A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Xi Part 135

POL. Come, have you done? Officers, away with him.

[_Exit_ PHILOCLES.

I'll be your keeper, but I'll look better to you.

But, Roscio, you and I must about the business: Sir, let it be your charge to watch my daughter, And see she send no message any whither, Nor receive any. [_Exeunt_ POLYMETES _and_ ROSCIO.

EUG. It shall, my lord; I'll be an Argus: none shall come here, I warrant you. My very heart bleeds to see two such lovers, so faithful, parted so. I must condemn my father; he's too cruel in this action; and, did not nature forbid it, I could rail at him--to wreak his long-fostered malice against Lord Euphues thus upon his son, the faithful lover of his own daughter, and upon her. For should it come to pa.s.s, as he expects it shall, I think it would kill her too, she takes it so. See in what strange amazement now she stands! her grief has spent itself so far, that it has left her senseless. It grieves me thus to see her; I can scarce forbear revealing of myself to her, but that I keep it for a better occasion, when things shall answer better to my purpose.

Lady!

LEU. What are you?

EUG. One that my lord your father has appointed To give attendance on you.

LEU. On me I alas! I need no attendance: He might bestow his care better for me.

EUG. I came but lately to him, nor do I mean Long to stay with him; in the meantime, lady, Might I but do you any service?

LEU. All service is too late, my hopes are desperate.

EUG. Madam, I have a feeling of your woe, A greater your own brother could not have; And think not that I come suborn'd by any To undermine your secrets: I am true-- By all the G.o.ds, I am! for further trial, Command me anything, send me on any message, I'll do it faithfully, or anything else That my poor power can compa.s.s.

LEU. O strange fate!

Have I lost pity in a father's heart, And shall I find it in a stranger? Sir, I shall not live to thank you; but my prayers Shall go with you.

EUG. 'Tis not for thanks or meed, But for the service that I owe to virtue, I would do this.

LEU. Surely this man Is n.o.bly bred, howe'er his habit give him.

But, sir, all physic comes to me too late; There is no hope my Philocles should live.

EUG. Unless the king were pleas'd to grant his pardon.

'Twere good that he were mov'd.

LEU. Ah! who should do it?

I fear me, 'tis in vain: Count Virro And my father both will cross it; but I would venture, If I could but get thither.

EUG. 'Tis in my power To give you liberty: your father left Me to be your keeper; but in an act So meritorious as this I will not hinder you; Nay, I will wait upon you to the Court.

LEU. A thousand thanks to you; well, I will go.

Grant, O ye powers above, if [a] virgin's tears-- If a true lover's prayers--had ever power To move compa.s.sion, grant it now to me!

Arm with so strong a vigour my weak words, They may pierce deep into his kingly breast, And force out mercy in spite of all opposers!

EUG. Come, let's away. [_Exeunt._

FOOTNOTES:

[428] _i.e._, Trustiness or fidelity, or perhaps we should read _truth_.--_Pegge._ [_Trust_ is right, and should not be altered. It is a common form of expression.]

[429] _i.e._, Hinder it.

[430] [The name of the beggar in the "Odyssey" slain by Ullysses.]

[431] Virro here whispers the supposed Irus, and makes the proposition for killing Eugenio.--_Collier._

[432] See the "Old Couple," act ii., where May has borrowed from this pa.s.sage the same sentiment--

"The time has been, In such a solitary place as this, I should have trembled at each moving leaf; But sorrow, and my miserable state, Have made me bold."

[433] _i.e._, Clerimont.--_Pegge._

ACT IV.

_Enter_ FRANCISCO, _reading a letter_.

FRANC. My dearest Luce, were thy old sire as just As thou art truly constant, our firm love Had never met these oppositions.

All my designs as yet, all practices That I have us'd, I see are frustrated; For, as my fair intelligencer writes, He will before the next court-day provide Some careless parson, that in spite of laws Shall marry her to Shallow: this being done, He means to hold the court's severity In by a golden bit, and so he may.

Alas! it is too true; I must prevent it, And that in time, before it grow too far: But how? there lies the point of difficulty: But what strange sight is this that greets mine eyes?

Alphonso, my old captain! sure, 'tis he.

_Enter_ ALPHONSO.

ALPH. Thus once again from twenty years' exile, Toss'd by the storms of fortune to and fro, Has gracious heaven given me leave to tread My native earth of Sicily, and draw That air that fed me in my infancy.

FRANC. 'Tis he! Most n.o.ble captain, O, what power Has been so gracious as to bless mine eyes Once more with sight of my most honour'd master?

ALPH. Kind youth, the tears of joy that I have spent To greet my native country have quite robb'd Mine eyes of moisture, and have left me none To answer thy affection. But tell me-- Tell me how thou hast liv'd in Syracuse These five years here, since that unlucky storm Divided us at sea.

FRANC. Faith, poorly, sir: As one that knows no kindred or alliance, Unknown of any have I s.h.i.+fted out.

But I have heard you say that I was born In Syracuse: tell me what stock I come of, What parentage; how mean soe'er they be, They cannot well be poorer than myself: Speak, do you know them, sir?

ALPH. Yes; very well, And I am glad the fates have brought me home, For thy dear sake, that I may now disclose Thy honourable birth.

FRANC. Honourable!

ALPH. Yes, n.o.ble youth, thou art the second son To old Lord Euphues; a man more worthy And truly n.o.ble never drew this air.

Thy name's Lysandro: this discovery Will be as welcome to your friends as you.

FRANC. You do amaze me, sir.

ALPH. I'll tell you all.

It was my fortune twenty years ago, Upon the Tyrrhene sh.o.r.e, whose sea divides This isle from Italy, to keep a fort Under your n.o.ble father, where yourself, Then but a child, was left to my tuition: When suddenly the rude a.s.sailing force Of strong Italian pirates so prevail'd, As to surprisal of the fort and us.

Your name and n.o.ble birth I then conceal'd, Fearing some outrage from the enmity Of those fell pirates; and since from yourself I purposely have kept the knowledge of it, As loth to grieve your present misery With knowledge of what fortunes you had lost.

That this is true, you straight shall see th' effect: I'll go acquaint your father with the tokens.

And make his o'erjoy'd heart leap to embrace Thee his new-found and long-forgotten son.

FRANC. Worthy captain, your presence was always Welcome to me, but this unlook'd-for news I cannot suddenly digest.