Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

Capt. Gardiner, and by other officers of The dramatic story of DOUGLAS. [77]

the fhip, who were near the person of the Admiral, that they did not perceive any backwardness in the Admiral during the action, or any marks of fear or confufion, either from his countenance or behaviour, but that he seemed to give his orders coolly and diftinctly, and did not seem wanting in perfonal courage.

36. Refolved, That the Admiral ap. pears to fall under the following part of the 12th article of the articles of war, to wit, "or fhall not do his utmost to take or destroy every ship which it fhall be his duty to engage, and to affift and relieve all and every of his Majefty's fhips which it fhall be his duty to affift and relieve."

37. Refolved, As that article pofitively prefcribes death, without any alternative left to the difcretion of the court, under any variation of circumftances, that he be adjudged to be fhot to death, at fuch time, and on board fuch ship, as the Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty fhall direct: But as it appears, by the evidence of Lord Robert Bertie, Lt-Col. Smith, Capt. Gardiner, and other officers of the fhip who were near the person of the Admiral, that they did not perceive any backwardness in him during the action, or any marks of fear or confufion, either from his counte. nance or behaviour, but that he feemed to give his orders coolly and diftinctly, and did not seem wanting in perfonal courage, and from other circumftances, the court do not believe that his mifconduct arofe either from cowardice or

difaffection; and do therefore unanimously think it their duty most earnestly to recommend him as a proper object of mercy."

*

After agreeing to the laft of the preceding refolutions, Jan. 27. the fentence and a reprefentation were drawn up and figned, and then the Admiral being fent for, the fentence was pronounced.

-What followed upon thefe proceedings being reported to the admiralty, our readers have feen already. [103.]

[The fentence and reprefentation, in the trial, are verbatim as inferted above, p. 45, 6.]

[blocks in formation]

A Deadly feud had long fubfifted beDouglas; but it happened that the heir of Malcolm, having faved the life of the heir of Douglas in battle, this act of heroic generofity produced a fecret but inviolable friendship between them. Young Malcolm having frequently boasted the beauty of Matilda his fifter, to Douglas, he became impatient to see her, and at length went to Balarmo, her father's feat, under a borrowed name; his perfon not being known to the father, or At Balarmo he conany of the family.

tween the houses of Malcolm and

tinued a confiderable time; and having obtained the lady's confent to marry him, the ceremony was privately performed in her brother's prefence, by an old ecclefiaftic, who had been his tutor, and was ftill his father's domeftic. This marriage was known only to young Malcolm and the priest; and about three weeks after it had been folemnized, Douglas was called from his young bride to fight his father's battles; and Malcolm, his brother-in-law, notwithftanding the earnest intreaty of his fifter to the contrary, went with him, so also did the old priest.

As foon as they were gone, old Malcolm was told, that the ftranger who had been fo long his gueft, was the heir of Douglas.

This threw him into a fit of dreadful rage; and for some might have made addreffes to his daughreafon fufpecting that young Douglas ter, he queftioned her about him in a fuHer anfwers to his questions were equi rious tone, and with his fword drawn. vocal; and to footh his anger, she also would never wed any of the name of made an equivocal promife, That the Douglas." Within a few days, news was brought to Balarmo, that the young gentlemen had both fallen in battle, to gether

[ocr errors]

gether with the priest; fo that the lady had neither husband, brother, nor witnefs of her marriage alive.

The loss of an only brother was fufficient to account for her grief, without fuppofing that it was complicated with any other misfortune: but the lofs of a husband with her brother, was aggravated by other circumftances of diftrefs. Within a very fhort time after she heard her husband was dead, the found herfelf with child. Having no witness of her marriage, nor any friend to become her advocate with her father, fhe determined to conceal her condition.

It was, however, neceffary, that he fhould have some confident, because the would ftand in need of fome affiftance; fhe therefore communicated her fecret to a nurse, but to no other. This nurse had a fifter, who lived not very far diftant; and as foon as Matilda was delivered, which happened without the knowledge of any in the family, the nurfe fet out with the infant, to carry it to her fifter's, and left the mother alone. Whether the fifter, to whom the child was to have been carried, was to be acquainted whofe it was; whether he did not know with whom this fifter that brought it lived, and would therefore fufpect whofe it was, does not appear; but from that time the mother heard nothing either of the nurfe or child, or a casket of valuable jewels, which the nurse, for some reason that does not appear, was to carry to her filter's with the child.

As the woman fet out with the child and jewels in December, in the dead of the night, after inceffant wind and rain; as fhe was alone, on foot, and had the river Carron to cross; it was fuppofed she was drowned in attempting to ford it; as at that feafon, efpecially after fudden and violent rain, it must have been much fwelled.

The lady, though fhe was left without any affiftance, but fuch as fhe could afford to herself, and muft have fuffered unfpeakable diftrefs of mind, from a fruitless expectation of her nurse's return from fo interefting and hazardous a fervice, was yet fo fortunate as to conceal

her condition from her father; who fome time after died, and left her in the poffeffion of his whole estate.

Not long after her father's death, Glenalvon, the kinfman and heir of Lord Randolph, attempted, in disguise, to carry her off, and by a forced marriage poffefs himself of the barony and eftate of Malcolm. In this attempt he was disappointed by the accidental intervention of Lord Randolph, who rescued the lady from the ravisher, though without difcovering who he was. this fervice fhe thought herself obliged to marry her deliverer, though fhe told him fhe could never love him; and he declaring he would content himself with "decent affection, and complaisant kindness," the marriage took place.

For

The lady, however, though eighteen years had now paft, fince the loft her firft husband, continued inceffantly to lament him; and under the notion of commemorating the death of her brother, always wore mourning on the anniversary of his misfortune.

In the mean time, Glenalvon, who is reprefented to be fhrewd and fubtle, had made a declaration of his paffion to Lady Randolph, and she had threatened to acquaint her Lord with it; he therefore, to prevent his being difinherited for his perfidy, and to gain imme diate poffeffion of Lord Randolph's eftate, hires four defperadoes to affaffinate him.

Such is the fituation of Lord and Lady Randolph, and their kinfman Glenalvon, when the dramatic action begins.

ACT I. The audience are acquainted with Lady Randolph's ftory, in a converfation between her and her maid, whom she happens now first to make her confident; and with Glenalvon's fituation and defigns, by a foliloquy of his own. Lord Randolph reproaches his lady for with-holding even the decent affection, and complaifant kindness, which was all he hoped from the living, and giving up her whole heart to the dead; and acquaints her, that he is fetting out for the camp, whither the Scottifh chiefs have been fummoned by the King, to appofe the Danes, from whom an invafion was daily expected.

Аст

ACT II. Lord Randolph having been attacked alone by the affaffins whom Glenalvon had hired to dispatch him, is fuccoured by a young ftranger, who difpatched two of the affaffins, and put the other two to flight. Lord Randolph returns to the caftle with the ftranger; and having acquainted his lady with what had happened, the inquires who his deliverer is. To this the ftranger replies, That his name is Norval, the onÎy fon of a fhepherd on the Grampian hills: That the humble obfcurity of his birth, did not prevent his defire of fignalizing himself by arms; and that he often urged his father to permit him to follow fome of the Scottish chiefs to bat tle, but had always been refused: That a few nights before, a band of robbers had carried off their fheep; that he hovered near them with his bow and arrows, and having marked the road they took, was returning back, when he met his friends with a chofen troop of fifty men; and putting himself at the head of this company, he led the purfuit, overtook, and routed the enemy, having killed the chief with an arrow from his own bow, and armed himself with his target and fword. After he returned in triumph from this expedition, he heard that the chiefs had been fummoned by the King, to oppofe the Danes; and being then determined to leave his father, and repair to the camp, he fet out with only one fervant, and in his way, happened to pass the caftle of Balarmo, juft as the attempt was made on Lord Randolph, whom he determined to affift, though his fervant, in a panic, deserted him when he moft needed his help. Lord Randolph, whofe good will to the ftranger is increased by this ftory, promifes to take care of him as a foldier of fortone, and place him next in honour and command to Glenalvon in his own clan. He then offers to conduct him to the camp, and tells his lady, that he will return in the evening. Lady Randolph foreseeing that Glenalvon would become jealous of this new favourite, and endeavour to do him ill offices with Lord Randolph, takes an opportunity to exert the influence which the derived

from her power to ruin him, by difclofing his fecret to her lord; and commands him at his peril, not to practise any thing against the stranger, to whom fhe declares herfelf a friend. Glenalvon ruminating on this event, becomes jealous of Norval, and determines to feek the fervant, who in his danger deferted him; that in concert with him, if he can be corrupted, he may attempt fome farther mifchief.

ACT III. A man is feized lurking near the caftle, who is fupposed to be one of the villains that affaulted Lord Randolph; and feveral jewels of confiderable value, fuppofed to be the fpoils of fome other victim, are found upon him. Thefe jewels being fhewn to Anna, Lady Randolph's woman, fhe difcovers that they have belonged to the family of Douglas by the creft. She therefore immediately carries them to her lady; who fuppofing the man on whom they had been found, must have been the murderer of the nurse and her child, comes in hafte to examine him. The man declares, that of the attempt to affaffinate Lord Randolph, he is totally innocent; and gives the following account of his getting poffeffion of the jewels.

That about eighteen years before, he was tenant to Malcolm, Lord Balarmo, her father; but falling to decay, was turned out of his house by the Baron's fervants: That, with his family, he took fhelter in a little hovel on the banks of the Carron, where he fubfifted by fishing: That in the depth of a dark tempeftuous night, in the midst of winter, he heard a cry of one in danger; and rifing, ran to fee what was the matter: the voice immediately ceased; and looking about in the eddy of a pool, where whatever floated on the water was generally brought, he saw a basket, in which he found an infant, and a great treasure in gold and jewels. He was tempted by this treasure to conceal the child; he therefore brought it up as his own; and that their new-acquired -wealth might be enjoyed without fsuspicion, they removed to another part of the country; and buying some sheep

and

[merged small][ocr errors]

and cattle, increased their stock by degrees. When the child grew up, he was inclined to truft him with the fecret of his birth, having no heir of his own; but his wife prevented him. As the man was proceeding in his ftory, Lady Randolph interrupts him, by feveral impatient queftions, tending to refolve the doubts which had rifen in her mind, whether it was not her child that the ftranger had brought up, and whether he was yet alive. Among other queftions, she asks his name; and upon his telling her it is Norval, her doubts are at an end; and she knows immediately, that the youth who had defended her Lord, was her fon. This discovery produces fuch effects upon her, that the man discovers her intereft in his story, and declares, that the youth having left him to go to the camp, he followed him with the jewels, that by binding them upon his arm, they might be challenged, and his real parentage by that means be discovered. The lady, confiding in his fidelity, fatisfies her fervants, that he is not the perfon they fuppofed, and directs him to go to an hermit in a cottage on the cliffs of Carron, and wait there till fhe fends for him to give his teftimony before the King, and put her fon in poffeffion of his honours and estate. In the mean time Glenalvon, having practifed on the fervant of young Norval, and found that for money he would fay and swear any thing, determines, with his affiftance, to make Lord Randolph jealous of this youth with his lady, that when he had fet the husband and wife at enmity with each other, he might find it lefs difficult to infinuate himself between them.

ACT IV. Lady Randolph, in an accidental meeting with her fon, acquaints him with his birth, and bids him beware of Glenalvon. She acquaints him alfo, that before this accidental interval happened, fhe had given a billet to his fervant for him, appointing him to meet her privately at night; and directs him to give her a fecond meeting according to that appointment.

Glenalvon having corrupted the fervant with whom this billet had been inVOL. XIX.

trufted, gets it into his poffeffion, and ufes it as an inftrument to provoke Lord Randolph's jealoufy; urging alfo his lady's zealous and fudden attachment to the ftranger, and her difmiffing a man supposed to have been one of thofe that had attempted his life. As a farther proof, he propofes to fend the billet as directed, and to obferve, concealed in fome convenient place, what happens at the interview. Lord Randolph agrees, and this ftep is taken. Glenalvon then remarks, that young minds are not elated with any honour or good fortune fo fuddenly, or fo extravagantly, as with unexpected favours from women much fuperior in rank and fortune. If Norval therefore, fays he, whom you found this morning diffident, modeft, and unaffuming, is now haughty, turbulent, and captious; conclude that your fufpicions are juft; and I will try his fpirit by fome ironical counfel. If he is no more that low-born Norval, who owes his change of fortune wholly to your favour, he will fhrink from me, overawed and abashed; but if he is the favourite of the first lady in Scotland, he will turn upon me like the lion upon the hunter.

Lord Randolph confents to this experiment; and Norval being elated, not by any criminal favour of Lady Randolph, but by the knowledge of his birth, and being allo warned to beware of Glenalvon as a villain, is prepared to fall by the fnare that is laid for him.

Lord Randolph retires, and Glenalvon fucceeds to the utmost of his wishes. Norval, impatient of the leaft indignity, inftantly takes fire; and juft as he has drawn upon Glenalvon, and defied him to a duel, Lord Randolph appears: but though the proof that had been propofed of his being criminally beloved by Lady Randolph, has been now given, and Lord Randolph's fufpicions arifing from other circumftances confirmed; yet he mediates between both parties without any feeming emotion; and admonifhing them both to fufpend the refentment of any private injury, till they had both exerted themselves in the common caufe, by repreffing the Dane, goes

with

"

with them to the entertainment which he had ordered at his castle, that the evening before he marched against the enemy might be spent chearfully.

ACT V. It is now midnight, the banquet is over, and Norval, though supposed to have retired to his chamber, repairs to the wood, where Lady Ran dolph had appointed to meet him. Into this wood, at this hour, fhe contrives to follow him, instead of retiring with her lord, who was to leave her early in the morning.

Norval, whom it is now fit to call Douglas, comes firft to the place of affignation; where he meets his fofterfather, who had been fent to wait at the hermitage by Lady Randolph till he fhould hear from her. The old man acquaints him, That inftead of continuing with the hermit, as he had been order ed, he strolled out in the evening, to indulge the pleasure which every man feels in vifiting walks and groves, with which he has been familiar in his youth, and from which he had been long ab fent: That he overheard a converfation between Glenalvon and Lord Ran. dolph, in which Lady Randolph and young Norval were often named in a threatening tone; a ftrange difcovery was mentioned, and revenge threatened.

Norval fuppofes the discovery mentioned by Lord Randolph and Glenalvon, to be that of Douglas's birth; and that a scheme was formed to cut him off, that he might not recover his paternal eftate, of which Lord Ran. dolph was in poffeffion, and to which Glenalvon was heir. Norval, after he has given Douglas this intelligence, retires; and his mother coming to the place appointed foon after, he tells her what he has heard. She immediately concludes, as Norval had done, that Douglas is difcovered to be her fon, and that fome attempt will be made to deftroy him. In this attempt the feems to think Lord Randolph himselt may be engaged; and therefore urges Douglas to fly to the camp, and claim his kindred to Lord Dougias, which he may fupport by producing the jewels, and which the will confirm.

1

To this, after fome hefitation, he confents; but Lady Randolph, with a tenderness natural to a mother, just parting with a fon, who being prompt to enterprife, and going to a camp, fhe might poffibly fee no more, expreffes the utmoft folicitude for his fafety, and gives him a parting embrace. Just as they are feparating, Lord Randolph and Glenalvon come near enough to discover them by moon-light. Lord Randolph's jealoufy being now confirmed, he goes after Douglas, and commands Glenalvon not to follow him, because he will engage no man upon unequal terms. Glenalvon, who had contrived this mifchief only to gain an opportunity to deftroy Lord Randolph without fufpicion, draws, and follows him. Lady Randolph, alarmed by the noife of the rencounter, turns back; and being fuppofed to fee Lord Randolph engaged with Douglas, fhe calls out to him to spare her fon. No notice is taken of her by Lord Randolph: but Douglas, hearing his mother's voice, comes up to her with a fword in each hand; he tells her, that having just disarmed Lord Randolph, Glenalvon came behind him, and wounded him in the back; but that he inftantly turned upon him, and killed him. Lord Randolph, who appears to have been a neutral spectator of the rencounter between Douglas and Glenalvon, does not follow Douglas to Lady Randolph, but ftays by Glenalvon, who foon after expires, curfing the hand by which he fell. In the mean time it appears, that the wound which Douglas had received, is mortal; and juft as he expires, Lord Randolph enters, with Anna; who is supposed, between the death of Glenalvon and Douglas, to have found time to acquaint Lord Randolph with Douglas's relation to his lady, and Glenalvon's treachery. He expreffes the utmost distress at what has happened; and Lady Randolph, who had fallen into a fwoon on the death of her fon, recovers, and recollecting her fituation, runs off distracted, and is followed by Anna; who foon after returns, with an account, that Lady Randolph had thrown herself from a

precipice.

1

« ZurückWeiter »