No More Learning

The case is grave -- (pause) -- But leave me now, and hide
thee in my chamber (pointing to right) there, perchance
I'll think upon some trim devise that shall resolve thy care.
JULIAN.
(With emotion) The gods give thee strength, good
friend. For we have no advocate save thee, and thou alone
canst prosper our design.
CATULLUS.
Be of good cheer -- and now my boy, be gone,
Ho, minstral hither, and regale me with a song.
Exit Julian, Chamber right.
SCENE VL
Enter Minstral.
r The minstral sings the song herewith, whilst Catul- 1
i lus sits upon the couch trying to find a solution to ^
L the difficulty that confronts him. J
No. 6.
LESBIA'S SPARROW. '
I.
Mourn, all ye Loves and Graces, mourn,
Ye wits, ye gallants, and ye gay.
Death from my fair, her bird hath torn.
Her much-loved sparrow snatched away.
IL
Her very eyes she prized not so.
For he was fond and knew my fair,
Well as young girls their mothers know,
And sought her breast and nestled there.
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? III.
Once fluttering round, from place to place.
He gaily chirp'd to her alone;
But now the gloomy path must trace,
Whence Fate permits returned to none.
IV.
Accursed Shades, o'er Hell that lower,
Oh, be my curses on your head,
Ye, that all pretty things devour,
Have torn from me, my pretty bird.
V.
Oh, evil deed. Oh, sparrow dead.
Oh, what a wretch if thou canst see,
My fair one's eyes with weeping red.
And know how much she grieves for thee.
VI.
Mourn all ye Loves and Graces! mourn,
Ye wits, ye gallants, and ye gay.
Death from my fair, her bird hath torn
Her much loved sparrow snatched away.
f At the conclusion of the song, Myrson enters and 1
j announces the arrival of Lucretius and his family -- '^^
the minstral hearing his message to Catullus with- j
draws. Exit Minstral right. J
SCENE VIL
Enter Myrson, right.
MYRSON.
My Lord, thy friend Lucretius and his retinue have
come.
CATULLUS.
'Tis well -- I'll go to meet them. (He arises and is about
to pass up the steps of the peristyle, when the group enter
with much ado and come forward to meet him. During
this episode the minstral exits left with Myrson. )
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? SCENE VIII.
Enter Lucretius, Eunomia and Hermia,
CATULLUS.
(Advances) Welcome, welcome to Sirmio.
Thine hand, Lucretius, and thine Eunomia,
And thou sweet Hermia, a kiss (he kisses her)
And now let hill and dale and mead proclaim,
A hearty welcome to ye all again.
LUCRETIUS.
(Warmly) Art ever kind good friend.
Yet are we come to test thy friendship sorely.
LUCRETIUS.
The times have sadly changed since you and I were young.
Nov/ children dare to brave their parents and thwart their
cherished plans.
HERMIA.
(Sadly) Oh, father, say not so; I brave thee not,
I brave thee not. I do not wish to wed.
EUNOMIA.
She is too young.
LUCRETIUS.
Oh aye -- take thou her part! -- But this remember, that
by our law we may in wedlock give our child to whomso-
e'er we will.
HERMIA.
There is no law for me, save that of love. If e'er I wed,
'twill be for love, for love I'll live and die.
LUCRETIUS.
Thou wayward child, I warn thee taunt me no more, but
ere the season of the full moon come, make thou a choice
that shall please both thy mother and myself.
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? HERMIA.
(Weeping) Alas! Alas!
EUNOMIA.
(To Lucretius) And lest thou too forget, remember this,
that by the law and custom of our land the father pays
the daughter's dower.
LUCRETIUS.
I know it well. Am I not rich?
EUNOMIA.
Aye! but not too generous! The young gallants who
seek thy daughter's hand, think not of love, but of the
dower she'll bring.
LUCRETIUS.
No man shall dictate terms to me.
EUNOMIA.
Art sure? (to Catullus) And now, good friend, give
us thy counsel.
HERMIA.
(Weeping) I do not wish to wed.
CATULLUS.
Leave Hermia with me. I'll reason with her and bring
her to thee presently.
Exeunt Lucretius and Eunomia right.
CATULLUS.
Come hither, child, give me thine hand, and dry away
these bitter tears. (They sit upon the couch. ) Thou dost
not wish to wed?
HERMIA.
Nay! why should we maids be driven from our home
and our parental gods. Alas, alas. My poor heart bleeds
for sympathy.
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? CATULLUS.
(Aside) There's but one remedy for love, and that's
more love. (Aloud) Dost thou believe in omens?
HERMIA.
(Surprised) I know noti
CATULLUS.
Then list to me! Last night as here I lay upon my
couch, a dove flew o'er the lake to me, and round its
neck it bore a ring of gold tied with a skein of silk. I cut
the thread and let the bird go free. When lo -- My eyes fell
on the ring and there I saw deep graven in the band (He
shows her the ring) Hermia and Julian.
HERMIA.
(Grasps the ring and arises in great excitement, re-
peating) Julian and Hermia. The ring is mine; my love,
oh where is he? O, Catullus, good friend, Thou hast de-
vined the secret of my heart. Speak -- say is Julian here?
Ah, taunt me not. No more shall I disemble, but quickly,
quickly, bid him fly to me upon the wings of love.
CATULLUS.
Patience, patience, my child.
HERMIA.
Nay! Nay! . Ah taunt me not -- ah, taunt me not.
No. 7.
HERMIA'S PLEA TO CATULLUS.
(She recites to music)
I.
O, Catullus, O, Catullus,
What are your cares and joys,
To love that swells the longing virgin's breast,
A flame half hid in doubt.
Soon kindled, soon burnt out,
A blaze of momentary heat at best is yours.
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? II.
A privilege if your kind,
If haply you may find,
Some friend to share the secret of your heart.
Of if your inbred grief,
Admit of such relief.
The chase, the dance, the play assuage thy smart.
III.
Whilst we poor hapless maids.
Condemned to pine in Shades,
And to our dearest friends our thoughts deny,
Can only sit and weep.
Whilst others round us sleep,
Unpitied languish, and unheeded die.
CATULLUS.
Nay! Nay! Thou art not unpitied, Hermia, I am thy
friend, and e'er shall be,
And as a token of my right intent,
Thy love shall greet thee e'er the hour is spent.
HERMIA.
Shall greet me here?
CATULLUS.
Aye, and gladly too,
And then ye may your plighted troth renew.
HERMIA.
O, Love, O, Happness, forever our hearts enchain,.
For I shall greet my lover once again.
(To Catullus whom she embraces)
And be thou e'er our counsellor and friend,
For unto thee our cares we must commend,
Then praise to Jove and all the gods above,
That they may harken to our plea of love.
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? CATULLUS.
Now, my child, begone,
Fly unto thy mother's arms and say,
That fortune brings thee joy today.
Exit Hermia right.
SCENE IX.
Enter Caius Memmius.
r As Hermia exits to right, voices are heard off scene H
j left; the clacking of whips and exclamations. I
I Whoa-la, etc.
Above all this commotion the voice j
1^ of Caius Memmius is heard. J
CAIUS MEMMIUS.
(Off scene) Make way -- Make way. I'll seek him out
myself.
f Some servants enter hurriedly with baggage from ")
I left and are immediately followed by Caius Mem- |
? { mius, a rugged, red-faced soldier, about fifty years )?
I of age, stout and evidently intemperate. Catullus |
I advances to the steps and greets his friend. J
CATULLUS.
Welcome, my dear old friend, welcome.
CAIUS MEMMIUS.
(Advances and grasps his hand warmly. )
The gods be praised we meet at last! (Pause) and thou
good Catullus, if in truth thou art my friend, in love and
mercy, let me have a cup of wine -- my throat's aparch.
CATULLUS.
(To servant) A tankard of that Cyprian wine, and
quicky, too. (To Caius Memmius) Now shalt thou drown
thy thirst in nectar worthy of the gods.
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? r The servant returns with a tankard and two cups. ^
Catullus takes the cloak of Caius Memmius, and
j throws it upon the couch. He offers him a seat, but '
I Caius Memmius impatiently struts up and down giv- T
I ing orders to his slaves on the peristyle to carry his |
L baggage, etc. , off left. J
CAIUS MEMMIUS.
(To Catullus) Quick, quick, fill me a bumper; no stint
I say; fill to the brim, that I may wreathe my mind in
smiles.
CATULLUS.
(Hands him the cup and straightway fills the other
cup. Caius Memmius hands the servant the empty
one. ) Another smile, good friend.
CAIUS MEMMIUS.
'Tis good. Ah -- Catullus, there's naught can warm the
heart like wine -- fill thou a cup.
CATULLUS.
Nay, good friend, I have foresworn.
CAIUS MEMMIUS.
(Amazed) Thou hast foresworn the grape? Ha, ha, ha,
what merry jest is this?
CATULLUS.
The truth.
CAIUS MEMMIUS.
(Dumfounded) Then if the day of miracles has come,
fill thou me quick a mantling bowl, that I may drown me
in the liquor.
CATULLUS.
(Mockingly) Alas, alas! what v/ill thine evil ways en-
gender?
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? CAIUS MEMMIUS.
Engender? Engender? Wine engends love. Wine
warms the heart, and makes the blood pulse quickly
through the veins. Wine masters all disputes and binds us
to our friends, wine drowns our sorrows, dulls our cares,
and fills our hearts with joy -- (pause) -- there's naught like
wine. Then fill me up another bowl that I may make liba-
tion to gods and weep for thee.
CATULLUS.
(Pours him out another cup) Alas! thou art no model
for thy son.
CAIUS MEMMIUS.
Ha, ha, ha -- nor thou for me
CAIUS MEMMIUS.
Julian shall wed when he's one and twenty. I'll then
resign unto his wife those cares that now give me so much
concern.
CATULLUS.
Thou art indeed most wise. Hast thou discovered yet
a maid to be his wife?
CAIUS MEMMIUS.
(Confidentially) Nay! for in this affair I come to seek
thy counsel.
CATULLUS.
Ha, ha, ha! My counsel? (Surprised) How can I serve
thee?
CAIUS MEMMIUS.
Although a Veronese, yet art thou more a Roman than
myself, Thou canst with candor give me counsel, and I
will ever be thy debtor.
CATULLUS.
Ha, ha, ha! The task is not an easy one. (Pause) She
must be fair and rich?
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? I
CAIUS MEMMIUS.
Aye! and a patrician. Look thou to that, for though I
am a rugged soldier, I carry my head as high as the great-
est aristocrat in Rome, no matter what his wealth may be.
CATULLUS.
(Reflecting) Give me time to weigh this strange affair,
perchance dame Fortune may favor thy design.
CAIUS MEMMIUS.
Well, here's to Fortune and to thee (he raises his cup),
and may ya ne'er part company. I'll join thee here anon.
Exit Caius Memmius right.
SCENE X.
CATULLUS AND HERMIA.
Re-enter Hermia, left.
Catullus seats himself upon the couch after the exit of
Caius Memmius, reflecting upon the droll situation, when
his thoughts are diverted by the entrance of Hermia.
HERMIA.
O, Catullus, good friend, hast thou forgot thy promise?
(Imploringly. ) Ah, take me to my lover, -- Nay. quickly!
quickly! or else disclose where he is hid, that I may fly to
him.
CATULLUS.
(Motions to her to be silent when off scene, Julien is
heard to sing. )
JULIAN.
Sings:
Oh, thou fair lake whose waters quaff
The light of heaven like Lydia's sea.
Rejoice, my beautiful, my own.
Sweet Sirmio greet me back to thee.
During the singing Catullus arises and takes Hermia's
hand and leads her to his chamber door right.
Exit Hermia.
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? SCENE XL
CATULLUS AND LUCRETIUS.
Re-enter Lucretius, left.
LUCRETIUS.
(Impatiently. ) How, nov/, what said my haughty
Hermia to thy appeal.
CATULLUS.
The matter is arranged.
LUCRETIUS.
(Surprised. ) What matter? How arranged? Speak
not in riddles. Will she wed or no?
CATULLUS.
Thy child will wed (pause) on one condition.
LUCRETIUS.
(Haughtily. ) So, so, she braves me still.
CATULLUS.
Nay, she braves thee not, but she will select the bride-
groom.
LUCRETIUS.
(Wildly. ) Ha, ha, ha. The hussey, first she will not
wed, no matter whom the man may be -- and then to hide
her sly hypocrisy, she will dictate terms unto her father,
ha, ha, ha, ye gods that's too much.
CATULLUS.
Patience, patience, hear me out; I have complied with
thy desire, yet back of all I see the hand of Fate.
LUCRETIUS.
(Surprised. ) The hand of Fate?
CATULLUS.
Thy daughter loves and fain would wed, a youth whom
I do know, and would commend to thy esteem.
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? LUCRETIUS.
(Vexed) Who is he?
CATULLUS.
The son of a Roman soldier who in the wars hath gained
renown and is beloved by Caesar.
LUCRETIUS.
(Impatiently) His name?
CATULLUS.
He's young and brave, and a patrician.
LUCRETIUS.
His name? and quickly, for if he's the paragon you claim
then hast thou well fulfilled thy part in this affair.
CATULLUS.
Bring hither Eunomia, thy wife, and to you both I shall
disclose his name. Then let us thank the gods.
Exit Lucretius, left.
SCENE XIL
Re-enter Caius Memmius.
CAIUS MEMMIUS.
(In his cups) Ha, ha, ha, hast thou resolved the riddle.
Say whom shall Julian wed? She must be fair,' -- she must
be rich. Ha, ha, ha, -- come name the maid.
CATULLUS.
The matter is most difficult (inspirationally). Yet now
I think me of a maid who will in all respects fulfill thy
most exacting terms.
CAIUS MEMMIUS.
Bravo, -- ^bravo. What's her name?
CATULLUS.
She's called Hermia.