The Nephews: A Play, in Five Acts.Iffland, August Wilhelm
General
The Nephews: A Play, in Five Acts.
Iffland, August Wilhelm
Drama
_Philip._ Stop! [gives the Clerk a paper, which he overlooks, and hands
to the Chancellor]. Read that--[To the company] From my prison I wrote
to our excellent Minister--being released by his warrant, and hearing
from Rose what passed here, I hastened to my noble protector, who gave
me an order by which all farther proceedings here are stopped, and that
wretch is suspended from all his employments, till the justice of his
country shall have decided on the punishment so long due to his
unparalleled crimes. Oh, my good uncle, my dear Drave, we are now safe.
(The Clerk makes off unperceived. The Chancellor starts at the paper,
and continues to read it, as if he would never have done).
_Philip._ You know the hand writing?
_Chancellor_ [folds up the paper with a forced laugh].
_Philip._ Laugh thyself to convulsions, if thou canst.
_Chancellor._ Take care, Sir! take care! [Going.
_Philip_ [stopping him]. I must look thee in the face once more. Thou
art a distinguished villain--Thou hast raised thyself by complicated
knavery, from the dust, to exalted power. Thy soul was the price, and
thou hast paid it.--Under the mask of religion thou hast been the
scourge of many a noble and honest heart.--Now, behold me!--Without
blood, without intrigue, armed only with a just cause, I have levelled
thee with thy original dust. Go; and if thou seriously believest in a
strict trial to come--repent, repent, before the gates of Eternity
close upon thy dark spirit for ever. [Exit Chancellor in manifest
confusion.
_Rose._ Then it is true!
_Philip._ Our Minister has observed him with attention; he has long
suspected--I have given the blow--his fall is inevitable.
_Lewis_ [enters hastily, and embraces Philip]. Oh, my dear brother!
_Philip._ My dear Lewis!
_Rose_ [tenderly]. Would you not have it so? Drave?
_Drave._ Yes, yes.
_Lewis._ I am sensible of my faults, and exerted all my efforts to
repair the mischief I had occasioned: but my brother alone was worthy,
by his virtues, to restore the happiness I had destroyed. Oh, Drave, my
father, much-injured father! my mother--Augusta, my Augusta, can you
forgive? Can repentance----
_Philip._ Drave, he is my brother, and his heart is good.
_Lewis._ Oh, forgive--deny me not this----Augusta, my tutelary angel.
_Drave_ [taking Augusta's hand]. Lewis, I believe your repentance
sincere. Yet, dear as my daughter is, you will not wonder that I should
refuse to resign her to you, till I shall see reason to be satisfied
that you are entirely reformed. I confess, however, that I do not feel
disposed to put your patience to a very long trial. Those downcast
eyes, and this trembling hand, convince me that my decision will be
approved. Take it then, Lewis, [giving him Augusta's hand] and live
with the hope, I might say the certainty, that I shall shortly bestow
it on you for ever.
_Lewis._ Oh, my father! it is more than I deserved, or could have dared
to hope--never will I give you cause to repent of your confidence.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account