 | The Shipwreck |  |
352
SCENE IV.
Enter DÆMONES, with PALÆSTRA and AMPELISCA; the two SERVANTS behind.DÆMONES.
Faith seriously, my girls, I wish to do
What you yourselves wish, but I fear, my wife
On your account would thrust me out of doors,
Pretending that I brought my misses home
Under her nose, before her eyes.—Do you then,
Rather than I, take refuge at the altar.
Pal. and Amp.
We are undone!
Dæm.
Fear nothing: I'll protect you.
(To the Servants.)
What brought you out of doors? Why do you follow me?
While I am present, no one shall molest them.
Go get ye in, I say, and there stand centinel.
Grip.
Save you, good master.
Dæm.
How now, Gripus? Save you.
Trach.
Is this your servant?
Grip.
Yes, and no disgrace to him
Trach.
I've nothing to do with you.
Grip.
Get you gone then.
Trach.
I pray you, tell me, Sir; is this your servant?
Dæm.
He is.
Trach.
So,—best of all then, if he is.
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Dæm.
I am your's.
You are the fellow, are you not, that went
A little while ago to call your master?
Trach.
The same.
Dæm.
What would you now?
Trach.
Is this your servant?
Dæm.
He is.
Trach.
So,—best of all then, if he is.
Dæm.
What is the matter?
Trach.
He's an arrant rascal.
Dæm.
What has this arrant rascal done to you?
Trach.
I would his legs were broke.
Dæm.
Why, what's the matter?
What is your contest now about?
Trach.
I'll tell you.
Grip.
Nay I will tell you.
Trach.
I will; 'tis my business
To move the court.
Grip.
If you had any shame,
You would move off.
Dæm.
Peace, Gripus, and attend.
Grip.
What! shall he speak the first?
Dæm.
Attend, I say.
(To Trach.)
Speak you.
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And will you let a stranger speak
'Fore your own servant?
Trach.
How impossible
To curb his tongue!—As I was telling you,
That curst Procurer's wallet, whom you drove
Just now from Venus' Temple,—lo! he has it.
Grip.
I have it not.
Trach.
And will you dare deny
What I beheld myself, with my own eyes?
Grip.
Would you were blind, I say!—Suppose I have it,
Or have it not, why d'ye concern yourself
With my affairs?
Trach.
It does concern me, whether
You have possession justly or unjustly.
Grip.
I caught it, or I'd give you leave to hang me.
Since in the sea I caught it with my net,
How is't more your's than mine?
Trach.
He wou'd deceive you:
He has it, as I told you.
Grip.
What d'ye say?
Trach.
If he's your servant, prithee keep him under,
That I, whose right it is, may speak the first.
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How! would you have my master deal with me,
As your's with you? though he may keep you under,
Our master is not us'd to serve us so.
Dæm.
Faith he has match'd you there.—What wou'd you? tell me.
Trach.
I ask no share, no portion of the wallet,
Nor did I say 'twas mine: but there is in it
A little casket of that damsel's, who
I told you was free-born.
Dæm.
What her you mean,
My countrywoman, as you said?
Trach.
The same.
And in that casket, which is in the wallet,
There are some toys of her's, which when a child
She had: to him they're of no use or service,
But if he give them her, may be the means
For her to find her parents.
Dæm.
Say no more,
I'll make him give them.
Grip.
Troth I'll give her nothing.
Trach.
I ask but for the casket and those toys.
Grip.
But what if they be gold?
Trach.
Suppose they are,
You shall have gold for gold, of equal value,
Silver for silver.
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Let me see your gold,
And you shall see the casket.
Dæm.
Hold your tongue;
Beware thee of a drubbing:— (To Trach.)
You go on.
Trach.
I pray you, have compassion of this damsel,
If it indeed be the Procurer's wallet,
As I suppose it is; I do not say
'Tis his for certain, but 'tis my opinion.
Grip.
(Aside)
See how the rascal tries to catch his favour!
Trach.
Let me proceed.—If 'tis the rascal's wallet,
These girls will surely know it:—order him
To shew it them.
Grip.
How! shew it them?
Dæm.
He asks
Nothing but what is reasonable, Gripus.
Grip.
'Tis most unreasonable.
Dæm.
Why?
Grip.
Because,
If I produce it, they will cry at once
They know it truly.
Trach.
Rascal! do you think
That ev'ry body's like yourself?—false varlet!
Grip.
I bear all this with patience, while my master
Is on my side.
Trach.
But now he is against you,
And that the casket will bear testimony.
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Gripus, be silent and attend! (To Trach.)
Do you
Tell me in few, what is it you would have?
Trach.
I've told you, and I'll tell it you again,
If yet sufficiently you understand not.
These damsels, I inform'd you, are free-born;
And one was stol'n from Athens when a child.
Grip.
But what is this pray to the wallet, whether
They're slaves or free?
Trach.
You'd have me spend the day
In telling the whole o'er again, you villain!
Dæm.
Spare your abuses, and inform me clearly
In what I ask.
Trach.
There should be in the wallet
A wicker casket, that contains some tokens,
Which the poor girl may find her parents by,
And which she had, when stol'n a little child
From Athens, as I told you.
Grip.
Jupiter,
And all the Gods confound you! Don't you see
The damsels are both dumb? why cannot they
Speak for themselves?
Trach.
Because it more becomes
A woman to be silent than to talk.
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Then by your talk you're neither man nor woman.
Trach.
Why?
Grip.
Talk or not talk, you are good for nothing.
(To Dæm.)
Pray, may I never be allow'd to speak?
Dæm.
Speak but another word, I'll break your head.
Trach.
Pray, Sir, command him to deliver up
That casket to the girls, and what reward
He asks for finding it, it shall be given:
What else is in the wallet, let him have.
Grip.
Ah, so you say at last, now you're convinc'd
I have a right to't, though e'en now you wanted
To go snacks with me.
Trach.
And I want it still.
Grip.
So have I seen a kite stoop at his prey,
And yet get nothing.
Dæm.
Can't I stop your mouth
Without a drubbing?
Grip.
If he's silent, I'll
Be silent too; but if he speak, let me too
Speak in my turn.
Dæm.
Give me the wallet, Gripus.
Grip.
I'll trust it to you on condition you'll
Return it, if there's nothing in't of theirs.
Dæm.
I will.
Grip.
There—take it. (Giving him the wallet.)
Dæm.
Hearkye me, Palæstra,
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Is this the wallet, that contains your casket?
Pal.
The same.
Grip.
So,—I'm undone, I find.—Before
She could well see it, she cries out—“The same.”
Pal.
I'll make this matter plain, and clear up all.
There is a wicker casket in that wallet;
And each particular that it contains
I'll reckon one by one: you shall not shew me:
If wrong, my word will serve me in no stead,
And all that's in the casket shall be your's;
If right, I pray you let me have my own.
Dæm.
Agreed: she only asks for common justice,
In my opinion.
Trach.
And in mine.
Grip.
But what
If she's a witch, and by that means should tell
What's in the casket? shall a witch then carry it?
Dæm.
No, not unless she give a just account;
Her witchcraft shall not serve her.—Open then
The wallet; I wou'd know the truth directly.
Grip.
(Opening it)
The deed is done!—'tis open'd.—Ah! I'm ruin'd!
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Dæm.
Is this it?
Pal.
The same.
In this, my parents, are you lock'd; in this
My hopes of finding you, and means are lodg'd.
Grip.
Verily you deserve the Gods displeasure,
To cram your parents in so close a compass.
Dæm.
Come hither, Gripus:—'tis your cause is trying.
(To Pal.)
Hearkye me, girl; at distance where you are
Tell the contents, and give a just description
Of each particular within the casket.
If in the smallest tittle you mistake,
Though afterwards you'd wish to speak the truth,
I'd hold it nothing but egregious trifling.
Grip.
You talk what's fair, and justice.
Trach.
Then of you
He talks not: you and justice are quite opposite.
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Speak, girl.—Gripus, give ear, and hold your tongue.
Pal.
There are some toys.
Dæm.
I see them.
Grip.
I am slain
At the first onset.—Hold, Sir,—don't produce them.
Dæm.
Describe them,—and recount them all in order.
Pal.
First, there's a little sword with an inscription.
Dæm.
What's the inscription?
Pal.
'Tis my father's name.
Then, there's a little two edg'd axe, of gold too,
Bearing th'inscription of my mother's name.
Dæm.
Hold,—what's your father's name upon the sword?
Pal.
'Tis—Dæmones.
Dæm.
O ye immortal Gods!
Where are my hopes?
Grip.
Nay truly, where are mine?
Dæm.
Proceed, I do beseech you, quickly.
Grip.
Gently.—
(Aside.)
Wou'd you were hang'd!
Dæm.
Tell me your mother's name
Upon the axe.
Pal.
'Tis—Dædalis.
Dæm.
The Gods
Are anxious for my welfare.
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And my ruin.
Dæm.
Why, Gripus, she must surely be my daughter.
Grip.
She may be so for me.— (To Trach.)
May all the Gods
Confound you, that you chanc'd to spy me out;
And me too, that I did not look about me
An hundred times to watch if no one saw me,
Before I drew my net out of the water.
Pal.
Then there's a small too-handed silver knife,
A little sow too.
Grip.
Would that you were hang'd,
You and your sow too, pigs and all together!
Pal.
There is besides a little heart of gold,
Given me by my father on my birth-day.
Dæm.
'Tis she, 'tis she!—I can refrain no longer,
I must embrace her. (They embrace.)
Save you, my dear daughter!
I, I am Dæmones, and Dædalis
Your mother is within here.
Pal.
Blessings on you,
My unexpected, my unhop'd-for father!
Dæm.
Heav'ns bless you!—With what joy do I embrace you!
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To me too 'tis a pleasure, since your piety
Has wrought this happy chance.
Dæm.
Come, take the wallet,
And bear it in, Trachalio, if you can.
Trach.
(Taking the wallet.)
Behold the roguery of Gripus!—Gripus,
I give you joy upon your ill success.
Dæm.
Come, daughter, let us in now to your mother.
For she can question you of further proofs,
Who has been more accustom'd to you, more
Acquainted with your tokens.
Trach.
We'll all in,
Since we are all concern'd in this event.
Pal.
Follow me, Ampelisca.
Amp.
I'm rejoic'd
To find the Gods so favourable to you.
[Exeunt all but Gripus.
| The Shipwreck | |