Mr. Leer. Here, madam, (giving her the box,) is what I have won this day, and I find I won it of your husband.' But it is now yours, I fcorn to violate my promife. Here is the whole in mortgages and bank notes. Take it. Mrs Kep. This, Mr. Keppel, is now mine. (She takes it) Mr. Kep Certainly. Mrs. Kep. Accept the whole then as a prefent from me, I will not be denied. Mr. Kep. I am fo furprized I can fcarcely breathe. O my excellent wife! How has thy tender treatment, thy patience and thine amiable virtues, reclaimed me at laft from the odious vice of gaming! Thus narrowly have I efcaped the horrors of defpair and the gulf of ruin! I do Solemnly proteft, I will never touch a card again. For I do verily believe that gaming and its attendant vices, have deftroyed more men than the fword, peftilence and fam (He takes the box and all withdraw) ine. • CHAPTER CII. CANUTE'S REPROOF TO HIS COURTIERS. CANUTE, O.WALD and OFFA, Canute. King of England. Courtiers. S it true, my friends, what you have so often Offa. It is true my liege; you are the most powerful of all kings. Oswald. We are all your flaves; we kifs the dust of your feet. Offa. Not only we, but even the elements, are your Alaves. The land obeys you from fhore to fhore; and the fea obeys you Cunute. Does the fea with its boisterous waves obey me? Will that terrible element be ftill at my bidding? Offa. Yes, the fea is yours; it was made to bear your fhips upon its bofom, and to pour the teafures of the world at your royal feet. It is boisterous to your enemies, but it knows you to be its fovereign. Canute. Is not the tide coming up? Ofwald. Yes, my liege; you may perceive the fwell already. Canut. Bring me a chair then; fet it here upon the fands. Off. Where the tide is coming up, my gracious lord? Ofald (aside.) I wonder what he is going to do! Offa. (afide.) Surely he is not fuch a fooi as to believe us ! Canute. O mighty ocean! thou art my fubject; my courtiers tell me fo; and it is then thy bounden duty to obey me. Thus, then, I ftretch my fceptre over thee, and command thee to retire. Roll back thy fwel ing waves, nor let them prefume to wet the feet of me, thy royal master. Ofwald. (afide.) I believe the fea will pay very little re gard to his royal commands. Offa. See how falt the tide rifes ! Ufwald. The next wave will come up to the chair. It is folly to ftay; we shall be covered with falt water. Canute. Well, does the fea obey my commands? If it be my fubject, it is a very rebellious fubject. See how it rifes, and dalhes the angry foam and falt fpray over my facred perfon. Vile fycophants! did you think I was the dupe of your bafe lies that I believed your abject flatteries? Know, there is but one being whom the sea will obey. He is fovereign of heaven and earth, king of kings, and lord of lords. It is only he who can fay to the ocean," Thus far fhalt thou go, but no farther, and here fhall thy proud waves be ftayed." A king is but a man : and man is but a worm. Shall a worm aflume the pow. er of the great God, and think the elements will obey him? Take away this crown, I will never wear it more. May kings learn to be humble from my example, and courtiers learn truth from your difgrace, vile flatterers of a worm! CHAPTER CIII. THE TWO ROBBERS. SCENE. Alexander the Great in his tent. Guards. A Robber with a fierce countenance, chained and fettered, brought before him. Alex WHAT, art thou the Thracian robber, of whofe exploits I have heard fo much? Rob. I am a Thracian and a foldier. Alex. A foldier!-you mean a thief, a plunderer, as affaffin the peft of the country! I could honour thy courage, but I must deteft and punish thy crimes. Rob. What have I done, of which you can complain? Alex. Haft thou not fet at defiance my authority; violated the public peace, and paffed thy life in injuring the perfons and properties of thy fellow fubjects? Rob. Alexander! I am your captive-I must therefore hear what you pleafe to fay, and endure what you please to inflict. But my foul is unconquered; and if I reply at all to your reproaches. I will reply like a free man. Alex. Speak freely. Far be it from me to take the advantage of my power to filence those with whom 1 deign to converfe! Rob. I must then anfwer your question by asking an other. How have you paffed your life? Alex. Like a Hero. Ask fame, and fhe will tell you. Among the brave, I have been the braveft! among fovereigns, the nobleft; among conquerors, the mightieft. Rob. And does not fame fpeak of me, too? Was there ever a bolder captain of a more valiant band? Was there ever-but I fcorn to boaft You yourself know that 1 have not been easily subdued. Alex. Still, what are you but a robber—a base, dishones robber? Rob. And what is a conqueror? Have not you, too, gone about the earth like an evil genius, blafting the fair fruits of peace and industry; plundering, ravaging, kill. ing without law, without juftice, merely to gratify an infatiable luft for dominion? All that I have done to a fingle diftria with a hundred followers, you have done to whole nations, with a hundred thoufand If I have ftripped individuals, you have ruined princes and kings. If I have burned a few hamlets, you have defolated the most flourishing kingdoms and cities of the earth. What is then the difference, but that as you were born a king, and I a private man, you have been able to become a mightier rob. ber than I? Alex. But if I have taken like a king, I have given like a king. If I have fubverted empires, I have founded greater. I have cherished arts, commerce, and philofophy. Rob. I, too, have freely given to the poor, what I took from the rich. I have established order and discipline among the moft ferocious of mankind; and have stretched out my protecting arm over the oppreffed. I know, indeed, little of the philofophy you talk of, but I believe neither you nor I thall ever repay to the world the mischiefs we have done it. Alex. Leave me--take off his chains, and ufe him well. Robber goes away) Are we (Alex. alone) then fo much alike? Alexander like a robber? Alas! too true. Let me reflect. I feel the force of his remarks, and am convinced that injuflice, tyrranny, and oppreffion, are still the fame, whether committed by a private robber or by a king upon the throne. CHAPTER CIV. ALMAGRO, GOMEZ, PIZARRO, DAVILLA, AND ELVIRA, SCENE I. How, Almagro OW, Gomez! what bringest thou? Gomez. On yonder hill among the palm trees we have furprized an old cacique; efcape by flight he could not, and we feized him and his attendants unrefifting: yet lips breathe nought but bitterness and scorn. Pizarro. Drag him before us, his What (enter Orozembo, guarded) art thou, ftranger? Oro. First tell me which among you is the captain of this band of robbers. Piz. Ha! Alm. Madman! tear out his tongue, or elfe➡ Dav. (Shewing a dagger.) Shall I not plunge this into his heart? Oro (To Pizarro.) Does your army boaft many fuch heroes as this?' Piz. Audacious! This infolence has fealed thy doom. Die thou halt, grey headed ruffian. But first confefs what thou knoweft. Oro I know that of which thou haft juft affured me, that I fhall die. Piz Lefs audacity perhaps might have preferved thy life. Oro My life is as a withered tree; it is not worth preferving. Piz. Hear me, ok' man. Even now we march against the Peruvian army. We know there is a secrét path that leads to your ftrong hold among the rocks; guide us to that, and name thy reward, if wealth be thy with. Oro Ha ha ha! ha! Piz. Doft thou despise my offer! Oro. Thou and thy offer! Wealth! I have the wealth of two dear galtant fons. I have ftored in heaven the riches which repay good actions here; and fill my chief treafure do I bear about me Piz What is that? inform me. Oro. I will, for it never can be thine; the treasure of a pure, unfullied confcience. Piz I believe there is no other Peruvian who dares *fpeak as thou doft. Oro. Would I could believe there is no other Spaniard who dares act as thou doft. Gom. Obdurate Pagan! how numerous is your army? Alm. Which is the weakest part of your camp? Oro. It has no weak part; on every fide it is fortified by justice. Piz. Where have you concealed your wives and children ? Oro. In the hearts of their husbands and their fathers, Oro. Know him! Alonzo! know him! our nation's bene factor! the guardian angel of Peru 1 |