University of Virginia Library

SCENE II.

Interior of the Banditti's Cavern. At the farther end, a Stair descending from a Trap-door.
Enter Finck, Gortz, and another.
FINCK
(throwing down a bundle).
So—lie thou there.—Come, cast your burthens down—
Our trade grows hardly worth the following.
One might, for any reasonable hope
Of profit, turn an honest man and work.

GORTZ.
Why truly, master Finck, considering
The wheel and gallows stare us in the face,
Our gains are of the smallest. I remember
When, in a morning's ramble through the forest,
A gentleman might easily bring home
A decent booty—half a dozen purses,
A watch or so—

FINCK.
I tell thee, master Gortz,
The public's in confed'racy to cheat us.
But let 'em look to it—I know a trick
Or two to make us even.

Enter Arnold.
ARNOLD.
What! so soon
Return'd? I look'd not for you these two hours.
Where did you leave your comrades?

FINCK.
When we came
To the old oak, where the two roads branch off,
The morning broke. Myself, with Gortz and Carl,
Agreed to take the western range; but, spite
Of all our trouble, we could meet with nothing
But a poor pedlar and a scurvy priest,
Who hardly paid our pains in stripping them.
If all they had will bring us in five ducats,
I'll suffer the strappado.—There—look at it—

(A bugle from without.
ARNOLD.
Hark! 'tis our comrades' signal.

FINCK.
They come back too?

Swartz and other Banditti descend.
ARNOLD.
You're welcome, gentlemen. What news do ye bring?

SWARTZ.
The worst that gentlemen like us can bring.
We've had our labour for our pains.

ARNOLD.
How so?

SWARTZ.
The devil must have ow'd us an old grudge,
And paid it off to-day with interest.
All seem'd to promise us a fair campaign;
The morn was fine and clear, the roads were good,
And passengers in plenty might be look'd for.
We rode on in high spirits, when at distance
We saw a mighty troop, and heard the horns
And shouts of hunters. Suddenly we halted,
And Hugo singly rode to reconnoitre.
They prov'd the Baron Stolberg and his suite.
He treats some nobles with a hunting match
Here in the forest. This being known, 'twas clear
We had no bus'ness there; so we came back.

ARNOLD.
Where's Herman?

SWARTZ.
Far enough ere this, I warrant.
Instead of turning homewards, he preferr'd
To make one in the chace.

ARNOLD.
To join the chace?
The very dress he wore would cause discov'ry.

SWARTZ.
I guess'd you'd say so; but he had a trick
To pass unnotic'd 'mong 'em. We had chanc'd
To meet, ere broke the day, a peasant youth,
Drest in his gayest suit, as he inform'd us,
To meet his bride at the next parish church.
We let him go to keep his assignation,
After we'd stript him of his finery.
I laugh whene'er I think on't.

ARNOLD.
Well—proceed.

SWARTZ.
When Herman took a fancy to remain,
I counsell'd him to doff his uniform,
And take the bridegroom's suit. No sooner said
Than done. Egad! the change became him well,
And look'd more natural for a lad like him,
Than our buff jerkin.

FINCK.
True—for a young fellow
Brought up to th' trade, and born as 'twere among us,
I never met his equal for the lack
Of all that's needful for our noble calling.

ARNOLD.
Nay, Finck, I pray you speak not of him thus.
Remember he's my brother, and a youth
Of high and rare endowments.

FINCK.
Noble captain,
I meant no harm; but, by Saint Anthony,
He bears no likeness to the family.
Why now, there was your father—he was captain
When first I join'd the troop. A bolder fellow
No troop in Hungary could boast. And then
As for yourself, whom, on his death, we chose
To be our leader, we have no objections
To make against you.

ARNOLD.
No?

FINCK.
No, none to speak of.
When you were private in the troop, you took
Your fair proportion of the toil and danger,
And now you're captain, why you do your duty,
And keep up discipline. But as for Herman,
He may be well enough perhaps for courage,
But, truly, my young sir is pitiful,
And feels compunctions—

ARNOLD.
Nay, sir—

FINCK.
If a fellow
Resist us, or refuse to give his purse,
When by the laws of war we're warranted
To knock him on the head, he'll let him go,
And preach against the sinfulness of murder.
Your father should have made a priest of him,
For he can ne'er do credit to our order.

ARNOLD.
Give o'er these taunts—'tis sign you know him not,
Nor can appreciate merit such as his.
Nay, silence, sir! no man shall dare asperse
His character, while my hand wields a sword.

SWARTZ.
I pray you, noble captain, be appeas'd.
(To Finck)
Must it be ever so?— (to Arnold)
—What say you, captain,
Shall we adjourn to th' refectory? The keen air
Has giv'n me appetite.

FINCK.
Your pardon, captain.

ARNOLD.
No more.—Come, gentlemen, a gen'rous glass
Will make you think less of your disappointment.
(To Finck)
Your hand—in a full brimmer you shall pledge me
To Herman's pleasant chace and safe return.

[Exeunt.