Yet never see him mine?
Instruct us how to die or[50] I how to live. [She weeps.
Is childishly to beat the air in vain.
These descants on our griefs only perplex;
Let's seek the remedy. You know, our sex
This honour bears from men, in exigents
Of love never to want expedients.
[Porcia takes off Camilla's veil, and puts it on herself.
Run presently, and see whether my brother
Be settled to despatch Antonio's man. [Exit Flora.
I may securely reckon one hour mine;
For he is so extravagantly jealous,
That he distrusts the sense of his own words,
And will weigh a subscription to a scruple,
Lest he should wrong his family by his style:
Therefore, I'll serve myself of[51] this occasion
To see Octavio, and to let him know
That all our hopes are ready to expire,
Unless he finds some prompt expedient
For our relief.
'Tis not far off, and I will venture thither.
Enter Flora hastily.
Into my chamber, cousin. [Exeunt Porcia and Camilla.
Enter Don Henrique and Ernesto.
That I have had the honour to see his bride.
To do his duty to her ere he goes. [Exit Flora.
Stay here: you'll find her with a kinswoman,
In her home dress without a veil; but you
Are privileg'd by your relation for this access:
I'll go despatch my letter. [Exit Henrique.
Enter Camilla, Porcia, and Flora. Ernesto addresses himself to Camilla, seeing her without a veil.
Of seeing your ladyship, to make myself
More welcome to my lord at my return.
Who knows what good this error may produce? [Aside.
Could make him, madam.
I pray present my humble service to him;
And let him know that I am very glad
He has pass'd his journey so successfully—
Give him the letter, Flora.[52] Farewell, friend.
[Exeunt Camilla, Porcia, and Flora.
My master will be ravish'd with her form.
I hope this blind bargain, made by proxy,
May prove as happy a marriage as those
Made after th' old fashion, chiefly for love,
And that this unseen beauty may have charms
To bring him back to his right wits again
From his wild ravings on an unknown dame,
Whom, as he fancies (once upon a time)
He recover'd from a trance, that's to say
From a sound sleep, which makes him dream e'er since.
I'll hasten to him with this pleasing news. [Exit Ernesto.
Enter Camilla, Porcia, and Flora.
From laughing at the formal fool's mistake.
But, tell me, did not I present your person
With rare assurance? The way for both to thrive
Is to make me your representative.
When you your charms shall to his heart apply,
You all your rivals safely may defy.
But, cousin, my despairs are so extreme,
I can't be flatter'd, though but in a dream.
Too much: your brother cannot tarry long,
And if at his return he finds you missing——
What is't o'clock, Flora?
Just as Camilla enter'd the chamber.
My tablets to Octavio; there he'll find
The hour and place where I would have him meet. [Exit Flora.
Your meeting.
Which answers, as you know, to my apartment;
And Flora has the key of the back-door.
[Flora returns veiled.
[Porcia writes in her tablets.
May chance to see your faithful lover Diego.
Without a rival, madam.
For could we see his image in your heart,
'Twould be a fairer far than e'er his glass
Reflected.
That I should doat.
Dotage and love are cousin-germans, Flora.
For else I think they're not so near akin.
Should I not play my part, I were to blame,
Since all my fortune's betted on her game. [Aside.
Madam, has Octavio the other key
Belonging to the tablets?
Divert us with a song.
Enter Page.
With his lute, and send in somebody with chairs.
Enter Mirabel and Floridor.
The Song.[54]
To persuade me to fly?
'Tis cruel-kind for my own sake
To counsel me to die;
Like those faint souls, who cheat themselves of breath,
And die for fear of death.
And you the object lov'd,
Let's, Luciamira, end this strife,
I cease to be remov'd.
We know not what they do are gone from hence,
But here we love by sense.
[Exeunt Mirabel and Floridor.
Untun'd by trouble, cannot bear a part!
'Tis only from within where quiet springs. [Exeunt.
FOOTNOTES:
[39] In this list of characters three very unimportant personages, Mirabel, Floridor, and a Page, are omitted.—Collier.
[40] This play, in the third edition from which it is here printed, received some additions and improvements. The first performance of it was at court; and on its appearance on the stage at the Duke's Theatre it met with great applause, and was acted thirteen nights successively. Echard, in the preface to his translation of Terence, gives it this general character, that it "is one of the pleasantest stories that ever appeared upon our stage, and has as much variety of plots and intrigues, without anything being precipitated, improper or unnatural, as to the main action." In the year 1767, Mr Hull made some alterations in it, with which it was acted at Covent Garden Theatre about nine nights, under the title of "The Perplexities." To the second edition were prefixed complimentary verses by James Long, J. Evelyn, A. Cowley Jasper Nedham, M.D., Lod. Carlile, Chr. Wase, William Joyner, and one copy signed Melpomene. In Sir Wm. Davenant's Works, p. 339, is a prologue written by him, addressed to the Lord Chancellor, on the acting of this play at the Inner Temple.
[41] Till now the measure was spoiled by the omission of the word all. The four editions read the line as it now stands. The play has been hitherto very carelessly printed, and a few of the errors are pointed out in the notes.—Collier. [But it must be added that even Mr Collier left the text and (more particularly) the punctuation in so corrupt a state, that many passages were unintelligible.]
[42] [Former edits., and.]
[43] Prior has adopted this image—
And from the hostile camp withdrew,
He backward sent the fatal reed,
Secure of conquest as he flew."
—Poems, i. 40, edit. 1778.
[44] This speech is very much altered from the first and second editions, where it stands that Don Henrique has already married Porcia
To one in Flanders."
—Collier.
[45] This word was omitted by Reed and Dodsley.—Collier.
[46] The author has not been very strict in the observance of his metre in any part of the play, and in this respect the changes he made in the third edition were sometimes injurious. Thus in the two earlier copies this line, which would have read very well if in had been substituted for during, is given as follows—
"And what was done in this parenthesis."
It was a point gained, however, to get rid of the figure.—Collier.
[47] [I'll pledge you. See Nares, edit. 1859, p. 216.]
[48] [Literally a bottle. See Halliwell in v.]
[49] [Cupboard beds, similar to those still used throughout Holland among the humbler classes.]
[50] [Former edits., and.]
[51] [Former edits., on.]
[52] This is hardly intelligible, as it stands here and in the third edition. In the two earlier copies, Porcia says to Flora on entering—
Before my brother come, and give him this.
[She gives Flora a letter."
—Collier. [There does not appear to be any obscurity here. In a subsequent scene, Ernesto delivers the letter handed to him by Flora from Camilla, whom he mistakes for Porcia.]
[53] [Of himself seems to be used here in the sense of by himself, per se, standing alone.]
[54] The song, and its introduction, were new in the copy of 1671.—Collier.