_P. Coun._ Sophia,--girl,--soul, to which I know no equal! thou hast raised and again precipitated me to the deepest abyss. You shewed me a glimpse of heaven, and then veiled the bright view from my enraptured sight. Noble, kind, cruel girl! Oh, I could weep as I did in the first impression of love! (throws himself in a chair.) I could weep virtuous tears! Oh! what now am I, what do I now feel! O the power of pure love!--without thee I cannot exist. (Starts up.) Sophia! better being! forget the past, build thy requests upon the future; they commit murder on thy father and me! (Going, meets Counsellor Wellenberg at the door.) SCENE V. Privy Counsellor CLARENBACH, Counsellor WELLENBERG. _Well._ Most honoured Sir. _P. Coun._ What is your pleasure, Sir? _Well._ I am forced, by necessity, to go in quest of you, Sir; the suit of the poor orphans-- _P. Coun._ Is determined; the will is confirmed. _Well._ I know. (Pulls out a paper.) This is the decree. The oftener I peruse it, and the longer I consider it, the more it resembles a poor chest forced open, beat to pieces, and in the end carried off. _P. Coun._ You grow impertinent, Sir. _Well._ No, most honoured Sir! but I am filled with spirit and courage, like an old trusty servant, armed with perseverance and justice in the cause of the orphan, which calls aloud to heaven for redress. That I am, and that you will find me. _P. Coun._ Do you intend to appeal? _Well._ Yes, I do, indeed. _P. Coun._ Well, do so, and leave me. _Well._ No, no; I will not leave you. I appeal to you, most honoured Sir, not _qua judex_, but _qua homo_, _qua homo_, who believes in the day of judgment, and, at the sound of the last trump, would wish to be called to the right; not to be left among the damned, where many an Aulic Counsellor will be found, I am afraid. _P. Coun._ I honour the feelings that animate you, Sir; but they are foreign to the affair. Appeal in form, at-- _Well._ To avoid all _replicas_, _duplicas_, _et fatalia_, that may delay and put off the cause, I will put you an _argumentum_, that, _eo ipso_, shall invalidate your sentence, and re-instate the poor children in their right, assigned to them by God and justice. _P. Coun._ (pauses.) Are you possessed of such an argument? (With surprise.) It will be welcome. _Well._ Indeed! what you should call truly welcome?-- _P. Coun._ By heaven, very welcome! _Well._ Then give me the embrace of a good man, (Privy Counsellor goes to embrace him,) without touching my hands, which at this present time labour under the _chiragra_. (Embraces him.) So our town has doubted your humanity, and been of opinion that it is detained as a prisoner in a gold purse.--You blush;--well, that for a Privy Counsellor is a good sign; I will circulate it among the multitude. Now my _argumentum_ is, that-- SCENE VI. Enter Aulic Counsellor REISSMAN.