 | The Count Arezzi |  |
SCENE II.
Chamber in the Palace.Prince of Andria and the Duchess.
PRINCE ANDRIA.
He has been sent for here.
DUCHESS.
Then speak it meekly,
As if in goodness toward himself, and thus
Leave out the offence, which else might reach to both,
And drive Arezzi mad.
PRINCE ANDRIA.
So—here he comes.
[Enter Cimbelli.
You have been quickly found, young man.
CIMBELLI.
Your Grace
Knew where to send and seek me.
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Good sooth! not I.
CIMBELLI.
The messenger ran straight toward church, I thought
Your Grace had told him where.
PRINCE ANDRIA.
I pray—be quiet
We are not in the mood for jests all day—
Our fool talks much at home. I called thee here
To chide and punish, but her highness deigns
To bid rebuke be still.
DUCHESS.
We should remember
That youth is heady in its spleen, and pride
Ferments then mellows: what was harshness first
Is strength and flavour left to time.
PRINCE ANDRIA.
It is so.
I have not yet forgotten that I was once
Unripe and hard, like these.
DUCHESS.
Come near Cimbelli—
We will speak kindly with thee—thou dost whet
A temper in itself too sharp, and edge
The follies of thy friend: the elder thou
By much, with larger practice in this world,
Dost push him on to brawls, and mix his honor
With tavern fellowships—nay—fie! we know it.
PRINCE ANDRIA.
We have abridged his purse, whose plenty bought
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CIMBELLI.
I beseech your Grace
To stop and hear one word—Arezzi's honor
Has been his care to keep—and for his gold,
I never made it less.
PRINCE ANDRIA.
We do believe it—
And meant no other: but what we know is this;
Ye pick from better men, the loud and idle,
With whom ye herd. That quarrel of last night
Will not be ended yet.
CIMBELLI.
Then leave the blame
With those who raised it. Had your Grace stood there,
Arezzi would have found an abler second,
And done the same.
DUCHESS.
Those with whom you fought
Were noble and of Spain—the duke's companions,
Whose honor aches with theirs.
CIMBELLI.
The Count Arezzi
Is noble too, of Naples, and till now,
The duke's companion—Spain! ye saints go with us
To make us humbler! he will ever be—
Though not from Spain, their equal. Shall he lie
A jack for boys to quoit at? when I named him
Less reverently, as you thought, of late—I seemed
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With butter in her mouth. Your highness stamped,
Set wide the door, called me a thief, or worse,
And hissed me out. For this—so help me Heaven
The honor which I felt before, I doubled—
One still is left—I said—who loves the Count.
DUCHESS.
Well, so I did.
CIMBELLI.
Your highness does so yet,
Or why those tears?
DUCHESS.
Bless that mis-shapen pate
Which if not wise, is honest—I will love
Both him and thee.
PRINCE ANDRIA.
There will be proof of that
In what we mean to do. Our ward Arezzi
Is noble, was provoked, had cause for choler—
It was not so with thee—yet thou didst fall
The first to gibes, strike one of princely blood,
And rail unshamed!—be still, I say, and hear me—
Thou canst not rest in Naples.
DUCHESS.
Let the duke
Learn to forget thee first, and then return
With wiser customs home.
PRINCE ANDRIA.
We will employ thee
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Our letters shall be sealed to-night, to-morrow
They must set out toward Spain.
CIMBELLI.
Your Grace
Will grant a day or two beyond to-morrow?
PRINCE ANDRIA.
For what, Cimbelli?
CIMBELLI.
Tears, forsooth, and kisses—
I am in love.
DUCHESS.
'Twere wise to shorten grief.
PRINCE ANDRIA.
The maid will find a comforter—or Time
Will make her worth the more.
CIMBELLI.
'Tis not a maid—
Nor will Time mend her. Let her highness speak—
I only ask two days.
DUCHESS.
Well—count this, one—
And then I may.
PRINCE ANDRIA.
It is not wisely done;
But if your highness wills it so—so be it.
[Exeunt Prince Andria and Duchess.
CIMBELLI.
Ye both shall bear these letters to the king,
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I will keep house. “Come near me, good Cimbelli!
“We would speak kindly with thee!” Two days hence,
Cimbelli may begin to comfort thee,
And play the part of patronage. The duchess
Will love Arezzi and myself, and I—
Whether he does or not—will love the duchess.
[Exit.
| The Count Arezzi | |