 | The Mistakes, or, The False Report |  |
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Enter Vice-Roy, Antonio, Guards and Attendants.
V. R.
Antonio, saw you your friend to day Alberto?
Ant.
My Lord I did not, and it much concerns me,
That he should absent himself so long.
V. R.
Nor did you meet my friend honest Ricardo?
Ant.
Honest Ricardo, and but plain Alberto!
Sir, you surprize me.
Vi. R.
I shall surprize you, Sir,
To tell you, he that is your friend, must cease
To be your friend, or I commence your Enemy.
Ant.
Forbid it heaven!
V. R.
Grant it propitious heaven, thou shoud'st have said.
Woud'st thou defile the ermine of thy Soul,
And mix with such a canker'd poisonous Beast?
Even birds of prey peck at their Dearest Mates,
When false to them, and common with another.
Ant.
Oh hold! my blood chills at these injurious words
And cools the warmth which circles round my heart
My friend corrupted! no it cannot be,
Alberto's white, purer then driven snow;
The very emblem of Man's infant Nature;
And clear as opening heaven.
V. R.
And yet as black as Hell:
False to his King, his Country, and to me;
But what is more, false to love and thee.
Ant.
Impossible! It cannot be!
V. R.
You'l not believe me then?
Ant.
Pardon me Sir, if that I say I cannot;
For sure my friend can never prove Disloyall,
False to his King, his Country, or to Love:
When Gods cease to be Gods, and heaven is heaven no more,
Then will I cease to adore those Gods for ever;
But oh they're still immortall and unchang'd,
So is our friendship kindled by their influence;
Promethean heat did light it from above,
And none but heaven can e're put out the fire.
But Sir, your words imply the knowledge of something
Which for Alberto's sake I'de beg to share in.
V. R.
No ripping up of Circumstances, Sir,
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Dispell those Clowds, which thus hang o're your brow,
And now prepare to meet your coming Joy:
To morrows light shall give your long'd for Bride
Unto your arms, and tye you fast for ever:
You muse, I did not expect this from a Lover!
Ant.
My Love and Friendship are so near akin
That one being hurt, the other feels the smart,
And eccho's to it's grief—
Just like a well-tun'd Lute's harmonious strings,
One being broke, makes all the rest to Jarr.
V. R.
'Tis a fond Eccho of a troubl'd brain
And false as wandring Meteors in the night;
If for your friendship you'l be false to Love,
Your guilt will equal to Alberto's prove;
He but a lower friendship does decline,
But you'd Almighty Love for him resigne.
Ant.
How can I hope to have my Love secure,
When it's twin-brother friendship wants a Cure:
Besides my happiness depends on his,
Since his consent must consummate my bliss.
V. R.
Let his consent give place unto my will
She's in my power and I will keep her still.
Ant.
This Sir, wou'd too severe appear in you,
To hold by force what is anothers due.
V. R.
Alberto's due you mean; young man 'tis thine
Thy due, nor is it his consent but mine
Must rule my Daughter.
Ant.
Ha! your Daughter Sir!
V. R.
My Daughter? Yes; I know you think it strange,
And wonder at this unexpected change,
But I have found that you deserve her best
And 'tis Antonio she must now possess;
I'le fetch her to you strait.
[Exit Vice-Roy.
Ant.
Guard me ye Powers!
Did he not say, or did I dream he said?
That my friends Mistriss shou'd be mine? Oh horror!
Weep heart at such a horid thought, weep blood,
And drown the Demon in the crimson flood;
Watch friendship, guard the fortress of my Soul,
And all this crowding heap of Ill's controul:
Fly fond ambition to thy stormy Cell,
Or rather sink into thy native Hell.
Avaunt ye mushroom glories of the earth,
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Leave me t'injoy my Mistriss and my Friend,
And let me never, never these offend.
Enter Vice-Roy and Miranda.
Mir.
By all your hopes, Great Sir,
By my dear mothers Ghost, I do conjure you,
Revoke this cruell Sentence.
V. R.
Come no more:
There's Fate in every sillable I speak,
And if you prize Alberto's life, receive him
As one who shortly must commaud you.
Ant.
Stand firm my friendship 'gainst the mighty shock.
[aside
Mir.
I know you do but try my constancy,
You'd curse me from your blood were I disloyall,
And false to him, tho' he's unkind to me.
How did you trembling stand, all struck with horror,
To think he shou'd forget his Vows to me,
And shou'd I coppy him?
V. R.
You plead in vain,
His doom stands fixt, unless you repeal it;
I have no time to argue, think, and resolve:
Here's the reward of your long smother'd flames,
And fortune gives you an hour unask'd,
What you scarce dar'd to wish for untill now.
I leave her here, to clear the rest.
[Exit with Guards & Attendants.
Ant.
What mean these prodigies? but see she weeps;
Perhaps she thinks to thaw my nature by her tears,
[aside.
And wash away my Virtue with the dew
Mir.
Assist me all ye Powers that favour Love.
[aside.
My noble Lord.
Ant.
O strike me with some leprosy kind heaven,
Blot even natures genuine image out,
That I may be a monster to her eyes.
Mir.
This musing gives a Vent unto my hopes,
Perhaps his friendship Struggles still for life,
And with some aid may yet recover breath.
[aside.
That you are Generous, the World can witness,
Your bravery the haughty French do mourn,
And Naples sav'd, proclaims Antonio's Valour.
Ant.
Oh tempting Charmer!
Mir.
But there are virtues, which befit a Court,
And found much softer then the rugged stile of war.
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The Polisher of yet unfinish'd Nature,
Which separates and refines the dross of man,
And brings the golden Age upon the Soul:
And friendship bears such sympathy with Love,
You cannot have the one without the other:
Once you did own a friend, and Love him too;
Once your twin-Souls did kindly mix together,
Your hearts beat time, and measur'd every thought;
You squar'd your actions to each other's will,
And each desire did center in his friend.
Ant.
We did, we do, and hope we ever shall:
There is Divinity in all you say?
But yet there still remains a harsh conclusion,
Why wou'd you then seek to destroy that friendship
To cancell all the Sacred bonds, and stain
Your Virgin-beauties with so foul a Crime?
Mir.
Ha! what does he mean?
Ant.
Think Madam, oh think:
Think of Alberto's worth, his constant Love,
How ill he merits from Miranda this:
But if you've cruelly resolv'd his death,
Let not Antonio be his murderer:
How wou'd the damn'd in Hell be ague-struck,
And double all their pains by contraries?
How wou'd they hate the abhor'd light,
And think the dismall shades the happier place
Where all such monstrous villany they shun,
But still repent for what on earth they've done?
Mir.
Be witness heaven how Innocent am I,
And oh reflect Antonio on your guilt.
You've argu'd justly in your own defence,
Why shou'd you then betray so brave a friend,
And draw such vengeance on your guilty head?
But oh too late, as well I might call back
Times fleeting sand, or bid the labouring Sun
Turn retrogade in its diurnall Course;
For he is gone, for ever lost to me.
Yet think not that I'le quench thy impurer flames,
I'le sooner seek a Satyr of the Woods,
Embrace a Leopard, mix with ravenous Wolves,
For they're more clear, and more relenting far:
But oh! Death is the wellcom'st guest to me,
To embrace a shrowd, and kiss the weeping Marble,
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So turn like Niobe into a Stone.
Ant.
Instruct me heaven what means this show of rage:
Madam you load me with a Crime unknown,
And still forestall what I wou'd say to you;
But let these fruitless accusations cease,
And tell me how I have betray'd Alberto.
Mir.
Hast thou not?—
Ant.
What? Speak—
Mir.
But here I'me lost again,
My Father charg'd me not to clear the truth
And Tyrant duty compells me to obey.
Enter Maria.
What means that ghastly look; Maria speak:
Dost thou bring ought of comfort or despair?
Mar.
I'le speak the truth, howe're it fatall prove:
Just now arriv'd some Soldiers to your father,
Who say, they've seiz'd Alberto and Ricardo
For Duelling.
Mir.
What, and Imprison'd too?
Mar.
Worse Madam, your enrag'd Father swears
His life is forfeit, and it shall be paid,
Yet now has sent to bring Ricardo to him.
Mir.
Oh Tyrant Father! greater Tyrant thou,
[to Ant.
Who Triumphs thus, over two bleeding hearts,
Which both expire by thy Treachery.
Ant.
I'me at a loss for words to express my wonder;
Madam, I'me husht, and will accuse no more
Since I'me confirm'd you love Alberto still,
But still unkindly you maintain your charge 'gainst me,
Fill me with blackest Ideas of a Crime
I loath to name. But I must tell you, Madam,
The fair Astella's Image is rooted here,
And not to be defac'd by all your Charms,
Nor think your Fathers grant, or vain Ambition
Can ever blast my love, and make me change.
Mir.
Too late this forc'd Repentance comes from you
Since Death's his Doom, and not to be repeal'd.
Ant.
I will make reparation, tho' not guilty;
Such reparation Madam, will convince you,
That friendship's dearer to this breast, then life.
Mir.
What can'st thou do to counterveil his death?
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I'le save him tho' I perish in th'attempt:
I'le ransome from him his unjust confinement,
Or leave my life to appease your jealousy.
Mir.
This will be noble, and may clear my doubts,
Go, and success attend your brave endeavours.
Away, and give me life or death; since my weak thread
Depends on his, and drops when he's cut off.
[Exit Mir. & Mar.
Ant.
Alberto thus confin'd? It shall not be;
I'le snatch him from the very jaws of Death,
And shield him from the stroke of angry fate.
[Going.
Enter Astella.
Ast.
Turn thee Antonio, turn Ambitious youth.
Ant.
My dear Astella here? O my fair Saint
This is a day of wonders, mighty wonders,
Such as must Separate a while my Soul,
And force me to thy Brother, and my friend.
Ast.
Wonders indeed, that such a Votary
As you shou'd turn Apostate unto Love,
And pay your vows unto another Saint.
Ant.
Ha my Astella! this is still more strange,
In what perplexity am I involv'd?
I think the Planets tread in mistick rounds,
And all the Stars are hatching fatall riddles.
Ast.
In vain you'd seek a shroud to hide your guilt,
Loves jealous eyes with ease can pierce your Soul,
And mak't transparent as a Cristall mirror.
Ant.
What a gross fate has heaven allotted me,
To make me ignorantly thus a Villain,
A Villain to my Mistriss and my friend,
Yet cannot learn my Crime to either?
Ast.
Yet my Antonio, why shou'd you prefer
The barren and uncertain joys ambition yields,
Before Loves calmer and more solid sweets?
How have you call'd yon shining Orbs to witness
The purer flame which circl'd in your breast,
And swore the fixed Stars shou'd change their sphere,
E're you forgot Astella for another.
Ant.
Was ever love in such a maze as mine,
That all her softness cannot melt my nature?
The rugged figure of Alberto's prison
[aside.
Has rac'd out for a while the impressions of my love.
Credit me Madam, I can never change:
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Nor from this sullen temper fondly gather,
I Love no more, but anger clouds my Love.
Ast.
Heaven knows and you what cloud eclipses it,
But I'le repine no longer at your choice,
Nor think I'm wretched, whilest Antonio's happy
But let me beg you to defer your joys
Till I am wither'd by a milder grief,
And languish by a gentle death from you.
Ant.
This kindness from her, wounds me but the deeper,
Since I want power to make a fit return:
By heaven my heart is yours, as it was ever
But I must pay a duty to my friend,
Which done I will return, and doubly blest,
Whilst he shall give your hand, but you the rest.
[Exit.
Ast.
This ill-tun'd Joy's but a forc'd harmony,
These words are all but Mandrakes notes to me:
Yes my Antonio, thou art false, inconstant,
As the leaf that's blown with every winde:
I read it in his eyes, yet cannot chide,
It were not rigor shou'd I blame the false one,
And vent the sorrows of an injur'd Love
But oh I cannot be so much a Woman!
Ye Powers that form'd this peice of Misery
Why made ye me so soft, and him so cruell?
Yet er'e I will proceed some means I'le try,
Which if they fail, there still remains to dye.
Thus I'le redeem the credit of my Sex,
For when my fatall Story shall be told,
Succeeding times shall change their harsh decree,
And with united Voices all agree,
That Man's the Emblem of Inconstancy.
[Exit.
| The Mistakes, or, The False Report | |