENA AND D. VIOLANTE:He grants it!TENDILLA:Aha!TORQUEMADA:You wrote to Ibn Hamon, youAdmit the deed?ABARBANEL:I do!ISABELLA:He dies a deathOf shame!D. VIOLANTE:Ah!LUCENA:Wretch!TENDILLA:Now then!SENIOR:Abarbanel!TORQUEMADA                                (to the King and Queen):A very natural thing to do, he thinks!ISABELLA:This Judas-mouth has kissed us!SENIOR:What, you did it?ABARBANEL:I did! And still, it's false I practised treason!TENDILLA, LUCENA, D. VIOLANTE:O ho! O ho!TORQUEMADA:Mark, Jew! A lord of SpainHas never stooped to lie!ABARBANEL:Hear first the reasonWherefore I wrote, and what! My lord and                                king!Do you permit me to disclose the facts?FERDINAND:Speak out!ABARBANEL:Boabdil saw how nigh the end—Still might Granada hold another year;                                 I