Ponteach Part 11

Not Empires then could make Monelia mine; All Hopes are dash'd upon that fatal Rock; Nor Gold, nor Prayers, nor Tears, nor Promises, Nor all the Engin'ry of Love at Work, Could save a single Moment of my Joy.

PHILIP.

Yes, I will save it all and make her thine, Act but thy Part, and do as I prescribe, In Peace or War thou shalt possess the Prize.

CHEKITAN.

Thy Words revive my half-despairing Heart.

What must I act? or which Way must I turn?

I'll brave all Dangers, every Ill defy, Risk Life itself, to call Monelia mine.

Help me, my Philip, and I'll be thy Slave, Resign my Share of Empire to thy Hand, And lay a Claim to nothing but Monelia.

PHILIP.

Rewards I do not ask; I am thy Brother, And hold my Kindness to thee as a Debt.

Thou know'st I have engag'd to bring King Hendrick To join the Lists, and fight against our Foes, To rouse him to Revenge, and Rage, and War, And make him zealous in the common Cause.

Nay, with uncommon Fury he shall rave, And urge his Warriors on to Blood and Murder.

When this is done, Monelia may be thine, Hendrick will court Alliance to our Tribe, And joy to call great Ponteach's Son his own.

CHEKITAN.

But should you fail in these Attempts, and he Prove obstinately fix'd against the War, Where's then Monelia? where is Chekitan?

My Hopes are blasted, all my Joys are fled, Like the vain Phantoms of a Midnight Dream, Are scattered like the Dust before a Whirlwind, And all my Soul is left a Void for Pain, Vexation, Madness, Frenzy, and Despair, And all the Pains of disappointed Love.

Better I ne'er had flattered my fond Heart, Nor sooth'd my Mind with Prospects of my Joy, Than thus to perish on the Point of Hope.

PHILIP.

Leave all to me; I've so concerted Matters, That I defy ev'n Fate to disappoint me.

Exert thyself, and to Monelia go, Before th' a.s.sembled Chiefs in Council meet; Urge it to her, and to her Brother Torax, That should their Father prove refractory, Withdraw himself, and order his Domestics To hasten home at News of our Design; Urge it, I say, to them; Torax loves War; To linger here in Hopes of his Return, Which tell them I'll effect ere twice the Sun Has run the Circuit of his daily Race.

Here they may loiter careless, range the Woods, As tho' the Noise of War had not been heard.

This will give full Success to both our Wishes: Thou'lt gain the Prize of Love, and I of Wrath, In favour to our Family and State.

Thou'lt tame the Turtle, I shall rouse the Tyger; The one will soothe thy Soul to soft Repose, The other prove a Terror to our Foes.

CHEKITAN.

I see the subtle Argument thou'lt use, And how thou'lt work upon the old King's Weakness, Thou'lt set his strong Affection for his Children At War against his Kindness for our Foes, By urging their Attachment to our Cause, That they'll endure ev'n Banishment and Death, Rather than cease to be our steadfast Friends.

PHILIP.

All this I'll urge, nay, more, I will convince him, These Foes to us can be no Friends to him; I'll thunder in his Ears their growing Power, Their Villainies and Cheats upon his Subjects: That their fair Shew of Love is foul Disguise; That in their Hearts they hate the Name of Indians, And court his Friends.h.i.+p only for their Profit; That when no longer he subserves their Ends, He may go whistle up some other Friends.

CHEKITAN.

This must alarm and bring him to our Mind.

I'll hasten to my Charge with utmost Speed, Strain every Nerve, and every Power exert; Plead, promise, swear like any Christian Trader; But I'll detain them till our Ends are answer'd, And you have won their Father to our Purpose. [_Exit._

PHILIP [_solus_].

Oh! what a wretched Thing is a Man in Love!

All Fear--all Hope--all Diffidence--all Faith-- Distrusts the greatest Strength, depends on Straws-- Soften'd, unprovident, disarm'd, unman'd, Led blindfold; every Power denies its Aid, And every Pa.s.sion's but a Slave to this; Honour, Revenge, Ambition, Interest, all Upon its Altar bleed--Kingdoms and Crowns Are slighted and condemn'd, and all the Ties Of Nature are dissolv'd by this poor Pa.s.sion: Once have I felt its Poison in my Heart, When this same Chekitan a Captive led The fair Donanta from the Illinois; I saw, admir'd, and lov'd the charming Maid, And as a Favour ask'd her from his Hands, But he refus'd and sold her for a Slave.

My Love is dead, but my Resentment lives, And now's my Time to let the Flame break forth, For while I pay this ancient Debt of Vengeance, I'll serve my Country, and advance myself.

He loves Monelia--Hendrick must be won-- Monelia and her Brother both must bleed-- This is my Vengeance on her Lover's Head-- Then I'll affirm, 'twas done by Englishmen-- And to gain Credit both with Friends and Foes, I'll wound myself, and say that I receiv'd it By striving to a.s.sist them in the Combat.

This will rouse Hendrick's Wrath, and arm his Troops To Blood and Vengeance on the common Foe.

And further still my Profit may extend; My Brother's Rage will lead him into Danger, And, he cut off, the Empire's all my own.

Thus am I fix'd; my Scheme of Goodness laid, And I'll effect it, tho' thro' Blood I wade, To desperate Wounds apply a desperate Cure, And to tall Structures lay Foundations sure; To Fame and Empire hence my Course I bend, And every Step I take shall thither tend.

_End of the Second Act._

ACT III.

SCENE I. _A Forest._

CHEKITAN.

[_Seeing TORAX and MONELIA, coming towards them._]

As the young Hunter, anxious in the Chace, With beating Heart and quivering Hand espies The wish'd for Game, and trembles for th' Event, So I behold the bright Monelia's Steps, Whom anxiously I've sought, approach this way-- What shall I say? or how shall I accost her?

It is a fatal Minute to mistake in.

The Joy or Grief of Life depends upon 't; It is the important Crisis of my Fate.

I've thought a thousand things to say and do, But know not which to say or do the first.

Shall I begin with my old Tale of Love?

Or shall I shock her with the News of War?

Must I put on the Face of Joy or Grief?

Seem unconcern'd or full of Doubts and Fears?

How unprepar'd I am for the Encounter!

I'd rather stand against an Host of Foes-- But she draws near, and Fate must guide me now, [_Enter TORAX and MONELIA._ Where tend your Steps with such an Air of Joy?

TORAX.

To view the Beauties of th' extended Lake, And on its mossy Bank recline at Ease, While we behold the Sports of Fish and Fowl, Which in this Calm no doubt will be diverting.

And these are new Amus.e.m.e.nts to Monelia, She never saw the Sea or Lakes before.

CHEKITAN.

I'm glad our Country's aught to give such Pleasure To one deservedly so welcome in it.

MONELIA.

That I am welcome you have oft a.s.sur'd me, That I deserve it you may be mistaken, The outside Shew, the Form, the Dress, the Air, That please at first Acquaintance, oft deceive us, And prove more Mimickers of true Desert, Which always brightens by a further Trial, Appears more lovely as we know it better, At least can never suffer by Acquaintance.

Perhaps then you To-morrow will despise What you esteem To-day, and call deserving.

CHEKITAN.

My Love to you, Monelia, cannot change.

Your Beauty, like the Sun, for ever pleases, And like the Earth, my Love can never move.