We are near neighbours, were of love as near,
Till a cross misconstruction ('twas no more
In conscience) put us so far asunder.

I would 'twere reconciled; it has lasted
Too many sunsets: if grace might moderate,
Man should not lose so many days of peace
To satisfy the anger of one minute.
I could repent it heartily. I sent
The knave to attend my Antonio too,

Yet he returns no comfort to me neither.
Enter BUSTOPHA.

Bust. No, I must not.
Jul. Ha! he is come.

Bust. I must not :

"Twill break his heart to hear it.

Jul. How! there's bad tidings.

I must obscure and hear it: he'll not tell it

For breaking of my heart.

It's half split already. Now to knock down a

Bust. I have spied him. With a lie a silly, harmless lie: 'twill be [don Valiantly done, and nobly, perhaps.

Jul. I cannot hear him now.

Bust. Oh, the bloody days that we live in!
The envious, malicious, deadly days
That we draw breath in.

Jul. Now I hear too loud.

[rue,

Bust. The children that never shall be born may For men that are slain now, might have lived To have got children that might have cursed Their fathers.

Jul. Oh, my posterity is ruin d.

Bust. Oh, sweet Antonio!

Jul. O dear Antonio!

Bust. Oh, but the quality of the thing; both Both Spanish Christians—yet one man to shedJul. Say his enemy's blood.

Bust. His hair may come

By divers casualties, though he never go
Into the field with his foe; but a man

To lose nine ounces and two drams of blood
At one wound, thirteen and a scruple at another,
And to live till he die in cold blood; yet the surgeon
That cured him said, that if pia mater had not
Been perish'd, he had been a lives man
Till this day.

Jul. There he concludes-he is gone. [point.
Bust. But all this is nothing,-now I come to the
Jul. Ay, the point-that's deadly; the ancient

blow

Over the buckler ne'er went half so deep.

Bust. Yet pity bids me keep in my charity; For me to pull an old man's ears from his head With telling of a tale. Oh, foul tale! no, be silent, Furthermore, there is the charge of burial. [tale. Every one will cry blacks, blacks, that had

But the least finger dipt in his blood, though ten
Degrees removed when 'twas done. Moreover,
The surgeons that made an end of him will be paid
Sugar-plums and sweet-breads; yet, say I,
The man may recover again, and die in his bed.

Jul. What motley stuff is this? Sirrah, speak What hath befallen my dear Antonio! [truth. Restrain your pity in concealing it;

Tell me the danger full. Take off your care
Of my receiving it; kill me that way, [truth,
I'll forgive my death! What thou keep'st back from
Thou shalt speak in pain: do not look to find
A limb in his right place, a bone unbroke,
Nor so much flesh unbroil'd of all that mountain,
Asaworm might sup on-despatch or be despatch'd.
Bust. Alas, Sir, I know nothing but that Antonio
Is a man of God's making to this hour;
'Tis not two since I left him so.

Jul. Where didst thou leave him?

Bust. In the same clothes he had on when he went from you.

Jul. Does he live?

Bust. I saw him drink.

Jul. Is he not wounded?

Bust. He may have a cut i' the leg by this time, For Don Martino and he were at whole slashes. Jul. Met he not with Lisauro?

Bust. I do not know her.

Jul. Her! Lisauro is a man, as he is.
Bust. I saw ne'er a man like him.
Jul. Didst thou not discourse

A fight betwixt Antonio and Lisauro?
Bust. Ay, to myself:

I hope a man may give himself the lie
If it please him.

Jul. Didst thou lie then?

Off with a sword.

Ham. Your schoolmaster!
Rollo. Even he.

Bald. For teaching thee no better: 'tis the best
Of all thy damned justices. Away!
Captain, I'll follow.

Edith. O stay there, Duke,

And, in the midst of all thy blood and fury,
Hear a poor maid's petition-hear a daughter,
The only daughter of a wretched father!

Oh! stay your haste, as I shall need your mercy.
Rollo. Away with this fond woman!
Edith. You must hear me,

If there be any spark of pity in you;
If sweet humanity and mercy rule you.
I do confess you are a prince-your anger
As great as you, your execution greater.
Rollo. Away with him!

Edith. Oh, Captain, by thy manhood,

By her soft soul that bare thee-I do confess, Sir, Your doom of justice on your foes most righteous. Good, noble Prince, look on me.

Rollo. Take her from me.

Edith. A curse upon his life that hinders me!
May father's blessing never fall upon him!
May heav'n ne'er hear his prayers! I beseech you-
O Sir, these tears beseech you-these chaste hands
woo you,

That never yet were heaved but to things holy,
Things like yourself. You are a god above us,
Be as a god, then, full of saving mercy.
Mercy! Oh, mercy! Sir-for his sake mercy,
That, when your stout heart weeps, shall give you
Here I must grow.

Rollo. By heaven I'll strike thee, woman

Edith. Most willingly-let all thy anger seize me, All the most studied tortures, so this good man, This old man, and this innocent escape thee. Rollo. Carry him away, I say.

Edith. Now blessing on thee! Oh, sweet pity, I see it in thine eyes. I charge you, soldiers, Ev'n by the Prince's power, release my father! The Prince is merciful-why do you hold him? The Prince forgets his fury-why do you tug him? He is old-why do you hurt him? Speak, oh speak, Sir!

Speak, as you are a man-a man's life hangs, Sir,
A friend's life, and a foster life, upon you.
"Tis but a word, but mercy-quickly spoke, Sir.
Oh speak, Prince, speak!

Rollo. Will no man here obey me?
Have I no rule yet? As I live, he dies
That does not execute my will, and suddenly.

Bald. All thou canst do takes but one short hour
Rollo. Hew off her hands!
Ham. Lady, hold off.

Edith. No, hew 'em;

[from me.

Ginks. H' has cough'd the second time, 'tis but And then it comes. [once more, Ferret. So out with all! Expect now-Hig. That thou art chosen, venerable Clause, Our king, and sovereign monarch of the maunders, Thus we throw up our nab-cheats first for joy, And then our filches; last we clap our famblesThree subject signs-we do it without envy. For who is he here, did not wish thee chosen? Now thou art chosen, ask them-all will say soNay, swear't-'tis for the King: but let that pass. When last in conference at the bouzing ken," This other day, we sat about our dead prince, Of famous memory (rest go with his rags!) And that I saw thee at the table's end, Rise moved, and gravely leaning on one crutch, Lift t'other, like a sceptre, at my head; I then presaged thou shortly wouldst be king. And now thou art so-but what need presage To us, that might have read it in thy beard, As well as he that chose thee! By that beard, Thou wert found out and mark'd for sovereignty! Oh, happy beard! but happier Prince, whose beard Was so remark'd, as marking out our Prince, Not bating us a hair. Long may it grow, And thick and fair, that who lives under it May live as safe as under beggars' bush, Of which this is the thing, that but the type. Omnes. Excellent, excellent orator!

good Higgen

Forward, [Higgen!

Give him leave to spit-the fine, well-spoken
Hig. This is the beard, the bush, or bushy beard,
Under whose gold and silver reign 'twas said
So many ages since, we all should smile.
No impositions, taxes, grievances!
Knots in a state, and whips unto a subject,
Lie lurking in this beard, but all kemb'd out.
If, now, the beard be such, what is the Prince
That owes the beard? Afather? no-a grandfather?
Nay, the great grandfather of you his people.
He will not force away your hens, your bacon,
When you have ventured hard for't; nor take
from you

The fattest of your puddings. Under him
Each man shall eat his own stol'n eggs and butter,
In his own shade or sunshine, and enjoy
His own dear doll doxy, or mort at night

In his own straw, with his own shirt or sheet,
That he hath filch'd that day-ay, and possess
What he can purchase-back or belly cheats
To his own prop.
He will have no purveyors

For pigs and poultry.

Clause. That we must have, my learned orator, It is our will-and every man to keep In his own path and circuit.

Hig. Do you hear?

You must hereafter maund on your own pads,

he says.

Clause. And what they get there is their own; besides,

To give good words

Hig. Do you mark, to cut been whids,
This is the second law.

a Alehouse.-b Combed.

DISTANT VIEW OF THE ROMAN ARMY ENGAGING THE BRITONS.

FROM "THE TRAGEDY OF BONDUCA," SCENE V. ACT III. SEE that huge battle moving from the mountains, Their gilt coats shine like dragon scales, their march Like a rough tumbling storm; see 'em,. And then see Rome no more. Say they fail; look, Look where the armed carts stand, a new army! Look how they hang like falling rocks, as murdering Death rides in triumph, Drusius, fell Destruction Lashes his fiery horse, and round about him His many thousand ways to let out souls. [tain Move me again when they charge, when the mounMelts under their hot wheels, and from their ax

trees

Huge claps of thunder plough the ground before Till then I'll dream what Rome was. [them,

BONDUCA ATTACKED IN HER FORTRESS BY THE ROMANS.

FROM THE SAME, SCENE IV. ACT IV.

Persons-SUETONIUS, JUNIUS, DECIUS, and other Romans. BONDUCA, and her Daughters, with NENNIUS above. Suet. BRING up the catapults, and shake the wall, We will not be outbraved thus.

Nen. Shake the earth,

Ye cannot shake our souls. Bring up your rams,
And with their armed heads make the fort totter,
Ye do but rock us into death.
Jun. See, sir,

See the Icenian queen in all her glory
From the strong battlements proudly appearing,
As if she meant to give us lashes.
Dec. Yield, queen.

[Roman. Bond. I'm unacquainted with that language, Suet. Yield,honour'd lady, and expect our mercy; We love thy nobleness.

Bond. I thank ye, ye say well;

But mercy and love are sins in Rome and hell. Suet. You cannot 'scape our strength, you must

yield, lady;

You must adore and fear the power of Rome.

Bond. If Rome be earthly, why should any knee
With bending adoration worship her?
She's vicious, and your partial selves confess
Aspires the height of all impiety.
Therefore 'tis fitter I should reverence
The thatched houses where the Britons dwell
In careless mirth; where the bless'd household gods
See nought but chaste and simple purity.
"Tis not high power that makes a place divine,
Nor that the men from gods derive their line;
But sacred thoughts, in holy bosoms stored,
Make people noble, and the place adored.

Suet. Beat the wall deeper.
Bond. Beat it to the centre,
We will not sink one thought.
Suet. I'll make ye.
Bond. No.

2d Daughter. Oh, mother, these are fearful hours!-speak gently.

c The Roman who makes this speech is supposed to be reclining, overcome with fatigue, and going to snatch a momentary repose.

CARATACH, PRINCE OF THE BRITONS, WITH

HIS NEPHEW HENGO ASLEEP.

FROM SCENE III. ACT V. OF THE SAME.

Car. SLEEP still, sleep sweetly, child; 'tis all thou feed'st on:

No gentle Briton near, no valiant charity
To bring thee food. Poor knave, thou'rt sick,
extreme sick,

Almost grown wild for meat, and yet thy goodness
Will not confess or show it. All the woods
Are double lined with soldiers, no way left us
To make a noble 'scape. I'll sit down by thee,
And when thou wakest either get meat to save thee,
Or lose my life i' the purchase. Good gods comfort
thee!

Enter CARATACH and HENGO on the rock.

Car. Courage, my boy, I've found meat: look,

They ring a strange sad knell, a preparation

To some near funeral of state. Nay, weep not.
Car. Oh! my poor chicken.
Hengo. Fye, faint-hearted uncle;

Come, tie me in your belt, and let me down.
Car. I'll go myself, boy.

Hengo. No; as you love me, uncle,

I will not eat it if I do not fetch it,
The danger only I desire; pray tie me.

Car. I will, and all my care hang o'er thee.
My valiant child.
[Come, child,
Hengo. Let me down apace, uncle,
And you shall see how like a daw I'll whip it
From all their policies; for 'tis most certain
A Roman train. And you must hold me sure too,
You'll spoil all else. When I have brought it,
[uncle,

We'll be as merry

Car. Go i' the name of heav'n, boy.

Hengo. Quick, quick, uncle, I have it. Oh!

Car. What ail'st thou?

[JUDAS shoots HENGO.

Hengo. Oh! my best uncle, I am slain.

ARNOLDO TEMPTED BY HYPOLITA.

FROM "THE CUSTOM OF THE COUNTRY."

Arn. FY! stand off;

And give me leave more now than e'er to wonder
A building of so goodly a proportion,

Outwardly all exact, the frame of heaven,
Should hide within so base inhabitants.

....

You are as fair as if the morning bare you,
Imagination never made a sweeter...
Be excellent in all as you are outward;
The worthy mistress of those many blessings
Heav'n has bestow'd, make 'em appear still nobler,
Because they're trusted to a weaker keeper.-
Would you have me love you?
Hyp. Yes.

Arn. Not for your beauty;

Though I confess it blows the first fire in us;
Time as he passes by puts out that sparkle.
Nor for your wealth, although the world kneel to it,
And make it all addition to a woman;
Fortune, that ruins all, make that his conquest.
Be honest and be virtuous, I'll admire you;
At least be wise: and, where you lay these nets,
Strew over them a little modesty,
"Twill well become your cause, and catch more fools.
Hyp. Could any one, that loved this wholesome

counsel,

But love the giver more ?-You make me fonder.
You have a virtuous mind-I want that ornament.
Is it a sin, I covet to enjoy you ?—

If you imagine I'm too free a lover,
And act that part belongs to you, I'm silent.
Mine eyes shall speak, my blushes parley with you;
I will not touch your hand but with a tremble
Fitting a vestal nun; not long to kiss you,
But gently as the air, and undiscern'd too,
I'll steal it thus. I'll walk your shadow by you,
So still and silent, that it shall be equal
To put me off as that.

NO RIVALSHIP OR TAINT OF FAITH ADMISSIBLE IN LOVE.

FROM THE SAME. ZENOCIA to ARNOLDO.

SHOULD you lay by the least part of that love You've sworn is mine, your youth and faith have To entertain another, nay, a fairer, [given me, And make the case thus desperate, she must die also; D'ye think I would give way, or count this honest? Be not deceived; these eyes should never see you

more,

This tongue forget to name you, and this heart
Hate you as if you were born my full antipathy:
Empire and more imperious love alone
Rule and admit no rivals. The pure springs,
When they are courted by lascivious land-floods,
Their maiden sweetness and their coolness perish;
And though they purge again to their first beauty,
The sweetness of their taste is clean departed.
I must have all or none; and am not worthy
Longer the noble name of wife, Arnoldo,
Than I can bring a whole heart pure and handsome.

SCENE IN THE COMEDY OF MONSIEUR THOMAS.
Valentine having formed the noble resolution of giving
up his mistress Cellide to preserve the life of his friend
Francis, who is in love with her, is supposed to hear
the following dialogue, unknown to Francis.
Francis. BLESS me, what beams

Flew from those angel eyes! Oh, what a misery,
What a most studied torment 'tis to me now
To be an honest man! Dare you sit by me?

Fran. What heaven you have brought me, lady!
Cel. Do not wonder:

For 'tis not impudence, nor want of honour,
Makes me do this; but love to save your life, sir,
Your life, too excellent to lose in wishes-
Love, virtuous love!

Fran. A virtuous blessing crown you!
Oh, goodly sweet! can there be so much charity,
So noble a compassion in that heart,
That's fill'd up with another's fair affections?
Can mercy drop from those eyes?

Can miracles be wrought upon a dead man, When all the power you have, and perfect object, Lies in another's light, and his deserves it?

Cel. Do not despair; nor do not think too boldly I dare abuse my promise; 'twas your friend's, And so fast tied, I thought no time could ruin; But so much has your danger, and that spell, The powerful name of friend, prevail'd above him, To whom I ever owe obedience,

That here I am, by his command, to cure ye;
Nay more, for ever, by his full resignment;
And willingly I ratify it.

Fran. Hold, for heaven's sake!
Must my friend's misery make me a triumph?
Bear I that noble name to be a traitor?
Oh, virtuous goodness! keep thyself untainted:
You have no power to yield, nor he to render,
Nor I to take-I am resolved to die first!

Val. Ha! say'st thou so?-Nay, then thou shalt not perish!

Fran. And though I love ye above the light shines

on me;

Beyond the wealth of kingdoms; free content
Sooner would snatch at such a blessing offer'd,
Than at my pardon'd life, by the law forfeited.
Yet-yet, oh, noble beauty!—yet, oh, paradise!
(For you are all the wonder reveal'd of it ;)
Yet is a gratitude to be preserved,

A worthy gratitude, to one most worthy
The name and nobleness of friends!

Cel. Pray tell me,

If I had never known that gentleman, Would you not willingly embrace my offer? Fran. D'you make a doubt?

d Valentine is supposed to remain undiscovered, and his speeches not to be heard by Francis and Cellide.