In honour of your townsman's generous gift De Mon. He is too old to revel with the gay. I know not one, for talents, honour, worth, That I should rank superior to Rezervelt. De Mon. How virtuous he hath been in three short days! And every wish of yours commands my will. You see I have not linger'd long behind. Freb. No, thou art sooner than I look'd for thee. Rez. A willing heart adds feather to the heel, And makes the clown a winged Mercury. De Mon. Then let me say, that with a grateful mind, I do receive these tokens of good will; Freb. Nay, longer, marquis; but my friendship And must regret, that, in my wayward moods, rests Upon the good report of other men, (De Monfort aside, going some steps hastily from Would he were come! by heaven I would he were! Listening again, as if he heard something.) Some fair one has bewitch'd your memory, Jane. Half-utter'd praise is to the curious mind More precious than the whole. Pray pardon him. (Listening.) Freb. No, no, it is a servant who ascends; He will not come so soon. Rez. No, no, De Monfort, Freb. Ay, let it rest with the departed shades Follow'd by friendship sweet, and firm esteem, I will not offer you a hand of concord, | And poorly hide the motives which constrain me. But never will deceive. (Jane smiles upon De Monfort with great approbation, and Rezen velt runs up to him with open arms.) Rez. Away with hands! I'll have thee to my breast. Thou art, upon my faith, a noble spirit! De Mon. (shrinking back from him.) Nay, if you please, I am not so preparedMy nature is of temperature too cold De Mon. (off his guard.) 'Tis Rezen velt: II pray you pardon me. (Jane's countenance heard his well-known foot, From the first staircase, mounting step by step. Freb. How quick an ear thou hast for distant sound! I heard him not. changes.) But take this hand, the token of respect; (De Monfort looks embarrassed, and is silent.) And cursed be its power, unnerved its strength, Enter REZENVELT (De Monfort, recovering himself, goes up to receive Rezenvelt, who meets him with a cheerful countenance.) If e'er again it shall be lifted up To do you any harm. Rez. Well, be it so, De Monfort, I'm I'll take thy hand, since I can have no more. con De Mon. (to Rez.) I am, my lord, beholden to (Carelessly.) I take of worthy men whate'er they you greatly. This ready visit makes me much your debtor. Rez. Then may such debts between us, noble marquis, Be oft incurred, and often paid again! (To Jane.) Madam, I am devoted to your service, give. Their heart I gladly take, if not, their hand! And, if e'en these are too great favours deem'd, With plain and homely greeting, or "God save ye!" De Mon. (aside, starting away from him some paces.) By the good light, he makes a jest of it! Rez. 'Faith! so he did, and so did I receive it; When, with spread arms, and heart e'en moved to tears, I frankly proffer'd him a friend's embrace: (Jane seems greatly distressed, and Freberg I from that very moment had forborne Freb. (to Jane.) Cheer up, my noble friend; all Contemning carelessness, and all offence; For friendship is no plant of hasty growth. Must bring it to perfection. And had caress'd him as a worthy heart, (To the Countess.) My love, the morning, now, is As fair distinction in the public eye, far advanced; Our friends elsewhere expect us; take your leave. Lady. (to Jane.) Farewell, dear madam, till the evening hour. Forgetting former wrongs, I spurn it all. Such fix'd profound regard, I would expose him; Freb. (to De Mon.) Good day, De Monfort. (To And as a mighty bull, in senseless rage, Jane.) Most devoutly yours. Rez. (to Freb.) Go not too fast, for I will follow Jane. I thank you, marquis, I am much engaged; Rez. Then fare ye well! I see I cannot now Jane. (to Rez.) You do me honour. Rez. Madam, adieu! (To Jane.) Good morning, ACT IV. SCENE L-A HALL OR ANTE-CHAMBER, WITH THE Roused at the baiter's will, with wretched rags Freb. For heaven's sake, my friend, restrain For what has Monfort done of wrong to you, Rez. O from our youth he has distinguished me A senseless crowd bestow'd. Though poor in for- I still would smile at vain assuming wealth: They enter and pass over the stage and EXEUNT; and From small offence he rear'd a quarrel with me, after them enter REZENVELT and FREBERG. Freb. Alas, my Rezenvelt! I vainly hoped the hand of gentle peace, things, Too plainly told, 'twixt you and Monfort pass, Yet who could think, two minds so much refined, So far removed, in generous sympathy? Rez. Ay, far removed indeed! Freb. And yet, methought, he made a noble effort, And with a manly plainness bravely told And dared me to the field. The rest you know Borne down, with sudden and impetuous force, Rez. Thou canst not mean-he will not murder Freb. What a proud heart, with such dark pas sion toss'd, May, in the anguish of its thoughts, conceive, Rez. Ha, ha! thou know'st him not. Enter CONRAD. [EXIT. behind him, with a timid step. DE MONFORT, hearing him, turns suddenly about. De Mon. (angrily.) Who follows me to this sequester'd room? Jer. I have presumed, my lord. 'Tis somewhat late: I am inform'd you eat at home to-night; Here is a list of all the dainty fare My busy search has found; please to peruse it. Or deadly night-shade, or rank hellebore, Con. Forgive, I pray, my lord, a stranger's bold- Your honour's life is all too precious, sure— That mien so dignified, that piercing eye Freb. My name is not De Monfort, courteous stranger; But if you have a favour to request, Con. I thank your honour, but I have a friend The name of Rezen velt employ, and prosper; Con. How may this be? [EXIT. Con. (alone.) Well, this mistake may be of service to me: And yet my business I will not unfold To this mild, ready, promise-making courtier ; SCENE II-A LOWER APARTMENT IN JEROME'S HOUSE, WITH A WIDE, FOLDING GLASS DOOR, LOOKING INTO A GARDEN, WHERE THE TREES AND SHRUBS ARE BROWN AND LEAFLESS. Enter DE MONFORT with a thoughtful, frowning aspect, and paces slowly across the stage, JEROME following De Mon. (sternly.) Did I not say begone? Jer. Pardon, my lord, I'm old, and oft forget. [EXIT. De Mon. (looking after him, as if his heart smote him.) Why will they thus mistime their foolish zeal, That I must be so stern? O, that I were upon some desert coast! And, midst the roar of jarring elements, What am I grown? all things are hateful to me. Enter MANUEL. (Stamping with his foot.) Who bids thee break upon my privacy? Man. Nay, good my lord! I heard you speak aloud, And dreamt not, surely, that you were alone. De Mon. What, dost thou watch, and pin thine ears to holes, To catch those exclamations of the soul, Which heaven alone should hear? Who hired thee, pray? Who basely hired thee for a task like this? Man. My lord, I cannot hold. For fifteen years, Let him who is more faithful take my place, De Mon. Well, be it as thou wilt. Away with thee! Thy loud-mouth'd boasting is no rule for me Enter JEROME hastily, and pulls MANUEL away. Jer. Come, Manuel, come away; thou art not wise. The stranger must depart and come again, [EXIT Manuel, sulkily. De Mon. A stranger said'st thou ? (Drops his handkerchief.) Jer. I did, good sir, but he shall go away; You shall not be disturb'd. (Slooping to lift the handkerchief.) De Mon. (preventing him.) Nay, do not stoop, Thou art too old to stoop. I'm much indebted to thee.--Take this ring- I pray thee do it-thank me not-What stranger? [Exir Jerome. A pause. Enter CONRAD. A tale so damn'd?-It chokes my breath- thee? Con. Nay, every one with whom I have con- Has held the same discourse. I judge it not. (De Monfort pauses, staggers backward, and De Mon. You are the stranger who would speak That on my soul like stinging scorpions prey'd, The tiresome preface of apology I will forbear, and tell my tale at once.- De Mon. They have befool'd thee with a false report. Con. Alas! I see it is in vain to plead. Your mind is prepossess'd against a wretch, Con. What I, perhaps, had better leave unsaid. De Mon. (eagerly catching him by the coat.) Though they were base as basest, vilest deeds, Con. Con. Nay, pardon me, it were not well advised, What wretch could drop from his envenom'd tongue This never came before--O, if it be! Fell devil! 'tis hell itself has lent thee aid To work such sorcery! (Pauses.) I'll not believe it, Jer. You do, in truth, and your teeth chatter too. De Mon. See see they come! he strutting by her side. (Jane, Rezenvelt, and Countess Freberg appear See, his audacious face he turns to hers; - (Letting go his hold of Jerome, he throws out his Jer. O! I am stunn'd! my head is crack'd in twain: Your honour does forget how old I am. And my soul shudder'd at the horrid brink, Enter REZENVELT behind from the glass door. DE MON- Rez. De Monfort, thou art mad. De Mon. Speak not, but draw. Now for thy hated life! (They fight: Rezenvelt parries his thrusts with great skill, and at last disarms him.) Then take my life, black fiend, for hell assists thee. Rez. No, Monfort, but I'll take away your sword, De Mon. Well, well, the wall is harder than I Not as a mark of disrespect to you, wist. Begone, and whine within. [EXIT Jerome, with a sad, rueful countenance. De Monfort comes forward to the front of the stage, and makes a long pause, expressive of great agony of mind.) It must be so: each passing circumstance; With tears extorted from me; O, too well! I should have thought of heaven and hell conjoin'd, Hell's blackest magic, in the midnight hour, O! I did love her with such pride of soul! I slipp'd o' tip-toe to her chamber door; Ser. To visit some old friend, whose lonely mansion And when she ask'd who gently knock'd-0! O! So says his knave. Good may it do him, sooth! I would not walk through those wild dells alone (Throws himself into a chair, covers his face with his hand, and bursts into tears. After some time he starts up from his seat furiously.) Hell's direst torment seize the infernal villain ! Detested of my soul! I will have vengeance! I'll crush thy swelling pride-I'll still thy vaunt-I've ta'en your mare, an' please you, from her field, ing I'll do a deed of blood !-Why shrink I thus ? (Throwing a dagger against the wall.) Shall groans and blood affright me? No, I'll do it. ough gasping life beneath my pressure heaved, And wait your farther orders. (De Monfort heeds him not.) Her hoofs are sound, and where the saddle gall'd, Begins to mend. What further must be done? (De Monfort still weeds him not.) His honour heeds me not. Why should I stay? De Mon. (eagerly, as he is going.) He goes alone, saidst thou? |