Cut in the living rock, by Nature's hands, crime. Dor. Your subjects, conscious of your life, are few, But all desirous to partake your exile, Alm. But how am wretched I to be dispos'd? Dor. I have a sister, abbess in Terceras, Who lost her lover on her bridal day.— Alm. There fate provided me a fellow-turtle, To mingle sighs with sighs, and tears with tears. Dor. Last, for myself, if I have well fulfill'd My sad commission, let me beg the boon, To share the sorrows of your last recess, And mourn the common losses of our loves. Alv. And what becomes of me? must I be left, As age and time had worn me out of use? These sinews are not yet so much unstrung, To fail me when my master should be serv'd; And when they are, then will I steal to death, Silent, and unobserv'd, to save his tears. Seb. I've heard you both: Alvarez, have thy wish; But thine, Alonzo, thine, is too unjust. I charge thee with my last commands, return, And bless thy Violante with thy vows. Antonio, be thou happy too in thine. Last, let me swear you all to secresy; cannot. It would be still farewell, a thousand times, [She staggers, and her women hold her up. Seb. Help to support this feeble, drooping flower; This tender sweet, so shaken by the storm; vain, And never, never must embrace her more. 'Tis past my soul goes in that word;farewell. [ALVAREZ goes with SEBASTIAN to one end of the Stage; women with ALMEYDA to the other. DORAX, coming up to ANTONIO and MORAYMA, EPILOGUE. SPOKEN BETWIXT ANTONIO AND MORAYMA. Mor. I QUAK'D at heart, for fear the royal fa- | And sinn'd till we repented of each other. shion Should have seduc'd us two to separation : Ant. I trembled when the old man's hand He would have prov'd we were too near of kin: Betwixt your mother and my Mufti father; Ant. Suppose us two, Almeyda and Sebastian, With incest prov'd upon us Mor. Without question, Their conscience was too queasy of digestion. Mor. Beast as you are, on nature's laws to trample! "Twere fitter that we follow'd their example; And since all marriage in repentance ends, 'Tis good for us to part while we are friends. To save a maid's remorses and confusions, E'en leave me now before we try conclusions. Ant. To copy their example, first make certain Of one good hour, like theirs, before our parting; Make a debauch o'er night of love and madness, And marry when we wake in sober sadness. Mor. I'll follow no new sects of your inventing, One night might cost me nine long months re penting: First wed, and if you find that life a fetter, Ant. Thou wouldst have kept the counsel of thy And make me thund'ring votes of lives and for brother, tune. THE ORPHAN ; OR, THE UNHAPPY MARRIAGE. BY OTWAY. PROLOGUE. To you, great judges in this writing age, His pride much doubting, trembling and afraid You, to whom wit a common foe is grown, Nay, never once lampoon'd the harmless life Oft has he plough'd the boisterous ocean o'er, CHAMONT, a young soldier of fortune, brother to MONIMIA, the Orphan, left under the guardian. Monimia. ship of old Acasto. SERINA, Acasto's daughter. FLORELLA, Monimia's woman. SCENE,-Bohemia. SCENE I. Enter PAULINO and ERNESTO. ACT I. Paul. "Tis strange, Ernesto, this severity Should still reign powerful in Acasto's mind, To hate the court, where he was bred and lived, All honours heaped on him, that power could give. Ern. 'Tis true, he came hither a private gen- But young and brave, and of a family Paul. It was his virtue at first made me serve him; He is the best of masters as of friends: Ern. Has he not reason? When, for what he As only death could end. Chamont's estate To seek a fortune, or a noble fate; Long, hard, and painful toil, he might have But warns them to avoid both courts and camps, Where dilatory Fortune plays the jilt 'Tis daily their petition to their father, Paul. Oh, that's a royal sport! SCENE II-A Garden. Enter CASTALIO, POLYDORE, and Page. Cast. Polydore, our sport Has been to-day much better for the danger; When, on the brink, the foaming boar I met, And in his side thought to have lodged my spear, The desperate savage rushed within my force, And bore me headlong with him down the rocks Pol. But then Like Perseus mounted on his winged steed, Came on, and down the dangerous precipice leaped, To save Castalio. 'Twas a godlike act! Pol. But, when I came, I found you conqueror. Oh, my heart danced to see your danger past! The heat and fury of the chase was cold, And I had nothing in my mind but joy. Cast. So, Polydore, methinks, we might in war Rush on together: thou shouldst be my guard, And I be thine; what is't could hurt us then? Now half the youth of Europe are in arms, How fulsome must it be to stay behind, And die of rank diseases here at home? Pol. No! let me purchase in my youth re Pol. I told you I had done: Not with my Polydore; though I must own Pol. Yet you would break this friendship. And cries, 'It is not safe that we should taste it:' | Win and enjoy her. I own I have duty very powerful in me; Pol. Castalio, I have doubts within my heart, What can this mean? Pol. Nay, I'll conjure you too, By all the strictest bonds of faithful friendship, Pol. And should I chance to touch it nearly, With all the sufferance of a tender friend. Cast. As calmly as the wounded patient bears The artist's hand, that ministers his cure. Pol. That's kindly said.-You know our fa- The fair Monimia. Is your heart at peace? Pol. Suppose you should not, brother? Pol. That would sound too roughly "Twixt friends and brothers, as we two are. Cast. Is love a fault? Pol. In one of us it may be. What if I love her? Cast. Then I must inform you I loved her first, and cannot quit the claim, But will preserve the birth-right of my passion. Pol. You will? Pol. Both of us cannot. Cast. No matter Whose chance it prove; but let's not quarrel for it. Pol. You would not wed Monimia, would you? No; were she all desire could wish, as fair She should not cheat me of my freedom. Marry! And take a wife to mortify withal. Pol. It is an elder brother's duty so Pol. Who shall possess the estate you leave? If he survives me; if not, my king, Who may bestow it again on some brave man, Cast. By yon heaven, I love My Polydore beyond all worldly joys; Cast. No matter whose. Cast. I was, and should have met her here again; But the opportunity shall now be thine; Myself will bring thee to the scene of love: fair day Seems as if sent to invite the world abroad. Mon. Sure some ill fate's upon me; Mon. I never see you now; you have been kinder, Sat by my bed, and sung me pretty songs: Perhaps I've been ungrateful. Here's money for you: Will you oblige me? Shall I see you oftener? Page. Madam, I'd serve you with my soul: Thus, when ye are young, ye learn it all, like him, But I am afraid to name it; for, they say, Boys must be whipped, that tell their masters' se crets. Mon. Fear not Cordelio; it shall ne'er be For I'll preserve the secret as 'twere mine. I'll furnish thee with all the harmless sports, Page. And truly, madam, I had rather be so. Methinks you love me better than my lord; For he was never half so kind as you are. What must I do? Mon. Inform me how thou hast heard Castalio and his brother use my name. Page. With all the tenderness of love; You were the subject of their last discourse. At first I thought it would have fatal proved; But as the one grew hot, the other cooled, And yielded to the frailty of his friend; At last, after much struggling, 'twas resolvedMon. What, good Cordelio? Page. Not to quarrel for you. Mon. I would not have them; by my dearest I would not be the argument of strife. Page. Yes, to seek you, madam. Mon. Am I then grown so cheap, just to be A common stake, a prize for love in jest?- Page. The fault was Polydore's. And marriage is a mortifying thing. Mon. Then I am ruined! If Castalio's false, Where is there faith and honour to be found? Ye gods, that guard the innocent, and guide The weak, protect, and take me to your care. Oh, but I love him! There's the rock will wreck me! Why was I made with all my sex's softness, Enter CASTALIO and POLYDORE. He comes, the conqueror comes! lie still, my heart, And learn to bear thy injuries with scorn. Cast. Madam, my brother begs he may have leave To tell you something, that concerns you nearly. I leave you as becomes me, and withdraw. |