University of Virginia Library

Act the Second.

Enter Gonsalvo, Hippolito, Amideo at a distance.
The Scene is a Chamber.
Gons.
Hippolito , what is this pretty Youth
That follows us?

Hip.
I know not much of him:
Handsome you see, and of a gracefull Fashion;
Of noble Blood, he says, and I believe him;
But in some deep Distress; he'l tell no more,
And I could cry for that which he has told,
So much I pity him.

Gons.
My pretty Youth;
Would I could do thee any Service.

Ang.
Sir,
The greatest you can do me, is accepting mine.

Hip.
How's this? me-thinks already I begin
To hate this Boy, whom but ev'n now I moan'd.
You serve my Master? Do you think I cannot
Perform all Duties of a Servant better
And with more care than you?

Ang.
Better you may,
But never with more care:
Heav'n which is serv'd with Angels, yet admits
Poor man to pay his Duty, and receives it.

Hip.
Mark but, my Lord, how ill behav'd a Youth,
How very ugly, what a Dwarf he is.

Ang.
My Lord, I yet am Young enough to grow,
And 'tis the commendation of a Boy
That he is little.

[Cries.
Gons.
Prithee do not cry;
Hippolito, 'twas but just now you prais'd him,
And are you chang'd so soon?

Hip.
On better View.

Gons.
What is your Name, sweet heart.

Hip.
Sweet heart! since I
Have serv'd you, you ne'r call'd me so.

Ang.
O, ever,
Ever call me by that kind name, I'l own
No other, because I would still have that.

Hip.
He told me, Sir, his name was Amideo,
Pray call him by't.

Gons.
Come, I'l employ you both;
Reach me my Belt, and help to put it on.

Amid.
I run my Lord.

Hip.
You run? it is my Office.

They both take it up, and strive for it; Hippolito gets it, and puts it on.
Amid.
Look you, my Lord, he puts it on so awkardly;
[Crying.
The Sword does not sit right.

Hip.
Why, where's the fault?

Amid.
I know not that; but I am sure 'tis wrong.

Gons.
The fault is plain, 'tis put on the wrong Shoulder.

Hip.
That cannot be, I look'd on Amideo's,
And hung it on that Shoulder his is on.

Amid.
Then I doubt mine is so.

Gons.
It is indeed:
You'r both good Boys, and both will learn in time:
Hippolito, go you and bring me word,
Whether that Lady we brought in last Night
Be willing to receive a Visit from me.

Hip.
Now Amideo, since you are so forward
To do all Service, you shall to the Lady.

Amid.
No, I'l stay with my Master, he bid you.

Hip.
It Mads me to the heart to leave him here:
But I will be reveng'd.
[Aside.
My Lord, I beg
You would not trust this Boy with any thing
Till my return; pray know him better first.
[Exit Hippolito.

Gons.
'Twas my unhappiness to meet this Lady
Last night; because it ruin'd my design
Of walking by the House of Rodorick:
Who knows but through some Window I had spy'd
Fair Julia's shaddow passing by the Glass;
Or if some others, I would think it hers;
Or if not any, yet to see the place
Where Julia Lives: O Heav'n, how small a blessing
Will serve to make despairing Lovers happy!

Amid.
Unhappy Angellina, thou art lost:
Thy Lord loves Julia.

[Aside.
Enter Hippolito, and Julia.
Jul.
—Where is thy Master?
I long to give him my acknowledgments
For my own safety, and my Brothers both.
Ha! Is it he?

[Looks.
Gons.
Can it be Julia?
Could Night so far disguise her from my Knowledge!

Jul.
I would not think thee him I see thou art:
Prithee disown thy Self in pity to me:
Why should I be oblig'd by one I hate?

Gons.
I could say something in my own defence;
But it were half a Crime to plead my cause
When you would have me Guilty.

Amid.
How I fear
The sweetness of those words will move her pity:
I'm sure they would do mine.

Gons.
You took me for a Robber, but so farr
I am from that.—

Jul.
O prithee be one still,
That I may know some cause for my Aversion.

Gons.
I freed you from them, and more gladly did it;—

Jul.
Be what thou wilt, 'tis how too late to tell me:
The Blackness of that Image I first fancy'd,
Has so Infected me, I still must hate thee.

Hip.
Though (if she Loves him) all my hopes are ruin'd,
It makes me Mad to see her thus unkind.
[Aside.
Madam, what see you in this Gentleman,
Deserves your scorn, or hatred; Love him, or
Expect just Heav'n should strangely punish you.

Gons.
No more: what ere she does is best; and if
You would be mine, you must like me submit
Without dispute.

Hip.
How can I love you, Sir, and suffer this?
She has forgot that which last Night you did
In her defence.

Jul.
O call that Night again;
Pitch her with all her Darkness round; then set me
In some farr Desart, hemm'd with Mountain Wolves
To howl about me: This I would indure,
And more, to Cancel my Obligements to him.

Gons.
You owe me nothing, Madam, if you do
I make it Void; and only ask your leave
To love you still; for to be Lov'd again
I never hope.

Jul.
If that will clear my Debt, enjoy thy wish;
Love me, and long, and Desperately love me.
I hope thou wilt, that I may Plague thee more:
Mean time take from me that Detested object;
Conveigh thy much loath'd Person from my Sight.

Gons.
Madam, you are Obey'd.
Hippolito, and Amideo, wait
Upon fair Julia; Look upon her for me
With dying Eyes, but do not Speak one word
In my behalf; for to disquiet her,
Ev'n happiness it self were bought too dear.
[Goes farther off, towards the end of the Stage.
My passion swells too high:
And like a Vessel struggling in a Storm,
Requires more hands than one to Steer her upright;
I'l find her Brother out.
[Exit Gonsalvo.

Jul.
That Boy, I see he trusts above the other:
He has a strange resemblance with a Face
That I have seen, but when, or where, I know not.
I'l watch till they are parted; then perhaps
I may corrupt that little one to free me.
[Aside.
[Exit Julia.

Amid.
Sweet Hippolito, let me speak with you;

Hip.
What would you with me?

Amid.
Nay, you are so fierce;
By all that's good I love and honour you.
And would you do but one poor thing I'l ask you,
In all things else you ever shall command me.
Look you, Hippolito, here's Gold, and Jewels,
These may be yours.

Hip.
To what end dost thou show
These trifles to me? or how cam'st thou by them?
Not honestly, I fear.

Amid.
I swear I did:
And you shall have 'um; but you always press
Before me in my Masters service so:—

Hip.
And always will.

Amid.
But dear Hippolito,
Why will you not give way, that I may be
First in his favour, and be still imploy'd?
Why do you Frown? 'tis not for gain I ask it;
What ever he shall give me shall be yours,
Except it be some Toy, you would not care for,
Which I should keep for his dear sake that gave it.

Hip.
If thou wouldst offer both the Indies to me,
The Eastern Quarries, and the Western Mines,
They should not Buy one look, one gentle smile
Of his from me: assure thy Soul they should not,
I hate thee so.

Amid.
Henceforth I'l hate you worse.
But yet there is a Woman whom he Loves,
A certain Julia, who will steal his heart
From both of us; wee'l joyn at least against
The common Enemy:

Hip.
Why does he fear my Lord should love a Woman?
The passion of this Boy is so like mine
That it amazes me.

Enter a Servant.
Piet.
Young Gentleman,
Your Master calls for you.

Hip.
I'l think upon't.—

[Exit Hippolito, cum Pietro.
Enter Julia to Amideo.
Jul.
Now is the time, he is alone.

Amid.
Here comes
The Saint my Lord adores; Love, pardon me
The fault I must commit.

Jul.
Fair Youth, I am
A Suitor to you.

Amid.
So am I to you.

Jul.
You see me here a Pris'ner.

Amid.
My request
Is, I may set you free; make haste sweet Madam:
Which way would you go?

Jul.
To the next
Religious House.

Amid.
Here through the Garden, Madam;
How I commend your holy Resolution!

Exeunt ambo.
Enter Don Manuel in the Streets, and a Servant with him.
Man.
Angellina fled to a Monastery say you?

Serv.
So 'tis giv'n out: I could not see her Woman:
But for your Sister, what you heard is true:
I saw her at the Inn:
They told me she was brought in late last Night,
By a young Cavalier they show'd me there.

Man.
This must be he that Rescu'd me:
What would I give to see him.

Serv.
Fortune is
Obedient to your wishes; He was coming
To find out you; I waited on him to
The turning of the Street; and stept before
To tell you of it.

Man.
You o'r-joy me.

Serv.
This, Sir, is he.—

Enter Gonsalvo.
Don Manuel is running to Embrace him, and stops.
Man.
—The Captain of the Robbers!

Gons.
As such indeed you promis'd me your Sister.

Man.
I promis'd all the int'rest I should have,
Because I thought before you came to claim it,
A Husbands right would take my Title from me.

Gons.
I come to see if any Manly virtue
Can dwell with falshood: Draw, thou'st injur'd me.

Man.
You say already I have done you wrong,
And yet would have me right you by a greater.

Gons.
Poor abject thing!

Man.
Who doubts another's Courage
Wants it himself; but I who know my own,
Will not receive a Law from you to Fight,
Or to forbear: for then I grant your Courage
To master mine, when I am forc'd to do
What of my self I would not.

Gons.
Your reason?

Man.
You sav'd my Life.

Gons.
I'l quit that Debt to be
In a capacity of forcing you
To keep your promise with me; for I come
To learn, your Sister is not yet dispos'd.

Man.
I've lost all privilege to defend my Life;
And if you take it now, 'tis no new Conquest;
Like Fish, first taken in a River, then
Bestow'd in Ponds to catch a second time.

Gons.
Mark but how partially you plead your cause,
Pretending breach of honour if you Fight;
Yet think it none to Violate your word.

Man.
I cannot give my Sister to a Robber.

Gons.
You shall not; I am none, but Born of Blood
As noble as your Self; my Fortunes, equal
At least with Yours; my Reputation, yet
I think unstain'd.

Man.
I wish, Sir, it may prove so;
I never had so strong an Inclination
To believe any Man as you:—but yet.—

Gons.
All things shall be so clear, there shall be left
No room for any scruple: I was Born
In Sevil, of the best House in that City;
My name Gonsalvo de Peralta: being
A younger Brother, 'twas my Uncles care
To take me with him in a Voyage to
The Indies, where since Dying, he has left me
A Fortune not Contemptible; returning
From thence with all my Wealth in the Plate-fleet,
A furious Storm almost within the Port
Of Sevil, took us, scatter'd all the Navy:
My Ship, by the unruly Tempest born
Quite through the Streights, as far as Barcellona;
There first cast Anchor; there I stept Ashore:
Three Days I staid, in which small time I made
A little Love, which Vanish'd as it came.

Man.
But were you not Ingag'd to her your Courted?

Gons.
Upon my Honour, no; what might have been
I cannot tell: But ere I could repair
My beaten Ship, or take fresh Water in,
One night, when there by chance I lay Aboard,
A Wind tore up my Anchor from the bottom,
And with that Violence it brought me thither;
Has thrown me in this Port:—

Man.
But yet our meeting in the Wood was strange.

Gons.
For that I'l satisfie you as we walk.

Enter Hippolito.
Hip.
O Sir, how glad I am to find you—

[Whispers.
Man.
That Boy I have seen some where, or one like him,
But where, I cannot call to mind:—

Hip.
I found it out, and got before 'um.—
And here they are.—

Enter Amideo, and Julia.
Man.
My Sister! as I could have wish'd it:—

Amid.
O! we are caught?

Jul.
I did expect as much:
Fortune has not forgot that I am Julia:

Man.
Sister, I'm glad you'r happily return'd;
'Twas kindly done of you thus to prevent
The trouble of my search.

Jul.
I would not have you
Mistake my Love to Rodorick so much,
To think I meant to fall into your hands.
My purpose is for the next Nunnery;
There I'l pray for you: So farewell.

Man.
Stay, Julia you must go with me.

Jul.
Lead, lead;
You think I am your Pris'ner now:—

Gons.
If you will needs to a Religious house,
Leave that fair Face behind; a worse will serve
To spoil with Watching, and with Fasting there.

Man.
'Prithee no more of this; the only way
To make her happy is to force it on her.
Julia, prepare your self strait to be Married:

Jul.
To whom?

Man.
You see your Bridegroom: and you know
My Fathers will, who with his Dying breath
Commanded, you should pay as strict Obedience
To me, as formerly to him: if not,
Your Dowry is at my dispose.

Jul.
O would
The loss of that dispense with Duty in me,
How gladly would I suffer it! and yet
If I durst question it, me-thinks 'tis hard!
What right have Parents over Children, more
Than Birds have o'r their Young; yet they impose
No rich Plum'd Mistriss on their Feather'd Sons;
But leave their Love, more open yet and free
Than all the Fields of Air, their spacious Birth-right.

[Gonsalvo seems to beg Manuel not to be harsh.
Man.
Nay, good Gonsalvo trouble not your self,
There is no other way, when 'tis once done
She'l thank me for't.

Jul.
I ne'r expected other usage from you;
A kind Brother you have been to me,
And to my Sister: you have sent they say
To Barcellona, that my Aunt should force her
To marry the old Don you brought her;

Hip.
Who could! that once had seen Gonsalvo's Face?
Alas she little thinks I am so near!—

[Aside.
Man.
Mind not what she says;—
A word with you—

[To Gonsalvo.
Amid.
Don Manuel eyes me strangely; the best is
He never saw me yet but at a distance:
My Brothers Jealousie (who ne'r intended
I should be his) restrain'd our neer Converse.

(Aside.
Jul.
My pretty Youth, I am inforc'd to trust thee
[To Amid.
With my most neer concerns; Friend I have none,
If thou deny'st to help me.

Amid.
Any thing
To break your Marriage with my Master.

Jul.
Go to Rodorick, and tell him my condition:
But tell it him as from thy self, not me.

Amid.
That you are forc'd to Marry.

Jul.
But do not ask him
To succour me; if of himself he will not:
I scorn a Love that must be taught its Duty.

Man.
What Youth is that? I mean the little one?

Gons.
I took him up last Night.

Man.
A sweet fac'd Boy,
I like him strangely: would you part with him?

Amid.
Alas, Sir, I am good for no Body
But for my Master.

Hip.
Sir, I'l do your Errand
Another time for letting Julia go.

[To Amideo.
Man.
Come, Sir;

Gons.
I beg your pardon for a moment,
I'l but dispatch some business in my Ship,
And wait you presently.

Man.
Wee'l go before.
I'l make sure Rodorick shall never have her;
And 'tis at least some Pleasure to destroy
His happiness, who ruin'd first my Joy.

Exeunt all but Gonsalvo; who before he goes, whispers Hippolito.
Gons.
Against her will fair Julia to possess,
Is not t'enjoy but Ravish happiness:
Yet Women pardon force, because they find
The Violence of Love is still most kind:
Just like the Plots of well built Comedies,
Which then please most, when most they do surprize:
But yet constraint Love's noblest end destroys,
Whose highest Joy is in anothers Joys:
Where Passion rules, how weak does Reason prove!
I yield my Cause, but cannot yield my Love.

Exit.