A Room in the House of AURLA.
Enter Piero and FUTELLI, at opposite doors.
Piero. ACCOMPLISHED man of fashion !
Fut. The times' wonder!
Gallant of gallants, Genoa's Piero !
Piero. Italy's darling, Europe's joy, and so forth ! The newest news ? unvamp'd ?!
Fut. I am no footpost, No pedler of avisos, no monopolist or forged corantos, monger of gazettes.
Piero. But, in pure earnest now, my fine Futelli, How trowls the common noise ?
Fut. Auria, who lately
Wedded and bedded to the fair Spinella,
Tired with the enjoyments of delights, is hasting
To cuff the Turkish pirates, in the service
Of the great duke of Florence.
Piero. Blockhead!
To run from such an armful of pleasures,
For gaining—what ?-a bloody nose of honour.
Most sottish and abominable !
Fut. Wicked,
Shameful, and cowardly, I will maintain.
I The newest news ? unvamp'd ?] i. e. fresh, genuine, not patched up. -GIPFORD.
Vol. II.-2
Piero. Is all my signor's hospitality,
Huge banquetings, deep revels, costly trappings,
Shrunk to a cabin, and a single welcome
To beverage and biscuit ?
Fut. Hold thy peace, man;
It makes for us : he comes,
let's part demurely.
[They take different sides. Enter ADURNI and AURIA. Adur. We wish thee, honour'd Auria, life and
safety;
Return crown'd with a victory, whose wreath
Of triumph may advance thy country's glory,
Worthy your name and ancestors !
Aur. My lord,
I shall not live to thrive in any action
Deserving memory, when I forget
Adurni's love and favour.
Piero. I present you
My service for a farewell; let few words
Excuse all arts of compliment.
Fut. For my own part,
Kill or be kill'd (for there's the short and long on't),
Call me your shadow's hench-boy."
Aur. Gentlemen,
My business, urging on a present haste,
Enforceth short reply.
Adur. We dare not hinder
Your resolution wing'd with thoughts so constant.
All happiness!
Piero and Fut. Contents !
[Exeunt ADURNI, Piero, and FUTELLI. Aur. So leave the winter'd people of the north, The minutes of their summer, when the sun Departing leaves them in cold robes of ice, As I leave Genoa.
1 Call me your shadow's hench-boy.) A common expression in our old writers for a page ; a state attendant on court or municipal officers. -GIFFORD.
Enter TRELCATIO, SPINELLA, and CASTANNA.
"
Now appears the object
Of my apprenticed heart: thou bring'st, Spinella,
A welcome in a farewell—souls and bodies
Are sever'd for a time, a span of time,
To join again, without all separation,
In a confirmed unity for ever:
Such will our next embraces be, for life;
And then to take the wreck of our divisions,
Will sweeten the remembrance of past dangers,
Will fasten love in perpetuity,
Will force our sleeps to steal upon our stories.
These days must come, and shall, without a cloud,
Or night of fear, or envy. To your charge,
Trelcatio, our good uncle, and the comfort
Of my Spinella's sister, fair Castanna,
I do intrust this treasure.
Trel. I dare promise
My husbanding that trust with truth and care.
Cast. My sister shall to me stand an example,
Of pouring free devotions for your safety.
Spi. What friend have I left in your absence ?
Aur. Many: Thy virtues are such friends they cannot fai]
thee;
Faith, purity of thoughts, and such a meekness
As would force scandal to a blush.
Spi. Admit, sir,
The patent of your life should be call'd in:
How am I then left to account with griefs,
More slav'd to pity than a broken heart?
Auria! soul of my comforts, I let fall
No eye on breach of fortune; I contemn
No entertainment to divided hopes,
I urge no pressures by the scorn of change;
And yet, my Auria, when I but conceive
How easy 't is (without impossibility)
Never to see thee more, forgive me then,
If I conclude I may be miserable,
Most miserable.
Cast. And such conclusion, sister,
Argues effects of a distrust more voluntary,
Than cause by likelihood.
Aur. 'Tis truth, Castanna.
Spi. I grant it truth; yet, Auria, I'm a woman, And therefore apt to fear: to show my duty, And not to take heart from you, I'll walk from
you
Åt your command, and not so much as trouble
Your thought with one poor looking back.
Aur. I thank thee,
My worthy wife! Before we kiss, receive
This caution from thine Auria: first-Castanna,
Let us bid farewell.
(Cast. walks aside. Spi. Speak, good, speak.
Aur. The steps
Young ladies tread, left to their own discretion,
However wisely printed, are observed,
And construed as the lookers-on presume:
Point out thy ways then in such even paths,
As thine own jealousies from others' tongues
May not intrude a guilt, though undeservid.
Admit of visits as of physic forced,
Not to procure health, but for safe prevention
Against a growing sickness; in thy use
of time and of discourse be found so thrifty,
As no remembrance may impeach thy rest.
Appear not in a fashion that can prompt
The gazer's eye, or holla, to report
Some' widowed neglect of handsome value:
In recreations be both wise and free;
Live still at home, home to thyself, howe'er
Enrich'd with noble company ; remember,
A woman's virtue, in her lifetime, writes
The epitaph all covet on their tombs :
In short, I know thou never wilt forget
Whose wife thou art, or how upon thy lips
Thy husband at his parting seal'd this kiss.-
No more.
[Kisses her. Spi. Dear heaven! go, sister, go.
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