Susanna Centlivre

“ Rise Euphenes, your Speech carries a double Meaning, you pray and threaten with the same Breath, we are not to be frighted Lord; the Laws of Sicily have had their Course, your Son falls by them.
Euph. Oh! mistake me not, I am as humble as your Pride can wish me; but give me Leave to speak, tho' 'tis my hard Fortune to offend; let me the Anguish of my Soul deliver to that injurious Lord, the Father of Lysander's, or by the more known Name, Palante's Wife; hard-hearted Man! ”

“ Gov. Oh spare thy Thanks, till thou hast real Cause: the Law, the Statute's plain, and he must die for't, there is no Remedy.
Enter, brought in by the Guards,
Palante, Clerimont, Lucasia and Eugenio.
Euph. Oh! Son!
Alph. Palante!
Pal. Pardon me, Sirs, I have too much Tenderness upon my Soul already, too many Clogs that drag it downwards; oh! forgive me, if I beg ye wou'd not add more Weight to Death.
Gra. Madam, 'twere more becoming your Quality and Modesty, to be at Home; thou dost but ill return thy Father's Care. ”

“ Enter Larich singing, Francisco, Lavinia, Sancho and Trist.
Larich. Ha, hey, what, every body in Joy! Good News, Coz, Palante come off safe; my pretty Niece pleas'd here, and Son-in-law, Francisco, just receiv'd a certain Information of an Uncle's Death, that has left him, let me see, let me see; ay, ay, enough to please me.
Sancho. Nay, nay, hold, every body is not so well pleas'd neither; I am melancholy, I came hither to see the Execution; but I see no body has occasion to be hanged but myself, for I have lost my Mistress; faith I have, Tristram. ”

“ Eug. Thou tremblest, Lord, hear; you that have condemn'd these noble Friends, and hunt their Lives for a mere Trifle; sentence to Death a Man for loving and being belov'd; hear, a black Deed will start your Soul with Horror, and make you own the Crime before ye nothing.
Gov. What means the Fellow!
Eug. Nay, 'tis not a Frown can stop me, nor will my Fate be long; know then, this Lord gave out his Son Eugenio dy'd at Rome, but he was well, and in this City. ”

“ Gov. I Have been searching over all our Sicilian Laws, and know they cannot find one Clause to save Palante.
Enter a Servant.
Serv. A Lady without, my Lord will not be denied your Presence.
Gov. Admit her.
Enter Lucasia.
Luc. Pardon me, Sir, for pressing thus rudely
On your Privacy, I know 'tis boldness.
But I hope the Hour's propitious to me,
Finding you alone, and free from Business,
I promise myself I shall be heard with Patience.
Gov. Were the Business of the World at stake, such Beauty would claim a Hearing, speak Madam.
Luc. Thus low I beg for poor Palante's Life. ”

“ Rosco. Ah, no, my Lord, not for your Skill; in your Youth your Lordship saw Plays, conversed with Players, knew the fam'd Alberto.
Grav. 'Tis true, by Heav'n, I have seen that Knave paint Grief in such a lively Colour, that for false and acted Passion he has drawn true Tears, the Ladies kept Time with his Sighs, and wept to his sad Accents as if he had truly been the Man he seem'd, then I'll try my Part, thou hast still been privy to my Bosom Secrets; know'st Wealth and Ambition are the Darlings of my Soul; nor will I leave a Stratagem unessay'd to raise my Family. ”

“ Pulls Count Pirro by the Sleeve as he goes out.
Pirro. What art thou?
Eug. A poor Poet, my Lord, little beholden to Fortune.
Pirro. None of thy Profession are, take up some more thriving Occupation; turn Pimp, Solicitor, Gamester, any Thing will do better than Rhiming; there's something for thee, I'm in Haste now.
Eug. My Lord, I thank you for your Charity, and your good Advice; but I have some for you too.
Pirro. For me! what is't?
Eug. I understand, my Lord, that you are to marry my Lord Gravello's Daughter.
Pirro. Yes, an Heiress——
Eug. No Heiress, my Lord, her Brother is alive. ”

“ Am I alive? do I breathe? can I have a human Soul, and suffer this injustice to proceed? Poor Palante, must thou die, because Fortune has not blest thee with her Favours; No, something I will do to save thee ”

“ Rosco. Consider, my Lord, she's an Heiress, that may set bold desperate Youths on rash Attempts; and tho' they know Sicilian Laws gives Death to him that steals an Heiress, yet I'll not warrant her Safety till to-morrow Night.
Pirro. He's in the right, my Lord.
Grav. Away, and call her, tho' she's disorder'd with her Griefs. Now thou hast rais'd another Fear, and my poor Heart trembles for Lucasia, as it for Eugenio bleeds. ”

“ I must admire him that loves Palante;
Friendship's a noble Name, 'tis Love refin'd;
'Tis something more than Love, 'tis what I wou'd
Shew to my Palante.
Cler. It is indeed a Beauty of the Mind, a Sacred Name,
In which so brightly shines that Heavenly Love,
That makes th' immortal Beings taste each others Joy;
'Tis the very Cement of Souls. ”

“ Enter the Governor and Count Pirro.
Gov. Welcome, my dearest Nephew, you are grown a Stranger to the Court of late, tho' you know my aged Sight receives no Joy without you; but I can forgive you since Love is the Cause: I hear you have the Lord Gravello's Consent to marry the fair Lucasia.
Pirro. I had, my Lord, but am unjustly robb'd of that fair Prize you mention; my promis'd Bride is stolen by Palante, Lord Euphenes's Foster-Son, a Man far unworthy of Lucasia's Love ”

“ Ay, better, better far, Man, hark'ee Sancho, you are not at Salamanca now, amongst your square Caps, but in Palermo, come up to see your Mistress the fair Lavinia, the Glory of the City; go and court her like a Gentleman, without your Tropes and Figures, or all the Physics, Metaphysics, and Metaphors, will streight be made pitiful Martyrs. ”

“ Sir me no Sirs, for I'm resolv'd you shall be married to Night.
Enter a Servant.
Serv. Sir, here's a Gentleman to wait on you calls himself Don Sancho.
Lar. Odso, shew him up; now, you Baggage, you shall see the Pink of Learning, one that can travel thro' the whole World in an Afternoon, and sup in Palermo at Night, ha! you shall; you'll be as wise as the Sibyls in a Month's Time, with such a Husband, and will bring forth a Race of Politicians that shall set the World together by the Ears, then patch it up again in the supping of a poach'd Egg.
Enter Sancho and Tristram. ”

“ Why should I marry one I cannot love,
And sure I am I cannot love Count Pirro,
Love him! no, I shou'd detest and loath him.
The Cause that made him mine, wou'd hourly add
Fresh Matter for my Hate.
Gov. You have your Choice, I swear by Heaven never to pardon him, but upon these Conditions.
Luc. Oh! I am miserable.
Gov. 'Tis your own Fault, come consider Madam, Palante will thank you for his Life, and if you let him die, you are the Tyrant. ”

“ I am poor, I must confess, in regard of your large Wealth, but I swear by all Things that can bind, 'twas not your Wealth was the Foundation of true-built Love, it was her single uncompounded self, her self without Addition that I lov'd, which shall ever in my Heart out-weigh all other Womens Fortunes with themselves, and were I great, great as I cou'd wish myself for her Advancement, no such Bar as Fortune's Inequality shou'd stand betwixt our Loves. ”

“ SCENE changes to Gravello's House.
Enter Larich, Francisco, and Lavinia.
Lar. Body o'me! here's mad Work abroad, my Niece is stolen: I'm resolv'd to make sure of you; the Priest shall join you instantly.
Fran. Haste, Sir, to consummate our Joy:
I'll call the Muses from their sacred Hill,
To emulate your Daughter's Beauty;
And I'll, myself, in lofty Numbers sing my own
Epithalamium.
Lar. First I'll punish that Impostor——Here, bring in the Prisoner.
Lav. Oh! I fear we are undone, Francisco. ”

“ I know I should not repine, my Lord, but Nature will prevail, I cannot help reflecting on my Loss; alas, my Lord, you know not what it is to lose a Son; 'tis true, I have still a Child, Heav'n has now confin'd my Care to one, to see her well bestow'd shall be the Business of my Life—Oh! my Eugenio. ”

“ My Aim is fix'd at the Rich and Great, he that has Wealth enough, yet longs for more, Count Pirro, the Governor's Heir and Nephew, that rich Lord that knows no End of his large Fortunes, yet still gapes on, for Gold is a sure Bait to gain him, no other Loadstone can attract his Iron Heart, 'tis proof against the Force of Beauty, else I should not need this Stratagem, for Nature has not prov'd a Niggard to my Daughter. ”

“ Thyself an errant Idiot, thy Brain's more dull than a Dutch Burghers. Is this a Dress fit for a Gentleman to court his Mistress in? Away, away, the Lady you speak of, I can assure you is too much a Gallant to be taken with a Band and a square Cap—If you would succeed, you must throw off that Pedant, and assume the Gentleman, learn the Toss of the Head, and know the Principles of each Man by the Cock of his Hat. ”

“ No heinous Crime, my Lord, no treasonable Plot against your Person or the State, for then these aged Cheeks wou'd blush to ask Pardon. No crying Murder stains his Hands, his Fault is only Love: Unfortunately he has married the Daughter and Heiress to that proud Lord that follows, and seeks the last Extremity.
Grav. I seek no more than what the Law will give; I am abus'd, my Lord, my Daughter is stoll'n, the only Comfort of my Age: Justice, my Lord, 'tis Justice that I ask. ”

“ Exit with Rosco.
Larich. Did you ever see such a Slut? body o'me these wild Wenches are enough to make old Men mad.
Grav. My Daughter is of another Strain, solid as Man but obstinate as Woman; but no Matter, when she is married my Care is over, let Count Pirro look to't.
Larich. Count Pirro! body o'me a mighty Fortune for my Cousin; why, he's rich enough to buy a Principality; my Son's rich too, and a great Scholar, which I admire above all Things. ”

“ Eug. That Part of the World that thinks him such, sees thro' the wrong End of the Prospective; his Honour's but Pretence, his Honesty Hypocrisy, and his Courage Lewdness; he ravisht a Sister of mine at Rome, for which I never can forgive him.
Pirro. This Fellow, I find is ripe for Mischief; and if I durst trust him, wou'd, for a large Reward, remove Eugenio, and make Lucasia indeed an Heiress; and 'twere but just, since Count Gravello did design to wrong me of his Estate, why shou'd not I rob him of his Son? ”

“ I say, I long to see my Cousin Lucasia, Sir, I hope that's no Crime.
Grav. No, no, Rosco, wait of her in to my Daughter, and dost hear Lavinia? Pr'ythee, let Obedience be thy Study, and teach it her.
Lavin. I'll warrant you, Sir, I'll teach her to be Obedient, if she'll but follow my Advice, [Aside.] but 'tis something hard, though Uncle, to marry a Man at first Sight one's heard but an indifferent Character of.
Larich. How, Hussy, are you a Judge of Characters? Is he not a Scholar? Answer me that.
Lavin. A meer Scholar is a meer——You know the old Proverb, Father. ”

“ Enter Larich, Lavinia, Sancho and Tristram.
San. Is the Priest ready Tristram?
Trist. Yes, yes, Sir, a Priest and a Lawyer are always in Readiness, their Tongues are the chief Instrument belonging to their Trade, with which they commonly do more Mischief than all the Surgeons in the Kingdom can heal, he waits in the next Room, Sir, if you can get the Lady in the Mind.
Lar. You are witty Sirrah, but no more of your Jests, do ye hear, least I make you experience, there's something else can do Mischief besides their Tongues, come Mistress what you are in the Dumps now, are you? ”

“ This noble Sicilian Youth was lost in defending Sicily from the fam'd Fortress, which beat back a thousand Times, invading Foes, and sunk 'em in the working Seas, from thence the Child was ta'en, and must he 'scape the Hazards of the rowling Waves, Rocks, Tempests, Pirates, and ignominious Fate, to perish in his native Isle: Oh, barbarous Usage, stop yet at least his Judgment, and let this poor old Man see once again, his dear Palante; for that I'll bow my stubborn Knees, and ask the Blessings as I importune Heaven. ”

“ Lav. What wou'd you do, Sir, with me that cannot love you? Alas I was engaged long before I saw you, you may be happier far elsewhere, go court some Nymph whose Heart's intirely free, such only can be worthy of your Love.
San. For my Part I don't know what to say.
Lar. 'Zdeath she'll persuade him by and by to quit his Pretences to her——come, come, come Mistress no more of your Cant. [Pulls her by the Arm.] It shall avail you nothing I'll promise you.
Lav. Good, Sir, hold a little, Don Sancho seems disposed to hear Reason.
San. Why ay truly, for my Part methinks 'tis a Pity to vex the Lady so. ”

“ Cou'd I then be unthankful unto you,
For a Gift I value more than those?
Without which all other Blessings will be tasteless.
Gov. Those that are thankful study to requite, wou'd you do so?
Luc. As far as I am capable I will,
Tho' I can ne'er make ample Satisfaction,
All my Services to you are Duty,
But to those Pow'rs above that can requite
That from their Wasteless Treasure daily heap
Rewards more out of Grace than merit on
Us Mortals;
To those I'll pray that they wou'd give you, Sir,
More Blessings than I have Skill to ask.
Gov. There rises one Way and but one to save him. ”

“ Aside to Francisco.
Lar. Lavinia's Fame! No Monster, thou hast robb'd, robb'd her of her Fame.
Fran. The Wrong my Love has done your fair Daughter, 'tis now too late to wish undone again, but if you please it may be clos'd up yet without Dishonour, I will marry her.
Lar. Marry her? she'll have a mighty Bargain of that, marry a Beggar, what Jointure canst thou make her? ”