 | Virginius |  |
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SCENE II.
—Virginius's House.Enter Virginius, Icilius, Numitorius, Lucius, and others.
Virginius.
Welcome, Icilius! Welcome, friends! Icilius,
I hoped to speak with you, to-day, of feasting
And merriment, but war is now the word;
One that unlovingly keeps time with mirth,
Unless war's own—when the fierce fight is won,
And, safe carousing, comrades drink to victory!
Icil.
Virginius! have you changed your mind?
Virginius.
My mind?
What mind? How now! Are you that boy, Icilius,
You set your heart so earnestly upon
A dish of poor confections, that to balk you
Makes you look blank! I did design to feast you
Together with your friends. The times are changed—
The march, the tent, the fight becomes us now!
Icil.
Virginius!
Virginius.
Well!
Icil.
Virginius!
Virginius.
How the boy
Reiterates my name!
Icil.
There's not a hope
I have but is the client of Virginius!
Virginius.
Well, well! I only meant to put it off!
We'll have the revel yet! the board shall smoke!
The cup shall sparkle, and the jest shall soar
And mock us from the roof! Will that content you?
Not till the war be done, though—Yet, ere then,
Some tongue, that now needs only wag to make
The table ring, may have a tale to tell
So petrifying, that it cannot utter it!
I'll make all sure, that you may be my guest
At any rate—although you should be forced
To play the host for me and feast yourself.
Look here, [shows a parchment to Icilius]
How think you?—Will it meet the charge?
Will it not do? We want a witness, though!
I'll bring one; of whom if you approve, I'll sign
The bond. I'll wait upon you instantly.
[Goes out.
Luc.
How feel you now, Icilius?
Icil.
Like a man
Whom the next moment makes or quite unmakes.
With the intensity of exquisite
Suspense, my breathing thickens, and my heart
Beats heavily, and with remittent throb,
As like to lose its action—See! my hope
Is bless'd! I live! I live!
Enter Virginius, conducting Virginia, with Numitorius.
Virginius.
You are my witnesses,
That this young creature I present to you,
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And most deservedly belovéd child;
My daughter truly filial—both in word
And act—yet even more in act than word;
And—for the man who hopes to win her hand—
A virgin, from whose lips a soul as pure
Exhales, as e'er responded to the blessing
Breathed in a parent's kiss. [Kissing her.]
Icilius!
[Icilius rushes towards Virginius, and kneels.
Since
You are upon your knee, young man, look up;
And lift your hand to heaven—You will be all
Her father has been—added unto all
A lover would be!
Icil.
All that man should be
To woman, I will be to her!
Virginius.
The oath
Is register'd! Didst thou but know, young man,
How fondly I have watch'd her, since the day
Her mother died, and left me to a charge
Of double duty bound—how she hath been
My ponder'd thought by day, my dream by night,
My prayer, my vow, my offering, my praise,
My sweet companion, pupil, tutor, child!—
Thou wouldst not wonder that my drowning eye,
And choking utterance, upbraid my tongue
That tells thee, she is thine!—Icilius,
I now betroth her to thee! When the war
Is done—you shall espouse her. Friends, a word!
[Virginius and the rest retire.
Icil.
Virginia! my Virginia! I am all
Dissolved—o'erpower'd with the munificence
Of this auspicious hour—and thou, nor movest—
Nor look'st—nor speak'st—to bless me with a sign
Of sweet according joy!—I love thee, but
To make thee happy! If to make thee so
Be bliss denied to me—lo, I release
The gifted hand—that I would faster hold,
Than wretches, bound for death, would cling to life.
If thou wouldst take it back—then take it back.
Virginia.
I take it back—to give it thee again!
Icil.
O help me to a word to speak my bliss,
Or I am beggar'd—No! There's no such word!
There cannot be; for never man had bliss
Like mine to name!
Virginia.
Thou dost but beggar me,
Icilius, when thou makest thyself a bankrupt;
Placing a value on me far above
My real little worth.—I'd help thee to
A hundred words; each one of which would far
O'er-rate thy gain, and yet no single one
Rate over high!
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Thou couldst not do it! No;
Thou couldst not do it! Every term of worth
Writ down and doubled, then the whole summ'd up,
Would leave with thee a rich remainder still!—
Pick from each rarer pattern of thy sex
Her rarest charm, till thou hast every charm
Of soul and body that can blend in woman,
I would out-paragon the paragon
With thee!
Virginia.
And if thou wouldst, I'd find thee, for
Thy paragon, a mate—if that can be
A mate which beats the thing 'tis ta'en to match—
One that would make thy paragon look poor—
And I would call that so o'ermatching mate
“Icilius.”
Icil.
No! I will not let thee win
On such a theme as this!
Virginia.
Nor will I drop
The controversy, that the richer makes me
The more I lose!
Icil.
My sweet Virginia,
We do but lose and lose, and win and win;
Playing for nothing but to lose and win.
Then let us drop the game—and thus I stop it.
[Kisses her.
Re-enter Virginius, and the others.
Virginius.
Witness, my friends, that seal! Observe, it is
A living one! It is Icilius' seal;
And stamp'd upon as true and fair a bond—
Though it receive the impress blushingly—
As ever signet kiss'd! Are all content?
Speak else! She is thy free affianced wife,
Thou art her free affianced husband! Come,
We have o'erdrawn our time—Farewell, Virginia;
Thy future husband for a time must be
Bellona's. To thy tasks, again, my child;
Be thou the bride of study for a time.
Farewell!
Virginia.
My father!
Virginius.
May the gods protect thee!
Virginia.
My father!
Virginius.
Does the blood forsake thy cheek?
Come to my arms once more! Remember, girl,
The first and foremost debt a Roman owes
Is to his country; and it must be paid,
If need be, with his life.—Why, how you hold me!
Icilius, take her from me! Servia!
Come, boy.
Icil.
Farewell, Virginia!
Virginius.
[To Servia.]
Take her in!
Virginia.
The gods be with thee, my Icilius! Father,
The gods be with thee—and Icilius.
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Come! I swear a battle might be fought and won
In half the time! Now, once for all, farewell!
Your sword and buckler, boy! The foe! the foe!
Does he not tread on Roman ground! Come on!
Come on!—Charge on him!—Drive him back, or die!
[They go out.
| Virginius | |