Nicholas Rowe

“ LAV. Where would'st thou go?
Would'st thou part thus? you shall not, 'tis impossible;
For I will bar thy passage, kneeling thus.
Perhaps thy cruel hand may spurn me off, ⁠400
But I will throw my body in thy way, 73
And thou shalt trample o'er my faithful bosom,
Tread on me, wound me, kill me, ere thou pass.
ALT. Urge not in vain thy pious suit, Lavinia,
I have enough to rid me of my pain.
Calista, thou hadst reach'd my heart before;
To make all sure, my friend repeats the blow:
But in the grave our cares shall be forgotten,
There love and friendship cease. ”

“ LOTHARIO and CALISTA discovered.
LOTH. Weep not, my fair; but let the God of Love
Laugh in thy eyes, and revel in thy heart,
Kindle again his torch, and hold it high, 59
To light us to new joys. Nor let a thought
Of discord, or disquiet past, molest thee;
But to a long oblivion give thy cares,
And let us melt the present hour in bliss.
CAL. Seek not to sooth me with thy false endearments,
To charm me with thy softness: 'tis in vain:
Thou can'st no more betray, nor I be ruin'd.
The hours of folly, and of fond delight,
Are wasted all, and fled ”

“ Enter SCIOLTO and CALISTA.
SCIOLTO. Now, by my life, my honour, 'tis too much!
Have I not mark'd thee, wayward as thou art,
Perverse and sullen all this day of joy?
When ev'ry heart was cheer'd, and mirth went round,
Sorrow, displeasure, and repining anguish,
Sat on thy brow; "like some malignant planet,
"Foe to the harvest and the healthy year,
"Who scowls adverse, and lours upon the world;
"When all the other stars, with gentle aspect,
"Propitious shine, and meaning good to man." ”

“ By heav'n she weeps!—Forgive me, fair Calista,
If I presume on privilege of friendship, ⁠60
To join my grief to yours, and mourn the evils
That hurt your peace, and quench those eyes in tears.
CAL. To steal, unlook'd for, on my private sorrow,
Speaks not the man of honour, nor the friend,
But rather means the spy.
HOR. Unkindly said!
For, Oh! as sure as you accuse me falsely,
I come to prove myself Calista's friend.
CAL. You are my husband's friend, the friend of Altamont!
HOR. Are you not one? Are you not join'd by Heaven,
Each interwoven with the other's fate? ”

“ HOR. Then—to be good is to be happy—Angels
Are happier than mankind, because they're better.
Guilt is the source of sorrow! 'tis the fiend, 46
Th' avenging fiend that follows us behind
With whips and stings. The blest know none of this,
But rest in everlasting peace of mind,
And find the height of all their heav'n is goodness.
CAL. And what bold parasite's officious tongue
Shall dare to tax Calista's name with guilt?
HOR. None should; but 'tis a busy, talking world,
That with licentious breath blows like the wind,
As freely on the palace as the cottage. ”

“ HOR. By heav'n, my heart bleeds for thee; e'n this moment,
I feel thy pangs of disappointed love.
"Is it not pity that this youth should fall,
"That all his wond'rous goodness should be lost,
"And the world never know it? Oh, my Altamont!"
Give me thy sorrows, let me bear 'em for thee,
And shelter thee from ruin.
LAV. Oh, my brother,
Think not but we will share in all thy woes;
We'll sit all day, and tell sad tales of love:
And when we light upon some faithless woman, ⁠440
Some beauty, like Calista, false and fair,
We'll fix our grief, and our complaining there! ”

“ Heav'n has some other better lot in store
To crown thee with. Live, and be happy long;
Live, for some maid that shall deserve thy goodness,
Some kind, unpractis'd heart, that never yet
Has listen'd to the false ones of thy sex,
Nor known the arts of ours; she shall reward thee,
Meet thee with virtues equal to thy own,
Charm thee with sweetness, beauty, and with truth; ⁠220
Be blest in thee alone, and thou in her.
Enter HORATIO.
HOR. Now, mourn indeed, ye miserable pair;
For now the measure of your woes is full.
ALT. What dost thou mean, Horatio?
HOR. Oh, 'tis dreadful! ”

“ LOTH. Ha! dost thou know me, that I am Lothario?
As great a name as this proud city boasts of.
Who is this mighty man, then, this Horatio,
That I should basely hide me from his anger,
Lest he should chide me for his friend's displeasure?
HOR. The brave, 'tis true, do never shun the light;
Just are their thoughts, and open are their tempers,
Freely without disguise they love and hate,
Still they are found in the fair face of day,
And Heav'n and men are judges of their actions. ”

“ The night shall all be lonely and unquiet,
And ev'ry day shall be a day of cares.
CAL. Then all the boasted office of thy friendship,
Was but to tell Calista what a wretch she is.
Alas! what needed that.
HOR. Oh! rather say,
I came to tell her how she might be happy;
To sooth the secret anguish of her soul;
To comfort that fair mourner, that forlorn one,
And teach her steps to know the paths of peace.
CAL. Say thou, to whom this paradise is known,
Where lies the blissful region? Mark my way to it,
For, Oh! 'tis sure I long to be at rest. ”

“ ALT. Oh, great Sciolto! Oh, my more than father!
Let me not live, but at thy very name ⁠20
My eager heart springs up, and leaps with joy. f
When I forget the vast, vast debt I owe thee—
Forget! (but 'tis impossible) then let me
Forget the use and privilege of reason,
Be driv'n from the commerce of mankind,
To wander in the desert among brutes,
"To bear the various fury of the seasons,
"The night's unwholesome dew and noon-day's heat,"
To be the scorn of earth and curse of Heav'n!
HOR. So open, so unbounded was his goodness,
It reached ev'n me, because I was thy friend. ”

“ ROS. Sciolto's servants, too, have ta'en th' alarm; 41
You'll be oppressed by numbers. Be advis'd,
Or I must force you hence. Tak't on my word
You shall have justice done you on Horatio.
Put up, my lord. ⁠340
LOTH. This wo'not brook delay;
West of the town a mile, among the rocks,
Two hours ere noon, to-morrow, I expect thee,
Thy single hand to mine.
HOR. I'll meet thee there.
LOTH. To-morrow, Oh, my better stars! to-morrow
Exert your influence; shine strongly for me;
'Tis not a common conquest I would gain,
Since love as well as arms, must grace my triumph. ”

“ Disordered!—and in tears!—Horatio too!
My friend is in amaze—What can it mean?
Tell me, Calista, who has done thee wrong,
That my swift sword may find out the offender,
And do thee ample justice.
CAL. Turn to him.
ALT. Horatio! ⁠200
CAL. To that insolent.
ALT. My friend!
Could he do this? He, who was half myself?
"One faith has ever bound us, and one reason
"Guided our wills. Have I not found him just,
"Honest as truth itself? And" could he break
The sanctity of friendship? Could he wound
The heart of Altamont in his Calista? ”

“ On the poor, faithless, lovely, dear Calista.
SCI. Hast thou not read what brave Virginius did?
With his own hand he slew his only daughter,
To save her from the fierce Decemvir's lust,
He slew her, yet unspotted, to prevent
The shame which she might know. Then what should I do? 67
But thou hast ty'd my hand,—I wo' not kill her;
Yet, by the ruin she has brought upon us, ⁠240
The common infamy that brands us both,
She shall not 'scape.
ALT. You mean that she shall die then?
SCI. Ask me not what, nor how I have resolv'd,
For all within is anarchy and uproar.
Oh, Altamont! ”

“ And stop the propagation of mankind.
LOTH. It is the curse of fools to be secure,
And that be thine and Altamont's. Dream on;
Nor think upon my vengeance till thou feel'st it.
HOR. Hold, Sir; another word, and then farewel:
Tho' I think greatly of Calista's virtue,
And hold it far beyond thy pow'r to hurt;
Yet, as she shares the honour of my Altamont,
That treasure of a soldier, bought with blood,
And kept at life's expence, I must not have
(Mark me, young Sir) her very name profan'd.
Learn to restrain the licence of your speech;
'Tis held you are too lavish. ”

“ But fill up ev'ry minute of this day.
'Tis yours, my children, sacred to your loves;
The glorious sun himself for you looks gay;
He shines for Altamont and for Calista.
Let there be music; let the master touch
The sprightly string, and softly-breathing flute,
'Till harmony rouse ev'ry gentle passion,
Teach the cold maid to lose her fears in love,
And the fierce youth to languish at her feet.
Begin: ev'n age itself is chear'd with music;
It wakes a glad remembrance of our youth.
Calls back past joys, and warms us into transport. ”

“ I come to charge thee with a long account,
Of all the sorrows I have known already.
And all I have to come; thou hast undone me.
LOTH. Unjust Calista! dost thou call it ruin,
To love as we have done; to melt, to languish,
To wish for somewhat exquisitely happy,
And then be blest ev'n to that wish's height?
To die with joy, and straight to live again; ⁠40
Speechless to gaze, and with tumultuous transport—
CAL. Oh, let me hear no more; I cannot bear it;
'Tis deadly to remembrance. Let that night,
That guilty night, be blotted from the year ”

“ LOTH. Think'st thou I forg'd the letter? Think so still,
'Till the broad shame come staring in thy face,
And boys shall hoot the cuckold as he passes.
HOR. Away! no woman could descend so low:
A skipping, dancing, worthless tribe you are;
Fit only for yourselves: you herd together;
And when the circling glass warms your vain hearts,
You talk of beauties that you never saw,
And fancy raptures that you never knew.
"Legends of saints who never yet had being,
"Or being, ne'er were saints, are not so false
"As the fond tales which you recount of love." ”

“ They fight; Lothario is wounded once or twice, and then falls.
LOTH. Oh, Altamont! thy genius is the stronger!
Thou hast prevail'd!—My fierce ambitious soul
Declining droops, and all her fires grow pale;
Yet let not this advantage swell thy pride,
I conquered in my turn, in love I triumph'd.
Those joys are lodg'd beyond the reach of fate;
That sweet revenge comes smiling to my thoughts,
Adorns my fall, and cheers my heart in dying. ”

“ Hadst thou been just, not all Sciolto's pow'r,
Not all the vows and pray'rs of sighing Altamont,
Could have prevail'd, or won me to forsake thee.
LOTH. How have I fail'd in justice, or in love?
Burns not my flame as brightly as at first?
Ev'n now my heart beats high, I languish for thee,
My transports are as fierce, as strong my wishes,
As if thou ne'er hadst blest me with thy beauty.
CAL. How didst thou dare to think that I would live
A slave to base desires, and brutal pleasures,
To be a wretched wanton for thy leisure,
To toy, and waste an hour of idle time with? ”

“ LOTH. Thou hast ta'en me somewhat unawares, 'tis true:
But love and war take turns, like day and night,
And little preparation serves my turn,
Equal to both, and arm'd for either field.
We've long been foes, this moment ends our quarrel! 62
Earth, Heav'n, and fair Calista judge the combat!
CAL. Distraction! Fury! Sorrow! Shame! and death!
"ALT. Thou hast talked too much, thy breath is poison to me;
"It taints the ambient air; this for my father,
"This for Sciolto, and this last for Altamont." ”

“ Than to have match'd with one so false, so fatal.—
ALT. It is too much for friendship to allow thee.
Because I tamely bore the wrong thou didst her,
Thou dost avow the barb'rous, brutal part,
And urge the injury ev'n to my face.
HOR. I see she has got possession of thy heart;
She has charm'd thee, like a syren, to her bed,
With looks of love, and with enchanting sounds:
Too late the rocks and quicksands will appear, 52
When thou art wreck'd upon the faithless shore,
Then vainly wish thou had'st not left thy friend,
To follow her delusion. ”

“ SCENE II. The Street near SCIOLTO's Palace. Enter LOTHARIO and ROSSANO.
LOTH. To tell thee then the purport of my thoughts;
The loss of this fond paper would not give me
A moment of disquiet, were it not ⁠180
My instrument of vengeance on this Altamont;
Therefore I mean to wait some opportunity
Of speaking with the maid we saw this morning.
ROS. I wish you, Sir, to think upon the danger
Of being seen; to-day their friends are round 'em;
And any eye that lights by chance on you,
Shall put your life and safety to the hazard. ”

“ When I am lost, sunk to the bottom low,
Peace shall return, and all be calm again.
Enter SCIOLTO.
SCI. Ev'n now Rossano leap'd the garden wall—
Ha! Death has been among you—Oh, my fears!
Last night thou had'st a diff'rence with thy friend,
The cause thou gav'st me was a damn'd one,
Did'st thou not wrong the man who told thee truth?
Answer me quick——
ALT. Oh! press me not to speak;
Ev'n now my heart is breaking, and the mention
Will lay me dead before you. See that body,
And guess my shame: my ruin! Oh, Calista!
SCI. It is enough! ”

“ ALTAMONT offers to kill himself; HORATIO prevents him, and wrests his sword from him.
HOR. Ha! what means
The frantic Altamont? Some foe to man
Has breath'd on ev'ry breast contagious fury,
And epidemic madness.
Enter SCIOLTO, pale and bloody, supported by servants.
CAL. Oh, my heart!
Well may'st thou fail; for see, the spring that fed
The vital stream is wasted, and runs low. ”

“ From thy false friendship, to her arms I'll fly;
"There, if in any pause of love I rest,
"Breathless with bliss, upon her panting breast,
"In broken, melting accents, I will swear, 56
"Henceforth to trust my heart with none but her;"
Then own, the joys which on her charms attend,
Have more than paid me for my faithless friend. ”

“ Offers to kill CALISTA, ALTAMONT holds him.
ALT. Stay thee, Sciolto, thou rash father, stay.
Or turn the point on me, and through my breast
Cut out the bloody passage to Calista: ⁠160
So shall my love be perfect, while for her
I die, for whom alone I wish'd to live.
CAL. No, Altamont; my heart that scorn'd thy love,
Shall never be indebted to thy pity. ”