Thomas Otway

“ By all Heavens powers Prophetick truth dwells in thee,
For every word thou speak'st strikes through my heart
Like a new light, and shows it how't has wander'd;
Just what th'hast made me, take me, Belvidera,
And lead me to the place where I'm to say
This bitter Lesson, where I must betray
My truth, my vertue, constancy and friends:
Must I betray my friends? Ah take me quickly,
Secure me well before that thought's renew'd;
If I relapse once more, all's lost for ever.
⁠Bel. Hast thou a friend more dear than Belvidera? ”

“ The perjur'd faithless Senate: Where's my Lord,
My happiness, my love, my God, my Hero,
Doom'd by thy accursed tongue, amongst the rest,
T' a shamefull wrack? By all the rage that's in me
I'll be whole years in murthering thee.
⁠Anto. Why, Nacky,
Wherefore so passionate? what have I done? what's the matter,
my dear Nacky? am not I thy Love, thy Happiness, thy Lord,
thy Hero, thy Senatour, and every thing in the world, Nacky?
⁠Aquil. Thou! thinkst thou, thou art fit to meet my joys;
To bear the eager clasps of my embraces?
Give me my Peirre, or ⸻
⁠Anto. ”

“ A Friend to Dogs, for they are honest Creatures,
And ne're betray their Masters; never Fawn
On any that they love not: Well met, Friend:
Jaffeir!
⁠Jaff. The same. Oh Peirre! Thou art come in season,
I was just going to Pray.
⁠Pierr. Ah that's Mechanick,
Priests make a Trade on't, and yet starve by it too:
No Praying, it spoils Business, and time's precious;
Where's Belvidera?
⁠Jaff. For a Day or two
I've lodg'd her privately, 'till I see farther
What Fortune will do with me? Prithee, Friend,
If thou would'st have me fit to hear good Council,
Speak not of Beldivera—
⁠Pierr. ”

“ And let thy Dagger doe its bloudy office.
Oh that kind Dagger, Jaffeir, how twill look
Stuck through my heart, drench'd in my bloud to th'hilts!
Whilst these poor dying eyes shall with their tears
No more torment thee, then thou wilt be free:
Or if thou think'st it nobler, Let me live
Till I am a Victim to the hatefull lust
Of that Infernal Devil, that old Fiend
That's Damn'd himself and wou'd undoe Mankind:
Last night, my Love! ”

“ Witness it, Earth, and every being Witness;
'Tis but one blow yet: by immortal Love,
I cannot longer bear a thought to harm thee,
He throws away the dagger and embraces her.
The Seal of providence is sure upon thee.
And thou wert born for yet unheard of wonders:
Oh thou wert either born to save or damn me!
By all the power that's given thee o'r my soul,
By thy resistless tears and conquering smiles,
By the victorious love that still waits on thee;
Fly to thy cruel Father: save my friend,
Or all our future Quiet's lost for ever:
Fall at his feet, cling round his reverend knees ”

“ Nacky, Nacky, Nacky—how dost do Nacky? Hurry
durry. I am come little Nacky; past eleven a Clock, a late
hour; time in all Conscience to go to bed Nacky—Nacky did
I say? Ay Nacky; Aqualina, lina, lina, quilina, quilina, quilina,
Aqualina, Naquilina, Naquilina, Acky, Acky, Nacky, Nacky, Queen
Nacky—come let's to bed—you Fubbs, you Pugg you—you
little Puss—Purree Tuzzey—I am a Senator.
⁠Aquil. You are Fool, I am sure.
⁠Anto. May be so too sweet-heart. Never the worse Senator
for all that. Come Nacky, Nacky, lets have a Game at Rump, Nacky. ”

“ The time grows short, your friends are dead already.
⁠Jaff. Dead!
⁠Peir. Yes, dead, Jaffeir, they've all dy'd like men too,
Worthy their Character.
⁠Jaff. And what must I doe?
⁠Peir. Oh, Jaffeir!
⁠Jaff. Speak, aloud thy burthen'd Soul;
And tell thy troubles to thy tortur'd friend.
⁠Peir. Friend! Could'st thou yet be a Friend, a generous friend,
I might hope Comfort from thy noble sorrows,
Heav'n knows I want a Friend.
⁠Jaff. And I a kind one,
That would not thus scorn my repenting Vertue.
Or think when he is to dye, my thoughts are idle.
⁠Peirr. No! live, I charge thee, Jaffeir. ”

“ Of all good men, like thee, to bless my journy.
⁠Jaff. Good! I am the vilest creature, worse than e'r
Suffer'd the shamefull Fate thou art going to taste of,
Why was I sent for to be us'd thus kindly?
Call, call me villain, as I am, describe
The foul complexion of my hatefull deeds,
Lead me to the Rack, and stretch me in thy stead,
I've crimes enough to give it its full load,
And doe it credit: Thou wilt but spoil the use on't,
And honest men hereafter bear its figure
About 'em, as a charm from treacherous friendship. ”

“ The last forgiveness of a dying friend,
Betray'd by my vile falsehood, to his ruine.
Oh Peirre!
⁠Peir. Yet nearer.
⁠Jaff. Crawling on my knees,
And prostrate on the earth, let me approach thee,
How shall I look up to thy injur'd face,
That always us'd to smile, with friendship, on me?
It darts an air of so much manly virtue,
That I, methinks, look little in thy sight,
And stripes are fitter for me than embraces.
⁠Peir. Dear to my Armes, though thou hast undone my fame,
I cannot forget to love thee: prithee, Jaffeir,
Forgive that filthy blow my passion dealt thee ”

“ Yet, Jaffeir, for all this, I am a Villain!
⁠Jaff. A Villain⸻
⁠Pierr. Yes a most notorious Villain:
To see the suffring's of my fellow Creatures,
And own my self a Man: To see our Senators
Cheat the deluded people with a shew
Of Liberty, which yet they ne'r must taste of;
They say, by them our hands are free from Fetters,
Yet whom they please they lay in basest bonds;
Bring whom they please to Infamy and Sorrow;
Drive us like Wracks down the rough Tide of Power,
Whilst no hold's left to save us from Destruction ”

“ Can, Belvidera want a resting place
When these poor arms are open to receive her?
Oh 'tis in vain to struggle with Desires
Strong as my Love to thee, for every moment
I am from thy sight, the Heart within my Bosom
Moans like a tender Infant in its Cradle
Whose Nurse had left it: Come, and with the Songs
Of gentle Love perswade it to its peace.
⁠Belvid. I fear the stubborn Wanderer will not own me,
'Tis grown a Rebel to be rul'd no longer,
Scorns the Indulgent Bosom that first lull'd it,
And like a Disobedient Child disdains
The soft Authority of Belvidera.
⁠Jaff. There was a time ⸻
⁠Belv. ”

“ Know you one Jaffeir?
⁠Peirr. Yes, and know his Vertue.
His Justice, Truth, his general Worth and Sufferings
From a hard father taught me first to love him.
Enter Jaffeir guarded.
⁠Duke. See him brought forth.
⁠Peirr. My friend too bound? nay then
Our Fate has conquer'd us, and we must fall,
Why droops the man whose welfare's so much mine
They're but one thing? these Reverend Tyrants, Jaffeir,
Call us all Traitors, art thou one, my Brother?
⁠Jaff. To thee I am the falsest, veryest slave
That e'r betray'd a generous trusting friend,
And gave up honour to be sure of ruine. ”

“ To the base Roots, whence most of 'em first sprung;
Enslave the Rowt, whom smarting will make humble,
Turn out their droning Senate, and possess
That Seat of Empire which our Souls were fram'd for.
⁠Pierr. Ten thousand men are Armed at your Nod,
Commanded all by Leaders fit to guide
A Battle for the freedom of the World;
This wretched State has starv'd them in its service,
And by your bounty quicken'd, they 're resolv'd
To serve your Glory, and revenge their own!
Th' have all their different Quarters in this City,
Watch for th' Alarm, and grumble 'tis so tardy. ”

“ Enter Pierre and Aquilina.
Aquil.By all thy Wrongs, thou art dearer to my Arms
Than all the Wealth of Venice: Prithee stay,
And let us love to night.
⁠Pierr. No: There's Fool,
There's Fool about thee: When a Woman sells
Her Flesh to Fools, her Beauty's lost to me;
They leave a Taint, a sully where th'ave past,
There's such a baneful Quality about'em,
Even spoyls Complexions with their own Nauseousness,
They infect all they touch, I cannot think
Of tasting any thing a Fool has pall'd. ”

“ Fly to the Senate, save the promis'd lives
Of his dear friends, e'r mine be made the sacrifice.
⁠Prin. Oh, my hearts comfort!
⁠Bel. Will you not, my father?
Weep not but answer me.
⁠Prin. By Heaven, I will.
Not one of 'em but what shall be immortal.
Canst thou forgive me all my follies past,
I'll henceforth be indeed a father; never,
Never more thus expose, but cherish thee,
Dear as the vital warmth that feeds my life,
Dear as these eyes that weep in fondness o'r thee,
Peace to thy heart. Farewel. ”

“ A Gallant Man?
⁠Rena. Yes, and Cateline too;
Tho story wrong his Fame: for he conspir'd
To prop the reeling Glory of his Country:
His Cause was good.
⁠Beda. And ours as much above it,
As Renault thou art Superior to Cethegus,
Or Pierre to Cassius.
⁠Pierr. Then to what we aim at
When do we start? or must we talk for ever?
⁠Beda. No Pierre, the Deed's near Birth: Fate seems to have set
The Business up, and given it to our care,
I hope there's not a heart nor hand amongst us
But is firm and ready. ”

“ When sure you spoke the truth, you've sworn you bless'd it.
⁠Jaff. Twas a rash oath.
⁠Bel. Then why am I not curss'd too?
⁠Jaff. No, Belvidera; by th' eternal truth,
I doat with too much fondness.
⁠Bel. Still so kind?
Still then do you you love me?
⁠Jaff. Nature, in her workings,
Inclines not with more ardour to Creation,
Than I doe now towards thee; man ne'r was bless'd,
Since the first pair first met, as I have been.
⁠Bel. Then sure you will not curse me.
⁠Jaff. No, I'll bless thee.
I came on purpose, Belvidera, to bless thee. ”

“ No Sir, if you please I can know my distance and stand.
⁠Anto. Stand: How? Nacky, up and I down! Nay then let
me exclaim with the Poet.
Shew me a Case more pitiful who can,
A standing Woman, and a falling Man.
Hurry durry—not sit down—see this ye Gods—
You won't sit down?
⁠Aquil. No Sir.
⁠Anto. Then look you now, suppose me a Bull; a Basan Bull,
the Bull of Bulls, or any Bull. Thus up I get and with my brows
thus bent—I broo, I say I broo, I broo, I broo. ”

“ But I come ripe with Wrongs as you with Councels;
I hate this Senate, am a Foe to Venice;
A Friend to none, but Men resolv'd like me,
To push on Mischief: Oh did you but know me,
I need not talk thus!
⁠Beda. Pierre! I must embrace him,
My heart beats to this Man as if it knew him.
⁠Rena. I never lov'd these huggers:
⁠Jaff. ”

“ Nay, It's a Cause thou wilt be fond of Jaffeir.
For it is founded on the noblest Basis,
Our Liberties, our natural Inheritance;
There's no Religion, no Hypocrisie in't;
Wee'l do the Business, and ne'r fast and pray for't:
Openly act a deed, the World shall gaze
With wonder at, and envy when it is done. ”

“ The Council have propos'd: Thou and thy friends
May yet live long, and to be better treated.
⁠Peirr. Life! ask my life! confess! record my self
A villain for the privilege to breath,
And carry up and down this cursed City
A discontented and repining spirit,
Burthensome to it self a few years longer,
To lose, it may be, at last in a lewd quarrel
For some new friend, treacherous and false as thou art!
No, this vile world and I have long been jangling,
And cannot part on better terms than now,
When onely men like thee are fit to live in't.
⁠Jaff. By all that's just⸻
⁠Peirr. ”

“ Near these curst hands: are they not cold upon thee?
⁠Bel. No, everlasting comfort's in thy armes,
Pulls the dagger half out of his bosom and puts it back agen.
To lean thus on thy breast is softer ease
Than downy pillows deck'd with leaves of roses.
⁠Jaff. Alas thou thinkest not of the thorns 'tis fill'd with,
Fly e'r they call thee: there's a lurking serpent
Ready to leap and sting thee to thy heart:
Art thou not terrifi'd?
⁠Bel. No.
⁠Jaff. Call to mind
What thou hast done, and whither thou hast brought me.
⁠Bel. Hah!
⁠Jaff. Where's my friend? my friend, thou smiling mischief? ”

“ Since it is my Fate, that you should with your Servant angry
prove; tho late at Night—I hope 'tis not too late with this to
gain reception for my Love—there's for thee my little Nicky
Nacky—take it, here take it—I say take it, or I'l throw it
at your head—how now, rebel!
⁠Aquil. Truly, my Illustrious Senator, I must confess your
Honour is at present most profoundly eloquent indeed.
⁠Anto. Very well: Come, now let's sit down and think upon't
a little—come sit I say—sit down by me a little my Nicky
Nacky, hah— [Sits down] Hurry durry—good for nothing—
⁠Aquil. ”

“ Nature and Fortune were certainly in league when you were born, and as the first took care to give you beauty enough to enslave the hearts of all the World, so the other resolv'd to doe its merit Justice, that none but a Monarch, fit to rule that World, should e'r possess it, and in it he had an Empire. The Young Prince you have given him, by his blooming Vertues, early declares the mighty stock he came from; and as you have taken all the pious care of a dear Mother and a prudent Guardian to give him a noble and generous education ”

“ What starve like Beggars Brats in frosty weather,
Under a Hedge, and whine our selves to Death!
Thou, or thy Cause, shall never want assistance,
Whilst I have blood or Fortune fit to serve thee;
Command my heart: Thou art every way its master.
⁠Jaff. No: there's a secret Pride in bravely dying. ”