Which men of quality use, and ought t'observe
Towards one another's dwellings.

Don Julio. Good gods, what an adventure's here!
Yet all

Is well, so Blanca's honour be but safe.

Sir, you surprize me much, can this be true?

[Aside.

[To Don Zancho.. Blanca. Francisca, heard thou that? had ever man So ready a wit, in such an exigent?

[Aside.

Don Julio. [to Elvira.] What say you, madam? Francisca. We're surer lost than ever, unless she Have wit and heart to take the thing upon her. [Aside. Madam, make signs to her, and earnestly. [To Blanca. [Blanca makes earnest signs to Elvira. Francisca. [aside to Blanca.] She looks this way, as if she comprehended

Your meaning.

Elvira. I understand her, and I know as well

What mischief I may bring upon myself;

But let Elvira still do generously,

And leave the rest to fate.

Sir, since you press me,

[Aside.

[To Don Julio.

My humour ne'er could disavow a truth

Don Zancho's passion and transportments for me,
Beyond all rules of temper and discretion,

Have been the cause of all my sad misfortunes,
And still I see must be the cause of more.

Don Julio. Unhappy creature! how thou hast de-
ceiv'd

My prone persuasion of thy innocence !

Don Zancho. If that suffice not, sir, you have this ready

To give you satisfaction.

[Holding out his sword.

Don Fernando. Hell and furies!—but I will yet con

tain

Myself, and see how far my friend will drive it. [Aside.
Don Julio. Stay, Don Zancho,

And answer me one question-Is this night
The first of your presuming thus to enter

My house by stealth?

Don Zancho. The quere is malicious; But I must thorough, as I have begun.

[Aside.

Blanca. [aside to Francisca.] There was a question makes me tremble still.

Don Zancho. No, sir, it is not: I'll keep nothing from

you.

Last night upon the same occasion

Don Julio. Hold-it suffices.

Francisca [aside hastily to Blanca.] All's safe, you see: for God's sake let's away

Ere Julio perceive us.

Your presence here can serve for nothing, madam,
But to beget new chances and suspicions.

[Exeunt Blanca and Francisca.

[Don Fernando rushes out drawing his sword. Don Fernando. Yes, it suffices, Julio, to make This hand strike surer than it did before.

Elvira. Nothing was wanting to my misery,
But his being here to over-hear-But yet
I must not suffer the same hand to kill him
A second time, upon a greater error
Than was the first.

[Aside. [Don Fernando making at Don Zancho; Elvira steps between, and Julio also offers to stay him. Don Fernando [striving to come at Don Zancho.] Strive to protect your gallant from me, do; Strive but in vain-The gods themselves cannotWhat you, Don Julio, too?

[Chichon running out from the place where he

lurk'd, strikes out both the lights with his hat. Chichon. I have lov'd to see fighting; but at present, I love to hinder seeing how to fight.

Knights, brandish your blades, 't will make fine work
Among the gallipots!

You have me by your side, sir, let them come;
They are but two to two.

[Aloud.

[As to his master.

Sir, follow me, I'll bring you to the door.

[Aside to his master, and pulling him.

Don Zancho. There's no dishonour in a wise retreat From disadvantages to meet again

One's enemy upon a fairer score.

[Chichon pushing his master before him out of door. Chichon. [aside to his master.] There 'tis ; advance, sir, I'll make good the rear.

[Exit Don Zancho and Chichon. Don Julio. Ho, who's without? bring lights.

They cannot hear us,

The room is so remote from all the rest.

[He stamps.

What a confusion 's this? recall, Fernando, [To Fernando.
Your usual temper, and let's leave this place,
And that unhappy maid unto its darkness,
To hide her blushes, since her shame it cannot.

[Exit Don Julio groping, and drawing Don Fer

nando with him.

Elvira, sola. Darkness and horror, welcome, since the gods

Live in the dark themselves-for had they light

Of what's done here below, they would afford
Some ray to shine on injur'd innocence,
And not, instead thereof, thus multiply
Obscuring clouds upon it, such as the sun,
Should he with all his beams illuminate
Men's understandings, scarce could dissipate.
I now begin to pardon thee, Fernando,

Since what thou hast heard in this inchanted place
Carries conviction in 't against my firmness,
Above the power of nature to suspend

My condemnation: unless wrong'd virtue might
Expect in thee a justice so refin❜d,

As ne'er was found in man to womankind.
'Tis now I must confess, the lost Elvira
Fit only for a cloister; where secure
In her own spotless mind, she may defy
All censures, and without impiety
Reproach her fate even to the Deity.

[Exit, groping her way.

ACT V.

Enter DON JULIO talking to himself, and at another doo r FERNANDO, who perceiving it, stands close.

Don Julio. Blest be the gods, that yet my honour's safe,

Amidst such strange perplexities, from which
Fortune and wit, I think, together join'd

With all their strength, could hardly an issue find.
To temper, comfort, or to serve my friend
What argument? what means? how to assist
Don Pedro in his aims, and to comply
With what I owe the Duke, I see as little;
And less conceive, how to behave myself
As ought a gentleman towards a lady,
With whose protection he hath charg'd himself,
And brought her to his house on that assurance;
Whom to expose, cannot consist with honour,
However she may have expos'd her own;
And least of all, how to repair to Blanca
The injury I have done her, whose high spirit
I fear will be implacable. O heavens!
What a condition's mine?

[He stands pausing, and startles seeing Don Fernando. Enter DON FERNANDO.

Don Fernando. Pardon, dear cousin, if to avoid one rudeness

I have another unawares committed,

Whilst fearing to interrupt, I have overheard;
Yet nothing, cousin, but the self-same things,
My thoughts have been revolving all this night,
Concern'd for you, much more than for myself;
For I, upon reflection, find I am

Much easier than I was; by certainty
Freed from the forest weight-perplexity.
In the first place, you must forgive your friend
The high distemper of last night's transportments :
I hope you
'll find me well recovered from them,
And that my morning resolutions are

Such as will make amends.

Don Julio. Make no excuse,

vocations

Surprizing are above philosophy;

dear friend such pro

And 'tis no small experiment of your's,

If after them you can have brought yourself
So soon to fix a judgment what to do.

Don Fernando. I have fix'd on that, which I am sure will serve

All interests but my own, as heretofore
I understood my happiness; but now
I shall no longer place it in any thing
Dependent on the wild caprice* of others.
No, Julio,

I will be happy even in spite of fate,
By carrying generosity up to the height.
Elvira shall her dear bliss owe to me,
Not only by desisting, but by making
Her lov'd Don Zancho marry her: his refusal
Alone, can make me kill him o'er again.

Don Julio. Since that unhappy maid with all her beauty,

And that high quality, hath made herself
Unworthy of your marriage, certainly
None but Fernando ever could have pitch'd
Upon so noble a thought: but think withal
What difficulties are likely to obstruct it.

Don Fernando. Say what occurs to you.

Don Julio. Don Zancho is a man of wit and courage;

And though his passion out of doubt be great,

Since it hath made him do so wild an action,

As that of coming twice into my house
After so strange a manner; yet Fernando,
You cannot but imagine such a one
Likely to have quite different reflections

* Without any sufficient reason and to the evident injury of the metre, of which the author has no where been very careful, he here and elsewhere preferred the Spanish word capricho, to the English word caprice. C..