The Same.
Enter Antonio and Alberto. Clarina and Ismena listen.
Alb. Once more, Antonio, welcome back to Court.
Ant. Oh my dear Friend, I long’d for thy Embraces;
— How goes the Game I left with thee to play?
What says my Wife, my beautiful Clarina?
Alb. Clarina! —
Ant. Yes, Clarina, have you not seen her yet?
I left the Court on purpose, for ’twas not handsome
For me to introduce you,
Lest she had look’d upon’t as some design.
Alb. Seen her — yes —
Ant. And I conjur’d her too, to give you freedoms
Even equal to Antonio;
As far as I durst press with modesty,
And with pretence of Friendship;
And have you not attempted her?
Alb. Yes — but ’tis in vain.
Ant. Oh villanous Dissembler!
[Aside.
Alb. She’s cruel, strangely cruel,
And I’m resolv’d to give the Courtship o’er.
Ant. Sure, Friend, thou hast not us’d thy wonted power.
Alb. Yes, all that I know I’m master of, I us’d.
Ant. But didst thou urge it home? did she not see
Thy Words and Actions did not well agree?
Canst thou dissemble well? didst cry and melt,
As if the pain you but express’d, you felt?
Didst kneel, and swear, and urge thy Quality,
Heightning it too with some Disgrace on me?
And didst thou too assail her feeble side?
For the best bait to Woman is her Pride;
Which some mis-call her Guard:
Didst thou present her with the set of Jewels?
For Women naturally are more inclin’d
To Avarice, than Men: pray tell me, Friend.
— Vile Woman! did she take them —
Alb. I never ask’d her that.
Clar. Poor Antonio, how I pity him.
[Aside.
Ant. No!
Alb. No, I’ve done enough to satisfy thy Jealousy.
Here, take your set of Jewels back again;
[Gives a Box.
Upon my Life Clarina is all Chastity.
Ant. I were the happiest Man on Earth, were this but true;
But what are single Courtships? — give her these,
Which will assist thy Tongue to win her Heart;
And that once got, the other soon will follow;
There’s far more Women won by Gold than Industry:
Try that, my dear Alberto,
And save thy Eyes the trouble of dissembling.
Alb. Content thee here, and do not tempt thy Fate,
I have regard unto thy Honour, Friend;
And should she yield, as Women are no Gods,
Where were thy future Joys?
What is’t could make thee happy, or restore
That true Contentment which thou hadst before?
Alas! thou tempt’st me too, for I am frail,
And Love above my Friendship may prevail.
Ant. This will not do;
No, as thou art my Friend, and lov’st my Honour,
Pursue Clarina further;
Rally afresh, and charge her with this Present,
Disturb her every night with Serenades;
Make Love-Songs to her, and then sing them too;
Thou hast a Voice enough alone to conquer.
Alb. Fool, Antonio!
[Aside.
Ant. Come, wilt thou undertake it once again?
Alb. I would not.
Ant. I am resolv’d to get this tryal made,
And if thou dost refuse thy Amity,
I’ll try a Friend more willing, though less faithful;
With thee my Wife and Honour too are safe,
For should she yield, and I by that were lost,
‘Twere yet some ease,
That none but thou wert witness to’t.
Alb. Well, if it must be done, I’ad rather do’t,
Than you should be expos’d to th’ scorn of others.
Ant. Spoke like my noble Friend;
Come dine with her to day, for I must leave you,
And give you all the opportunity
A real Lover wishes with a Mistress.
Ism. So we have heard enough.
[Ex. Clar. and Ism.
Ant. Oh, were Clarina chaste, as on my Soul
I cannot doubt, more than that I believe
All Womankind may be seduc’d from Virtue;
I were the Man of all the World most bless’d
In such a Wife, and such a Friend as thou.
Alb. But what if I prevail, Antonio?
Ant. Then I’ll renounce my faith in Womankind,
And place my satisfaction in thy Amity.
— But see, she comes, I’ll leave you to your task.
Enter Ismena and Isabella.
Ism. Antonio not yet gone —
This must secure me.
[Pulls down her Veil.
Ant. Clarina, why thus clouded?
Isab. I see he has most happily mistaken.
Ism. I was going, Sir, to visit Laura —
Ant. You must not go, I’ve business to the Duke,
And you must entertain my Friend till my return;
It is a freedom not usual here amongst Ladies,
But I will have it so;
Whom I esteem, I’ll have you do so too.
Ism. Sir, I am all obedience.
[Exit Antonio, she pulls off her Veil; Alberto salutes her
with seeming lowness.
Alb. Oh, how my Soul’s divided
Between my Adoration and my Amity!
[Aside.
Friendship, thou sacred band, hold fast thy Interest;
For yonder Beauty has a subtle power,
And can undo that knot, which other Arts
Could ne’er invent a way for.
Enter Antonio, and listens at the Door.
Ant. I’ll see a little how he behaves himself.
[Aside.
Alb. But she’s Antonio’s Wife; my Friend Antonio.
[Aside.
A Youth that made an Interest in my Soul,
When I had Language scarce to express my sense of it.
Ant. Death! he speaks not to her.
[Aside.
Alb. So grew we up to Man, and still more fixt;
And shall a gaudy Beauty,
A thing which t’other day I never saw,
Deprive my Heart of that kind Heat,
And place a new and unknown Fire within?
[Aside.
Clarina, ’tis unjust.
Ism. Sir, did you speak to me?
Alb. I have betray’d my self —
[Aside.
Madam, I was saying how unjust it was
Antonio should leave me alone with a Lady,
Being certainly the worst to entertain them in the World.
Ant. His Face assures me he speaks of no Love to her now.
Ism. Alas, he speaks not to me.
Sure Isabella was mistaken, who told me that he lov’d me.
— Alberto, if thou art oblig’d to me,
[Aside.
For what I have not yet observ’d in thee,
Oh, do not say my Heart was easily won,
But blame your Eyes, whose forces none can shun.
Ant. Not a word, what can he mean by this?
Ism. Sir, will you please to sit a while?
Isab. Madam, the inner Chamber is much better,
For there he may repose upon the Cushions
Till my Lord’s return; I see he is not well —
— And you are both sick of one Disease.
[Aside.
Alb. I thank you, here’s more Air,
— And that I need, for I am all on fire,
[Aside.
And every Look adds fuel to my flame.
— I must avoid those Eyes, whose Light misguides me:
— Madam, I have some business calls me hence,
And cannot wait my Friend’s return.
Ism. Antonio, Sir, will think ’tis my neglect
That drove you hence; pray stay a little longer.
Alb. You shall command me, if you can dispense
With so dull Company.
Ism. I can with any thing Antonio loves.
Alb. Madam, it is a Virtue that becomes you;
For though your Husband should not merit this,
Your Goodness is not less to be admir’d;
But he’s a Man so truly worth your Kindness,
That ‘twere a Sin to doubt
Your Passion for him were not justly paid.
Ism. Sir, I believe you, and I hope he thinks
That my opinion of him equals yours;
’Tis plain he loves me not;
[Aside.
Perhaps his Virtue, thinking me Clarina,
May hide the real Passion of his Soul.
Oh Love, what dangerous Paths thou mak’st us tread!
Ant. Cold, cold as Devotion, oh inhuman Friendship!
[Aside.
Alb. What shall I do next? I must either be rude,
And say nothing, or speak of Love to her;
And then, my Friend, thou’rt lost should I prevail,
And I’m undone should she not hear my Tale,
Which for the World I would not have her hear;
And yet I fear my Eyes too much declare.
Ism. Since he’s in so ill an Humour, let’s leave him,
I’m satisfy’d now that thou’rt mistaken.
[Ex. Ismena and Isabella unseen.
Alb. But they shall gaze no more on hers,
Nor stray beyond the limits of a just Salute.
— I will my Honour to my Love prefer,
And my Antonio shall out-rival her.
[Looks about, and misses them.
— Ah, am I left alone! how frail is Man!
That which last Moment I resolv’d upon,
I find my Heart already disapprove,
And grieve her loss; can this be ought but Love?
My Soul’s dissatisfy’d now she is gone,
And yet but now I wish’d to be alone.
— Inform me, Love, who shares the better part,
Friendship, or thee, in my divided Heart.
[Offers to go.
Enter Antonio, and stays him.
Ant. Whither in such haste?
Thou look’st e’en as sad as a Lover repuls’d,
I fear that Fate’s not thine.
Alb. Now for a lye to satisfy him.
[Aside.
Prithee discharge me of this toil of dissembling,
Of which I grow as weary as she’s of hearing it.
Ant. Indeed!
Alb. Sure thou hast a design to make her hate me.
Ant. Do you think so in earnest, why, was she angry?
Alb. Oh! hadst thou seen her pretty blushing Scorn,
Which she would fain have hid,
Thou wouldst have pitied what I made her suffer.
Ant. Is’t possible!
And didst present her with the Box of Jewels?
Alb. Yes.
Ant. And kneel, and cry and swear, and —
Alb. All, all.
Ant. I hardly gave thee time for so much Courtship,
— But you are sure she was displeased with it?
Alb. Extremely.
Ant. Enough, Alberto; adieu to thee and Friendship.
Alb. What mean you?
Ant. Ask your own Guilt, it will inform thee best.
Alb. Thou canst not think Clarina has abus’d thee.
Ant. I do not think she has, nor have you try’d her;
In that you have not only disoblig’d me,
But now you would impose upon my Weakness
— Did I not see how unconcern’d you were,
And hardly paying her a due respect;
And when she even invited thee to speak,
Most rudely thou wert silent?
Alb. Be calm, Antonio, I confess my error,
And hate that Virtue taught me to deceive thee;
— Here, take my Hand, —
I’ll serve you in good earnest.
Ant. And now I do believe thee,
Go — thou shalt lose no time, I must away,
My Soul’s in torment, till I am confirm’d
Of my Clarina’s Virtue;
I do believe thou hast a generous Shame,
For what thou’st said and done to me thy Friend.
For could I doubt thy Love, oh, how ridiculous
This act of mine would seem!
But ’tis to thee, as to my Soul I come,
Disputing every petty Crime and Doubt.
Alb. Antonio, if there need an Oath between us —
Ant. No, I credit thee; go in,
And prithee dress thy Eyes in all their Charms;
For this uncertainty disturbs me more,
Than if I knew Clarina were a — Whore.
[Exeunt severally.