 | Washington |  |
Scene 1.
—A Street in Philadelphia.[Enter Timothy, meeting Eldad and Nathan.]
Timothy.
What of the war up North, good Deacon Eldad.
Eldad.
It's well begun, friend; and—
Timothy.
Good,—well begun,—
So says poor Richard, well begun, half done.
Eldad.
Don't you believe it: never a proverb yet
But it's as easily twisted on itself
As any Jonah's gourd,—lo—hearken now,
Rise with the lark and lie down with the lamb,—
Lambs are asleep at noon when the lark rockets;
Do everything to-day and not to-morrow,—
As if you wouldn't be wiser by to-morrow
For knowing surely what to-day brings forth;
The early bird gathers the worm,—but then
That earlier worm were better far abed,—
Timothy.
Well, Deacon, don't be tedious,—how's the war?
22
Friend, I must end my homily on beginnings:
It is a simple business to begin;
But to go on, and on, and persevere
Wrestling down Amaleks, and fording Jordans,
And wandering wearily the sandy flats
Of some hot wilderness, not half way yet,
Oh, not half midway yet,—here is the toil,
I tell you—
Timothy.
Well but, Deacon, how's the war?
Eldad.
It's well begun, I grant it, well begun;
Something is done, though much remains to do,
And thus—
[Enter John Adams.]
Timothy
to John Adams.
From Boston, sir? how goes the war?
John Adams.
Bravely: at Lexington first blood was drawn;
Pitcairn attacked us; but we answered him
So stoutly, that we drove him for six miles
(He thrice our force and we undisciplined)
Hunting him to his ships at Charlestown Neck,
Where he took shelter with his grenadiers,
Leaving the victory ours. Massachusetts
Flung out the watchword ‘Death or Liberty’
And everywhere the beacons blazed defiance
23
Then the great giant woke, and stood up strong:
A mighty people flaming red with rage.
Gathered by drum and trumpet everywhere:
The steeples clashed to arms,—even pious preachers
Stood on their pulpit stairs, calling to arms;
The teamster left his ploughshare in the furrow
And galloped with his horses to the war,—
The yeoman tore his rifle from its case,
The draper leapt across his counter straight
Eager to fight for freedom; even women
Swarmed in as volunteers, and very children
Shouldered the muskets they could scarcely lift.
We soon had thirty thousand men in arms,
Selected from three hundred thousand more,
And at their head our noble Washington,
Chosen Commander-in-Chief.
Timothy.
Good news; what more?
John Adams.
On Lake Champlain, Arnold and Ethan Allen,
From Vermont, with their brave Green Mountain Boys,
Surprised Ticonderoga and Crownpoint,
Seizing their stores of cannon, and supplies—
Timothy.
Good, good, ey Deacon,—well begun half done?
John Adams.
And though at Bunker's Hill we failed at first,
Through lack of powder for our empty guns,
24
The enemy fell before us in such heaps
They conquered but a fatal victory.
Then Washington rushed fiercely to the front
And shelled them from the heights of Dorchester,
And stormed them out of Boston in hot haste,
Howe and his veteran army in a mass
Driven to his ships by Putnam's bayonets.
Enough—the right is conquering—fare you well.
Exit John Adams.
Timothy.
Well, Deacon Eldad, what say you to this—
Is well begun, half done?—
Eldad.
Nay, Timothy,
You count the profits only; take your ledger
And post me up the loss; I wot the loss,
Could we but count it, balances the gain,
Ay, much outweighs it,—look you firstly, now—
Timothy.
Deacon, I cannot stop; for firstly means
Secondly, thirdly, and fifteenthly too,—
Eldad.
But, Haerlem Heights? Kip's Bay? call you these gains,
Where Washington gave orders to shoot down
Our many runaways? Then Hackensack—
25
Croaker! be dumb: or shout at Trenton Falls
With conquering Washington, Their flags are struck!
No more. Good den, good Deacon.
Exit.
Eldad.
Well, methinks
Folks are gone mad, they will not listen to reason;
The love of liberty hath driven them mad;
There is some fighting fever in the air
Tainting us all with a contagious courage:
I should not wonder now, if Nathan and I
Were some day found shouldering a firelock too,
And shouting after General Washington.
| Washington | |