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The siege of Antwerp, an historical play [in verse].
The siege of Antwerp an historical play - in verse Author:William Kennedy Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: A C T T H E T H I 11 D. SCENE I. A Chamber in Fort St. Mary, on the Scheldt. Mansveldt—De Roubais. Mansveldt. How far had you intruded on the night,... more » When the Prince called a halt to the carousal ? De Roubais. We had advanced a stage into the morn— But lo ! Toralva, like a watery moon Enter Toralva. TORALVA. Head cloudy—revel late—effect and cause ! Never dance plume on my Italian brow, If with the lava of a Spanish vintage 1 fire my brain again ! DE ROUBAIS (To MANSVEI.UX). Philosopher, And penitent—there1 s promise of him yet! TORALVA. A Netherlander, like his country's dikes, Hath ample cellarage for a flood of wine; The sunny South denies its cavaliers The mould that bears a drenching. DE ROUBAIS. Why, the Prince Filled stoup for stoup himself, in honest wassail— He's of the South ! TORALVA. He's of all points of the compass— A portion of the soil he tries to win, Is politic Parma. Ship him to England, Hell reverence fat oxen like a native— To Tartary transport him, and the dish, Most tempting to his appetite, will be A charger cooked in the old country fashion ! Here comes his Highness, with a face as cool As if he'd kept his vigils near a well, Blessed by some water-bibbing saint! Enter Parma. Parma. Blithe morrow, Friends! How jogs the hoary-bearded bearer Of scythe and hour-glass ? MANSVELDT. Skirting close on four. PARMA. An hour when all campaigners should be stirring— What, Toralva moping! Melody's bird, , Which charms dull midnight with its minstrelsy, Changed, by sad metamorphose, to an owl!— Beloved of Wisdom's goddess, what's amiss ? TORALVA. I'm thinking, what a useful servitor A gnawing conscience is to a campaigner— Your man of many villanies has no plea For sneaking lat...« less