allows me to hope that my love may one day be returned, and offers to my
arm an opportunity to acquire glory in fresh dangers for the sake of
your lovely eyes. If Heaven proves propitious I will gain amidst these
dangers a victory, which divine justice owes to you, which will lay
treachery at your feet, and restore to your family its former dignity.
But what pleases me still more amidst these cherished expectations is
that Heaven restores you this brother to be King; for now my love may
openly declare itself, without being accused of seeking to gain a crown
whilst striving to obtain your hand. Yes, my heart desires nothing more
than to show before the whole world that in you it values but yourself;
if I may say so without giving offence, a hundred times have I wished
you were of less rank. Loving you as I do I could have desired that your
divine charms had fallen to the lot of some one born in a humbler
station, that I might unselfishly proffer my heart, and thus make amends
to you for Heaven's injustice, so that you might owe to my love the
homage due to your birth.

[Footnote: The sentence from "Yes, my heart," &c., until "your birth" is
nearly the same as the words addressed by Alceste to Celimène in the
_Misanthrope_, Act iv. Sc. 3 (see Vol. II.)]

But since Heaven has forestalled me, and deprives me of the privilege of
proving my love, do not take it amiss that my amorous flames look for
some slight encouragement when I shall have killed the tyrant, whom I am
ready to encounter; suffer me by noble services favourably to dispose
the minds of a brother and of a whole nation towards me.

ELV. I know, Prince, that by avenging our wrongs you can make a hundred
deeds of daring speak for your love. But the favour of a brother and the
gratitude of a nation are not sufficient to reward you; Elvira is not to