Jaff. To thee I am the falsest, veriest slave, All our fair hopes, which morning was t' have crown'd, Pier. So, then, all's over: Venice has lost her freedom, I my life. Duke. Say; will you make confession Of your vile deeds, and trust the senate's mercy ? Pier. Curs'd be your senate, curs'd your constitution! The curse of growing factions, and divisions, Still vex your councils, shake your public safety, And make the robes of government you wear Hateful to you, as these vile chains to me! Duke.-Pardon, or death? Pier. Death! honorable death! Ren.-Death's the best thing we ask, or you can give. No shameful bonds, but honorable death! Duke.-Break up the council. Captain, guard your prisoners. Jaffier, you're free, the rest must wait for judgment. [DUKE, Senators, Conspirators, and Officers, go out.] Pier. Come, where's my dungeon? Lead me to my straw: It will not be the first time I've lodged hard, To do your senate service. Jaff.-Hold one moment. Meeting PIERRE.] Pier. Who's he disputes the judgment of the senate ? I must be heard! I must have leave to speak. Yet look upon me with an eye of mercy, And, as there dwells a god-like nature in thee, Pier.-What whining monk art thou? What holy cheat, That wouldst encroach upon my credulous ears, And cant'st thus vilely! Hence! I know thee not! Pier.-No, know thee not. What art thou? Dear to my eyes, and tender to my heart: But thou, a wretched, base, false, worthless coward,- And swear thou hast not wrong'd me? Whence these chains? Jaff-All's true; yet grant one thing, and I've done asking. Pier. What's that? Jaff. To take thy life, on such conditions The council have propos'd: thou, and thy friends, May yet live long, and to be better treated. Pier.-Life! ask my life! confess! record myself A villain, for the privilege to breathe, And carry up and down this hated city To lose it, may be, at last, in a base 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 only men like thee are fit to live in't. Jaff-By all that's just Pier.-Swear by some other power, For thou hast broke that sacred oath too lately. Jaff. Then by that doom I merit, I'll not leave thee Till, to thyself at least, thou'rt reconciled, However thy resentments deal with me. Pier. Not leave me! Jaff.-No; thou shalt not force me from thee. Tread on me, buffet me, heap wrongs on wrongs Jaff.-What? Pier.-A traitor! Jaff.-Yes, Pier. A villain! Jaff.—Granted. Pier.-A coward, a most scandalous coward; Spiritless, void of honor; one who has sold Thy everlasting fame, for shameless life! Jaff.—All, all, and more, much more; my faults are numberless. Pier. And wouldst thou have me live on terms like thine? Base as thou'rt false Jaff.-No; 'tis to me that's granted; The safety of thy life was all I aim'd at, Pier.-I scorn it more, because preserved by thee; All I receiv'd in surety for thy truth, Were unregarded oaths, and this, this dagger,- Swearing by all those powers which thou hast violated, Take it-farewell!-for now I owe thee nothing. Pier. For my life, dispose it Just as thou wilt, because 'tis what I am tired with. Jaff.-O Pierre ! Pier.-No more! [Going.] Jaff.-My eyes won't lose the sight of thee, [Holding him.] But languish after thine, and ache with gazing. Pier.-Leave me-Nay, then, thus, thus I throw thee from [Throws him off.] me. And curses, great as is thy falsehood, catch thee! [PIERRE rushes out on the right side. JAFFIER goes out on the left.] ROLLA TO THE PERUVIANS. SHERIDAN. [In a very bold, energetic, and heroic style.] My brave associates! partners of my toil, my feelings, and my fame! Can Rolla's words add vigor to the virtuous energies which inspire your hearts? No! You have judged, as I have, the foulness of the crafty plea by which these bold invaders would delude you. Your generous spirits have compared, as mine has, the motives which, in a war like this, can animate their minds and ours. They, by a strange frenzy driven, fight for power, for plunder, and extended rule: we for our country, our altars, and our homes! They follow an adventurer whom they fear, and obey a power which they hate; we serve a monarch whom we love, a God whom we adore!—Whene'er they move in anger, desolation tracks their progress: whene'er they pause in amity, affliction mourns their friendship!-They boast they come but to enlarge our minds, and free us from the yoke of error. Yes; they will give enlightened freedom to our minds, who are themselves the slaves of passion, avarice, and pride! They offer us their protection. Yes; such protection as vultures give to lambs,-covering and devouring them! They call on us to barter all of good we have inherited and proved, for the desperate chance of something better which they promise. Be our plain answer this:-The throne we honor is the people's choice: the laws we reverence are our brave forefather's legacy; the faith we follow teaches us to live in peace with all mankind, and die with hopes of bliss beyond the grave! -Tell your invaders this: and tell them, too, we seek no change,—and, least of all, such change as they would offer us. SCENE FROM THE COMEDY OF "MONEY." BULWER. [In dialogues like the following, which are supposed to be copies of the conversation of ordinary life, the style of the speaker should be easy, animated, unrestrained, and free from effort and declamation. Practice of this kind will tend to give grace and variety to his elocution.] SCENE-EVELYN's house in London. EVELYN, a rich man of fashion-STOUT and Glossmore, violent politicians of opposite parties—SHARP, a lawyer. Enter EVELYN, meeting STOUT, who comes in out of breath with haste-SHARP is seated at a desk. Evelyn.-Stout, you look heated! Stout. (With great eagerness, but pompously.)—I hear you've just bought the great Groginhole property. Evelyn. It is true. Sharp says it's a bargain. p* A |