Mortadello

OR, THE ANGEL OF VENICE 41 MORTADELLO. Body and blood of God ! THE DOGE. Death ! THE ARCHBISHOP. Sacrilege ! GABRIELE. Close the doors ! Let none escape ! A VOICE. The doors are thronged. MORTADELLO. Swords ! Swords ! GABRIELE. Who roars So loud ? Keep silence, sir, or we are all undone ! MORTADELLO. Misshapen knave ! THE DOGE. Peace, peace. MORTADELLO. Thou misbegotten one ! Lay hands upon the household. [The church fills with smoke. GABRIELE. All’s gone dark. THE DOGE. Gone dark ! MORTADELLO. Gone dark ! GABRIELE. Crackles and fumes ; they have Greek bombs. MORTADELLO. Now mark ! You shall die in torment. GABRIELE. Fool ! we shall all die. Hark ! hark ! [The great bell of St. Mark’s begins to toll. That cursed witch is raising Venice on us, Jesus Christ ! I’m the first fool in Europe. Stragglers must be sacrificed. Out swords ! Compact, friends, make a phalanx, and reform In the great square ! [All rush out but THE DOGE, who follows tottering, and MORTADELLO, who is bending over the corpse of MAGDALENA. THE DOGE. The square is swallowed up in storm. Give me my sword !