Act 5 — SCENE II.—The Street.

Enter Aurelian, Camillo, Laura, Violetta; all in Masking-habits.

Cam. This generosity of the abbess is never to be forgot; and it is the more to be esteemed, because it was the less to be expected.

Vio. At length, my Camillo, I see myself safe within your arms; and yet, methinks, I can never be enough secure of you; for now, I have nothing else to fear, I am afraid of you; I fear your constancy. They say possession is so dangerous to lovers, that more of them die of surfeits than of fasting.

Lau. You'll be rambling too, Aurelian; I do not doubt it, if I would let you; but I'll take care to be as little a wife, and as much a mistress to you, as is possible: I'll be sure to be always pleasant, and never suffer you to be cloyed.

Aur. You are certainly in the right: Pleasantness of humour makes a wife last in the sweetmeat, when it will no longer in the fruit. But, pray, let's make haste to the next honest priest that can say grace to us, and take our appetites while they are coming.

Cam. That way leads to the Austin-Friars; there lives a father of my acquaintance.

Lau. I have heard of him; he has a mighty stroke at matrimonies, and mumbles them over as fast, as if he were teaching us to forget them all the while.

Enter Benito, and overhears the last speech.

Ben. Cappari; that is the voice of madam Laura. Now, Benito, is the time to repair the lost honour of thy wit, and to blot out the last adventure of the nunnery.

Vio. That way I hear company; let us go about by this other street, and shun them.

Ben. That voice I know too; 'tis the younger sister's, Violetta's, Now have these two most treacherously conveyed themselves out of the nunnery, for my master and Camillo, and given up their persons to those lewd rascals in masquerade; but I'll prevent them. Help there! thieves and ravishers! villainous maskers! stop, robbers! stop, ravishers!

Cam. We are pursued that way, let's take this street.

Lau. Save yourselves, and leave us.

Cam. We'll rather die, than leave you.

Enter, at several doors, Duke of Mantua and Guards, and Don Mario and Servants, with Torches.

Aur. So, now the way is shut up on both sides. We'll die merrily, however:—have at the fairest. [Aurelian and Camillo fall upon the Duke's Guards, and are seized behind by Mario's Servants. At the drawing of Swords, Benito runs off.

Duke. Are these insolencies usually committed in Rome by night? It has the fame of a well-governed city; and methinks, Don Mario, it does somewhat reflect on you to suffer these disorders.

Mar. They are not to be hindered in the Carnival: You see, sir, they have assumed the privilege of maskers.

Lau. [To Aur.] If my uncle know us, we are ruined; therefore be sure you do not speak.

Duke. How then can we be satisfied this was not a device of masking, rather than a design of ravishing?

Mar. Their accuser is fled, I saw him run at the beginning of the scuffle; but I'll examine the ladies.

Vio. Now we are lost. [Duke coming near Laura, takes notice of her habit.

Duke. [Aside.] 'Tis the same, 'tis the same; I know Lucretia by her habit: I'm sure I am not mistaken.—Now, sir, you may cease your examination, I know the ladies.

Aur. [To Cam.] How the devil does he know them?

Cam. 'Tis alike to us; they are lost both ways.

Duke. [Taking Laura aside.] Madam, you may confess yourself to me. Whatever your design was in leaving the nunnery, your reputation shall be safe. I'll not discover you, provided you grant me the happiness I last requested.

Lau. I know not, sir, how you could possibly come to know me, or of my design in quitting the nunnery; but this I know, that my sister and myself are both unfortunate, except your highness be pleased to protect us from our uncle; at least, not to discover us.

Duke. His holiness, your uncle, shall never be acquainted with your flight, on condition you will wholly renounce my son, and give yourself to me.

Lau. Alas, sir, for whom do you mistake me?

Duke. I mistake you not, madam: I know you for Lucretia. You forget that your disguise betrays you.

Lau. Then, sir, I perceive I must disabuse you: If you please to withdraw a little, that I may not be seen by others, I will pull off my mask, and discover to you, that Lucretia and I have no resemblance, but only in our misfortunes.

Duke. 'Tis in vain, madam, this dissembling: I protest, if you pull off your mask, I will hide my face, and not look upon you, to convince you that I know you.

Enter Benito.

Ben. So, now the fray is over, a man may appear again with safety.—Oh, the rogues are caught, I see, and the damsels delivered. This was the effect of my valour at the second hand.

Aur. Look, look, Camillo! it was my perpetual fool that caused all this; and now he stands yonder, laughing at his mischief, as the devil is pictured, grinning behind the witch upon the gallows.

Ben. [To Mario.] I see, sir, you have got your women, and I am glad on't: I took them just flying from the nunnery.

Duke. [To Lau.] You see that fellow knows you too.

Mar. Were these women flying from a nunnery?

Ben. These women? heyday! then, it seems, you do not know they are your nieces.

Duke. His nieces, say you? Take heed, fellow, you shall he punished severely, if you mistake.

Cam. Speak to Benito in time, Aurelian.

Aur. The devil's in him; he's running down-hill full speed, and there's no stopping him.

Mar. My nieces?

Ben. Your nieces? Why, do you doubt it? I praise heaven I never met but with two half-wits in my life, and my master's one of them; I will not name the other at this time.

Duke. I say, they are not they.

Ben. I am sure they are Laura and Violetta; and that those two rogues were running away with them, and that, I believe, with their consent.

Vio. Sister, 'tis in vain to deny ourselves; you see our ill fortune pursues us unavoidably. [Turning up her mask.] Yes, sir, we are Laura and Violetta, whom you have made unhappy by your tyranny.

Lau. [Turning up her mask.] And these two gentlemen are no ravishers, but—

Ben. How, no ravishers? Yes, to my knowledge they are—[As he speaks, Aurelian pulls off his mask.] No ravishers, as madam Laura was saying; but two as honest gentlemen as e'er broke bread. My own dear master, and so forth! [Runs to Aur. who thrusts him back.

Enter Valerio, and whispers the Duke, giving him a paper; which he reads, and seems pleased.

Mar. Aurelian and Camillo! I'll see you in safe custody; and, for these fugitives, go, carry them to my sister, and desire her to have a better care of her kinswomen.

Vio. We shall live yet to make you refund our portions. Farewell, Camillo; comfort yourself; remember there's but a wall betwixt us.

Lau. And I'll cut through that wall with vinegar, but I'll come to you, Aurelian.

Aur. I'll cut through the grates with aquafortis, but I'll meet you. Think of these things, and despair, and die, old gentleman. [Aurelian and Camillo are carried off on one side, and Laura and Violetta on the other.

Ben. All things go cross to men of sense: Would I had been born with the brains of a shop-keeper, that I might have thriven without knowing why I did so. Now, must I follow my master to the prison, and, like an ignorant customer that comes to buy, must offer him my backside, tell him I trust to his honesty, and desire him to please himself, and so be satisfied. [Exit.

Duke. [To Val.] I am overjoyed; I'll see her immediately: Now my business with Don Mario is at an end, I need not desire his company to introduce me to the abbess; this assignation from Lucretia shows me a nearer way.—Noble Don Mario, it was my business, when this accident happened in the street, to have made you a visit; but now I am prevented by an occasion which calls me another way.

Mar. I receive the intention of that honour as the greatest happiness that could befal me: In the meantime, if my attendance—

Duke. By no means, sir, I must of necessity go in private; and therefore, if you please, you shall omit the ceremony.

Mar. A happy even to your highness.—Now will I go to my sister, the abbess, before I sleep, and desire her to take more care of her flock, or, for all our relation, I shall make complaint, and endeavour to ease her of her charge. [Exit.

Duke. So, now we are alone, what said Lucretia?

Val. When first I pressed her to this assignation, She spoke like one in doubt what she should do; She demurred much upon the decency of it, And somewhat too she seemed to urge, of her Engagement to the prince: In short, sir, I perceived her wavering, and closed with the opportunity.

Duke. O, when women are once irresolute, betwixt the former love and the new one, they are sure to come over to the latter. The wind, their nearest likeness, seldom chops about to return into the old corner.

Val. In conclusion, she consented to the interview; and for the rest, I urged it not, for I suppose she will hear reason sooner from your mouth than mine.

Duke. Her letter is of the same tenor with her discourse, full of doubts and doubles; like a hunted hare when she is near tired. The garden, you say, is the place appointed?

Val. It is, sir; and the next half hour the time. But, sir, I fear the prince your son will never bear the loss of her with patience.

Duke. 'Tis no matter; let the young gallant storm to-night, to-morrow he departs from Rome.

Val. That, sir, will be severe.

Duke. He has already received my commands to travel into Germany. I know it stung him to the quick, but he's too dangerous a rival: the soldiers love him too; when he's absent they will respect me more. But I defer my happiness too long; dismiss my guards there. [Exeunt Guards. The pleasures of old age brook no delay; Seldom they come, and soon they fly away. [Exeunt.