Miscellanies By John Armstrong ... In Two Volumes |
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| XI. | SCENE XI. |
 | Miscellanies |  |
SCENE XI.
STRENI, VICTORIA, OLYMPIA, Women,OLYMPIA.
Dear me no dear! I'll not be dear'd. Avaunt,
Ye wheedling witches! I know who taught you that.
Off, I conjure you—Go—Hah! what are these!
STRENI.
How does my dearest child!
119
This looks so like
My father, and speaks so like him!
STRENI.
I am, I am.
Dost thou not know me?
OLYMPIA.
Are you not a ghost then?
Mere visible nothing, as inessential
As the vain rainbow? With reverence let me touch
Your hand. I shall know by that.—O 'tis, 'tis, 'tis
My real father, let me kiss for ever
This sacred hand. I'll never part with it more.—
But why d'ye look so sad? There's something troubles you.
STRENI.
Alas, my child!—
OLYMPIA.
O do not weep; that's dreadful.
My heart is ready to break to see you thus:
And yet I cannot weep. Oh! Oh!—Come, this way,
Let us go home.
120
Thou'rt there already.
OLYMPIA.
O fye
That you should talk so!—D'ye see these creatures?
STRENI.
Yes.
Your faithful servants.
OLYMPIA,
Witches! witches! witches!
The mermaids of the burning sea!—Heaven snatch us
From these enchanted walls!—Th' arch conjurer
Will soon be here, and then all's lost.—
STRENI.
Who's that?
OLYMPIA.
His name is—I forget it, but you may guess.—
Do not be angry. My head's confused a little:
But I hope I said no harm. I named no body:
Yet I'm afraid you're angry.—O blast me not
With your heavy curses!
STRENI.
Heaven for ever bless
My dearest child!
121
Indeed you are too kind
To your poor unduteous daughter. Heaven and you
Forgive my crimes! that I may die when I please.—
O curse on all mistakes!
STRENI.
What dost thou mean?
OLYMPIA.
I'll tell you when the mists are gone.—I have it.
I chid ALPHONSO cruelly—Heaven forgive me!—
Indeed he was not such a fickle coxcomb
As some suppose.—They told me he was married;
But I know other matters.—Oh! oh! oh!—
STRENI.
Kind Heaven restore her precious wits again,
And punish me with any other plague
But this!—
OLYMPIA.
D'ye know what I dreamt last night?—Oh 'twas
hide o us fancy!—
STRENI.
Never mind dreams, my child.
122
The Moon spoke to me! 'Twas horrible. Yet that
Was a trifle to what happened afterwards.—
O this head! this head!—
I cannot put it into words; but while
Such dreams are going who would dare to sleep?—
I have not slept this month.
VICTORIA.
Come, dear OLYMPIA,
'Tis late, come go to bed. I'll watch by your side,
While sweet repose dissolves those idle fears.
Let us to bed.
OLYMPIA.
Away!—Are you a witch too!
You league against me too?—Cousin of vengeance,
Hark you, I'll never go to bed; I'll die first.—
O fye, fye, fye! to what would you betray me!
Go, go, vile-shocking creature!—
STRENI.
This to VICTORIA,
Your dearest friend, OLYMPIA?
OLYMPIA.
Yes, my friend!
Such friends as Heaven defend me from!—My friend,
123
The balm that heals all wounds.—Ah you're a trusty one;
Would I had known you sooner!
STRENI.
What means this?
VICTORIA.
Mere jealous fancies, sick imaginations,
Like all the rest.
OLYMPIA.
Hark ye:—Nay if you weep
I've done. I'm such a tender hearted fool.—
Ah VICTORIA, VICTORIA!—
VICTORIA.
Dear dear OLYMPIA!—
OLYMPIA.
Hush! What's that? Let me go.
He's coming.
VICTORIA.
Who, my dear!
OLYMPIA.
'Tis CLAUDIO.—Hide me!—
124
He'll trouble thee no more.—He's gone.
OLYMPIA.
Ah! would
I had never seen him! that's my prayer, and if
There's any harm in it—O Heaven!—See there!
STRENI.
Bless thee! What's there?
OLYMPIA.
See! See!
STRENI.
See what, my child?
OLYMPIA.
D'ye ask?
STRENI.
What should I see?
OLYMPIA.
A sight to break
A heart of rock, and make the lion whine
Like a whipt spaniel.—ALPHONSO pale and bloody!
O misery, misery! O most lamented youth!
Who did this cruel stern remorseless deed
125
Speak, I conjure you. Dear dreadful vision, say
What ruffian shall be torn on the wheel for this?
Oh! 'tis not to be born to see you look so.—
Speak if thou canst—He's gone!
STRENI.
Alas! my child,
Thou speak'st to the winds.
OLYMPIA.
Good God!—VICTORIA!—
VICTORIA.
'Twas a mere fancy, for ALPHONSO lives;
And lives, I hope, for many happy days
With his OLYMPIA.
OLYMPIA.
Insupportable!
Must I be juggled out of my senses thus?
It seems I am a child, a fool. Wise cousin,
Pray do not laugh at me: do not, I say.
And yet it may be wit perhaps to jest
With torture and despair.
VICTORIA.
Can you suspect me
For such a monster?
126
Did you not see him plainly?
VICTORIA.
Believe me, no.
OLYMPIA.
That's strange! that's strange, indeed!
STRENI.
How deadly pale,
She's grown!—Thou'rt sick, my child.
OLYMPIA.
Too well, too well!
Only a little chilliness wanders o'er me.—
Hark how my ears ring! Lend me your hand, VICTORIA.
VICTORIA.
Alas! thou shudder'st so thou canst not stand.
Cold sweats bedew thee; thou'rt ready to faint, dear girl.
Come, lean upon this couch. So.—
OLYMPIA.
As you will.
Do with me what you please.—Ha! there again!
Now if you do not see him you're blind.—Dear father
Behold! see there!—I come, I come, ALPHONSO!
Receive me Heaven—and you—
127
Ah! hold her up!
She falls like one shot thro' the brain.
VICTORIA.
Alas!
She's dead! dead! dead!
STRENI.
'Tis but a fit I hope.—
Hold up her head.—Help, help! Oh all the world
To hear her speak again!—Ah me! that face
Is fix'd in death. She's cold, cold—poor OLYMPIA!
I've liv'd too long. She's gone, my faultless child
For ever gone—and I her murderer—Oh!
| Miscellanies | |