MARCHIONESS. What's to be done?-Not for myself, I care; but for this tender pledge.-Oh! but a little month ago he had a father,1, a husband to console mebut now!-Rosa, had I not better cease the vain pursuit, and die e'en here? ROSA No, madam, to-morrow's sun shall show us Barcelona, and there perhaps-Oh! this vile usurper!-to seize the marquis so suddenly, and send him heav'n knows whither, only to gratify his love for you-I'll tell you what, ma'am, take my advice, and stain and spoil your complexion; for I know, by experience, that nothing is more dangerous and troublesome, than downright perfect beauty. MARCHIOXESS. Villain! But I've escaped his snares, and he may rob me of my happiness-my life but never of my honour! No, my Alphonso!--and should we meet again-Oh! the time has been, when every soldier would have rais'd his arm to save the hero he ador'd. ROSA. So it has, ma'am,-and were the enemy at hand SONG ROSA. Should the trumpet sound to battle, Man claims the right Yet Yet every hero's fate is common, At breaches too we're quite at home, We make our feints with great success, At storming and assaulting too, Should the trumpet, &c. ROSA, And now, ma'am, let us be moving; for we shall never find the marquis at this rate. Come, and fortune be our guide. [As they are going, Enter several PIRATES. QUARTETTO AND CHORUS. ARABBO, MARCHIONESS. ROSA and PIRATES. FIRST PIRATE. Hold! obey us, or you die. SECOND PIRATE. To our vessel-come,-comply CHORUS. CHORUS. Or fall by pirates' hands. ARABBO Enters. ARABBO. Forbear! forbear! Oh let no man Look, 'tis Arabbo that commands. Pirates retire up the stage.] Your fears, O lady, lay aside, MARCHIONESS. He knows us- he knows us-Oh, whither shall we fly! ROSA. You would not, sir, destroy so sweet a girl as I. ARABBO. No, think not I forget the time Then mark- below this craggy hill, ROSA I see, and hark! the distant vesper bells MARCHIONESS. MARCHIONESS, and Rosa. Farewell! Arabbo, we'll revere ARABBO. Farewell!I have my triumph here. Exit. SCENE. A Street in BARCELONA.. Enter DON GOMEZ, LOPEZ and Soldiers. Go, Lopez, search thro' the city, and, in the Governor's Name, seize all loose disorderly persons. Let the male prisoners give an account of themselves to the alguazile: but for the female, mind, the Governor undertakes the examination of the ladies. We know, sir. LOPEZ. GOMEZ. That is of the young ones: I leave the old women to the lawyers; for there's no match for your chattering dowager, like your magpie in a gown and wig; and, d'ye hear, Lopez, if any body calls mine a Petticoat Government, and doubts my moral conduct,-refer them to the nunneries. And if they accuse me of wasting the public treasure, remind them of my charity. Oh! the fair sex know what money I bestow in virtue and benevolence. (A trumpet sounds without.) Hark! Hark! The prisoner from Madrid.-So,-mum! Enter, NAVARRO, &c. accompanying the Caravan. GOMEZ, (reading.) "If the prisoner on his arrival at Barcelona be not "dead, you are hereby required to keep him closely "confined in the castle; and, as it has been re 66 ported to us, that you neglect your government, "from love of gaiety and intrigue.“ How! “ you "are ordered most implicitly to obey us; or Count "Navarro has the power to dismiss you given "under our hand, at Madrid; Manuel"-Here now! here's a curst lying scandalous world! But Merit will have enemics, and this is n't their first attempt to ruin me.-No, Count, not a month ago they set fire to the castle. Indeed! NAVARRO. GOMEZ. Ay! and what was the consequence? I gave a hundred dollars for a Fire-ladder, and now I lay every night with the rope round my hand, with my eyes broad open, and my nose-in short, so much am I on the alarm, that last week seeing a great blaze of light, and hearing a violent knocking-out went the Ladder, and down I came shivering before the Archbishop, who was returning, with his servants and flambeaux, from a late conversatione.. BLABBO. 1 |