University of Virginia Library

Scene 1.

A tavern in London. Enter John and James Forrester.
JOHN FORRESTER.
From Antwerp you shall certainly hear from me;
And then as soon as I reach Ghent, and of my
Speeding on the voyage—how strange things
Seem to untravelled eyes—how Flanders ladies
And Flanders lace may look to an Englishman,
And all important matters, I will write of.

JAMES.
Especially forget not to apprize me
As soon as my uncle dies—for die he must,
I take it; and, good John, when you come back,
And are the Honourable Sir John Forrester,
With sundry thousand pounds a-year, I beg
You'll not forget your poorer younger brother.

JOHN.
Which way shall I remember thee? with alms
From my new fortunes?

JAMES.
Faith, it may be so;
I shall be out at elbows presently,
An the dice use me not more courteously.

JOHN.
Dice seldom mend a tattered doublet, James.
Thou'rt but a careless fellow, and I fear
That I shall find thee, when I do come back,
The poorer for my absence.

JAMES.
I do fear it;
Good brother John, I fear it infinitely.
Thy wisdom was a kind of floating buoy
That held me up i' the midst of my unthrift;
I fear when thou art gone, that I shall go
To the very bottom. Thou'rt a lucky fellow!

JOHN.
Nay, now most men had said that, of the twain,
Thou wert the luckier: eldest of our house,
I yet have thence derived no good advantage,
Save the honour of being head of a family
More old than rich; whilst thou, the curly darling
Of our old grandam Wentworth, didst inherit
Her fortune and a younger brother's privilege
To spend it like a madman, merrily:
And yet I'm lucky, sayest thou.

JAMES.
Very lucky;
You never play.

JOHN.
You might be lucky, too,
Upon those terms.

JAMES.
You never wish to play;
That's where you're lucky.

JOHN.
No, nor ever wish
To cut a man's throat, or to steal his purse;
Perhaps I'm lucky, too, in that.

JAMES.
Most certainly,
For if you played, you might do one or both;
I'm sure I've often thought I should do both.

JOHN.
Dear brother, what you thus speak jestingly
Sounds very sadly in my ears; have patience,
If now, about to leave you quite alone,
For the first time since our poor father died,
I use a little the elder brother's right,
And leave thee, with these few hundred pounds I've saved
Upon my last year's income, some few words
Of counsel; dearest James, pray give me heed.

JAMES.
I would I could but mind as well as heed,
And do as well as listen—yet the money—

JOHN.
I do not want it, brother, and you may;
You know I never play, and my outgoings
Are measured always by my incomings;
'Tis yours, and yours alone.

JAMES.
Thanks, generous friend,
I'll try and spend, not lose it.

JOHN.
Prithee do.
Put not thy gentry into such ill company
As dicers, drinkers, tavern-haunting folk;
Kites that seem doves, but hover round their prey
With beaks and talons whetted sharp for blood.
Cram not thine honour and thine happiness
Into that hollow cup, whence, with the dice,
They shall come tumbling in what fashion fortune
May please to order. Oh! be still above
The power of chance, at least in thine own mind,
Dear James, nor put thy manliness and worth
At stake upon a hazard table. The money
Is nought, but that thou canst not win or lose
That, without losing at the self same time
An infinite treasure—thine own good esteem;
It is a deep stake, brother; do not risk it.

JAMES.
I will not say to thee that till thou come
I'll not touch dice, I fear to be forsworn;
But I will strive to be more moderate
In venturing; and if I can, I will not
Play while thou'rt gone.

JOHN.
That's well, good fellow! well?

[Enter a Servant.
SERVANT.
The captain is on board, sir, and the wind
Streaks with grey rippling lines the river's bosom;
Your clothes are in the ship, all things are ready.

JOHN.
I come immediately.
[Exit Servant.
Brother, another word;
Here is a letter to my friend Judge Winthrop;
He'll see for thee into those scrolls and parchments
That we were looking over yesterday.
You'll find him, brother, a true Englishman;
I cannot give a man a better name.

JAMES.
I will set out to-morrow, brother.

JOHN.
Good—
While thou art there, perhaps it were as well
To think of another matter, James; the Judge
Has a fair sister, a most charming lady,
Whom thou couldst easier love than I describe.
When you look at her, think of what I say;
A lovely, loving wife were a better monitor
Than I can be; sweet lips, and gentle eyes,
And woman's fond persuasion, should do more
To sunder thee from those ill-favoured mistresses,
The dice, than all my talking; and besides,
'Twixt man and man there is a boundary
Not passable even by the closest kindred.
But, an thou once wert married, thou shouldst find
Each hour admonish thee not to betray
Thine own and others' happiness to play.
Come, let us go. I shall be late on board;
Come with me to the stairs.

JAMES.
Would 'twere to Flanders!

[Exeunt the two Forresters.