The British Drama: Illustrated

That did, my lord, induce me to dispense
A little with my gravity, to advance
The plots and projects of the down-trod Wellborn.
Lov. What you intended, madam,

For the poor gentleman, hath found good success;
For, as I understand, his debts are paid,
And he once more furnish'd for fair employment:
But all the arts that I have us'd to raise

The fortunes of your joy and mine, youth Allworth,
Stand yet in supposition: though I hope well;
For the young lovers are in wit more pregnant
Than their years can promise.

Lady. Though my wishes

Are with yours my lord: yet give me leave to fear
The building, though well-grounded. To deceive
Sir Giles, that's both a lion and a fox
In his proceedings, were a work beyond
The strongest undertakers; not the trial
Of two weak innocents.

Lov. Despair not, madam:

Hard things are compass'd of by easy means.

The cunning statesman, that believes, he fathoms

The counsels of all kingdoms on the earth,

Is by simplicity oft over-reach'd.

Lady. May he be so!

By his minister, Marrall. He's grown into strange
passions

About his daughter: this last night, he look'd for
Your lordship at his home; but, missing you,
And Margaret not appearing, he is coming
To seek her here at Lady Allworth's house.
His wise head is much perplex'd and troubled,
Lov. I hope my project took.

Lady. I strongly hope it.

(Sir Giles and Marrall without.) Sir G. (Without.) Ha! find my daughter, thou huge lump of nothing,

I'll bore thine eyes out else.

Well. May it please your lordship,

For some ends of mine own, but to withdraw
A little out of sight, though not of hearing,
You may, perhaps, have sport.
Lov. You shall direct me.

Sir G. (Without.) Idiot! booby! booby!
Mar. (Without.) 0, 0, 0!

Sir G. (Without.) I shall sol-fa you, rogue!
Mar. (Without.) Sir, for what cause

Do you use me thus?

[Exit.

Enter SIR GILES with distracted looks, driving in
MARRALL before him.

Sir G. Cause, slave? Why, I am angry,
And thou a subject only fit for beating.
And to cool my choler. Look to the writing:
That has slept in my cabinet these three years,
Let but the seal be broke upon the box
I'll rack thy soul for't.

Mar. (Aside.) I may yet cry quittance;
Though now I suffer, and dare not resist.

Sir G. Lady, by your leave; did you see my
daughter, lady?

And the lord her husband? Are they in your
house?

If they are, discover, that I may bid 'em joy;
And, as an entrance to her place of honour,
See you, on her left hand, bending down low,
When she nods on you; which you must receive
As a special favour.

Lady. When I know, Sir Giles,

Her state requires such ceremony, I shall pay it;
But, in the meantime,

The young ones have my warmest wishes with I give you to understand, I neither know

them.

Lov. O, gentle lady, prove as kind to me!

You've deign'd to hear, now grant, my honest suit;
And if you may be won to make me happy,
But join your hand to mine, and that shall be
A solemn contract.

Lady. I were blind to my own good,
Should I refuse it; yet, my lord, receive me
As such a one, the study of whose whole life
Shall know no other object but to please you.
Lov. If I return not, with all tenderness,
Equal respect to you, may I die wretched!

Lady. There need no protestations, my lord,
To her that cannot doubt.

Enter WELLBORN.

You're welcome, sir:
Now you look like yourself.

Well. And will continue

Such, in my free acknowledgment that I am
Your creature, madam; and will never hold
My life mine own, when you please to command it.
Lov. It is a thankfulness that well becomes you.
Lady. For me, I am happy,

That my endeavours prosper'd. Saw you of late
Sir Giles, your uncle?

Well, I heard of him, madam,

Nor care where her honour is.

Sir G. When you once see her

Led and supported by the lord, her husband,
You'll be taught better. Nephew,-
Well. Well?

Sir G. No more!

Well. 'Tis all I owe you.

Sir G. Have your redeem'd rags
Made you thus insolent!

Well. Insolent to you!

Why, what are you, sir, pray, unless in years,
More than myself?

Sir G. His fortune swells him:

'Tis rank he's married.

Lady. (Aside.) This is excellent!

Sir G. Sir, in calm language, though I seldom
use it,

I am familiar with the cause that makes you
Bear up thus bravely; there's a certain buzz
Of a stolen marriage, do you hear!-of a stolen
marriage;

In which, 'tis said, there's somebody hath been
cozen'd;

I name no parties.

Well. Well, sir, and what follows?

Sir G. Marry, this, since you are so peremptory: remember,

Do you

deal with witches, rascal?

Enter AMBLE, WATCHALL, and ORDER, with There is a statute for you, which will bring

drawn swords.

Your neck in a hempen circle; yes, there is; And, now 'tis better thought; for, cheater, know, This juggling shall not save you.

Well. To save thee,

Would beggar the stock of mercy.

'Retires with Lady Allworth.)

Sir G. Marrall, Marrall!
Mar. Sir?
Sir G. Though the witnesses are dead, your tes-

timony,

Help'd with an oath or two,-and for thy master,
Thy liberal master, my good honest servant,
I know, thou wilt swear anything,-to dash

(Lady Allworth retires.) This cunning sleight:

Mar. (To Well.) Now put him to

The shewing of the deed.

Well. This rage is vain, sir:

The deed being drawn, too,

By thee, my careful Marrall, and deliver'd
When thou wast present, will make good my title.
Mar. I! No, I assure you!

For fighting, fear not, you shall have your hands Wilt thou not swear this?

full

Upon the least incitement; and, whereas

You charge me with a debt of monies to you;
If there be law, howe'er you have no conscience,
Either restore my land, or I'll recover

A debt that's truly due to me from you,

In value ten times more than what you challenge. Sir G. I in thy debt? O, impudence! Did I not purchase

The land left by thy father? that rich land
That had continued in Wellborn's name

Enter two of Sir Giles' Servants with a box.
Twenty descents; which like a riotous fool,
Thou didst make sale of? O, you're come at last!
(To the Servants.)

Is not here inclos'd
The deed that does confirm it mine?

Mar. Now, now; (Lady Allworth advances.)
Well. I do acknowledge none; I ne'er pass'd o'er
Any such land: I grant, for a year or two,
You had it in trust; which, if you do discharge,
Surrendering the possession, you shall ease
Yourself and me of chargeable suits in law;
Which, if you prove not honest, as I doubt it,
Must of necessity follow.

Lady. In my judgment, He does advise you well.

Sir G. Good, good! Conspire

With your new husband, lady; second him

(Breaks from him.)

I have a conscience, not sear'd up, like yours: I know no deeds.

Sir G. Wilt thou betray me?

Mar. Keep him

(Drawing his sword.) (Wellborn opposes him.)

From using of his hands; I'll use my tongue
To his no little torment.

Sir G. Mine own varlet

Rebel against me!

Mar. Yes, and uncase you, too.

The idiot, the patch, the slave, the booby,

Your drudge, can now anatomise you, and lay

open

All your black plots, and level with the earth
Your hill of pride; and shake,

Nay, pulverize, the walls you think defend you.
Sir G. O, that I had thee in my gripe! I'd tear
thee

Joint after joint!

Mar. I know you are a tearer;

But I'll have first your fangs par'd off, and then Come nearer to you; when I have discover'd, And made it good before the judge, what ways, And devilish practices, you us'd to cozen with. Well. All will come out.

Sir G. But that I will live, rogue, to torture thee,

And make thee wish, and kneel, in vain, to die; These swords that keep thee from me, should fix

here,

Although they made my body but one wound,

But 1 would reach thee. I play the fool,

And make my anger but ridiculous:

Revenge their wrongs with curses; I'll not waste
A syllable, but thus I take the life

There will be a time and place, there will be, Which, wretched, I gave to thee.

You dare do any ill; yet want true va'our,

To be honest and repent.

Sir G. They're words I know not,

Nor e'er will learn. Patience, the beggar's virtue, Shall find no harbour here.

Enter two of Sir Giles's Servants.

Lady. Whom have we here?

Sir G. After these storms,

At length, a calm appears. My chaplain comes.

Enter Parson WILLDO, with a letter in his hand. Welcome; most welcome!

There's comfort in thy looks! Is the deed done? Is my daughter married? Say but so, my chaplain, And I am tame.

Will. Married? Yes, I assure you. Sir G. Then vanish all sad thoughts! My doubts and fears are in the titles drown'd Of my honourable, my right honourable daughter. Now, you that plot against me,

And hop'd to trip my heels up, that contemn'd me Think on't and tramble.

(Offers to kill Margare1.)
Lov. (Stopping him.) Hold, for your own sake!
If charity to your daughter have quite left you:
Will you do an act, though in your hopes lost here,
Can leave no hope for peace or rest hereafter?
Consider, at the best, you're but a man;

And cannot so create your aims, but that
They may be cross'd.

Sir G. Lord! thus I spit at thee,

And at thy counsel; and again desire thee,

And as thou art a soldier, if thy valour

Dares shew itself where multitude and example

Lead not the way, let's quit the house, and change Six words in private.

Lov. I am ready.
Lady. Stay, sir.

Contest with one distracted?
Well. You'll grow like him

Should you answer his vain challenge.
Sir G. Are you pale?

Borrow their helps: though Hercules calls it odds,
I'll stand 'gainst all, as I am, hemm'd in thus.
Say, there were a squadron

Of pikes, lin'd through with shot, when I am mounted

Upon my injuries, shall I fear to charge 'em?
No: I'll through the battalia, and that routed,
I'll fall to execution. (Attempts to draw his sword.)
Ha! I'm feeble:

Some undone widow sits upon mine arm,
And takes away the use of t; and my sword,
Glued to my scabbard with wrong'd orphans' tears,
Will not be drawn.

Ha! what are these? Sure, hangmen,
That come to bind my hands, and then drag me
Before the judgment-seat. Now, they are new
shapes,

And do appear like Furies, with steel whips
To scourge my ulcerous soul. Shall I then fali
Ingloriously, and yield? No! spite of fate,
I will be forc'd to hell like to myself.
Though you were legions of accursed spirits,
Thus would I fly among you,

(He rushes madly towards his daughter, and
falls exhausted; the Servants raise him up,
he recovers, looks wildly around, then sinks
into their arms, and is carried off.)

Well. What arts didst use to raze out the conveyance?

Mar. Certain minerals,
Besides, he gave me nothing! but still fed me
Incorporated in the ink and wax.
With hopes and blows.

Speak, and speak

(Seizes Willdo.)

If it please your worship

To call to memory, this mad beast once caus'd me To urge you or to hang, or drown, yourself:

I'll do the like to him, if you command me.

Well. You are a rascal; and he that dares be false

To a master, though unjust, will very hardly
Be true to any other. Begore;

And look not for

Reward or favour from me, till thou'st learn'd
To mend thy wicked life.

[Exit Marrall, (A lworth and Margaret advance.)

Marg. O, my poor father!

All. Nay, weep not, dearest; though it show | And payments of my debts, that I must practise: your piety:

What is decreed by heaven, we cannot alter.

Lov. And heaven here gives a precedent to teach

I had a reputation, but 'twas lost
In my loose course; and until I redeem it
Some noble way, I am but half made up.
It is a time of action: if your lordship
Will please to confer a company upon me
In your command, I doubt not, in my service
To my king and country, but I shall do something
That may make me right again.
Lov. Your suit is granted,
And you lov'd for the motion.
Well. Nothing, then,

(To the Audience.)

Now wants but your allowance; and in that
Our all is comprehended; which, if you
Grant willingly, as a fair favour due,
To the poet's, and our labours, as you may,
(For we despair not, gentlemen, of the play :)
You may expect, the grace you shew to-night,
Will teach us how to act, our poets how to write.

[Exeunt.

A TRAGEDY, IN FIVE ACTS.-BY ARTHUR MURPHY,

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