You may reckon upon me, but grant us your protection. (Alone) Great
heavens! The king seemed charmed by my little fable of the Virgen del
Pilar; I must make a vow to her--but what shall it be?--we will see
after we have succeeded.

(Scene curtain.)


SCENE NINTH

(A cell of the Inquisition.)


Fontanares (alone)
I understand now why Columbus desired that his fetters should be
placed beside him in his coffin. What a lesson for discoverers! A
great discovery is a revelation of truth. And truth destroys so many
abuses and errors that all those who live by falsehood rise up to slay
the truth; they begin by assailing the man. Let inventors then have
patience! I myself desire to have it. Unfortunately, my patience
proceeds from my love. In the hope of obtaining Marie, I dream of
glory and I pursue it. I saw a piece of straw fly up above a boiler.
All men have had the same experience since boilers and straw existed.
But I saw there a force; in order to estimate its violence, I put a
lid on the boiler; the lid flew off but did not kill me. Archimedes
and I are of the same mind! He wished for a lever and a fulcrum to
move the world; I possess this lever and have been fool enough to say
so; since then--misfortunes have overwhelmed me. If I should die, you,
man of genius who shall discover the secret, act on it, but keep
silence. The light which we discover, men take from us, only to set on