Mungo. And if de house was a fire, we none of us get out to save ourselves. Lean. Well, madam, not to disappoint you and the young lady, I know the back of your garden wall, and I'll undertake to get up at the outside of it, if you can let me down on the other. Ursula. Do you think you could with your lame leg? Lean. O yes, madam, I'm very sure. Ursula. Then, by my faith, you shall! for now I am set on't- -A padlock! Mungo, come with me into the garden. [Exeunt MUNGO and URSULA. Leo. Pray let me go with you! Lean. Stay, charming creature! why will you fly the youth that adores you? Leo. Oh, Lord! I'm frighted out of my wits! Lean. Have you not taken notice, beauteous Leonora, of the pilgrim, who has so often met you at church? I am that pilgrim; one who would change shapes as often as Proteus, to be blessed with a sight of you. ACT II. SCENE I.-A Hall in DON DIEGO's House. Enter LEANDER in a rich Habit, URSULA following. Ursula. Oh, shame! out upon't! sir, talk to me no more; I, that have been famed throughout all Spain, as I may say, for virtue and discretion; the very flower and quintessence of duennas; you have cast a blot upon me; a blot upon my reputation, that was as fair as a piece of white paper; and now I shall be reviled, pointed at; nay, men will call me filthy names upon your account! Lean. What filthy names will they call you? Ursula. They'll say I'm an old procuress. Lean. Fie, fie! men know better things; begides, though I have got admittance into your house, be assured I shall commit no outrage here; and if I have been guilty of any indiscretion, let love be my excuse. Ursula. Well, as I live, he's a pretty young fellow! Aside Lean. You, my sweet Ursula, have known what it is to be in love; and, I warrant, have had admirers often at your feet; your eyes still retain fire enough to tell me that. Ursula. They tell you no lie; for, to be sure, when I was a young woman, I was greatly sought after; nay, it was reported that a youth died for love of me; one Joseph Perez, a tailor by trade, of the greyhound make, lank; and, if my me mory fail me not, his right shoulder, about the breadth of my hand, higher than his left: but he was upright as an arrow; and, by all accounts, one of the finest workmen at a button-hole ! Lean. But where is Leonora ? Ursula. Where is she! By my troth, I have shut her up in her chamber, under three bolts, and a double lock. Lean. And will you not bring us together? Ursula. Who, I! How can you ask me such question? Really, sir, I take it extremely unkind. Lean. Well, but you misapprehend Ursula. I told you just now, that if you mentioned that to me again, it would make me sick; and so it has turned me upside down as it werc. Lean. Indeed, my best friend Ursula. Oh, oh! hold me, or I shall fall. Ursula. And do you feel any compassion for me? Lean. I do, I do. Ursula. Why, truly, you have a great deal to answer for, to bring tears into my eyes at this time o'day. I'm sure they are the first I have shed, since my poor dear husband's death. Lean. Nay, don't think of that now. Ursula. For you must understand, sir, to play a trick upon a grave, discreet matron-And yet, after all, by my faith, I don't wonder you should love the young thing under my care; for it is one the sweetest conditioned souls that ever I was acquainted with; and, between ourselves, our Donn-ee is too old for such a babe. Lean. Ursula, take this gold. Lean. Only for the love of me. Ursula. Nay, if that be all, I won't refuse it, for I love you, I assure you; you put me so much in mind of my poor dear husband. He was a handsome man! I remember he had a mole between his eye brows, about the bigness of a hazel nut; but, I must say, you have the advantage in the lower part of the countenance. Lean. The old beldam grows amorousUrsula. Lord love you, you're a well-looking young man! Lean. But, Leonora. Mungo. Ah, massa! You brave massa now what you do here wid de old woman? ! Lean. Where is your young mistress, Mungo? Mungo. By Gog, she lock her up. But why you no tell me before time, you a gentleman? Lean. Sure I have not given the purse for nothing! Mungo. Purse! What! you giving her money den? Curse her impurance, why you no give it me? you give me something as well as she.You know, massa, you see me first. Lean. There, there-are you content? Mungo. Me get supper ready, and now me go to de cellar-But I say, massa, ax de old man now, what good him watching do, him bolts, and him bars, him walls, and him padlock? Lean. Hist! Leonora comes. Mungo. But, massa, you say you teach me play? Let me, when my heart a sinking, Such moosic he make, Wid de toot, toot, toot, Of a merry flute, And tymbalo, To boot: We dance and we sing, Till we make a house ring, And, tied in his garters, old massa may swing. [Exit MUNGO. Enter LEONORA and URSULA. Lean. Oh, charming Leonora! how shall I express the rapture of my heart on this occasion? I almost doubt the kindness of that chance which has brought me thus happily to see, to speak to you, without restraint. Ursula. Well, but it must not be without restraint; it can't be without restraint; it can't, by my faith!-now you are going to make me sick again. Leo. La, Ursula, I durst to say, the gentleman doesn't want to do me any harm- -Do you, sir? I'm sure I would not hurt a hair of his head, nor nobody's else, for the lucre of the whole world. Ursula. Come, sir, where is your lute? You shall see me dance a saraband; or, if you'd ra ther have a song-or the child and I will move a minuet, if you chuse grace before agility. Lean. This fulsome harridan Leo. I don't know what's come over her, sir; | ing for love of you; can you fiud in your heart I never saw the like of her, since I was born. Lean. I wish she was at the devil! Leo. Ursula, what's the matter with you? Ursula. What's the matter with me! Marry come up, what's the matter with you? Signior Diego can't shew such a shape as that; well, there is nothing I like better to see than a young fellow with a well made leg. Lean. Pr'ythee, let us go away from her. Leo. I don't know how to do it, sir. Lean. Nothing more easy; I will go with my guitar into the garden; 'tis moon-light; take an opportunity to follow me there: I sware to you, beautiful and innocent creature, you have nothing to apprehend. Leo. No, sir, I am certain of that, with a gentleman such as you are; and that have taken so much pains to come after me; and I should hold myself very ungrateful, if I did not do any thing to oblige you, in a civil way. Lean. Then you'll come? Leo. I'll do my best endeavours, sir. Lean. And may I hope that you love me? Leo. I don't know; as to that, I can't say. Ursula. Come, come, what colloguing's here? I must see how things are going forward; besides, sir, you ought to know, that it is not manners to be getting into corners, and whispering before company; Lean. Pshaw! Ursula. Let me sit down a little : come hither, child, I am going to give you good advice; therefore listen to me, for I have more years over my head than you. Leo. Well, and what then? Ursula. What then? Marry, then you must mind what I say to you--as I said before-but, I say what was I saying? Leo. I'm sure I don't know. Ursula. You see the young man that is gone out there; he has been telling me, that he's dy to let him expire? Leo. I'm sure I won't do any thing bad. Ursula. Why, that's right; you learned that from me; have I not said to you a thousand times, never do any thing bad? Have not I said it ? Answer me that. Leo. Well, and what then? Ursula. Very well, listen to me; your guardian is old, and ugly, and jealous; and yet he may live longer than a better man. Leo. He has been very kind to me, for all that, Ursula, and I ought to strive to please him. Ursula There again! have not I said to you a thousand times, that he was very kind to you, and you ought to strive to please him? It would be a hard thing to be preaching from morning till night without any profit. Leo. Well, Ursula, after all, I wish this gentleman had never got into the house; Heaven send no ill comes of it! Ursula. Ay, I say so, too; Heaven send it; but I'm cruelly afraid; for how shall we get rid of him? he'll never be able to crawl up the inside of the wall, whatever he did the out. Leo. O Lord! Won't he? Ursula. No, by my conscience, won't be ; and when your guardian comes in, if we had fifty necks a-piece, he'd twist them every one, if he finds him here. For my part, the best I expect, is to end my old days in a prison. Leo. You don't say so! Ursula. I do indeed; and it kills me to think of it; but every one has their evil day, and this has been mine. Leo. I have promised to go to him into the garden. Ursula. Nay, you may do any thing now, for we are undone; though I think, if you could persuade him to get up the chimney, and stay on the roof of the house till to-morrow night, we might then steal the keys from your guardian; but I'm afraid you won't be able to persuade him. Leo. I'll go down upon my knees. Ursula. Find him out, while I step up stairs. [Exit. SCENE II.-Inside of DCN DIEGO's House. Enter DON DIEGO, groping his way, with the Don Diego. All dark, all quiet; gone to bed, and fast asleep, I warrant them. However, I am not sorry that I altered my first intention of staying out the whole night; and meeting Leonora's father on the road was, at any rate, a lucky incident. I will not disturb them; but, since I have let myself in with my master-key, go softly to bed; I shall be able to strike a light; and then, I think, I may say my cares are over.Good Heavens! what a wonderful deal of uneasiness may mortals avoid by a little prudence! I doubt not now, there are some men who would have gone out in my situation, and trusting to the goodness of Fortune, left their house and their honour in the care of an inexperienced girl, or the discretion of a mercenary servant. While he is abroad, he is tormented with fears and jeaJousies; and when he returns home, he probably finds disorder, and, perhaps, shame. But what do I do?-I put a padlock on my door, and all is safe. Enter MUNGO from the Cellar, with a Flask in one Hand, and a Candle in the other. Mungo. Tol, lol, lol, lol. Don Diego. Hold ! did not I hear a noise? Don Diego. Heaven and earth! what do I see! Mungo. Where are you, young massa, and missy? Here wine for supper. Don Diego. I'm thunder-struck! Mungo. My old massa little tink we be so merry-hic-hic-What's the matter with me, the room turn round. Don Diego. Wretch! do you know me? Don Diego. Go, lie down in your stye and sleep! Mungo. Sleep! sleep you self; you drunkha, ha, ha! look, a padlock; you put a padlock on a door again, will you?-Ha, ha, ha ! Don Diego. Did not I hear music? Mungo. Hic-hic Don Diego. Was it not the sound of a guitar? Give me hand; you're old rascal——————an't you? Mungo. Yes, he play on de guitar rarely I'm in a cold sweat; a mist comes over my eyes; Don Diego. What dreadful shock affects me! and my knees knock together, as if I had got a fit of the shaking palsy. Mungo. I tell you a word in your earDon Diego. Has any stranger broke into my house? Mungo. Yes; by-hic-a fine young gentle- them togeder. Don Diego. Confusion! distraction! I shall run mad! O wherefore this terrible flurry! My heart in my bosom a bumping, Is't a spectre I see! My senses deceive me ; Soon reason will leave me : What a wretch am I destined to be. [Exeunt. Don Diego. Horrid creature what makes | SCENE III.-A Room in DoN DIEGO's House. you here at this time of night? is it with a design to surprise the innocents in their beds, and murder them sleeping? Mungo. Hush, hush-make no noise- -hic -hic. Don Diego. The slave is intoxicated! Mungo. Make no noise, I say; dere's young gentleman wid young lady; he play on guitar, and she like him better dan she like you. Fal, lal, lal. Don Diego, Monster, I'll make an example of you! Mungo. What you call me names for, you old dog? Don Diego. Does the villain dare to lift bis hand against me! Mungo. Will you fight! Don Diego. He's mad! MUNGO, URSULA, LEANDER, LEONORA. Ursula. O shame, monstrous! you drunken, swab, you have been in the cellar, with a plague to you! Mungo. Let me put my hands about your neck Ursula. Oh, I shall be ruined! Help, help! ruin, ruin! Lean, Goodness me, what's the matter? Ursula. O dear child, this black villain has frightened me out of my wits; he has want ed Mungo. Me! curse a heart, I want noting wid her-what she say I want for Leo. Ursula, the gentleman says he has some friends waiting for him at the other side of the Mungo. Dere's one in de house you little tink. garden wall, that will throw him over a ladder Gad, he do you business! made of ropes, which he got up by. Don Diego. Leonora, what am I to think of this? Leo. Oh, dear sir, don't kill me! Don Diego. Young man, who are you, who have thus clandestinely, at an unseasonable hour, broke into my house? Am I to consider you as a robber, or how? Lean. As one, whom love has made indiscreet; one, whom love taught industry and art to compass his designs. I love the beautiful Leonora, and she me; but, farther than what you hear and see, neither one nor the other have been culpable. Mungo. Hear him, hear him! Lean. Don Diego, you know my father well; Don Alphonso de Luna. I am a scholar of this university, and am willing to submit to whatever punishment he, through your means, shall inflict; but wreak not your vengeance here. Don Diego. Thus, then, my hopes and cares are at once frustrated! Possessed of what I thought a jewel, I was desirous to keep it for myself; I raised up the walls of this house to a great height; I barred up my windows towards the street; I put double bolts on my doors; I banished all that had the shadow of man, or male kind; and I stood continually centinel over it myself, to guard my suspicion from surprise: thus secure, I left my watch for one little moment, and in that moment Leo. Pray, pray, guardian, let me tell you the story, and you'll find I am not to blame. Don Diego. No, child, I only am to blame, who should have considered, that sixteen and sixty agree ill together. But, though I was too old to be wise, I am not too old to learn; and so, I say, send for a smith directly, beat all the grates from my windows, take the locks from my doors, and let egress and regress be given freely. Leo. And will be Don Diego. No, child, I will give you to one that will make you a better husband: here, young man, take her. If your parents consent, to morrow shall see you joined in the face of the church; and the dowry, which I promised her, in case of failure on my side of the contract, shall now go with her as a marriage portion. Lean. Signior, this is so generous Don Diego. No thanks; perhaps I owe acknowledgements to you: but you, Ursula, have no excuse, no passion to plead, and your age should have taught you better. I'll give you five hundred crowns, but never let me see you |