University of Virginia Library

SCENE II.

Enter LEONIDA.
Leo.
Where shall I now find Libanus,
Or our young master, that I strait might make them
Merrier than mirth herself? I bring along with me
Abundant gain, and triumph—And 'tis fit,
That, as together we enjoy our pleasures,
We should divide the plunder I have got,
Between us—

Lib.
[aside]
Sure the fellow has been pillaging
Some house or other, as 'tis usual with him!
Woe be to him that kept so ill the door!

Leo.
I'd be content could I now find out Libanus,
With a whole age of slavery—

Lib.
By Hercules!
[aside.
I'll never be the means to hasten on
Your freedom.

Leo.
Nay, e'en freely yield my back
To bear two hundred lashes—

Lib.
[aside]
Yes, in troth,
He offers up his substance: all he's worth
Is on his back.

Leo.
For if he should let slip
This opportunity, by Pollux' temple!
He'll never overtake it afterwards,
Not tho' he drove his car with four white horses.
He'd leave his master in the lurch, and thus
Give courage to the foe—But if with me
He'll profit by this opportunity,
Plenty of good things he and I shall heap
Upon his masters, both the son and father:
Who, for this kindness, ever will remain
Bound to us in the strictest bands—

Lib.
[aside]
He's talking
Of being bound in bands. I like it not.
I fear he has been devising some device
For which we both shall feel one common punishment.

Leo.
I'm ruin'd horse and foot, unless I soon
Find Libanus—Where, in the name of wonder,
Where can he be?

Lib.
[aside]
The man is looking out
For an accomplice in some bad design.
I like it not—'Tis a portentous sign
When a man sweats, and at the same time trembles.

Leo.
But why, when I'm in haste, are my feet tardy,
And my tongue runs so fast?—Why do I not
Bid it be quiet, not wear out the day
In chattering?

Lib.
[aside]
Troth the man's unfortunate,
To check his patroness—For should he do
Aught that's amiss, she would be perjur'd for him.

Leo.
Well, I'll make haste, lest I should miss my blow,
And come too late to seize upon my prey.

Lib.
What prey is't that he means?—I will accost him,
And wheedle out the business—I have hollow'd
As loud as I can bawl, to give to you
The good time of the day.

Leo.
Ha! Whipping-post,
Good day to you.

Lib.
How is it with you, jail bird?

Leo.
Townsman of chain-town!

Lib.
Thou delight of scourges!

Leo.
When naked, say, how many pounds thou weighest?

Lib.
In troth I know not.

Leo.
That I know full well—
But I, by Pollux, who have weigh'd thee, know,
When thou art hung up naked, thy feet downward,
Thou weighest an hundred weight.

Lib.
How know you that?

Leo.
I'll tell thee how I know, and how it is.
When thou'st an hundred weight upon thy feet,
When thy hands manacled are tied to a post,
Whether thou then art under weight or over,
Thou weigh'st a rascal.

Lib.
Go and hang thyself.

Leo.
Thy servitude bequeaths thee that by will.

Lib.
Truce with this gabble—What's the business, say?

Leo.
And may I trust you—

Lib.
Yes, and confidently.

Leo.
If you've a mind to assist our master's son
In his amours, a fair occasion offers.
But 'tis attended too with danger: and
The hangman will at our expence be famous.
Now's the time, Libanus, to shew the world
That we have courage and address—I've thought
Of an exploit just now, will render us
Most worthy of the torture.

Lib.
Oh! no wonder
My shoulders itch'd but now, as they foretold
Some danger tow'rd—Well, what's the business, speak?

Leo.
Great plunder, but attended with great mischief.

Lib.
If all the tortures that did e'er exist,
Were sworn into conspiracy against me,
I have at home a back I think would bear them,
Nor need I seek abroad.

Leo.
Such constancy
Of mind if you keep up, then safe's the word.

Lib.
If 'tis the back's alone to suffer, I
Could wish my back were publick—If the business
Is stiffly to deny, to bear the scourge,
Nay, to be perjur'd, why depend upon me.

Leo.
O brave! undauntedly to suffer evil,
When opportunity shall offer, this,
This is true virtue. He who resolutely
Evil endures, shall in the end see good.

Lib.
Why don't you tell the matter instantly?
I long to feel the scourge.

Leo.
Deliberately
Ask me each question, give me time to breathe;
Don't you observe I'm out of breath with running?

Lib.
Well, well, I'll wait your pleasure, even 'till
You die—

Leo.
Say where's our master?

Lib.
Why, our old one
Is at the forum, the young one's here within.

Leo.
I've now enough.

Lib.
You then are become rich.

Leo.
No raillery now.

Lib.
Well, be it so—My ears
Are now in waiting for what you've to say.

Leo.
Attend, that you may know the whole affair
As well as I do—

Lib.
Well, I'm silent then.

Leo.
You make me happy. Do you not remember
Our usher of the hall, some time ago,
Sold some Arcadian asses to a dealer
Of Pella?

Lib.
I remember it.—What then?

Leo.
That dealer then has sent to Saurea
The money for the asses: a young man
Came strait, and brought it.

Lib.
Where is the young man?

Leo.
Could you but see him, you'd devour him instantly.

Lib.
Ay, to be sure—But do you mean those asses,
Those old and lame ones, with their hoofs worn out
Quite to the quick?

Leo.
I mean those very asses,
That drew a load of elm twigs from the country,
And for your use.

Lib.
I understand you: Yes
The same, who from the country once brought you,
With your hands tied behind you.

Leo.
So, I find
You've a good memory. In the barber's shop
As I was sitting, he began, and ask'd me
Whether I knew Demænetus, the son
Of Strato—Yes, said I, for I'm
His servant; and then shew'd to him our house.

Lib.
What next?

Leo.
He said, that he had brought for Saurea
The money for the asses, twenty minæ,
But that he did not know the man: howe'er
Demænetus he well knew—Finding then
He said thus much—

Lib.
What then?

Leo.
But hearken then,
And you shall know—I instantly put on
An easy, and genteely grand behaviour—
And said, I was the usher of the hall.
He answer'd me, in troth I know not Saurea,
Nor yet what kind of man he is, so then
You have no need to be affronted at it:
Only bring here Demænetus, your master,
Whom I well know, and I will fetch the money.
I told him I would fetch him, and would be
At home immediately—He's going now
Strait to the baths; and will come here forthwith.
What's to be done in this affair now?—Say.

Lib.
I'm thinking how to intercept the money,
Getting between the bearer and our Saurea.
The work's rough hewn already—If the stranger
Bring first the money to the house, why then
We're both blown up—For our old man to-day
Took me aside; and order'd you and me,
On pain of tasting what elm twigs are made of,
To find for Argyrippus twenty minæ:
This day too—Nay, he order'd us to cheat
Our usher of it, or his wife; and further,
Promis'd to give us his assistance in it.
Now hie thee to the forum to our master;
There tell him what we are about to do;
That you shall be no more Leonida,
But Saurea, till this dealer here has brought
The money for the asses.

Leo.
Well, I'll do
As you command me.

Lib.
I'll amuse him here,
Should he come first—

Leo.
But, hark ye!

Lib.
What's your will?

Leo.
If while I'm personating Saurea, I
Give you a cuff, you must not then be angry.

Lib.
Take care you touch me not, for if you do,
By Hercules! you'll think it an ill omen,
That you have chang'd your name.

Leo.
Yet, in good part
I prithee take it.

Lib.
And, when I return it,
Do you the same.

Leo.
I say no more than what
Is ord'narily done.

Lib.
And I, by Hercules!
Tell you but what I'll do.

Leo.
Refuse me not.

Lib.
I promise to return you what you bring.

Leo.
Well, I'll be gone—I know you'll hold yourself
In readiness to take what I shall give you.
But who is this? 'Tis he, the very man.
This instant I'll return. In the mean time
Do you detain him here. 'Tis now my pleasure
To inform the old man what we have determin'd.

Lib.
Why don't you do your duty then, and fly—

[Exit Leonida.