DRAMATIS PERSONA. Students of Alcalk. Gentlemen of Madrid. Count of the Gipsies. A young Gipsy. Alcalde. Alguacil. Lara's Servant. Victorian's Servant. Innkeeper. A Gipsy Girl. A poor Girl. The Padre Cura's Niece. Preciosa's Maid. ACT I. SCENE I.—The COUNT OF LARA's chambers. Night. The Count in his dressing-gown, smoking, and conversing with Don Carlos. Lara. You were not at the play to-night, Don Carlos; had engagements elsewhere. Why, all the town and court * Don C. What was the play? It was a dull affair; Don C. Of course the Preciosa danced to-night! Lara. And never better. Every footstep fell Don C. Almost beyond the privilege of woman! Lara. May not a saint fall from her Paradise, Why do you ask? Don C. You do her wrong ; indeed, you do her wrong! She is as virtuous as she is fair. Lara. How credulous you are! Why, look you, friend, You forget And therefore won Don C. Nay, not to be won at all! *La cotera de un Español sentado no se templa, sino le representan en dos horas hasta el final juicic desde el Génesis.' -Lope to Vega. . A Gipsy woman, a vile, shameless bawd, And does that prove Don C. It proves a nobleman may be repulsed I believe Lara. Yet Preciosa would have taken the gold. I am sure of it. Don C. 'Tis late. I must begone, for if I stay Yes; persuade me. Don C. And so good night. I wish you pleasant dreams, And greater faith in woman. [Exit. Lara. Greater faith! Well, Francisco, None, my lord. Lara. Then I will try some other way to win her. Yes, my lord ; Lara. What was he doing there? I saw him buy Lara. Was there another like it? One so like it cease. a a Lara. It is well. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-A strect in Madrid. Enter CHISPA, followed by Mu. sicians, with a bagpipe, guitars, and other instruments. Chispa. Abernuncio Satanas !* and a plague on all lovers who ramble about at night, drinking the elements, instead of sleeping quietly in their beds. Every dead man to his remetery, say I ; and every friar to his monastery. Now, here's my master, Victorian, yesterday a cow-keeper, and to-day a gentleman; yesterday a student, and to-day a lover; and I must be up later than the night. ingale, for as the abbot sings so must the sacristan respond. God grant he may soon be married, for then shall all this serenading Ay, marry! marry! marry! Mother, what does marry mean? It means to spin, to bear children, and to weep, my daughter! And, of a truth, there is something more in matrimony than the wedding-ring. (To the Musicians.) And now, gentlemen, Pax vobiscum! as the ass said to the cabbages. Pray walk this way; and don't hang down your heads. It is no disgrace to have an old father and a ragged shirt. Now look you, you are gentlemen who lead the life of crickets; you enjoy hunger by day and noise by night. Yet, I beseech you, for this once be not loud, but pathetic; for it is a serenade to a damsel in bed, and not to the Man in the Moon. Your object is not to arouse and terrify, but to soothe and bring lulling dreams. Therefore, each shall not play upon his instrument as if it were the only one in the universe, but gently, and with a certain modesty, according with the others. Pray how may I call thy name, friend? First Mus. Gerónimo Gil, at your service. Chispa. Every tub smells of the wine that is in it. Pray, Geró nimo, is not Saturday an unpleasant day with thee? First Mus. Why so? Chispa. Because I have heard it said that Saturday is an unpleasant day with those who have but one shirt. Moreover, I have seen thee at the tavern, and if thou canst run as fast as thou canst drink, I should like to hunt hares with thee. What instrument is that? First Mus. An Aragonese bagpipe. Chispa. Pray art thou related to the bagpiper of Bujalance, who asked a maravedí for playing, and ten for leaving off? First Mus. No, your honour. Chispa. I like it; it has a cheerful, soul-stirring sound, that soars up to my lady's window like the song of a swallow. And you others? "Digo, Señora, respondió Sancho, lo que tengo dicho, que de los azotes Abernuncio, habeis de decir, Sancho, y no como decis, dijo el Duque."-Don Quixote, Part II., chap. 35. Abernuncio. Other Mus. We are the singers, please your honour. Chispa. You are too many: Do you think we are going to sing mass in the cathedral of Cordova? Four men can make but little use of one shoe, and I see not how you can all sing in one song. But follow me along the garden wall. That is the way my master climbs to the lady's window. It is by the Vicar's skirts that the devil climbs into the belfry. Come, follow me, and make no noise. [Excunt, SCENE III.—PRECIOSA's chamber. She stands at the open window. Prec. How slowly through the lilac-scented air SERENADE. Wind of the summer night! Where yonder woodbine creeps, She sleeps! My lady sleeps! Sleeps! Dreams of the summer night; Tell her her lover keeps Watch! while in slumbers light She sleeps! My lady sleeps! Sleeps! None, my love, but thou. Vict. Since yesterday I've been in Alcala. Prec. An honest thief, to steal but what thou givest. Vict. And we shall sit together unmolested, Prec. That were a life indeed to make time envious ! Sweet child of air ! a |