University of Virginia Library

ACT II.

SCENE continues.
Enter Villeroy, and Carlos, meeting.
Vil.
My Friend, I fear to ask—but Isabella—
The lovely Widow's Tears, her Orphan's Cries
Thy Father must feel for them—No, I read,
I read their cold Reception in thine Eyes—
Thou pitiest them—tho' Baldwin—but I spare him
For Carlos' sake, thou art no Son of his.
There needs not this to endear thee more to me.

[Embraces him.
Car.
My Villeroy, the Fatherless, the Widow
Are Terms not understood within these Gates—
You must forgive him; Sir, he thinks this Woman
Is Biron's Fate, that hurried him to Death—
I must not think on't, lest my Friendship stagger.
My Friend's, my Sister's, mutual Advantage
Have reconcil'd my Bosom to its Task.

Vil.
Advantage! think not I intend to raise
An Interest from Isabella's Wrongs.
Your Father may have interested Ends
In her Undoing; but my Heart has none,
Her Happiness must be my Interest,
And that I wou'd restore.

Car.
Why so I mean.
These Hardships that my Father lays upon her,
I'm sorry for; and wish I could prevent:
But he will have his Way.

Since there was nothing to be hop'd from her Prosperity,
the Change of her Fortune may alter the Condition of
her Thoughts, and make at last for you.

Vil.

She is above her Fortune.

Car.

Try her again. Women commonly love according
to the Circumstances they are in.

Vil.

Common Women may.

Car.

Since you are not accessary to the Injustice, you
may be persuaded to take the Advantage of other People's
Crimes.

Vil.
I must despise all those Advantages,
That indirectly can advance my Love.
No, tho' I live but in the Hopes of her,
And languish for th'Enjoyment of those Hopes;
I'd rather pine in a consuming Want
Of what I wish, than have the Blessing mine,
From any Reason, but consenting Love.
Oh! let me never have it to remember;
I could betray her, coldly to comply:
When a clear, generous Choice bestows her on me,
I know to value the unequal'd Gift:
I would not have it, but to value it.

Car.

Take your own Way: Remember, what I offer'd
came from a Friend.

Vil.

I understand it so. I'll serve her for herself,
without the Thought of a Reward.

[Exit.
Car.

Agree that Point between you. If you marry
her any Way, you do my Business.

I know him—What his generous Soul intends
Ripens my Plots—I'll first to Isabella—
I must keep up Appearances with her too.

[Exit.
SCENE, Isabella's House.
Enter Isabella and Nurse: Isabella's little Son at Play upon the Floor.
Isa.
Sooner, or later, all Things pass away,
And are no more: The Beggar and the King,
With equal Steps tread forward to their End:
Tho' they appear of different Natures now;
They meet at last; the reconciling Grave
Swallows Distinction first, that made us Foes,
Then all alike lie down in Peace together.
When will that Hour of Peace arrive for me!
In Heav'n I shall find it—not in Heav'n,
If my old Tyrant Father can dispose
Of Things above—but, there, his Interest
May be as poor as mine, and want a Friend
As much as I do here.

[Weeping.
Nurse.
Good Madam, be comforted.

Isa.
Do I deserve to be this out-cast Wretch?
Abandon'd thus, and lost? But 'tis my Lot,
The Will of Heav'n, and I must not complain:
I will not for myself: Let me bear all
The Violence of your Wrath; but spare my Child:
Let not my Sins be visited on him:
They are; they must; a general Ruin falls
On every Thing about me: Thou art lost,
Poor Nurse, by being near me.

Nurse.
I can work, or beg, to do you Service.

Isa.
Cou'd I forget
What I have been, I might the better bear
What I am destin'd to: I'm not the first
That have been wretched: But to think how much
I have been happier!—Wild hurrying Thoughts
Start every Way from my distracted Soul,
To find out Hope, and only meet Despair.
What Answer have I?

Enter Sampson.
Samp.

Why truly very little to the Purpose: Like a
Jew as he is, he says you have had more already, than
the Jewels are worth: He wishes you would rather think
of redeeming 'em, than expect any more Money upon
'em.

Exit Sampson.

Isa.
'Tis very well—
So:—Poverty at home, and Debts abroad!
My present Fortune bad; my Hopes yet worse!
What will become of me!
This Ring is all I have left of Value now:
'Twas given me by my Husband: His first Gift
Upon our Marriage: I've always kept it,
With my best Care, the Treasure next my Life:
And now but part with it, to support Life:
Which only can be dearer. Take it Nurse,
'Twill stop the Cries of Hunger for a Time;
Provide us Bread, and bring a short Reprieve,
To put off the bad Day of Beggary,
That will come on too soon. Take Care of it:
Manage it, as the last remaining Friend
That would relieve us. [Exit Nurse.]
Heav'n can only tell
Where we shall find another—My dear Boy!
The Labour of his Birth was lighter to me
Than of my Fondness now; my Fears for him
Are more, than in that Hour of hovering Death,
They could be for myself—He minds me not.
His little Sports have taken up his Thoughts:
O may they never feel the Pangs of mine.
Thinking will make me mad: Why must I think,
When no Thought brings me Comfort?

Nurse returns.
Nurse.

O Madam! you are utterly ruin'd and undone,
your Creditors of all Kinds are come in upon you: They
have muster'd up a Regiment of Rogues, that are come
to plunder your House, and seize upon all you have in the
World; they are below: What will you do, Madam?

Isa.
Do! nothing; no, for I am born to suffer.

Enter Carlos to her.
Car.
O Sister! can I call you by that Name,
And be the Son of this inhuman Man,
Inveterate to your Ruin? Do not think
I am a-kin to his Barbarity:
I must abhor my Father's Usage of you:
And from my bleeding honest Heart, must pity,
Pity your lost Condition: Can you think
Of any Way that I may serve you in?
But what enrages most my Sense of Grief,
My Sorrow for your Wrongs, is, that my Father,
Fore-knowing well the Storm that was to fall,
Has order'd me not to appear for you.

Isa.
I thank your Pity; my poor Husband fell
For disobeying him: Do not you stay
To venture his Displeasure too for me.

Car.
You must resolve on something—

[Exit.
Isa.
Let my Fate
Determine for me; I shall be prepar'd,
The worst that can befall me, is to die:
When once it comes to that, it matters not
Which way 'tis brought about: Whether I starve,
Or hang, or drown, the End is still the same;
Plagues, Poison, Famine, are but several Names
Of the same Thing, and all conclude in Death.
—But sudden Death! O for a sudden Death,
To cheat my Persecutors of their Hopes,
Th'expected Pleasure of beholding me
Long in my Pains, lingring in Misery.
It will not be; that is deny'd me too.
Hark, they are coming; let the Torrent roar:
It can but overwhelm me in its Fall;
And Life and Death are now alike to me.

[Exeunt, the Nurse leading the Child.
SCENE opens, and shews Carlos and Villeroy with the Officers.
Vil.
No farther Violence—
The Debt in all is but four thousand Crowns:
Were it ten Times the Sum, I think you know
My Fortune very well can answer it.
You have my Word for this: I'll see you paid.

Off.
That's as much as we can desire: So we have the
Money, no matter whence it comes.

Vil.
To-morrow you shall have it.

Car.
Thus far all's well—
Enter Isabella, and Nurse with the Child.
And now my Sister comes to crown the Work.

[Aside.
Isa.
Where are these rav'ning Blood-hounds, that pursue
In a full Cry, gaping to swallow me?
I meet your Rage, and come to be devour'd:
Say, which Way are you to dispose of me!
To Dungeons, Darkness, Death!

Car.
Have Patience.

Isa.
Patience!

Off.
You'll excuse us, we are but in our Office;
Debts must be paid.

Isa.
My Death will pay you all.

[Distractedly.
Off.

While there is Law to be had, People will have
their own.

Vil.
'Tis very fit they should; but pray be gone.
To-morrow certainly—

[Exeunt Officers.
Isa.
What of To-morrow?
Am I then the Sport,
The Game of Fortune, and her laughing Fools?
The common Spectacle, to be expos'd
From Day to Day, and baited for the Mirth
Of the lewd Rabble? Must I be reserv'd
For fresh Afflictions?

Vil.
For long Happiness
Of Life, I hope.

Isa.
There is no Hope for me.
The Load grows light, when we resolve to bear:
I'm ready for my Trial.

Car.
Pray be calm,
And know your Friends.

Isa.
My Friends! Have I a Friend?

Car.
A faithful Friend; in your extremest Need
Villeroy came in to save you—

Isa.
Save me! How?

Car.
By satisfying all your Creditors.

Isa.
Which Way? For what?

Vil.
Let me be understood,
And then condemn me: You have giv'n me Leave
To be your Friend; and in that only Name,
I now appear before you. I could wish
There had been no Occasion of a Friend,
Because I know you hate to be oblig'd;
And still more loth to be oblig'd by me.

Isa.
'Twas that I would avoid—

[Aside.
Vil.
I'm most unhappy, that my Services
Can be suspected to design upon you;
I have no farther Ends than to redeem you
From Fortune's Wrongs; to shew myself at last,
What I have long profess'd to be, your Friend:
Allow me that; and to convince you more,
That I intend only your Interest;
Forgive what I have done, and in amends
(If that can make you any, that can please you)
I'll tear myself for ever from my Hopes;
Stifle this flaming Passion in my Soul,
That has so long broke out to trouble you;
And mention my unlucky Love no more.

Isa.
This Generosity will ruin me.

[Aside.
Vil.
Nay, if the Blessing of my looking on you
Disturbs your Peace, I will do all I can
To keep away, and never see you more.

Car.
You must not go.

Vil.
Could Isabella speak
Those few short Words, I should be rooted here,
And never move but upon her Commands.

Car.
Speak to him, Sister, do not throw away
A Fortune that invites you to be happy.
In your Extremity he begs your Love;
And has deserv'd it nobly. Think upon
Your lost Condition, helpless and alone.
Tho' now you have a Friend, the Time must come
That you will want one; him you may secure
To be a Friend, a Father, a Husband to you.

Isa.
A Husband!

Car.
You have discharg'd your Duty to the Dead,
And to the Living; 'tis a Wilfulness
Not to give Way to your Necessities,
That force you to this Marriage.

Nurse.
What must become of this poor Innocence?

[To the Child.
Car.
He wants a Father to protect his Youth,
And rear him up to Virtue: You must bear
The future Blame, and answer to the World,
When you refuse the easy honest Means
Of taking Care of him.

Nurse.
Of him and me,
And every one that must depend upon you;
Unless you please now to provide for us,
We must all perish.

Car.
Nor would I press you—

Isa.
Do not think I need
Your Reasons, to confirm my Gratitude:
I have a Soul that's truly sensible
Of your great Worth, and busy to contrive,
[To Villeroy.
If possible, to make you a Return.

Vil.
O! easily possible!

Isa.
It cannot be your Way: My Pleasures are
Bury'd, and cold in my dead Husband's Grave:
And I should wrong the Truth, myself, and you,
To say that I can ever love again.
I owe this Declaration to myself:
But as a Proof that I owe all to you,
If after what I've said, you can resolve
To think me worth your Love—Where am I going?
You cannot think it; 'tis impossible.

Vil.
Impossible!

Isa.
You should not ask me now, nor should I grant,
I am so much oblig'd, that to consent
Wou'd want a Name to recommend the Gift:
'Twou'd shew me poor, indebted, and compell'd,
Designing, mercenary; and I know
You would not wish to think I could be bought.

Vil.
Be bought! where is the Price that can pretend
To bargain for you? Not in Fortune's Power.
The Joys of Heav'n, and Love, must be bestow'd:
They are not to be sold, and cannot be deserv'd.

Isa.
Some other Time I'll hear you on this Subject.

Vil.
Nay, then there is no Time so fit for me.
[Following her.
Since you consent to hear me, hear me now;
That you may grant: You are above
The little Forms which circumscribe your Sex:
We differ but in Time, let that be mine.

Isa.
You think fit
To get the better of me, and you shall;
Since you will have it so—I will be yours.

Vil.
I take you at your Word.

Isa.
I give you all,
My Hand; and would I had a Heart to give:
But if it ever can return again,
'Tis wholly yours.

Vil.
O Ecstasy of Joy!
Leave that to me. If all my Services,
If prosperous Days, and kind indulging Nights;
If all that Man can fondly say, or do,
Can beget Love, Love shall be born again.
O Carlos! now my Friend, and Brother too:
And Nurse, I have eternal Thanks for thee.
Send for the Priest—
[Nurse goes out in Haste.
This Night you must be mine.
Let me command in this, and all my Life
Shall be devoted to you.

Isa.
On your Word,
Never to press me to put off these Weeds,
Which best become my melancholy Thoughts,
You shall command me.

Vil.
Witness Heav'n and Earth
Against my Soul, when I do any thing
To give you a Disquiet.

Car.
I long to wish you Joy.

Vil.
You'll be a Witness of my Happiness.

Car.
For once I'll be my Sister's Father,
And give her to you.

Vil.
Next my Isabella,
Be near my Heart: I am for ever yours.

[Exeunt.