University of Virginia Library

Scene III.

A banqueting hall.
Lord Ernest, Orlando, Claudio, Olivia, Violetta, Lords, Ladies, and Attendants.
L. Ern.
Sit here, my daughter; sit and welcome, all;
You shall not say my Hesperus' nuptial night
Lacks its due orgies.

Clau.
Look upon the bride,
How blushes open their envermeiled leaves
On her fair features.

L. Ern.
Sit, I pray you, sirs,
We will have deep and jovial carousal;
Put on the smiles of joy, and think of nought
But present pleasure, we've had woes enough;
Bid 'em be merry, daughter.

Oliv.
Gentlemen,
My father wills me give you all a welcome,
And, if you love or honour our poor house,
Be glad with us.

Clau.
We thank your courtesy, lady, and obey.

L. Ern.
Where is this dilatory bridegroom still?
He was not wont to lag; what hast thou done
To banish him, Olivia?

Oliv.
Good, my lord,
I fear his heart is ill. A veil of gloom
Darkens his cheeks, an anxious watchfulness
Plays in his eyes; and, when he clasped my hand
Now in the chapel, though he smiled and whispered
Of bliss and love, an ague thrilled his veins,
And starting back he groaned.

L. Ern.
Go, fetch him hither,
I warrant wine will cure him.

Attend.
Here he comes.

Enter Hesperus.
Hesp.
(aside.)
What's all this blaze and riot? Oh, a banquet.
They should have got me here the seven sins,
And all the evil things that haunt the world;
Then what a goodly revel would we hold;
E'en Death, while hastening to the sick man's pillow,
Should pause to listen our unhallowed talk,
And think us all the brood of Pestilence
Met in mysterious council.

Attend.
Sir, your father
Has been enquiring for you, and desires
The comfort of your presence at the table.

Hesp.
The comfort of my presence! Slave, thou mockest me.
Why dost thou thrust thy taper in my face?
No price is set on't.

L. Ern.
Hither, Hesperus;
Thou dost not mark this company of kinsmen,
Met to congratulate you, and partake
Your gladness.

Hesp.
Sirs, I thank you heartily.
(aside.)
A curse upon the gaping saucy rabble;
They must stare too.

L. Ern.
Come, son, and sit beside me;
They say you're ill, my boy.

Hesp.
They say the truth.

L. Ern.
What is your ailment?

Hesp.
Life. But here is one
Born to smile misery out of the world:
Look on me, my Olivia.

Oliv.
Dearest Hesperus,
Be calmer, I beseech you; all are here
My friends, and yours.

Hesp.
No doubt. They drain our goblets.
A friend! What is't? A thing shall squeeze your hand,
Caress with fervent love your broidered sleeve,
And wring his mouth into a leering lie,
While his heart damns thee. One whose love's as deep
As your gold coffer. Hast a wife? They come;
Buz, buz, lie, lie, the hungry meat-flies come,
“Dear lord, sweet lord, our only gentle lord!”
Ay, thus they sugar o'er the silent dagger,
And love, and love, till they've inhelled thy soul.
Oh! when I call for friend, bring honest poison.
Put out the lights, I like the beams o' th' moon;
And tell those revellers to tope in silence.

L. Ern.
You would not overcast our best-meant mirth,
Bid us sit palled, like mourners at your bridal,
And hide in night our kindly countenances?

Hesp.
Ay, by my grave I would. There is on earth
One face alone, one heart, that Hesperus needs;
'Twere better all the rest were not. Olivia,
I'll tell thee how we'll 'scape these prying eyes;
We'll build a wall between us and the world,
And, in some summer wilderness of flowers,
As though but two hearts beat beneath the sun,
Consume our days of love.

L. Ern.
I pray you, friends,
Excuse the wilful boy, his soul is wholly
Wrapt up in admiration of his bride:
We'll have her health; come, fill your goblets round,
The bride, Olivia.

Clau.
Happiness befall her,
May she ne'er feel a woe; we drink to her.

[Music.
Enter Hubert.
Hub.
Hush, hush; ye ill-timed sounds, let darkness come,
And with her funeral trappings hang the walls,
Or twilight lend a weak and fitful gleam,
That you may watch each others' watery cheeks.
Oh! ladies, deck your beauties with salt diamonds,
Wail with the midnight wind, and look as sad
As if ye heard the thunder-voice of doom.

L. Ern.
What art thou, fearful man?

Hub.
Woe's harbinger;
I come to bid you to a funeral;
Prepare your eyes, for they must see dire vengeance
Fall on the neck of crime.

Hesp.
Turn out that fellow;
I know him for a crazy marvel-monger,
A long-faced gossip, with his batch of wonders:
And now he'll tell you the most terrible news,
How many owls and ravens screeched last night,
Or how some ghost has left his marble tomb
To blab a drunken lie.

Hub.
I tell a fiend
His guilt is hid no more. Ho! there, the guard:
Enter Guards.
That is your prisoner.

Hesp.
[The Guards seize him.

L. Ern.
How's this?
Ruffians, where do you bear my boy? Release him,
Or I'll—

Oliv.
Oh! do not anger them. They're men
Who have sucked pity from their mothers' breasts,
They will not close their ears to my petition;
And, if they'll loose him, I will pray for them
While speech is mine.

L. Ern.
Your swords, my friends, your swords.

Hub.
Stand back, my lords; let the Duke's prisoner pass.

L. Ern.
The Duke! what Duke dare seize my Hesperus?
My noble friends, my—sheath your coward swords,
And put your eyes upon the ground for fear,
Your Jove, the Duke he said;—hear ye no thunder?
But all the warriors of the universe
Shall not cow me: I'll free him; villains, back.

Hub.
Oh! good old man; alas! he is a murderer.

L. Ern.
A murderer! (drops his sword.)
This is a baby's arm.

Oliv.
Save him, oh save him! I am very faint.

[Orlando, Violetta, and Attendants, carry her out.
Hesp.
Hence with that voice! So shrieked—I must not think.

Hub.
Look to Lord Ernest. The Duke sits in council,
Waiting your presence, lords. On, to the palace.

[Exeunt Claudio, Hubert, Hesperus, Guards, Lords, and Ladies. Manent Lord Ernest and Attendants.
L. Ern.
Where is he? What! Ye traitors, let him pass,
Chained, guarded? By this light—gird on your swords.
My hairs are grey, but yet I've blood enough—
Did they not speak of crime? These limbs aren't mine,
But some consumptive girl's.—Ay, it was murder!
I'll see the Duke—support me to the palace.

[Exeunt.