Joanna Baillie

“ To whom all tongues give praise, all hearts give blessing.
Oh, ev'ry heart did bless him tho' he fell,
And ne'er a saving hand was found—Oh! oh!
(Bursting into an agony of grief, and laying her head upon the ground, covered with both her hands.)
ELLA (to Lucia and Attendants) .
⁠Do not surround her thus! I'll sit and watch her.
I will not speak, but sit and weep by her;
And she shall feel, ev'n thro' her heavy woe,
That sympathy and kindness are beside her.
VALERIA (raising her head) .
⁠There spoke a gentle voice: is Ella near me? ”

“ Marthon, thou once wert wont to speak the truth;
What brought ye hither?
MARTHON.
⁠Most gracious prince, with no repentant mind
We hither came; but one of us, at least,
Shall hence depart with a heart deeply smitten.
CONSTANTINE.
⁠Confess then what new treason ye devised.
ELLA.
⁠No treason; none to thee, most royal Constantine.
For me he came, arm'd with a parent's right,
To bear me to the haughty sultan's camp,
To live in queenly state. But, Oh protect me!
Let me remain and die with those I love
In decent maiden pride. ”

“ MARDONIO.
Hope oft, my son, unbraces the girt mind,
And to the conflict turns it loosely forth,
Weak and divided. I'm disturb'd for thee.
RAYNER.
I thank thee, Father, but the crime of blood
Your governor hath ne'er yet pardon'd; therefore
Be not disturb'd for me; my hopes are small.
MARDONIO.
So much the better. Now to pious thoughts
We will direct—Who comes to interrupt us?
Enter the Turnkey.
RAYNER.
It is the turnkey; a poor man who, tho'
His state in life favours not the kind growth
Of soft affections, has shewn kindness to me. ”

“ RAYNER.
Ay, 'tis the cursed insolence of wealth
That makes the poor man poor. Thou wert unarmed?
COUNT ZATERLOO.
I was; or by this hand, poor as I am,
I should have spent a brace of bullets on him
With much good-will.
RAYNER.
Know'st thou the villain's name?
COUNT ZATERLOO.
Faith, I'm almost asham'd to tell it thee.
Thou know'st him well: he is a rich man now;
His name is Hubert.
RAYNER.
There lives no blacker villain on the earth
Than him who bears it.—But thou know'st it all. ”

“ ELIZABETH.
O no! as are our hearts, our way is one,
And cannot be divided. Strong affection
Contends with all things, and o'ercometh all things,
I will unto thee cling with strength so terrible,
That human hands the hold will ne'er unlock.
RAYNER.
Alas, my love! these are thy words of woe,
And have no meaning but to speak thy woe:
Dark fate hangs o'er us, and we needs must part.
The strong affection that o'ercometh all things,
Shall fight for us indeed, and shall o'ercome:
But in a better world the vantage lies
Which it shall gain for us ”

“ CONSTANTINE.
Ah, my Valeria, but that will not finish!
Thou still may'st be for me—thou still may'st bear
Honour'd memorial amongst living men
Of him who was thy lord.—Good Lucia, aid me,
And gentle Servia too, and all of you!
(To the Ladies) .
Cling round your mistress with your soothing love,
And say that in a foreign land you'll be
The faithful friends and soothers of her woe,
Where ev'ry virtuous heart will bear to her
The kindred ties of holiest sympathy.
Say ye will be with her in kindliest zeal:
Ye will not leave her?
LUCIA and the other Ladies. ”

“ PETRONIUS.
⁠Away! thou art a fool: we must be firm.
⁠ (To Marthon.)
Wring not thy hands thus wildly, simple maid:
Thou goest to be with me no wand'ring outlaw,
But one in splendour greater than a queen:
The favour'd mistress of the mighty sultan. (To EIla.)
(Ella gives a loud shriek, and struggles to get from him.)
Enter Rodrigo.
RODRIGO.
⁠Audacious villain! quit thy cursed hold,
Or take death for thy pains.
Ha! thou shrink'st back, and mufflest up thy face.
Say who thou art, or thro' thy villain's heart
I'll thrust this rapier.
ELLA (pulling Rodrigo back) . ”

“ DOLLY.
⁠'Tis but the dog, sir. Vile, nasty hound! he is worser than his master.
AMARYLLIS.
⁠Than his master?
DOLLY.
⁠Yes, than his master, Mr. Worshipton. His dog's tricks are like his own, for he don't care what trouble he gives to a poor servant.
AMARYLLIS.
⁠So you don't love Mr. Worshipton, Dolly? Should you have treated a dog of mine so, eh? (pinching her cheek kindly.) You smile at that question, you gipsy: I know you would not.
DOLLY.
⁠I should indeed have had some more regard for the brute, so as he had belonged to your honour. ”

“ Thine aching head, like the poor wand'rer's wife,
Who, on his seat of turf, beneath heaven's roof,
Rests on his way.—The storm beats fiercely on us:
Our nature suits not with these worldly times,
To it most adverse. Fortune loves us not;
She hath for us no good: do we retain
Her fetters only? No, thou shalt not go!
(Twining her arms round him.)
By that which binds the peasant and the prince,
The warrior and the slave, all that do bear
The form and nature of a man, I stay thee!
Thou shalt not go.
CONSTANTINE.
Would'st thou degrade me thus? ”

“ WORSHIPTON.
Say that you will be mine, and make me happy: there is nothing a lover can do, that I will not do to please you.
HANNAH.
Miss Languish's lover made songs upon her.
WORSHIPTON.
I'll do so too, or any thing: but don't let your aunt know that I have spoken to you, she would be so angry.
HANNAH.
O no! she is very fond of people being married.
WORSHIPTON.
Yes, but she will be angry at us tho'; so don't tell her, nor Miss Martin, nor any body a word of the matter. Do promise this, my charming Hanabella! my life depends upon it. (Kneeling again, and taking her hand.) ”

“ MARTHON.
⁠Nay, let Petronius go: I will remain,
And with the meanest soldier on your walls
Spend my last blood, if a true penitent——
CONSTANTINE (waving him off impatiently) .
⁠Well, be it as thou wilt: but hence and leave me!
RODRIGO (to Ella, as he leads her out) .
⁠Did I not tell thee he was safe, my Ella?
(Exeunt all but Constantine, who, after walking up and down for some time in a perturbed manner, starts at the sound of Valeria's voice without.)
CONSTANTINE.
⁠Ha! here she comes! alas! how shall I now
Look on her face, and hear her voice of love! ”

“ OTHUS.
⁠Great sultan, thou hast conquer'd with such arms
As power has given to thee, th' imperial city
Of royal Constantine; but other arms,
That might the friends of Constantine subdue,
Heav'n has denied thee.
RODRIGO.
⁠No, mighty prince; they who have serv'd for love,
Cannot like flying pennants be transferr'd
From bark to bark.
MAHOMET (impatiently) .
⁠I understand you well, and you are free.
Mine arms, such as they are, of heav'n are bless'd,
That is enough.
OTHUS.
⁠That were indeed enough; but heaven oftimes
Success bestows where blessing is denied. ”

“ My heart within me cries, that man can suffer.
(Starting up with vehemence, and holding up both hands firmly clenched.)
Shall low-born men on scaffolds firmly tread,
For that their humble townsmen should not blush,
And shall I shrink? No, by the living God!
I will not shrink, albeit I shed these tears.
OTHUS.
To be in toils and perils, nay in sufferings,
With th' applauding sympathy of men
Upon his side, is to the noble mind
A state of happiness beyond the bliss
Of calm inglorious ease.
CONSTANTINE.
O no, good Othus! thou misjudgest of me. ”

“ What would'st thou say? what is there in thy mind?
ELLA.
⁠Thoughts which I will not utter.—Oh, depart!
Thou'rt not in safety. All men do condemn thee.
Thou art not come for good.—Oh, fly from hence!
Ruin, and shame, and death abide thee here:
Oh, fly, my wretched father.
PETRONIUS.
⁠Yes, I will fly, but thou shalt go with me;
If not, I will remain and meet my fate.
ELLA.
⁠Good heaven forbid! thou'lt drive me to distracton.
O misery! (Wringing her hands in great distress, whilst Marthon advances to Petronius with supplicating look.) ”

“ COUNT ZATERLOO.
What, dost thou call a bare unfurnish'd chamber,
With griping Landlord clam'ring in thine ears
For what he knows thou can'st not give, thy home?
RAYNER (sighing deeply) .
I have no other.
COUNT ZATERLOO.
Stay thou here with us:
In the next chamber thou shalt rest a while.
Lead him, my kind Sebastian, by the hand:
There is a sort of woman's kindliness
About thy nature which befits thee best
To be a sick man's friend. I'll follow you.
(Exit Rayner, leaning on Sebastian, turning about to his friends triumphantly as they go off.) ”

“ HARDIBRAND (after knocking some time) .
A plague upon't! there is no one within.
OHIO (still grinning maliciously) .
⁠No, thou art wrong again, it is not there;
It is that door upon the other side.
⁠ (Pointing to the opposite wall.)
HARDIBRAND.
⁠What, dost thou jest with me, malicious varlet?
I'll beat thee if thou tell'st me false again.
OHIO.
⁠Negroes be very stupid, master friend.
Enter the Keeper of the Prison.
KEEPER (to Ohio) .
⁠Thou canker-worm! thou black-envenom'd toad!
Art thou a playing thy malicious tricks?
Get from my sight, thou pitchy viper, go! ”

“ GOBUS.
As I'm a sinner he'll get one of his hands loose if we do not take care of him. (Attempting to tighten the cords round Rayner's arms.)
BERTRAM (putting him away with indignation) .
For shame, man, he is bound tight enough; I will not suffer thee to lay a finger upon him: and as for the hang'd face thou talk'st of, alack a day! it goes to my heart to see him, such a goodly-looking gentleman, for such I'll be sworn he is.
GOBUS.
Ay, no doubt! it is ever thus with thee. Thou did'st never in thy life see a thief go to the gallows without crying out, "alack a day! ”

“ Enter Sir John Hazelwood and Worshipton.
SIR JOHN HAZELWOOD.
Well, Ned, here is a rich heiress unexpectedly fallen in our way; you or I for her?
WORSHIPTON.
If women favour'd men for their merit, Sir John, I should not presume to enter the lists with you: but, luckily, they prefer a good complexion to a good understanding; a well-made leg to what my grandmother used to call a well-order'd mind; and a very little fashion to a great deal of philosophy; which makes us good-for-nothing fellows come farther into their good graces than wiser men think we are entitled to. ”

“ PIPER.
⁠Very true: but you would not keep a lady of family and condition waiting till we cramm'd ourselves, Maister John.
HURDY-GURDY-MAN.
⁠Dat would be impolite in verite.
FIDDLER.
⁠Damn me! if I would play with an empty stomach to the best lady in Christendom. What the devil makes her fancy that our music will sound better in this here cold field than within doors in such a night as this? I likes to be snug myself, and I never likes to put any one to hardship.
PIPER.
⁠Why thou art a good-humour'd, kindly-hearted fellow, John; I must say that for thee. ”

“ Distinctive voices utter unto those,
Who in their storm-rock'd cradles lie and think
Ol their far-distant homes.—I do believe
That all good fortune shall betide thy love,
Being thy love; for that doth far outdo
All other fortune; and besides, no doubt,
A fair and courtly youth.
ELLA.
Go to! go to! thou mockest me again!
I love a brave man——
RODRIGO.
And not passing fair,
Nor very courtly?
OTHUS.
No, nor wearing now
His youth's best bloom; but somewhat weather-beaten. ”

“ What say'st thou? art thou silent?
Hast no voice?
RAYNER.
To be upon the verge of death is awful;
And awful from that verge to be recall'd.
God bless ye! O God bless ye! I am spent;
But let me draw my breath a little while,
And I will thank you—I will—Bear with me:
I cannot speak. (Recovering himself, and seeing the Crowd gather round him with joyful and sympathizing looks.) Surely 'tis a kind world I have return'd to;
There's sympathy and love in ev'ry heart.
MARDONIO (to Messenger) .
Where is the pardon? let me have it friend,
That I may read it. ”

“ RAYNER.
The time is then advanc'd; we'll husband it.
Come close to me, my friends. (Taking Hardibrand and Mardonio each by the hand, and pressing them close to his breast.) Of worldly cares, upon my mind there rests
But only those which I have mention'd to you.
Yet, in this solemn hour, let me remind you:—
My poor Elizabeth———
HARDIBRAND (eagerly) .
Thou'st said enough:
She is my child and heiress of my lands
To the last rood.—Ah! what avails it now!
RAYNER.
How shall a dying man find thanks for this,
Whose day is closed? I will attempt no thanks. ”