University of Virginia Library

SCENE changes. Enter Rinaldo.
Rinald.
“Am I not mad! Can this weak-temper'd Head
“That could run mad with Drink, endure the Wrong
“That I have done a Virgin? and my Love!
“And not start forth more wild than Desperation;
Struck with the Terrors of my dreadful Guilt.
“But sure I never lov'd fair Viola,
“I never lov'd a Father or a Mother,
“Or any thing but Drink. Had I had Love,
“Nay, had I known but so much Charity
“As would have say'd an Infant from the Fire,
“I had been naked, raving in the Streets,
“With half a Face, gashing my self with Knives
“Two Hours e'er this time.

Enter Antonio and Silvio.
Silv.
Good Day, Sir, to you.

Rinald.
Good Day to a Night so fatal!

Anton.
Nay, 'twas an unhappy one.

Rinald.
“The Tavern Boy was here this Morning with me,
“And told me that there was a Gentlewoman
“Which he took for a Whore, that hung upon me,
“For whom we quarrel'd, and I know not what.

Silv.
“I faith, nor I.

Anton.
“I have a glimmering of some such thing.

Rinald.
“Was it you, Silvio, made me drink so much?
“Or you, Antonio?

Anton.
“I know not who, we are all apt enough.

Rinald.
“But I will lay the Fault on none but me,
“That would be so intreated—But look on me!
Mark what a horrid Spectre thou behold'st me.
Thou seest I walk and speak, have Soul and Sense!
A perfect human Monster!

Anton.
Fie, Rinaldo, would'st thou turn Beast?

Rinald.
Turn Beast! Oh! yes, Antonio!
Brute! Savage! any thing, but the curst Lord
Of barbarous Reason, Man! “Had I run mad,
“As honest Men should do for such a Crime,
“That wou'd have shew'd I had some Virtue in me.
“That tho' I have committed such a Crime
“As never Creature did, yet my sick Brain
“Struck with that generous Wound, I had exprest
“Some Tenderness of Heart, some touch of Love.
But I, unnatural Wretch, have none of these,
“But keep my Wits still like a frozen Man,
“That had no Fire within him.

Anton.
“Nay, Rinaldo,
“Leave this mad Talk, and send a Letter to her; I'll deliver it.

Rinald.
“'Tis to no purpose, perhaps she's lost last Night:
“Or she got home again! She's now so strictly look'd to,
“The Wind can scarce come to her. Or admit
“She were her self, think you she'd hear from me?
“From me, unworthy, that have used her thus?
Were she made up of Mercy, all the Innocence
Of galless Turtles; Mercy's self wou'd rowze
An Indignation at the very Name of such a black Apostate!

Enter Servant with a Night-Gown.
Serv.
“Sir, we have found this Night-Gown she took with her.

Rinald.
“Where, where? speak quickly!

Serv.

“Searching i'th' Suburbs we found a Vagrant and his Whore,
that had it in a Cellar, whom we apprehended, and they confest
they stole it from her.

Rinald.

“And murder'd her!

Silv.

“What ail you, Man?

Rinald.

“Why, all this does not make me mad.

Anton.

“It does; you would not start else to such Fury.

Serv.

“They do deny the killing her, but swore they left her
tyed to a Tree in the Fields, next to those Suburbs that are without
our Lady's Gate, near Day, and by the Road; so that some
Passenger must needs untie her quickly. These Varlets are both
secured for farther and more strict Examination.

Rinald.
“What think you now of me? I think this Lump
“Is nothing but a piece of Flegm congeal'd
“Without a Soul. For were there so much Spirit
“As would but warm a Fly, these Faults of mine
“Would make it glow, and flame in this dull Heart,
“And run like moulten Gold thro' every Vein,
“'Till it should burst these Walls, and fly away.
“Shall I intreat you all to take your Horses
“And search this Innocent?

Both.
“With all our Hearts.

Rinald.
“Do not divide your selves, 'till you come there
“Where they say she was tyed: I'll follow too.—Follow
In search of this wrong'd Fair, the World's wide round,
But never to return 'till she be found.

[Exeunt.
C. C. Man.

Well, Drunkenness, here's some good Fruit from a bad
Tree, here's Repentance going forwards apace.