but the law, I believe, is on Biron, the first hus- | The reasoning faculties are all deposed; band's side.

Nurse. Yes; no question, he has the law on his side.

Samp. For I have heard, the law says, a woman must be a widow, all out seven years, before she can marry again, according to law. Nurse. Ay, so it does; and our lady has not been a widow, altogether, seven years.

Samp. Why, then, nurse, mark my words, and say I told you so. The man must have his wife again, and all will do well.

Nurse. But if our master, Villeroy, comes back

again

Samp. Why, if he does, he is not the first man that has had his wife taken from him.

Nurse. For fear of the worst, will you go to the old count, and desire him to come as soon as he can; there may be mischief, and he is able to prevent it.

Samp. Now you say something; now I take you, nurse; that will do well, indeed: mischief should be prevented; a little thing will make a quarrel, when there's a woman in the way. I will about it instantly.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.-Draws, shews BIRON asleep on a couch.

Enter ISABELLA,

Isa. Asleep so soon! Oh, happy! happy thou,
Who thus can sleep! I never shall sleep more—
If then to sleep be to be happy, he,
Who sleeps the longest, is the happiest ;
Death is the longest sleep-Oh, have a care!
Mischief will thrive apace. Never wake more.
[To Biron,

If thou didst ever love thy Isabella,
To-morrow must be doomsday to thy peace.
The sight of him disarms even death itself.
The starting transport of new quickening life
Gives just such hopes: and pleasure grows again
With looking on him-Let me look my last-
But is a look enough for parting love!
Sure I may take a kiss-Where am I going!
Help, help me, Villeroy! Mountains and seas
Divide your love, never to meet my shame!
[Throws herself upon the floor; after a short
pause, she raises herself upon her elbow.
What will this battle of the brain do with me!
This little ball, this ravaged province, long
Cannot maintain-The globe of earth wants

Judgment, and understanding, common-sense,
Driven out as traitors to the public peace.
Now I am revenged upon my memory!
Her seat dug up, where all the images
Of a long mis-spent life were rising still,
To glare a sad reflection of my crimes,
And stab a conscience through them! You are
safe,

You monitors of mischief! What a change!
Better and better still! This is the infant state
Of innocence, before the birth of care.
My thoughts are smooth as the Elysian plains,
Without a rub the drowsy falling streams
Invite me to their slumbers.
Would I were landed there—————

[Sinks into a chair.
What noise was that? A knocking at the gate!
It may be VilleroyNo matter who.
Bir. Come, Isabella, come.-
Isa. Hark! I am called!

Bir. You stay too long from me.

Isa. A man's voice! in my bed! How came
he there?

Nothing but villany in this bad world! [Riser
Coveting neighbours' goods, or neighbours' wives:
Here's physic for your fever.

[Draws a dagger, and goes backward to the couch.
Breathing a vein is the old remedy.
If husbands go to heaven,

Where do they go that send them?—This to
try-

[Just going to stab him, he rises; she knows him, and shrieks.]

What do I see!

Bir. Isabella, armed!

Isa. Against my husband's life!

Who, but the wretch, most reprobate to grace,
Despair e'er hardened for damnation,

Could think of such a deed-Murder my hus-
band!

Bir. Thou didst not think it.

Isa. Madness has brought me to the gates of
hell,

And there has left me. Oh, the frightful change
Of my distractions! Or is this interval
Of reason but to aggravate my woes,
To drive the horror back with greater force
Upon my soul, and fix me mad for ever?

Bir. Why dost thou fly me so?

Isa. I cannot bear his sight; distraction, come,
Possess me all, and take me to thyself!
Shake off thy chains, and hasten to my aid;
Thou art my only curc————Like other friends,
He will not come to my necessities;
Then I must go to find the tyrant out-
Which is the nearest way? [Running out.

Bir. Poor Isabella! she's not in a condition
To gave me any comfort, if she could:
Lost to herself— -as quickly I shall be
To all the world-Horrors come fast around

me;

Enter CARLOS with three Ruffians.
Car. A younger brother! I was one too long,
Not to prevent my being so again.
We must be sudden. Younger brothers are
But lawful bastards of another name,
Thrust out of their nobility of birth
And family, and tainted into trades.
Shall I be one of them-Bow, and retire,
To make more room for the unwieldy heir
To play the fool in? No-

But how shall I prevent it?-Biron comes
To take possession of my father's love-
Wuold that were all! there's a birth-right toc
That he will seize. Besides, if Biron lives,
He will unfold some practices, which I
Cannot well answer-therefore he shall die;
This night must be disposed of: I have means
That will not fail my purpose.-Here he comes.
Enter BIRON.

Bir. Ha! am I beset! I live but to revenge

me.

[They surround him, fighting; Villeroy enters

with two servants; they rescue him;
Carlos and his party fly.

Vil. How are you, sir? Mortally hurt, I fear.
Take care, and lead him in.

Bir. I thank you for this goodness, sir; though
'tis

Bestowed upon a very wretch; and death,
Though from a villain's hand, had been to me
An act of kindness, and the height of mercy-
But I thank you, sir.
[He is led in.

SCENE IV. The inside of the house.

Enter ISABELLA.

To think of living on; my desperate hand
In a mad rage may offer it again.

Stab me any where but there. Here's room
enough

In my own breast, to act the fury in,
The proper scene of mischief. Villeroy comes;
Villeroy and Biron come! Oh! hide me from
them

They rack, they tear; let them carve out my
limbs,

Divide my body to their equal claims!
My soul is only Biron's; that is free,
And thus I strike for him and liberty.

[Going to stab herself, Villeroy runs in and
prevents her, by taking the dagger from
her.

Vil. Angels defend and save thee!
Attempt thy precious life! the treasury
Of nature's sweets! life of my little world!
Lay violent hands upon thy innocent self!

Isa. Swear I am innocent, and I'll believe

you.
What would you have with me? Pray let me go.
Are you there, sir! You are the very man
Have done all this--You would have made
Me believe you married me; but the fool
Was wiser, I thank you: 'tis not all gospel
You men preach upon that subject.

Vil. Dost thou not know me, love?

Isa. O yes very well. [Staring on him. You are the widow's comforter; that marries Any woman when her husband's out of the way: But I'll never, never take your word again.

Vil. I am thy loving husband.

Isa. I have none; no husband-[Weeping.
Never had but one, and he died at Candy!
Did he not? I am sure you told me so; you,
Or somebody, with just such a lying look,
As you have now. Speak, did he not die there?
Vil. He did, my life.

Isa. But swear it, quickly swear,

BIRON enters bloody, and leaning upon his
sword.
Before that screaming evidence appears,
In bloody proof against me-

[She, seeing Biron, swoons in a chair; Ville-
roy helps her.
Vil. Help there! Nurse, where are you?
Ha! I am distracted too!

Biron alive!

[Going to call for help, sees Biron.

Bir. The only wretch on earth that must not live.

Vil. Biron or Villeroy must not, that's decreed.
Bir You saved me from the hands of mur
derers:

Would you had not, for life's my greatest plague!
And then, of all the world, you are the man
I would not be obliged to―İsabella!

Isa. Murder my husband! Oh! I must not I came to fall before thee: I had died

dare

Happy not to have found your Villeroy here:

And yet you rescued him! No, no, he came
Unseasonably (that was all his crime),
Unluckily to interrupt your sport:
You were new married-married to his wife;
And therefore you, and she, and all of you,
(For all of you I must believe concerned)
Combined to murder him out of the way.
Bel. If it is so-

Car. It can be only so.
Fr. Indeed it has a face-
Car. As black as hell.

C. Bald. The law will do me justice: send for
the magistrate.

Car. I'll go myself for him

[Exit.

Vil. These strong presumptions, I must own, indeed,

Are violent against me; but I have

A witness, and on this side heaven too.
-Open that door.

[Door opens, and Pedro is brought forward
by Villeroy's servants.

Here's one can tell you all.

Oh, Carlos! are you come? Your brother here,
Here, in a wretched letter, lays his death
To you and me-Have you done any thing
To hasten his sad end?

Car. Bless me, sir, I do any thing! Who, I?
C. Bald. He talks of letters that were sent to us.

Ped. All, all; save me but from the rack, I'll | I never heard of any.-Did you know confess all.

He was alive?

Car. Alive! Heaven knows, not I.

C. Bald. Had you no news of him, from a report,

Vil. Did you engage upon your private wrongs, Or letter, never?

Or were employed?

Ped. He never did us wrong.

Vil. You were set on, then?

Ped. We were set on.

Vil. What do you know of me?

Ped. Nothing, nothing:

You saved his life, and have discovered me.
Vil. He has acquitted me.

If you would be resolved of any thing,
He stands upon his answer.

Bel. Who set you on to act this horrid deed?
C. Bald. I'll know the villain; give me quick
his name,

Or I will tear it from thy bleeding heart!
Ped. I will confess.

C. Bald. Do then.

Ped. It was my master, Carlos, your own son. C. Bald. Oh, monstrous ! monstrous! most unnatural!

Bel. Did he employ you to murder his own brother?

Ped. He did; and he was with us when 'twas
done.

C. Bald. If this be true, this horrid, horrid tale,
It is but just upon me: Biron's wrongs
Must be revenged: and I the cause of all!
Fr. What will you do with him?
C. Bald. Take him apart-

I know too much.

[Pedro goes in.

[Gives it to Baldwin.

Vil. I had forgot-Your wretched, dying son
Gave me this letter for you.

I dare deliver it. It speaks of me,
I pray to have it read."

Car. Never, never I.

Bel. That's strange, indeed: I know he often

writ

To lay before you the conditions [To C. Bald.
Of his hard slavery: and more I know,
That he had several answers to his letters.

He said they came from you; you are his brother.
Car. Never from me.

Bel. That will appear.

The letters, I believe, are still about him;
For some of them I saw but yesterday.

C. Bald. What did those answers say?
Bel. I cannot speak to the particulars;
But I remember well, the sum of them
Was much the same, and all agreed,
That there was nothing to be hoped from you:
That 'twas your barbarous resolution
To let him perish there.—————

C. Bald. Oh, Carlos! Carlos! hadst thou been
a brother-

Car. This is a plot upon me. I never knew He was in slavery, or was alive,

Or heard of him, before this fatal hour.

Bel. There, sir, I must confront you.
He sent you a letter, to my knowledge, last night;
And you sent him word you would come to him.
I fear you came too soon.

C. Bald. 'Tis all too plain.-
Bring out that wretch before him.

[Pedro produced. Car. Ha! Pedro there!-Then I am caught

indeed!

Bel. You start at sight of him;
He has confessed the bloody deed.

You look like one of the pale judges here;

Car. Why!—what would you have more? I Minos, or Radamanth, or Eacus

Car. Why, that which damns most men has To the bright throne-Call down the heavenly