Читать книгу: «The Spanish Curate: A Comedy», страница 6

SCENA III

Enter Octavi[o], Jacinta, [Ascanio].

Oct.

 
This is the place, but why we are appointed
By Don Jamie to stay here, is a depth
I cannot sound.
 

Asc.

 
Believ't he is too noble
To purpose any thing but for our good.
Had I assurance of a thousand lives,
And with them perpetuitie of pleasure,
And should lose all, if he prov'd only false,
Yet I durst run the hazard.
 

Jac.

 
'Tis our comfort,
We cannot be more wretched than we are,
And death concludes all misery.
 

Oct.

 
Undiscovered
 

Enter Henrique, Jamie.

 
We must attend him.
 

Asc.

 
Our stay is not long.
With him Don Henrique?
 

Jac.

 
Now I fear;
Be silent.
 

Hen.

 
Why dost thou follow me?
 

Jam.

 
To save your life,
A plot is laid for't, all my wrongs forgot,
I have a Brothers Love.
 

Hen.

 
But thy false self
I fear no enemy.
 

Jam.

 
You have no friend,
But what breathes in me: If you move a step
Beyond this ground you tread on, you are lost.
 

Hen.

 
'Tis by thy practice then: I am sent hither
To meet her, that prefers my life and safetie
Before her own.
 

Jam.

 
That you should be abus'd thus
With weak credulitie! She for whose sake
You have forgot we had one noble Father,
Or that one Mother bare us, for whose love
You brake a contract to which heaven was witness,
To satisfie whose pride and wilfull humour
You have expos'd a sweet and hopefull Son
To all the miseries that want can bring him,
And such a Son, though you are most obdurate,
To give whom entertainment Savages
Would quit their Caves themselves, to keep him from
Bleak cold and hunger: This dissembling woman,
This Idol, whom you worship, all your love
And service trod under her feet, designs you
To fill a grave, or dead to lye a prey
For Wolves and Vulturs.
 

Hen.

 
'Tis false; I defie thee,
And stand upon my Guard.
 

Enter Leandro, Milanes, Arsenio, Bart, Lopez, Diego,

 
Octavio, Jacinta, Ascanio, and Servants.
 

Jam.

 
Alas, 'tis weak:
Come on, since you will teach me to be cruel,
By having no faith in me, take your fortune,
Bring the rest forth, and bind them fast.
 

Oct.

 
My Lord.
 

Asc.

 
In what have we offended?
 

Jam.

 
I am deaf,
And following my will, I do not stand
Accomptable to reason: See her Ring
(The first pledge of your love, and service to her)
Deliver'd as a Warrant for your death:
These Bags of gold you gave up to her trust,
(The use of which you did deny your self)
Bestow'd on me, and with a prodigal hand,
Whom she pick'd forth to be the Architect
Of her most bloudy building; and to fee
These Instruments, to bring Materials
To raise it up, she bad me spare no cost,
And (as a surplusage) offer'd her self
To be at my devotion.
 

Hen.

 
O accurs'd!
 

Jam.

 
But be incredulous still; think this my plot;
Fashion excuses to your self, and swear
That she is innocent, that she doats on ye;
Believe this, as a fearfull Dream, and that
You lie not at my mercy, which in this
I will shew only: She her self shall give
The dreadfull Sentence, to remove all scruple
Who 'tis that sends you to the other world.
 

Enter Violante.

 
Appears my Violante? speak (my dearest)
Do's not the object please you?
 

Viol.

 
More than if
All treasure that's above the earth, with that,
That lyes conceal'd in both the Indian Mines,
Were laid down at my feet: O bold Jamy,
Thou only canst deserve me.
 

Jam.

 
I am forward,
And (as you easily may perceive,) I sleep not
On your commands.
 

Enter Assistant, and Officers.

Viol.

 
But yet they live: I look'd
To find them dead.
 

Jam.

 
That was deferr'd, that you
Might triumph in their misery, and have the power
To say they are not.
 

Viol.

 
'Twas well thought upon:
This kiss, and all the pleasures of my Bed
This night, shall thank thee.
 

Hen.

 
Monster!
 

Viol.

 
You Sir, that
Would have me Mother Bastards, being unable
To honour me with one Child of mine own,
That underneath my roof, kept your cast-Strumpet,
And out of my Revenues would maintain
Her riotous issue: now you find what 'tis
To tempt a woman: with as little feeling
As I turn off a slave, that is unfit
To doe me service; or a horse, or dog
That have out-liv'd their use, I shake thee off,
To make thy peace with heaven.
 

Hen.

 
I do deserve this,
And never truly felt before, what sorrow
Attends on wilfull dotage.
 

Viol.

 
For you, Mistris,
That had the pleasure of his youth before me,
And triumph'd in the fruit that you had by him,
But that I think, to have the Bastard strangled
Before thy face, and thou with speed to follow
The way he leads thee, is sufficient torture,
I would cut off thy nose, put out thine eyes,
And set my foot on these bewitching lips,
That had the start of mine: but as thou art,
Goe to the grave unpitied.
 

Assist.

 
Who would believe
Such rage could be in woman?
 

Viol.

 
For this fellow,
He is not worth my knowledge.
 

Jam.

 
Let him live then,
Since you esteem him innocent.
 

Viol.

 
No Jamy,
He shall make up the mess: now strike together,
And let them fall so.
 

Assist.

 
Unheard of crueltie!
I can endure no longer: seise on her.
 

Viol.

 
Am I betrai'd?
Is this thy faith, Jamy?
 

Jam.

 
Could your desires
Challenge performance of a deed so horrid?
Or, though that you had sold your self to hell,
I should make up the bargain? Live (dear Brother)
Live long, and happy: I forgive you freely;
To have done you this service, is to me
A fair Inheritance: and how e're harsh language
(Call'd on by your rough usage) pass'd my lips,
In my heart I ever lov'd you: all my labours
Were but to shew, how much your love was cozen'd,
When it beheld it self in this false Glass,
That did abuse you; and I am so far
From envying young Ascanio his good fortune,
That if your State were mine, I would adopt him,
These are the Murtherers my noble friends,
Which (to make trial of her bloudy purpose)
I won, to come disguis'd thus.
 

Hen.

 
I am too full
Of grief, and shame to speak: but what I'le doe,
Shall to the world proclaim my penitence;
And howsoever I have liv'd, I'le die
A much chang'd man.
 

Jam.

 
Were it but possible
You could make satisfaction to this woman,
Our joyes were perfect.
 

Hen.

 
That's my only comfort,
That it is in my power: I ne're was married
To this bad woman, though I doted on her,
But daily did defer it, still expecting
When grief would kill Jacintha.
 

Assist.

 
All is come out,
And finds a fair success: take her Don Henrique,
And once again embrace your Son.
 

Hen.

 
Most gladly.
 

Assist.

 
Your Brother hath deserv'd all.
 

Hen.

 
And shall share
The moitie of my State.
 

Assist.

 
I have heard, advocate,
What an ill Instrument you have been to him,
From this time strengthen him with honest counsels,
As you'le deserve my pardon.
 

Bar.

 
I'le change my Copy:
But I am punish'd, for I fear I have had
A smart blow, though unseen.
 

Assist.

 
Curate, and Sexton,
I have heard of you too, let me hear no more,
And what's past, is forgotten; For this woman,
Though her intent were bloody, yet our Law
Calls it not death: yet that her punishment
May deter others from such bad attempts,
The dowry she brought with her, shall be emploi'd
To build a Nunnery, where she shall spend
The remnant of her life.
 

Viol.

 
Since I have miss'd my ends,
I scorn what can fall on me.
 

Assist.

 
The strict discipline
Of the Church, will teach you better thoughts. And Signiors,
You that are Batchelours, if you ever marry,
In Bartolus you may behold the issue
Of Covetousness and Jealousie; and of dotage,
And falshood in Don Henrique: keep a mean then;
For be assured, that weak man meets all ill,
That gives himself up to a womans will.
 

[Exeunt.

Prologue

 
To tell ye (Gentlemen,) we have a Play,
A new one too, and that 'tis launch'd to day,
The Name ye know, that's nothing to my Story;
To tell ye, 'tis familiar, void of Glory,
Of State, of Bitterness: of wit you'll say,
For that is now held wit, that tends that way,
Which we avoid: To tell ye too 'tis merry,
And meant to make ye pleasant, and not weary:
The Stream that guides ye, easie to attend:
To tell ye that 'tis good, is to no end,
If you believe not. Nay, to goe thus far,
To swear it, if you swear against, is war.
To assure you any thing, unless you see,
And so conceive, is vanity in me;
Therefore I leave it to it self, and pray
Like a good Bark, it may work out to day,
And stem all doubts; 'twas built for such a proof,
And we hope highly: if she lye aloof
For her own vantage, to give wind at will,
Why let her work, only be you but still,
And sweet opinion'd, and we are bound to say,
You are worthy Judges, and you crown the Play.
 

Epilogue

 
The Play is done, yet our Suit never ends,
Still when you part, you would still part our friends,
Our noblest friends; if ought have faln amiss,
O let it be sufficient, that it is,
And you have pardon'd it. In Buildings great
All the whole Body cannot be so neat,
But something may be mended; Those are fair,
And worthy love, that may destroy, but spare.
 

APPENDIX

Ad Janum

 
Take Comfort Janus, never feare thy head
Which to the quick belongs, not to the dead
Thy wife did lye with one, thou being dead drunke
Thou are not Cuckold though shee bee a Punke.
 
 
Tis not the state nor soveraintie of Jove
could draw thy pure affections from my love
nor is there Venus in the Skyes
could from thy looks with draw my greedy eyes.