FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   >>  
, on such conditions The council have proposed: thou, and thy friends, May yet live long, and to be better treated. _Pierre._ Life! ask my life! confess! record myself A villain, for the privilege to breathe, And carry up and down this cursed city, A discontented and repining spirit, Burdensome to itself, a few years longer! To lose it, may be, at last, in a lewd 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 art fit to live in't. _Jaf._ By all that's just-- _Pierre._ Swear by some other power, For thou hast broke that sacred oath too lately. _Jaf._ Then by that hell I merit, I'll not leave thee Till, to thyself at least, thou'rt reconciled, However thy resentments deal with me. _Pierre._ Not leave me! _Jaf._ 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: Lie at thy feet, _[Falls on his knees,]_ and kiss them tho they spurn me; Till, wounded by my sufferings, thou relent, And raise me to thy arms with dear forgiveness. _Pierre._ Art thou not-- _Jaf._ What? _Pierre._ A traitor? _Jaf._ Yes. _Pierre._ A villain? _Jaf._ Granted. _Pierre._ A coward, a most scandalous coward; Spiritless, void of honour; one who has sold Thy everlasting fame, for shameless life? _Jaf._ _[Rising and turning, R.]_ All, all, and more, much more; my faults are numberless. _Pierre._ And would'st thou have me live on terms like thine? Base, as thou'rt false-- _Jaf._ _[Returning.]_ No; 'tis to me that's granted; The safety of thy life was all I aimed at, In recompence for faith and trust so broken. _Pierre._ 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, Relieved thy wants, and raised thee from the state Of wretchedness, in which thy fate had plunged thee, To rank thee in my list of noble friends; All I received in surety for thy truth, Were unregarde
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   >>  



Top keywords:

Pierre

 
coward
 

wrongs

 
villain
 

friends

 

turning

 
Rising
 

everlasting

 

shameless

 

Granted


wounded

 
sufferings
 

relent

 

scandalous

 

Spiritless

 

traitor

 

forgiveness

 
honour
 

Relieved

 

raised


miseries

 

sought

 

misfortunes

 

wretchedness

 

surety

 
received
 
unregarde
 

plunged

 
foolish
 

Returning


granted
 

safety

 

faults

 

numberless

 
preserved
 

broken

 

recompence

 

resentments

 
quarrel
 

longer


Burdensome

 
friend
 

jangling

 

treacherous

 

spirit

 
repining
 

treated

 
proposed
 

conditions

 

council