Fer. Enough?

St Pier. Tut, tut-I only meant

Your highness to break off, while I resume.
My thoughts do flow again.-Better and better!
Your grace a hundred ducats, I have done
Almost as soon as you.-Go on.—What end
Proposed your highness to yourself by this?

Fer To blast her name, and in the death of that
Involve my cousin's life! accordingly

By my direction wert thou watch'd and seiz'd,
And hither brought as partner in a crime

Whose penalty is death :—which thou shalt 'scape-
'Scape with enrich'd life—so ne'er again
Thou show'st thy face in Mantua, and keep'st
Thy counsel.

St Pier. Have you done?

Fer. I have.

St Pier. And so

Have I.-A fair commencement !-better far
Continuation! and the winding up

The fairest of the whole !-howsoe'er of that
Your highness shall be judge. 'Sdeath, here's a word
I did not mean to write, for one I wanted!

I needs must take it out.-I pray your highness
Lend me a knife.

Fer. I have not one.

St Pier. Well, then,

Your dagger-if the edge of it is sharp.
Fer. There 'tis.

[Gives dagger.

St Pier. And there is the confession, duke.

Fer. Why, this my confession!

St Pier. Ay?

Indeed, your highness!

Fer. Word for word.

St Pier. You'll own

I'm something of a clerk-I hardly hoped

It would have pleased your highness! My lord duke, Sign the confession.

Fer. Why?

St Pier. It pleases me.

If that contents thee not, I'm in thy power,

And I'd have thee in mine. Your highness sees
I am frank with you.

Fer. Can it be you, St Pierre ?

St Pier. No-it is you! and not the peasant lad,
Whom, fifteen years ago, in evil hour

You chanced to cross upon his native hills :-
In whose quick eye you saw the subtle spirit
Which suited you, and tempted it; who took
Your hint and followed you to Mantua

Without his father's knowledge-his old father,
Who, thinking that he had a prop in him

Man could not rob him of, and heaven would spare,
Blessed him one night, ere he laid down to sleep,
And waking in the morning found him gone!-
Move not, or I shall move-you know me!

Fer. Nay,

I'll keep my seat. St Pierre, I trained thee like

A cavalier!

St Pier. You did.-You gave me masters,

And their instructions quickly I took up

As they did lay them down! I got the start
Of my contemporaries -not a youth

Of whom could read, write, speak, command a weapon,

--

Or rule a horse with me! you gave me all-
All the equipments of a man of honour,--

But you did find a use for me, and made
A slave, a profligate, and pander of me.
I charge you keep your seat!

Fer. You see I do!

St Pierre, be reasonable !-you forget
There are ten thousand ducats.

St Pier. Give me, duke,

The eyes that looked upon my father's face;
The hands that helped my father to his wish!
The feet that flew to do my father's will!
The heart that bounded at my father's voice,
And say that Mantua were built of ducats,
And I could be its duke at cost of these,

I would not give them for it! Mark me, duke !
I saw a new-made grave in Mantua,

And on the head-stone read my father's name;
To seek me, doubtless, hither he had come―
To seek the child that had deserted him-
And died here,-ere he found me.

Heaven can tell how far he wandered else!

Upon that grave I knelt an alter'd man,

And rising thence, I fled from Mantua: nor had return'd

But tyrant hunger drove me back again

To thee to thee !-my body to relieve

At cost of my dear soul! I have done thy work;
Do mine! and sign me that confession straight.-
I'm in your power, and I'll have thee in mine!

Fer. Art thou indeed in earnest ?

St Pier. Look in my eyes.

Fer. St Pierre, perhaps I have underpaid thee.-
St Pier. Sign!

Fer. I'll double the amount !

St Pier. Come, sign!

Fer, St Pierre,

Will forty thousand ducats please thee?
St Pier. There's

The dial, and the sun is shining on it-
The shadow is on the very point of twelve—
My case is desperate! Your signature
Of vital moment is unto my peace!
My eye is on the dial! Pass the shadow
The point of noon the breadth of but a hair
As can my eye discern-and, that unsigned,-
The steel is in thy heart.-I speak no more!
Fer. St Pierre !-Not speak!-St Pierre !
St Pier. Is it signed?

Fer. It is!

St Pier. Your signet, as a proof I am at large.

Now take my station in that closet-No

Attempt at an alarm-In, in, I say!

[Exit DUKE

Hold wind, we'll make the port.—I thank your highness!

[Scene closes.

SHERIDAN KNOWLES.

APPENDIX.*

THE STAGE.

ENTRANCES AND EXITS.

IN contributing to stage effect, these are of paramount importance. The genius of a Roscius, or the sensibility and orotund power of a Talbot, would hardly succeed, through an entire scene, in atoning for an entrance egregiously out of keeping with the required impersonation, or an exit outraging the laws of judgment and taste. A good entrance has a tendency to prepossess the "house in favour of even an indifferent actor; and a bad exit derogates from the applause due to a performance of the most unquestionable merit.

It is in all cases advisable to be at the "wing," a minute or two previous to the instant for entrance. Thus the actor not only gets quit of the flurry apt to be communicated in the tiring-room, and the embarrassment and awkwardness incident to a too hurried entrance, but there is also an opportunity afforded for a full and faithful assumption of the character desiderated.

* All the previous rules and original matter of this volume are, of course, strictly applicable to the actor's art, and the Appendix is only introduced to furnish a few remarks which apply specially and exclusively to acting, and which have not been already treated of in the work. Under this heading considerable obligations are most willingly acknowledged to an excellent little work on the subject by Mr C. W. Smith, late Professor of Elocution in the University of Cambridge.