Lapas attēli
PDF
ePub

Santistevan came up, and throwing himself at the feet of Antonio, implored him not to mention the circumstance to his master Don Juan. He informed him that the courtezan's name was also Cornelia. Lorenzo hearing this, asked, 'Where is Cornelia ?' and he and the duke rushed up and repeated the question. The courtezan replied, Here is Cornelia; and asked whether it was so wonderful a thing that a woman should cohabit with a roguish page. Lorenzo tore off her veil, and discovered a girl of considerable beauty. The duke began to suspect the truth of the Spaniards, and hurried out of the house. Don Juan and Don Antonio resolved to search for the lady in every part of the country.

"Meanwhile the duke set out on his return, and came accidentally to the village-curate, with whom Cornelia was concealed. She overheard the announcement of his arrival, but restrained herself from bursting into his apartment, and requested the priest to make him acquainted with her being in the house. By his advice the infant was decorated with all the jewels which the duke had given her, and the curate presented it to him, relating to him, that the child had been brought from Belogna, and placed in his charge by a lady of extreme beauty, accompanied by an old confidante. Cornelia now entered, and the duke recognising her, was nearly overcome by his feelings. He dispatched Fabio to Bologna, who, in three days, returned with Lorenzo and the two Spaniards. The duke addressed them, pretending that he had resolved, as Cornelia was not to be found, to fulfil another promise of marriage which he had given to a peasant-girl in the village, and, seeing the rage of Lorenzo and the two friends, he said that her extreme beauty would soon induce them to applaud his breach of faith to Cornelia. When he had left the room, Don Juan swore that the duke's life should pay for his unfaithfulness, and Lorenzo and Antonio declared themselves of the same resolution: but their anger was soon allayed when they beheld Cornelia brought in by the duke, with the old woman and the nurse. The two lovers were secretly married by the curate, but the speedy death of the duke's mother soon enabled him to declare Cornelia his duchess."

PROLOGUE.*

APTNESS for mirth to all! This instant night
Thalia hath prepared, for your delight,
Her choice and curious viands, in each part
Seasoned with rarities of wit and art:
Nor fear I to be taxed for a vain boast;
My promise will find credit with the most,
• When they know ingenious Fletcher made it, he
Being in himself a perfect Comedy.

And some sit here, I doubt not, dare aver
Living he made that house a theatre

Which he pleased to frequent; and thus much we
Could not but pay to his loud memory.

For ourselves, we do entreat that you would not
Expect strange turns and windings in the plot,
Objects of state, and now and then a rhyme,
To gall particular persons with the time;
Or that his towering muse hath made her flight
Nearer your apprehension than your sight;
But if that sweet expressions, quick conceit,
Familiar language, fashioned to the weight
Of such as speak it, have the power to raise
Your grace to us, with trophies to his praise;
We may profess, presuming on his skill,

If his CHANCES please not you, our fortune's ill.

This Prologue, like many others prefixed to these plays, was probably spoken at a revival. It affords a strong proof of the very exten sive popularity of Fletcher's dramas soon after his death.

DRAMATIS PERSONE.

Duke of Ferrara.

Petruccio, governor of Bologna.

Don John,

Don Frederic,Spanish gentlemen, and comrades.
Antonio, an old stout gentleman, kinsman to Petruccio.
Three Gentlemen, friends to the duke.

Two Gentlemen, friends to Petruccio.
Francisco, a musician, Antonio's boy.

Peter Vecchio, a teacher of Latin and music, a reputed wizard.

Peter,
Anthony, S

servants to Don John and Don Frederic.

Rowland, servant to Antonio.*

Surgeon.

Servants.

Constantia, sister to Petruccio, and mistress to the

duke.

Gentlewoman, servant to Constantia.

Gillian, landlady to Don John and Don Frederic.
Constantia, a whore to old Antonio.

Bawd.

SCENE-Bologna, and the adjacent Country.

*This character has not been noticed in this enumeration before.

UNIVERSITY

OF

CALIFORNIA

THE CHANCES.

ACT I. SCENE I.

A Room in the House of the Landlady.

Enter PETER and ANTHONY.

Peter. I would we were removed from this town,
Anthony,

That we might taste some quiet: For mine own part, ·
I am almost melted with continual trotting
After inquiries, dreams, and revelations,

Of who knows whom, or where. Serve wenching soldiers,

That know no other paradise but plackets?
I'll serve a priest in lent first, and eat bell-ropes.
Anth. Thou art the frowardest fool-
Peter. Why, good tame Anthony,

Tell me but this; to what end came we hither?
Anth. To wait upon our masters.

Peter. But how, Anthony?

Answer me that; resolve me there, good Anthony. Anth. To serve their uses.

Peter. Shew your uses, Anthony.

Anth. To be employed in any thing.
Peter. No, Anthony,

Not any thing, I take it; nor that thing
We travel to discover, like new islands;

A salt itch serve such uses! In things of moment,
Concerning things, I grant you; not things errant,
Sweet ladies' things, and things to thank the surgeon;
In no such things, sweet Anthony. Put case-
Anth. Come, come, all will be mended; this in-
visible woman,

Of infinite report for shape and virtue,
That bred us all this trouble to no purpose,
They are determined now no more to think on,
But fall close to their studies.

Peter. Was there ever

Men known to run mad with report before?
Or wander after that they know not where
To find? or, if found, how to enjoy? Are men's
brains

Made now-a-days of malt, that their affections
Are never sober, but, like drunken people,
Founder at every new fame? I do believe, too,
That men in love are ever drunk, as drunken men
Are ever loving.

Anth. Pr'ythee be thou sober,

And know, that they are none of those; not guilty
Of the least vanity of love; only a doubt
Fame might too far report, or rather flatter

The graces of this woman,

made them curious

To find the truth, which since they find so block'd' And lock'd up from their searches, they are now settled

To give the wonder over.

Peter. 'Would they were settled

To give me some new shoes too! for I'll be sworn
These are e'en worn out to th' reasonable soles
In their good worships' business: and some sleep

1 Blotted.] Corrected in 1679.

« iepriekšējāTurpināt »