Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]

Fla. O, sir! reflect, if thus The bare recital wounds your fancy now, A yet more dreadful pain may pierce your heart. Love may once more revive, vain hopeless love! When the dear object of your longing soul Lies mouldering in the dust. If so, the wretch Who, buried in a trance, returns to life, And walks distracted o'er the rattling bones Of his dead fathers, in the dreary vault Less horror feels, than sad remorse will raise Within your breast!

Her. O Mariamne lost!

To love for ever lost! to love and me!———
I've liv'd love's slave too long: but jealousy,
That yellow fiend, hath dipt the torch in gall,
And now 'twill light no more!

Fla. If the queen's false,

My wife hath been officious to her crimes,
And shares in the pollution: let her plea
Be heard; and if she fails in her defence,
I'll slay her at your feet.

[FLAMINIUS goes out, and returns imme-
diately with ARSINOE.

SCENE IX.

HEROD to ARSINOE.

Her. As heavenly peace

[ocr errors]

Are thoughts there visible, like children's toys
Kept in a crystal case? Does she retain
Dæmons, to sit secure from mortal sight,
In princes' cabinets, to learn the sum
Of secret councils? Told they this decree-
If Cæsar, to revenge the sacred faith
I held with Anthony, should to the sword
Sentence my head, that her's should likewise fall;
Lest the proud successor, who seiz'd my throne,
Should triumph in my bed?-No! that resolve
A carnal fiend imparted; and she paid
His service with her honour!-

[blocks in formation]

To them PHERORAS enters.

Her. [To PHER.] Is Sohemus Secur'd for torture?

Pher. Sir, he took the alarm,

And fled for safety to the royal tower;

The portal forc'd, the soldiers found him fallen

May sooth your anguish, when the fluttering soul On his self-slaughtering sword, stretch'd on the

Prepares to wing her last eternal flight;

Assist my quiet, and resolve my doubts! Was Solemus admitted to the queen, Whilst I was gone to Rhodes?

Arsi. Never, my lord.

Her. Never?

Arsi. His name's offensive to her ear; And for his person-no antipathy In nature can be stronger.

Her. So I thought;

But such factitious arts too oft conceal Criminal correspondence: they might write, And doubtless did.

Arsi. That commerce could not 'scape My notice, who, by constant duty bound, Waited so near the queen.

Her. What if she saw?

Her interest then, and now her fear prevails
To seal the lips of truth.

Fla. Sir, not the frown

Of majesty, nor brandished thunder, awes

A Roman spirit, (such I hope she bears)

To make it start from the plain tracks of truth,

And deviate into falsehood.

Her. Can the queen

Pierce to the close recesses of the soul;

ground

Weltering in blood; he speechless there expir❜d.
Her. Too far confiding in that traitor's skill
In arts of rule, he so misused my power,
That distant story may record my reign
From year to year, by many a cruel deed;
As the wild progress of a storm is traced
By marks of desolation.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

Was bound with thine, by striving to secure
Thy beauties all my own, have killed the dove
I fondly grasp'd too close. O see! she's pale:
Take, take, ye powers, my life to lengthen hers!
Chain me, ye furies, to your burning wheel!
Whipmeten thousand years with scorpions there,
To save her life!

Mar. I pity and forgive

Your violence of passion, which hath wrought
The ruin of us both.

Her. I ill deserve

Thy pardon or thy pity.-Yet vouchsafe,
Thou fairest pattern of transcendant goodness!
Vouchsafe thy wretched lord a last embrace,
Whose soul is ready wing'd to wait on thine:
Oh!-bless the dying penitent with peace,
The moments which remain!-
Mar. Good heaven insure
Eternal peace to both!

Her. Thou shalt not die

[They embrace.

Thou art too young, too faultless, and too fair,
To fall a prey to death!

Mar. The thick'ning shades
O'erspread my swimming eyes.

child?

Where is my

Nar. My gracious lord!

High-Pr. Good heaven, restore to wretched
Palestine

Her sole support and grace!

Her. What minister

[Raising himself. Of this dark realm art thou!—If 'tis thy post To guide the dead through this disastrous gloom, Lead to that mournful mansion, where the ghosts Of those abide, whom fatal beauty sent Untimely to the shades. See! see! she soars ;How bright a track she leaves along the sky; And looks with pity down. Oh see! she rests On the soft fleece of yonder purple cloud, Where angels fan her with their golden plumes; Stay, Mariamne, stay !—

[He sinks into their arms,

Pher. O! from his face
The blush of life retires.

Nar. His bosom heaves
With strong convulsive throes.
Fla. Raise him, my lords.

Her. Alas! forbear; ye but prolong the pains
Of labouring nature; let me sink to peace!
And may oblivion cast her sable veil
O'er my sad story, and conceal the crimes
Of majesty misled. My urn, alas !
Can hope for no compassion: when the doom
Of my dear, lovely, virtuous, queen is told,
The tears will freeze on pity's gentle cheek,
And not bedew my ashes!-To your care
[To FLA.

Receive this royal orphan, and implore
Cæsar's protection to preserve his crown;
And when, mature in manhood, he receives
A consort to his throne, may every grace
And every virtue join, to make her styl❜d
The Mariamne of the admiring age!
May sweet compliance, honour, dear esteem,
And mutual faith, cement their mutual joys!
But ever may he shun too fond excess,
That soft seducing impotence of mind,
By which subdued, his wretched father fell!
[He faints. Led by imperious love a tortured slave,
To the sad refuge of an early grave. [He dies.

Bring him, poor babe, to take a parting kiss!—

Farewell!-I'm now at peace.

High-Pr. In that soft sigh

The gentle spirit soar'd.

Arsi. Oh! dead, dead, dead! Her. Then, death, strike on! Fate, thou hast done thy worst. Pher. My royal brother! Oh!

[She dies.

EPILOGUE,

SPOKEN IN THE CHARACTER OF MARIAMNE.

THE poet, in a whim extremely new,
Coupl'd me with a strange enamour'd Jew;
So violently fond, the loss of life

Was far less dreadful than to leave his wife:
Monster of love! he whisper'd in my ear,
I doat so much I pr'ythee die, my dear!
Ladies, if such demands are made on beauty,
Defend us all from matrimonial duty!
One may support a living husband's folly;
But, let him feed the worms alone, for Molly.-

And yet, 'tis vain to reason, or to rail,
The tempter man was destin'd to prevail:
To hear him flatter, sigh, implore, protest,
A....je ne sçai quoi!.... will flutter in the
breast.

But o'er intrigues whatever planet reigns,
And fires to bedlam-rage a lover's brains,
One honey-moon's sufficient to restore 'em
From wild impertinence to cool decorum.
By this plain model had the play been wrought,

My Hebrew spark had acted as he ought;
With a keen appetite enjoy'd the feast,
And, decently suffic'd, withdrawn to rest:
But, glutton-like, to grudge the world his leaving,
Was wond'rous unpolite, to my conceiving!
Homer, who human nature nicely knew,
(Ye critics, I read Greek, -as well as you)
In colours of a softer kind display'd
The husband civil to the wife who stray'd.
Though Helen had elop'd, her gentle lord
Renew'd her forfeit claim to bed and board:
For which dear foible of the fair forgiven,

The gods vouchsaf'd to send him quick to heaven:
And in no Spartan novel can I find,
The good man griev'd to leave his spouse behind.
In such gay lights when wedded life is shown,
What couple would not wish the case their own?
But, gallants, if you Herod's rule approve,
To give no quarter in the lists of love;
If jealous rage, or fond fantastic dreams,
Exalt your passion to such dire extremes;
Let each bright Mariamne chuse her man;
Then, kill us all—with kindness, if ye can.

GEORGE BARNWELL.

BY

LILLO.

PROLOGUE.

THE Tragic Muse, sublime, delights to show
Princes distress'd, and scenes of royal woe;
In awful pomp, majestic, to relate
The fall of nations, or some hero's fate;
That scepter'd chiefs may, by example, know
The strange vicissitudes of life below;
What dangers on security attend,
How pride and cruelty in ruin end;
Hence providence supreme to know, and own
Humanity adds glory to a throne.

In every former age, and foreign tongue,
With native grandeur thus the goddess sung.
Upon our stage, indeed, with wish'd success,
You've sometimes seen her in an humbler dress;
Great only in distress, when she complains,
In Southern's, Rowe's, or Otway's moving strains,
The brilliant drops that fall from each bright eye,

The absent pomp with brighter gems supply.
Forgive us, then, if we attempt to shew,
In artless strains, a tale of private woe.
A London 'prentice ruin'd is our theme,
Drawn from the fam'd old song that bears his name.
We hope your taste is not so light to scorn
A moral tale esteem'd ere you were born;
Which, for a century of rolling years,

Has fill'd a thousand thousand eyes with tears.
If thoughtless youth, to warn and shame the age
From vice destructive, well becomes the stage;
If this example innocence insure,

Prevent our guilt, or by reflection cure ;
If Millwood's dreadful crimes, and sad despair,
Commend the virtue of the good and fair;
Though art be wanting, and our numbers fail,
Indulge the attempt, in justice to the tale.

[blocks in formation]

ACT I.

SCENE I.-A Room in THOROWGOOD's House. Enter THOROWGOOD and TRUEMAN. True. Sir, the packet from Genoa is arrived. [Gives letters. Thor. Heaven be praised! The storm that threatened our royal mistress, pure religion, liberty, and laws, is, for a time, diverted. The haughty and revengeful Spaniard, disappointed of the loan on which he depended from Genoa, must now attend the slow returns of wealth from his new world, to supply his empty coffers, ere he can execute his proposed invasion of our happy island. By this means, time is gained to make such preparations, on our part, as may, Heaven concurring, prevent his malice, or turn the meditated mischief on himself.

True. He must be insensible indeed, who is not affected when the safety of his country is concerned. Sir, may I know by what means ? If I am not too bold

Thor. Your curiosity is laudable; and I gratify it with the greater pleasure, because from thence you may learn, how honest merchants, as such, may sometimes contribute to the safety of their country, as they do at all times to its happiness; that if hereafter you should be tempted to any action that has the appearance of vice or meanness in it, upon reflecting on the dignity of our profession, you may, with honest scorn, reject whatever is unworthy of it.

True. Should Barnwell, or I, who have the benefit of your example, by our ill conduct, bring any imputation on that honourable name, we must be left without excuse.

Thor. You compliment, young man. [TRUEMAN bows respectfully.] Nay, I am not offended. As the name of merchant never degrades the gentleman, so, by no means does it exclude him; only take heed not to purchase the character of complaisant at the expence of your sincerity. But, to answer your question: The bank of Genoa had agreed, at an excessive interest, and on good security, to advance the king of Spain a sum of money sufficient to equip his vast Armada; of which our peerless Elizabeth (more than in name the mother of her people) being well informed, sent Walsingham, her wise and faithful secretary, to consult the merchants of this loyal city; who all agreed to direct their several agents to influence, if possible, the Genoese to break their contract with the Spanish court. It is done: the state and bank of Genoa having maturely weighed, and rightly judged of their true interest, prefer the friendship of the merchants of London to that of the monarch, who proudly styles himself king of both Indies.

True. Happy success of prudent counsels! What an expence of blood and treasure is here

saved! Excellent queen! O how unlike those princes, who make the danger of foreign enemies a pretence to oppress their subjects by taxes great, and grievous to be borne !

Thor. Not so our gracious queen; whose richest exchequer is her people's love, as their happiness her greatest glory.

True. On these terms to defend us, is to make our protection a benefit worthy her who confers it, and well worth our acceptance. Sir, have you any commands for me at this time?

Thor. Only look carefully over the files, to see whether there are any tradesmen's bills unpaid; if there are, send and discharge them. We must not let artificers lose their time, so useful to the public and their families, in unnecessary attendance. [Exit TRUEMAN.

Enter MARIA.

Well, Maria, have you given orders for the entertainment? I would have it in some measure worthy the guests. Let there be plenty, and of the best, that the courtiers may at least commend our hospitality.

Mar. Sir, I have endeavoured not to wrong your well-known generosity by an ill-timed parsimony.

Thor. Nay, it was a needless caution: I have no cause to doubt your prudence.

Mar. Sir, I find myself unfit for conversation; I should but increase the number of the company, without adding to their satisfaction.

Thor. Nay, my child, this melancholy must not be indulged.

Mar. Company will but increase it: I wish you would dispense with my absence. Solitude best suits my present temper.

Thor. You are not insensible, that it is chiefly on your account these noble lords do me the honour so frequently to grace my board. Should you be absent, the disappointment may make them repent of their condescension, and think their labour lost.

Mar. He, that shall think his time or honour lost in visiting you, can set no real value on your daughter's company, whose only merit is, that she is yours. The man of quality, who chooses to converse with a gentleman and merchant of your worth and character, may confer honour by so doing, but he loses none.

Thor. Come, come, Maria, I need not tell you, that a young gentleman may prefer your conversation to mine, and yet intend me no disrespect at all; for though he may lose no honour in my company, it is very natural for him to expect more pleasure in yours. I remember the time when the company of the greatest and wisest men in the kingdom would have been insipid and tiresome to me, if it had deprived me of an opportunity of enjoying your mother's.

« AnteriorContinuar »