Life of Edwin Forrest, the American Tragedian. Volume 1 (of 2)Alger, Horatio, Jr.
General
Life of Edwin Forrest, the American Tragedian. Volume 1 (of 2)
Alger, Horatio, Jr.
Forrest, Edwin, 1806-1872
Two more scenes remained to carry the triumph of Forrest in the part
to its culmination. The child of Alonzo and Cora, in ignorance of who
he is, has been captured by the Spanish soldiers, and is brought in.
Pizarro bids them toss the Peruvian imp into the sea. With a start and
look of alternating horror and love, Rolla cries, "Gracious Heaven,
it is Alonzo's child!" "Ha!" exclaims Pizarro: "welcome, thou pretty
hostage. Now is Alonzo again in my power." After vain expostulation,
Rolla prostrates himself before the cruel captain, saying, "Behold
me at thy feet, thy willing slave, if thou wilt release the child."
Other actors, including the cold and stately Kemble, as they spoke
these words, sank directly on their knees. But Forrest introduced a
by-play of startling power, full of the passionate warmth of nature.
Regarding Pizarro with an amazement made of surprise and scorn waxing
into noble anger, he is seen making the strongest exertion to refrain
from rushing on the tyrant and striking him down. He begins to kneel.
Half-way in the slow descent, repugnance to stoop his manhood before
such baseness checks him, and he partly rises, when a glance at the
child overcomes his hesitation, and he sinks swiftly on his knees. The
Spaniard replies, "Rolla, thou art free to go; the boy remains." With
the rapidity of lightning, Rolla snatches the child and lifts him over
his left shoulder, and, waving his sword, cries, in clarion accents,
"Who moves one step to follow me dies on the spot!" He strikes down
three of the guards who oppose him, and rushes across a bridge at the
back of the stage. The soldiers fire, and a shot strikes him as he
vanishes with the child held proudly aloft. The view changes to the
Peruvian court. The king is seen with his nobles, and with Alonzo and
Cora distracted at the loss of their child. Shouts are heard. "Rolla!
Rolla!" The hero staggers in, bleeding, ghastly, and faint, and places
the child in its mother's arms, with an exquisite touch of nature
first drawing the little face down to his own and planting a kiss on
it, staining it from his bleeding wounds in the act. She exclaims,
"Oh, God, there is blood upon him!" He replies, "'Tis mine, Cora."
Alonzo says, "Thou art dying, Rolla." He answers, faintly, "For thee
and Cora." One long gasp, a wavering on his feet, a convulsion of his
chest, and he sinks in an inanimate heap.
The truth and power with which all this was done were attested by
the crowds that thronged to see it, their intense emotion, and the
universal praise for many years awarded to it.
TELL.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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