English drama -- 17th century; English drama -- Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600
_Mont._ Hold, Charlemont.
Let him revenge my murder and thy wrongs
To whom the justice of revenge belongs. [_Exit._
_Charl._ You torture me between the passion of
My blood and the religion of my soul.
_Sebas._ [_Rising._] A good honest fellow!
_Re-enter_ D'AMVILLE _with_ Officers.
_D'Am._ What, wounded? Apprehend him. Sir, is this
Your salutation for the courtesy
I did you when we parted last? You have
Forgot I lent you a thousand crowns. First, let
Him answer for this riot. When the law
Is satisfied for that, an action for
His debt shall clap him up again. I took
You for a spirit and I'll conjure you
Before I ha' done.
_Charl._ No, I'll turn conjuror. Devil!
Within this circle, in the midst of all
Thy force and malice, I conjure thee do
Thy worst.
_D'Am._ Away with him!
[_Exeunt_ Officers _with_ CHARLEMONT.
_Sebas._ Sir, I have got
A scratch or two here for your sake. I hope
You'll give me money to pay the surgeon.
_D'Am._ Borachio, fetch me a thousand crowns. I am
Content to countenance the freedom of
Your spirit when 'tis worthily employed.
'A God's name, give behaviour the full scope
Of generous liberty, but let it not
Disperse and spend itself in courses of
Unbounded licence. Here, pay for your hurts.
[_Exit._
_Sebas._ I thank you, sir.--Generous liberty!--that is to say, freely
to bestow my abilities to honest purposes. Methinks I should not
follow that instruction now, if having the means to do an honest
office for an honest fellow, I should neglect it. Charlemont lies
in prison for a thousand crowns. Honesty tells me 'twere well done
to release Charlemont. But discretion says I had much ado to come by
this, and when this shall be gone I know not where to finger any more,
especially if I employ it to this use, which is like to endanger me
into my father's perpetual displeasure. And then I may go hang myself,
or be forced to do that will make another save me the labour. No
matter, Charlemont, thou gavest me my life, and that's somewhat of a
purer earth than gold, fine as it is. 'Tis no courtesy, I do thee but
thankfulness. I owe it thee, and I'll pay it. He fought bravely, but
the officers dragged him villanously. Arrant knaves! for using him so
discourteously; may the sins o' the poor people be so few that you sha'
not be able to spare so much out of your gettings as will pay for the
hire of a lame starved hackney to ride to an execution, but go a-foot
to the gallows and be hanged. May elder brothers turn good husbands,
and younger brothers get good wives, that there be no need of debt
books nor use of serjeants. May there be all peace, but i' the war
and all charity, but i' the devil, so that prisons may be turned to
hospitals, though the officers live o' the benevolence. If this curse
might come to pass, the world would say, "Blessed be he that curseth."
[_Exit._
SCENE III.--_Inside a Prison._
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.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account