University of Virginia Library

SCENE II.

The Same.
Enter King, Orontio, Chamberlain, Osmond, Alphonso, Manfred, and Attendants.
King.
Where is this messenger from Aragon?

Cham.
May it please your Majesty, he waits without.

King.
Let him at once be ushered to our presence.
[Exit an Attendant.
I hope he brings good tidings from our cousin.
Re-enter Attendant with Messenger.
Whate'er your mission, sir, I bid you welcome.
From Aragon I look for naught but good.

Mess.
Your Majesty, my master bade me greet you
With phrases built of warmest epithets;
And as a token of his royal love,
Makes me the bearer of a present to you.
Among the storerooms of his memory,
He hath not one so richly filled, nor one
Whence he doth draw more aliment for joy,
Than that wherein are laid the deeds and words
Acted and uttered by your Majesty,
When he, five years gone by, was here by you
So royally received. Chiefly doth he
Recall—quoting them oft as apothegms,—
The sayings of your clown—

King.
The good old Nestor,
A friend as true as wise, whom now I mourn.

Mess.
Learning his death, and knowing, from his worth,
How great a loss your Majesty hath suffered,
The King by me sends you his favorite clown,
Praying, that you will use him as your own,
And find in him some solace for your grief.

King.
'Tis a most brotherly and kingly act;
And for the loving thought that prompted it,
Still more than for itself, I thank the King.

Mess.
Francisco!
Enter Count Roger, disguised as a Clown.
This, sire, is the man; and though
Free with his tongue, he is an honest fool.

King.
Welcome to Sicily, honest Francisco.
I hope we shall be friends. Of what stuff is your wit?
Come, hold up a piece of it.

Rog.

The sharpest axe can not show its sharpness on the air.

Manf.

Your wit then is dull; for a sharp wit can make matter for itself out of nothing.

Rog.

Were I to use your worship for my wit-stone, I should do a miracle.

Manf.

How so?

Rog.

By making something out of nothing.

All.

A hit! a hit!

King.

Well opened, fool. Here's money for you.

Rog.
[to Manfred.]

Take your share of it.

Manf.

Why should I have a share?

Rog.

Because you have borne the burthen of my wit. In Spain we always feed our ass when we stop to dine.

All.

Good again.

Manf.

A fool and his money are soon parted.

Rog.

That's for the King. Sire, do you always give money to fools.

King.

It is my custom.

Rog.

Then is your Majesty the greatest spendthrift in your realm.

King.
[to Messenger.]

Say to your master, that, to judge the metal by its ring, he has sent me a golden gift.

Mess.

By your Majesty's permission, I will now aboard.

King.

Must you away so soon?

Mess.

It is my King's command that I return at once.

King.

Heaven speed you with a prosperous wind.

Mess.

Francisco, hast thou no message for thy old master?

Rog.

Commend me to his Majesty, and say to him, that I send him no better greeting by you, not because I have none to send; but because I never put precious things into brittle vessels.

Mess.

I'll report you fairly.

[Exit.
King.

Chamberlain, see that Francisco be well cared for.

[Exeunt King, Orontio, Chamberlain, and Attendants, followed by Roger.
Osmond and Alphonso.

Fool! fool! stop, fool!

[Osmond runs after him and plucks him by the arm.
Osm.

Do you not hear us call?

Rog.

My ears heard you, but how was my understanding to know which fool you were calling?

Osm.

Canst thou be trusted with a message to a lady?

Rog.

That depends somewhat on the lady.

Osm.

Excellent! Thou hast had successes, Francisco?

Rog.

Is that a good leg?

Osm.

If you and I are not friends it will be no fault of mine.

Alph.

Well, Francisco, we will trust you; you have an honest face. You will not abuse your opportunities for your own profit against your friends: you'll be a gentleman.

Rog.
[to Osmond.]

Your friend is an Egyptian?

Osm.

An Egyptian!

Rog.

Surely he is from no living land, his notions of the gentleman smack so of antiquity.

Osm.

He is a noble Sicilian, good Francisco; his name Alphonso; mine is Osmond. These two billets are for the ladies Rosalie and Blauche, daughter and niece of the King's prime minister, Orontio. His house is near by. This deliver to Rosalie from Alphonso, this to Blanche from Osmond; handle this to whet the tongue of our envoy; go and come as quickly as you can, and your purse shall not be the lighter

for your quickness. [Exeunt, followed by Manfred, who runs back and calls after the clown.]

Manf.

As thou seemest to know the value of gold, take this.

Rog.

'Tis easier taken than earned. Gold grows here as plenty as garlic.

Manf.

That is for this, [giving a billet,]
the which deliver into the hands of the lady Blanche. Tell her, it comes from Count Manfred of Palermo; on hearing the which, she will read it on the spot. Bring me word that she has done so, and thy fee shall be doubled. These lords of Syracuse know not the value of a love messenger.

Rog.

I'll be sworn they thought in their hearts, as we four stood here together, that we were two wise men and two fools.

Manf.

Egad, I'm of the same opinion; what say you?

Rog.

I like an humble seeming; so, let us not exalt ourselves, but only take them down a peg; and, for the sake of modesty in speech, just say, we were four fools.

[Exeunt severally.