At last I hear the speech not of a boy,

But of a man. It reconciles me to thee.

Prince, I forget thy senseless outburst, see

Again Dimitry. Listen; now is the time!

Hasten; delay no more, lead on thy troops

Quickly to Moscow, purge the Kremlin, take

Thy seat upon the throne of Moscow; then

Send me the nuptial envoy; but, God hears me,

Until thy foot be planted on its steps,

Until by thee Boris be overthrown,

I am not one to listen to love-speeches.

PRETENDER. No - easier far to strive with Godunov.

Or play false with the Jesuits of the Court,

Than with a woman. Deuce take them; they're beyond

My power. She twists, and coils, and crawls, slips out

Of hand, she hisses, threatens, bites. Ah, serpent!

Serpent! 'Twas not for nothing that I trembled.

She well-nigh ruined me; but I'm resolved;

At daybreak I will put my troops in motion.

THE LITHUANIAN FRONTIER.

OCTOBER 16TH, 1604.

PRINCE KURBSKY and PRETENDER, both on horseback. Troops approach the Frontier

KURBSKY. (Galloping at their head.)

There, there it is; there is the Russian frontier!

Fatherland! Holy Russia! I am thine!

With scorn from off my clothing now I shake

The foreign dust, and greedily I drink

New air; it is my native air. O father,

Thy soul hath now been solaced; in the grave

Thy bones, disgraced, thrill with a sudden joy!

Again doth flash our old ancestral sword,

This glorious sword - the dread of dark Kazan!

This good sword - servant of the tsars of Moscow!

Now will it revel in its feast of slaughter,

Serving the master of its hopes.