The Lawyers, A Drama in Five Acts Part 14

_P. Coun._ The girl is my good genius. I cannot leave her.

_Clar._ Then her father, that bad genius, will not leave you! Do not struggle between the two. Come along with me; do as you ought; be afraid of no man, confide in G.o.d, and hope! You will have the girl at last. Come along with me.

_P. Coun._ I wish I could! were I not at once rivetted down here by the demon of evil, and irresistibly bid to stay by the power of virtue!

_Clar._ Jack, dear Jack, my son, do not send me away without you; come along with me.

_P. Coun._ I cannot; you see I cannot.

_Clar._ G.o.d have mercy on thee! thou art undone!

_P. Coun._ It may be. I am undone whether I stay or go. And so I will stay and strive, and see what I can yet retrieve of my honour.

_Clar._ How can you save the honour of your situation in life, if the honour of your heart be lost, and that must be lost among these people?--You have removed honest Gernau, because he acts up to his duty.--Your sister weeps bitterly,--the town despises you;--I have not yet frowned on you. and will not do so now, because I pity you. But I will leave this town, and take shelter with honest Gernau, who is to be my son-in-law.

_P. Coun._ You will leave this town?

_Clar._ I do not wish it. I shall, with tears, leave my timber-yard and the work which hitherto I have carried on with pleasure and success.

But as there is no remedy to save you from destruction, I must go. I cannot witness it.

_P. Coun._ Is it my fault, if--

_Clar._ Your faults are many and great; your native town knows them, and despises you. I cannot see you lowered thus, Jack. It has not been in my power to make a great man of you, but I have educated you to be an honest man. I have taken care of the tree, while young, and now it is grown up, one branch decays after the other. And if it must be so, that no green sprig shall henceforth flourish, then I will turn my eyes from it, visit it no more, nor live on the spot where the withered stem, that I am so fond of, shall fall.

_P. Coun._ Father!

_Clar._ I cannot weep; but I feel myself very ill on your account.

Enter a Servant.

_Serv._ The company is waiting for the Privy Counsellor.

_P. Coun._ I am coming. [Exit Servant.

_Clar._ Dear son, do not let me go without you. Behold! you may still go with me as half a good man; we will all strive to mend the other bad half.--Have pity on yourself and me; you stand, upon my word, on the spot where the road divides,--the bad people in there, and here your old father. They hold out to you good and high life; I offer you peace and happiness.--For G.o.d's sake, Jack, follow me!

_P. Coun._ (embraces him.) I cannot do that; but I vow to you I will yet do much.

_Clar._ That is a good word, and no more. Farewell, I will set off.--I shall not see you again. Once more give me your hand.

_P. Coun._ No, I shall not do that. I will not part with you in this manner.

_Clar._ It is best so;--it shakes my whole frame,--and my daughter has likewise a claim on my life! Come then once more to this heart, that once delighted in you.--(Embraces him.)

_P. Coun._ Father!--

_Clar._ You weep over yourself! G.o.d! that it should come to this!--Now farewell; I forgive thee, and so does thy sister. May G.o.d take thy wealth from thee, that thou mayest amend, and sometime leave this world in peace!--Farewell! (Attempts to go.)

SCENE XI.

Enter Aulic Counsellor REISSMAN.

_Reiss._ Well, we are waiting.

_Clar._ (pulling his son towards him.) You would take him away from me,--tear him out of my arms,--drag him away!--he is my son, and no father will tamely suffer his son to precipitate himself into perdition. Jack, I will not leave thee, I will not yield thee up!--Thou art mine, nature and thy heart have closely interwoven us together; wilt thou, of thy own accord, leave me?

_P. Coun._ (throws his arms round him.) No, I cannot;--I will follow you hence!

_Clar._ G.o.d be praised, my son is saved!

[Exeunt arm in arm.--Reissman follows them a few steps, sets his arms a-kembow, and looks after them.

ACT IV.

SCENE I.

Aulic Counsellor Reissman's, the same room as in the preceding act.

Aulic Counsellor REISSMAN enters in a pa.s.sion; SOPHIA follows.

_Reiss._ Not a word, not a word more, not a single syllable of that silly fool! What, to leave me and you, as if we were infected with the plague and breathed contagion? I cannot bear the affront, it shall not go unavenged. I had rather die a thousand deaths.

_Soph._ Was it not his father that desired him to go with him? and you know he ought to obey him.

_Reiss._ Who am I, and what is his father? Do not name him any more in my hearing; you must not see him any more, nor even think of him. That petty Privy Counsellor is now dead and buried to me.

_Soph._ By your advice I listened to his addresses.

_Reiss._ Forget him then by my command.

SCENE II.

Enter Servant.

_Serv._ Grobman, the ironmonger.

_Reiss._ Very well, very well; shew him in. [Exit Servant.

_Reiss._ (to Sophia.) You may retire, go!

_Soph._ Your commands [Exit.

_Reiss._ Fie upon him! a creature that I raised from obscurity!--a fellow, who eight years ago was a petty fogger, whom I have raised to the rank of a Privy Counseller!--I was a fool when I did so;--such a fellow soar over my head! (Stamps with his foot.) I would sooner see the whole frame of nature dissolve. I will not lose sight of my object; I will proceed with spirit and caution. I have raised the useless pile, I will pull it down again.