Pier.-What whining monk art thou? What holy cheat, That wouldst encroach upon my credulous ears,

And cant'st thus vilely! Hence! I know thee not!
Jaff.-Not know me, Pierre !

Pier.-No, know thee not. What art thou?
Jaff.-Jaffier, thy friend, thy once loved, valu'd friend!
Tho' now deservedly scorn'd, and us'd most hardly.
Pier.-Thou, Jaffier! thou, my once-lov'd, valu'd friend!
By heavens, thou ly'st; the man so call'd my friend,
Was generous, honest, faithful, just, and valiant;
Noble in mind, and in his person lovely;

Dear to my eyes, and tender to my heart:

But thou, a wretched, base, false, worthless coward,—
Poor, even in soul, and loathsome in thy aspect:
All eyes must shun thee, and all hearts detest thee.
Pr'ythee avoid, nor longer cling thus round me,

Like something baneful, that my nature's chill'd at.
Jaff. I have not wrong'd thee; by these tears I have not.
Pier.-Hast thou not wrong'd me? Dar'st thou call thyself
That once-lov'd, honest, valu'd friend of mine,

And swear thou hast not wrong'd me? Whence these chains?
Whence this dishonor, but from thee, thou false one?

Jaff-All's true; yet grant one thing, and I've done asking. Pier.-What's that?

Jaff.-To take thy life, on such conditions

The council have propos'd: thou, and thy friends,
May yet live long, and to be better treated.

Pier.-Life! ask my life! confess! record myself
A villain, for the privilege to breathe,

And carry up and down this hated city
A discontented and repining spirit,
Burdensome to itself, a few years longer!

To lose it, may be, at last, in a base quarrel

For some new friend, treacherous and false as thou art!

No, this vile world and I have long been jangling,

And cannot part on better terms than now,

When only men like thee are fit to live in't.

Jaff-By all that's just―

Pier.-Swear by some other power,

For thou hast broke that sacred oath too lately.
Jaff.-Then by that doom I merit, I'll not leave thee
Till, to thyself at least, thou'rt reconciled,

However thy resentments deal with me.

Pier.-Not leave me!

Jaff.-No; thou shalt not force me from thee.
Use me reproachfully, and like a slave;
Tread on me, buffet me, heap wrongs on wrongs
On my poor head; I'll bear it all with patience,
Shall weary out thy most unfriendly cruelty;
Till, wounded by my sufferings, thou relent,
And take me to thy arms, with dear forgiveness.
Pier.-Art thou not-

Jaff.-What?

Pier. A traitor!

Jaff.-Yes.

Pier.-A villain!

Jaff.-Granted.

Pier.—A coward, a most scandalous coward; Spiritless, void of honor; one who has sold

Thy everlasting fame, for shameless life!

Jaff.—All, all, and more, much more; my faults are numberless.

Pier.

And wouldst thou have me live on terms like thine? Base as thou'rt false

Jaff.-No; 'tis to me that's granted;

The safety of thy life was all I aim'd at,

In recompense for faith and trust so broken.

Pier.-I scorn it more, because preserved by thee;
And, as when first my foolish heart took pity
On thy misfortunes, sought thee in thy miseries,
Reliev'd thy wants, and rais'd thee from the state
Of wretchedness, in which thy fate had plunged thee,
To rank thee in my list of noble friends;

All I receiv'd in surety for thy truth,

Were unregarded oaths, and this, this dagger,-
Given with a worthless pledge, thou since hast stol❜n:
So I restore it back to thee again;

Swearing by all those powers which thou hast violated,
Never, from this curs'd hour, to hold communion,
Friendship, or interest, with thee, though our years
Were to exceed those limited the world.

Take it-farewell!-for now I owe thee nothing.
Jaff-Say thou wilt live, then.

Pier. For my life, dispose it

Just as thou wilt, because 'tis what I am tired with.

Jaff.-O Pierre!

Pier.-No more!

[Going.]

Jaff.-My eyes won't lose the sight of thee, [Holding him.] But languish after thine, and ache with gazing.

Pier.-Leave me-Nay, then, thus, thus I throw thee from [Throws him off.]

me.

And curses, great as is thy falsehood, catch thee!

[PIERRE rushes out on the right side. JAFFIER goes out on the left.]

ROLLA TO THE PERUVIANS.-Sheridan.

[In a very bold, energetic, and heroic style.]

My brave associates! partners of my toil, my feelings, and my fame! Can Rolla's words add vigor to the virtuous energies which inspire your hearts? No! You have judged, as I have, the foulness of the crafty plea by which these bold invaders would delude you. Your generous spirits have compared, as mine has, the motives which, in a war like this, can animate their minds and ours. They, by a strange frenzy driven, fight for power, for plunder, and extended rule: we for our country, our altars, and our homes! They follow an adventurer whom they fear, and obey a power which they hate; we serve a monarch whom we love, a God whom we adore!—Whene'er they move in

anger, desolation tracks their progress: whene'er they pause in amity, affliction mourns their friendship!—They boast they come but to enlarge our minds, and free us from the yoke of error. Yes; they will give enlightened freedom to our minds, who are themselves the slaves of passion, avarice, and pride! They offer us their protection. Yes; such protection as vultures give to lambs,-covering and devouring them! They call on us to barter all of good we have inherited and proved, for the desperate chance of something better which they promise. Be our plain answer this:-The throne we honor is the people's choice: the laws we reverence are our brave forefather's legacy; the faith we follow teaches us to live in peace with all mankind, and die with hopes of bliss beyond the grave! -Tell your invaders this: and tell them, too, we seek no change, and, least of all, such change as they would offer us.

SCENE FROM THE COMEDY OF "MONEY.”

Bulwer.

[In dialogues like the following, which are supposed to be copies of the conversation of ordinary life, the style of the speaker should be easy, animated, unrestrained, and free from effort and declamation. Practice of this kind will tend to give grace and variety to his elocution.]

SCENE EVELYN's house in London.

EVELYN, a rich man of fashion-STOUT and Glossmore, violent politicians of opposite parties—SHARP, a lawyer.

Enter EVELYN, meeting STOUT, who comes in out of breath with haste-SHARP is seated at a desk.

Evelyn.-Stout, you look heated!

Stout. (With great eagerness, but pompously.)—I hear you've just bought the great Groginhole property.

Evelyn. It is true. Sharp says it's a bargain.

p*

Stout.-Well, my dear friend Hopkins, member for Groginhole, can't live another month-excellent creature, the dearest friend I have in the world-but the interests of mankind forbid regret for individuals! Popkins intends to start for the borough the instant Hopkins is dead!—your interest will secure his elec. tion. Now is your time! put yourself forward in the march of enlightenment!-By all that's bigoted, here comes Glossmore! [Crosses behind EVELYN to his left hand.]

Enter GLOSSMORE.

Gloss. [Eagerly.]-So lucky to find you at home! Hopkins, of Groginhole, is not long for this world. Popkins, the brewer, is already canvassing underhand (so very ungentleman-like!) Keep your interest for young Lord Cipher-a most valuable candidate. This is an awful moment-the constitution depends on his return! Vote for Cipher!

Stout.-Popkins is your man.

Evelyn. [Musing.]-Cipher and Popkins-Popkins and Cipher. Enlightenment and Popkins-Cipher and the Constitution! I am puzzled! Stout, I am not known at Groginhole. Stout. Your property's known there!

Evelyn. But purity of election-independence of voters.Stout.-To be sure: Cipher bribes abominably. Frustrate his schemes-preserve the liberties of the borough-turn every man out of his house who votes against enlightenment and Popkins.

Evelyn.-Right! down with those who take the liberty to admire any liberty except our liberty! That is liberty!

Gloss.-Cipher has a stake in the country-will have fifty thousand a-year-Cipher will never give a vote without considering beforehand how people of fifty thousand a-year will be affected by the motion.

Evelyn.-Right: for as without law there would be no property, so to be the law for property is the only proper property of law! That is law!

Stout.-Popkins is all for economy: there's a sad waste of the public money-they give the Speaker five thousand a-yeur,