University of Virginia Library

SCENE II.

—In the vicinity of Frankfort, on the Kentucky river.
Conrad.
Thou hast a wife—three children, and thyself!
Much money, many enemies!—thou'rt rich!
I would not be so rich for all this world.
Dost thou not know what caused the Trojan war?
How Cacus fell by Hercules of old?
How Judith murdered Holofernes?
How Hector fended off Achilles' arm?
How David slew Goliah with a stone?—
Thy pandects shall be silent in an hour!
Thou hast more opulence than patient Job!
Thou can'st not pay thy way to heaven, my friend!
But thou can'st pay thy voyage into hell!
'Twere well to gird thy cash about thee, now—
This very day thou shalt defend thy life!

Alon.
Oh! treacherous friend! I knew it—let me kneel.
[Kneels.
I do adjure thee, Conrad!—let me live!
And all my life—my wife! my children's thine!
[Raises his dagger and holds him by the throat.
Oh! let me pray to heaven! I would not die!
My wealth shall be Eudora's! thine! and all—

Con.
I don't want any money—I want blood!
She don't want any money—she wants blood!
Thou owest thy life! and she demands thy pay!
Judgment hath come against thee, in this world;
And I, her officer, demand thy life!
This verdict! from the laws of God and nature,
Now cry against thee, in this manly hand.

[Shows his dagger.
Alon.
I pray thee, to forgive me! oh! forgive!

Con.
Dost thou behold the movement of that stream?
Then, like fool Canute, bid its waves be still!
No more can I retract what I have sworn.
Against this execution hast thou none?
And if thou had'st, it would not bar—here's one!

[Gives him a dagger.
Alon.
Remember my poor children, and my wife!

Con.
Defend thyself! this heart was born a man's!
I will remember one—Eudora's child!
Rise, and measure thy courage with that dagger!
I would not steal away thy life by night!

Alon.
I cannot! will not hurt thee!—rather die!
I owe thee no ill will! and will not strike!

[Throws down the dagger.
Con.
Take up thy dagger! else thy soul is gone!

Alon.
I wilt not raise my hand, if thou wilt kill!

Con.
Take up thy dagger, and defend thyself!

Alon.
I cannot! will not raise my arm against thee!
I have wronged Eudora, and am sorry for't!
Oh! I've suffered death a thousand times!

[Weeps.
Con.
Defend thy life I say! art thou a man?
Go, dog!
[Slaps his face, and kicks him.
Go to thy vomit! go, foul hog!
Go to thy wallow!—take thee to thy mire!
[Kicks him.
Go, Judas! hang thyself upon a tree!
That passers-by, may look at thee and laugh!
She told me what thou art—apostate! coward!
[Exeunt Alonzo.
Thou shalt not live—But I must see her first,
[Alone.
And then, by her request, if she persist,
I'll wade across the sea, to cut his throat.
Though I despise him as I do a snake
I know would bite me—when he begged so hard!
I could not help from feeling for his fate!
'Tis hard to kill a coward!—'tis a task!
Oh! 'tis a sin to cut a coward's throat!
Like Neptune's trident at an infant hurl'd!
Now, I will meet her, and my thoughts perpend.

[Exeunt.