The British drama

Over. I am past learning, And therefore leave you to yourselves; remember- [To his daughter. Exit OVERREACH. Lov. You see, fair lady, your father is solici

tous

To have you change the barren name of virgin Into a hopeful wife.

Marg. His haste, my lord, Holds no power o'er my will. Lov. But o'er your duty

Marg, Which, forced too much, may break. Lov. Bend, rather, sweetest:

Think of your years.

Marg. Too few to match with yours:

And choicest fruits, too soon plucked, rot and wither.

Lov. Do you think I am old?

Marg. I am sure I am too young.
Lov. I can advance you.

Marg To a hill of sorrow;

Where every hour I may expect to fall,
But never hope firm footing.

You are noble ;

I of low descent, however rich.
O my good lord, I could say more, but that
I dare not trust these walls.

Lov. Pray you, trust my ear then.

Enter OVERREACH listening.

Over. Close at it! whispering! this is excellent!

And, by their postures, a consent on both parts. Enter GREEDY.

Greedy. Sir Giles! Sir Giles!

Over. The great fiend stop that clapper! Greedy. It must ring out, sir, when my belly rings noon.

The baked meats are ran out, the roast turned powder.

Over. Stop your insatiate jaws, or

I shall powder you.

Greedy. Beat me to dust, I care not;

In such a cause as this, I'll die a martyr.

Over, Disturb my lord, when he is in discourse?

Greedy. Is it a time to talk, When we should be munching?

Over. Peace, villain! peace! shall we break a
bargain

Almost made up? Vanish, I say.
[Thrusts GREEDY off.
Lov. Lady, I understand you:
And rest most happy in your choice. Believe it,
I'll be a careful pilot to direct

Your yet uncertain bark to a port of safety.
Murg. So shall your honour save two lives,
and bind us
Your slaves for ever.

Lov. I am in the act rewarded,
Since it is good; howe'er you must put on
An amorous carriage towards me, to delude
Your subtle father.

Of words to give you thanks.

Lady. Good sir Giles Overreach!

[Salutes him.

How dost thou, Marrall? Liked you my meat so ill, You'll dine no more with me?

Greedy. I will when you please,

And it like your ladyship.

Lady. When you please, Mr Greedy; If meat can do it, you shall be satisfied:

And now, my lord, pray take into your knowledge

This gentleman; howe'er his outside's coarse,
[Presents WELLBORN.
His inward linings are as fine and fair
As any man's. Wonder not I speak at large:
And howsoe'er his humour carries him
To be thus accoutred; or what taint soe'er
For his wild life have struck upon his fame;

He may, ere long, with boldness, rank himself
With some that have condemned him. Sir Giles
Overreach,

If I am welcome, bid him so.

Over. My nephew!

Mar. In troth, I must: my master, Knowing you are his good friend, makes bold with you,

And does intreat you, more guests being come in
Than he expected, especially his nephew,
The table being too full, you would excuse him,
And sup with him on the cold meat.
Greedy. How! no dinner

After all my care?

Mar. 'Tis but a penance for

A meal; besides, you have broke your fast.
Greedy. That was

But a bit to stay my stomach. A man in commission

Give place to a tatterdemallion!

Mar. No big words, sir;

Should his worship hear you

Greedy. Lose my dumpling too?

And buttered toasts and woodcocks?

Mar. Come, have patience;

you will dispense a little with your justiceship, And sit with the waiting-women, you'll have dumpling,

He hath been too long a stranger: 'faith you Woodcock, and buttered toasts, too.

have.

Greedy. This revives me :

I will gorge there sufficiently. Mar. This is the way, sir.

[Exeunt.

And sits on thorns till she be private with him.
She leaves my meat to feed upon his looks;
And, if in our discourse he be but named,
From her a deep sigh follows. But why grieve I
[Bell rings. At this? It makes for me; if she prove his,
All that is hers is mine, as I will work him.

Over. Your dinner waits you.
Lov. Pray you lead, we follow.
Lady. Nay, you are my guest; come, dear Mr

Well-born. [Freunt. Manet GREEDY. Greedy. Dear Mr Wellborn! so she said; Heaven! Heaven!

If my belly would give me leave, I could rumi

nate

All day on this: I have granted warrants

To have him committed, from all prisons in the shire,

To Nottingham jail! and now, dear Mr Wellborn!

And my good nephew! But I play the fool
To stand here prating, and forget my dinner.
Enter MARRALL.

Are they set, Marrall?

Mar. Long since; pray, you a word, sir. Greedy. No wording now.

Enter MARRALL.

Mar. Sir, the whole board is troubled at your rising.

Over. No matter, I'll excuse it; prithee, Marrall,

Watch an occasion to invite my nephew
To speak with me in private.

Mar. Who? the rogue,

The lady scorned to look on?
Over. You are a wag.

Enter LADY and WELLBORN.

Mar. See, sir, she comes, and cannot be without him.

Lady. With your favour, sir,

I shall make bold to walk a turn or two
In your rare garden.

Över. There's another arbour, too,

SCENE I-A chamber in LADY ALLWORTH'S Of joy, for your much goodness, can supply

house.

My tongue's defects, I could

Lov. Nay, do not melt :

This ceremonial of thanks to me is superfluous. Over. [Within.] Is my lord stirring?

Lov. 'Tis he! Oh, here's your letter! let him in.

Enter OVERREACH, GREEDY, and MARRALL.
Over. A good day to my lord.
Lov. You are an early riser,

Sir Giles.

Over. And reason, to attend your lordship. Lov. And you too, Mr Greedy, up so soon?

Greedy. In troth, my lord, after the sun is up
I cannot sleep; for I have a foolish stomach,
That croaks for breakfast. With your lordship's
favour,

I have a serious question to demand.
Of my worthy friend, sir Giles.

Lov. Pray you, use your pleasure.

Greedy. How far, sir Giles-and, pray you, an

swer me

Upon your credit-hold you it to be

With her, my lord, comes to you; nor shall you
have

One motive to induce you to believe
I live too long, since every year I'll add
Something unto the heap, which shall be yours

too.

Lov. You are a right kind father.

Over. You shall have reason

To think me such. How do you like this seat?
It is well wooded and well watered, the acres

From your manor-house to this of my lady All- Fertile and rich; would it serve for change

worth's?

Over. Why, some four miles.

Greedy. How! four miles, good Sir Giles?

Upon your reputation think better;

For four miles riding

Could not have raised so huge an appetite

As I feel gnawing on me.

Mar. Whether you ride,

Or go a-foot, you are that way still provided,
And it please your worship.

Over. How now, sirrah! prating

Before my lord? no deference? Go to my nephew;
See all his debts discharged, and help his worship
To fit on his rich suit.

Mar. I may fit you, too.

Loo. I have writ this morning

[Exit MARRALL.

A few lines to my mistress, your fair daughter.

To entertain your friends in a summer's progress?
What thinks my noble lord?

Lov. 'Tis a wholesome air,

And well built; and she, that's mistress of it,
Worthy the large revenue.

Over. She the mistress?

It may be so for a time; but let my lord
Say only, that he but like it, and would have it,
I say, ere long 'tis his.

Lov. Impossible.

Over. You do conclude too fast, not knowing

me,

Nor the engines that I work by. 'Tis not alone The lady Allworth's lands; for those, once Wellborn's,

(As, by her dotage on him, I know they will be) Shall soon be mine. But point out any man's

Over. Twill fire her, for she's wholly yours al-In all the shire, and say they lie convenient

ready.

Sweet Mr Allworth, take my ring; 'twill carry
To her presence, I dare warrant you; and there
plead

For my good lord, if you shall find occasion.
That done, pray ride to Nottingham; get a li-

cence,

Still by this token. I'll have it dispatched,
And suddenly, my lord: that I may say
My honourable, nay, right honourable daughter.
Greedy. Take my advice, young gentleman;
get your breakfast.

Tis unwholesome to ride fasting. I'll eat with

you,

And that abundantly.

Over. Some fury's in that gut :

Hungry again? Did you not devour, this morning, A shield of brawn, and a barrel of Colchester oysters?

Greedy. Why, that was, sir, only to scour my
stomach,

A kind of preparative. Come, gentlemen,
I will not have you feed alone, while I am here.
Lov. Haste your return.

Alta. I will not fail, my lord.
Greedy. Nor I, to line'

My Christmas coffer.

What's by unjust and cruel means extorted:
My fame and credit are more dear to me,
Than to expose them to be censured by
The public voice.

Over. You run, my lord, no hazard;
Your reputation shall stand as fair,
In all good mens' opinions, as now:
Nor can my actions, though condemned for ill,
Cast any foul aspersion upon yours.
For though I do contemn report myself,
As a mere sound, I still will be so tender
Of what concerns you in all points of honour,
That the immaculate whiteness of your fame,
Nor your unquestioned integrity,
Shall ere be sullied with one taint or spot,
That may take from your innocence and candour.
All my ambition is, to have my daughter
Right honourable; which my lord can make her :
And might I live to dance upon my knee
A young lord Lovell, born by her unto you,
I write nil ultra to my proudest hopes.
As for possessions, and annual rents,
Equivalent to maintain you in the port
Your noble birth and present state require,

[Exeunt GREEDY and ALLWORTH.I do remove that burden from your shoulders,

Over. To my wish, we're private.

I come not to make offer with my daughter

A certain portion; that were poor and trivial:
In one word, I pronounce all that is mine,
In lands, or leases, ready coin, or goods,

And take it on mine own; for though I ruin
The country, to supply your riotous waste,
The scourge of prodigals, want, shall never find

you.

Lov. Are you not moved with the imprecations

And curses of whole families, made wretched By these practices?

Over. Yes, as rocks are,

When foamy billows split themselves against
Their flinty ribs; or as the moon is moved,
When wolves, with hunger pined, howl at her
brightness.

I am of a solid temper, and, like these,
Steer on a constant course: with mine own sword,
If called into the field, I can make that right,
Which fearful enemies murmured at as wrong.
Now, for those other piddling complaints,
Breathed out in bitterness; as when they call me
Extortioner, tyrant, cormorant, or intruder
On my poor neighbour's right, or grand incloser,
Of what was common, to my private use;
Nay, when my ears are pierced with widows'
cries,

And undone orphans wash with tears my threshold,

I only think what 'tis to have my daughter
Right honourable; and 'tis a powerful charm!
Makes me insensible of remorse, or pity,
Or the least sting of conscience.
Lov. I admire

The toughness of your nature.

Over. 'Tis for you,

My lord, and for my daughter, I am marble;
Nay. more, if you will have my character
In little, I enjoy more true delight
In my arrival to my wealth these dark

And crooked ways, than you shall e'er take plea

sure

In spending what my industry hath compassed. My haste commands me hence: in one word, therefore,

Is it a match, my lord?

Lov. I hope that is past doubt, now.

For your own sake I am glad you came no soone
Since this bold, bad man, sir Giles Overreach,
Made such a plain discovery of himself,
And read this morning such devilish matins,
That I should think a sin, next to his,
But to repeat it-

Lady. I ne'er pressed, my lord,
On other's privacies; yet, against my will,
Walking, for health's sake, in the gallery
Adjoining to our lodgings, I was made
(So loud and vehement he was) partaker
Of his tempting offers. But,

My good lord, if I may use my freedom,
As to an honoured friend-

Lov. You lessen else
Your favour to me.

Lady. I dare, then, say thus: (However common men

Make sordid wealth the object and sole end
Of their industrious aims) 'twill not agree
With those of noble blood, of fame and honour.
Love. Madam, 'tis confessed;

But what infer you from it?

Lady. This, my lord: I allow

The heir of sir Giles Overreach, Margaret,
A maid well qualified, and the richest match
Our north part can boast of; yet she cannot,
With all that she brings with her, fill their mouths,
That never will forget who was her father;
Or that my husband Allworth's lands, and Well-
born's,

(How wrung from both needs no repetition) Were real motives, that more worked your lordship

To join your families, than her form and virtues. You may conceive the rest.

Lon. I do, sweet madam;

And long since have considered it.

Over. Then rest secure; not the hate of all And this my resolution, mark me, madam;

Were Overreach's states thrice centupled, his daughter

Millions of degrees much fairer than she is,
I would not so adulterate my blood,
By marrying Margaret. In my own tomb
I will inter my name first.

Lady. I am glad to hear this.

[Aside Why, then, my lord, pretend you marriage to her?

Dissimulation but ties false knots
On that straight line, by which you hitherto
Have measured all your actions.

Lov. I make answer,

And aptly, with a question. Wherefore have you, That, since your husband's death, have lived a

strict

And chaste nun's life, on the sudden given your self

To visits and entertainments? Think you, madam, 'Tis not grown public conference or the favours, Which you too prodigally have thrown on Wellborn, Incur not censure?

« Zurück Weiter »

Books

The British drama, Band 3