Scene 1
The prospect of a village.
(Citizen; Julio)
Julio receives his letter from Leonora, which reveals Henriquez’s treachery, and works himself into a frenzy until the Citizen succeeds in calming him down. Desperate to see his lady-love, he proposes borrowing some clothes from the Citizen so he can see Leonora in disguise, and the Citizen agrees to help. (48 lines)
Enter Julio with a letter, and Citizen.
When from the window she did bow and call,
Her passions shook her voice; and from her eyes
Mistemper and distraction, with strange wildness
Bespoke concern above a common sorrow.
Poor Leonora! Treacherous, damn’d Henriquez!
She bids me fill my memory with her danger;
I do, my Leonora; yes, I fill
The region of my thought with nothing else;
Lower, she tells me here, that this affair
Shall yield a testimony of her love:
And prays, her letter may come safe and sudden.
This pray’r the heav’ns have heard, and I beseech ’em,
To hear all pray’rs she makes.
Have patience, sir.
O my good friend, methinks, I am too patient.
Is there a treachery, like this in baseness,
Recorded any where? It is the deepest:
None but itself can be its parallel:
And from a friend, profess’d! Friendship? Why, ’tis
A word forever maim’d; in human nature
It was a thing the noblest; and ’mong beasts,
It stood not in mean place: things of fierce nature
Hold amity and concordance. Such a villainy
A writer could not put down in his scene,
Without taxation of his auditory
For fiction most enormous.
These upbraidings
Cool time, while they are vented.
I am counsel’d.
For you, evermore, thanks. You’ve done much for us;
So gently press’d to ’t, that I may persuade me
You’ll do a little more.
Put me t’ employment
That’s honest, though not safe, with my best spirits
I’ll give’t accomplishment.
No more but this;
For I must see Leonora: and to appear
Like Julio, as I am, might haply spoil
Some good event ensuing. Let me crave
Th’ exchange of habit with you: some disguise,
May bear me to my love, unmark’d, and secret.
You shall not want. Yonder’s the house before us:
Make haste to reach it.
Still I thank you, sir.
O Leonora! Stand but this rude shock;
Hold out thy faith against the dread assault
Of this base lord, the service of my life
Shall be devoted to repay thy constancy.
Exeunt.