Skim. Mr Winkle has rather memory, my Lord. We shall find mears to refresh it before we have quite done with him, I dare say. Judge. You had better be careful, sir. Skim. Now, Mr Winkle, attend to me, sir, if you please, and let me recommend you, for your own sake, to bear in mind his Lordship's injunction to be careful. I believe you are a 310 particular friend of Mr Pickwick, the defendant, are you not? 320 Win. I have known Mr Pickwick now, as well as I recollect at this moment, nearly Skim. Pray, Mr Winkle, do not evade the question. Are you, or are you not, a particular friend of the defendant's? Win. I was just about to say thatSkim. Will you, or will you not, answer my question, sir? Judge. If you don't answer the question you'll be committed, sir. Skim. Come, sir-yes or no, if you please. Skim. Yes, you are. Win. I don't know her-I've seen her. Skim. Oh, you don't know her, but you've seen her. Now, have the goodness to tell the 330 gentlemen of the jury what you mean by that, Mr Winkle. 340 Win. I mean that I am not intimate with her, but that I have seen her when I called to see Mr Pickwick in Goswell Street. Skim. How often have you seen her, sir? Skim. Yes, Mr Winkle, how often? I'll repeat the question for you a dozen times, if you require it, sir. Win. It is impossible to say how many times I have seen Mrs Bardell. Skim. Have you seen her twenty times, sir? Win. Certainly; more than that. Skim. Have you seen her a hundred times? Win. No, I think not. Skim. Can you swear that you have not seen her more than fifty times? Win. I think not. Skim. Pray, attend to me, Mr Winkle, and never mind your friends. Now, sir, tell the gentlemen of the jury what you saw on entering 370 the defendant's room on this particular morning. Come, out with it, sir-we must have it sooner or later. Win. The defendant, Mr Pickwick, was holding the plaintiff in his arms, with his hands clasping her waist, and the plaintiff appeared to have fainted away. Skim. Did you hear the defendant say anything. Win. I heard him call Mrs Bardell a good 380 creature, and I heard him ask her to compose herself for what a situation it was if anybody should come-or words to that effect. Skim. Now, Mr Winkle, I have only one more question to ask you, and I beg you will bear in mind his Lordship's caution. Will you undertake to swear that Pickwick, the defendant, did not say on the occasion in question, "My dear Mrs Bardell, you are a good creature; compose yourself to this 390 situation, for to this situation you must come," or words to that effect? Win. I-I didn't understand him So, certainly. I was on the staircase, and couldn't hear distinctly; the impression on my mind is Skim. The gentlemen of the jury want none of the impressions on your mind, Mr Winkle, which I fear would be of little service to honest, straightforward men. You were on 400 the staircase, and did not distinctly hear; but you will not swear that Pickwick did not make use of the expressions I have quoted. Do I understand that? Win. No, I will not. (Skimpin sits down.) Phunky. (Stands up.) I believe, Mr Winkle, that Mr Pickwick is not a young man? Win. Oh no; old enough to be my father. Phunky. You have told my learned friend that you have known Mr Pickwick a long 410 time. Had you ever any reason to suppose or believe that he was about to be married? 420 430 440 Win. Oh no; certainly not. Phunky. I will even go further than this, Mr Winkle. Did you ever see anything particular in Mr Pickwick's manner or conduct towards the opposite sex to induce you to believe that he ever contemplated matrimony of late years, in any case? Win. Oh no; certainly not. Phunky. You may leave the box, Mr Winkle. (He goes out.) Buz. Call Samuel Weller. Enter SAM WELLER Judge. What's your name, sir? Judge. Do you spell it with a V or a W? Sam. That depends upon the taste and fancy of the speller, my Lord. I never had occasion to spell it more than once or twice in my life, but I spells it with a V. Mr Weller, senior. (Outside.) Quite right, too, Samivel, quite right. Put it down a we, my Lord; put it down a we. Crier. Silence! Buz. I believe that you are in the service 450 of Mr Pickwick, the defendant in this case? Speak up, if you please, Mr Weller. 460 470 Sam. I mean to speak up, sir. I am in the service o' that 'ere gen'l'm'n, and a wery good service it is. Buz. Little to do, and plenty to get, I suppose? Sam. Oh, quite enough to get, sir, as the soldier said, ven they ordered him three hundred and fifty lashes. Judge. You must not tell us what the soldier, or any other man, said, sir-it's not evidence. Sam. Wery good, my Lord. Buz. Do you recollect anything particular happening on the morning when you were first engaged by the defendant; eh, Mr Weller? was a wery partickler and uncommon circumstance vith me in those days. Judge. You had better be careful, sir. Sam. So Mr Pickwick said at the time, my Lord, and I was wery careful o' that 'ere suit o' clothes, wery careful indeed, my Lord. (The Judge looks sternly at Sam Buz. Do you mean to tell me, Mr Weller, that you saw nothing of this fainting on the 4 part of the plaintiff in the arms of the defendant, which you have heard described by the witnesses? Sam. Certainly not. I was in the passage till they called me up, and then the old lady was not there. Buz. Now, attend, Mr Weller. You were in the passage, and yet saw nothing of what was going forward. Have you a pair of eyes, Mr Weller? Sam. Yes, I have a pair of eyes, and that's just it. If they wos a pair of patent double million magnifyin' gas microscopes of hextra power, p'r'aps I might be able to see through a flight o' stairs and a deal door; but being only two eyes, you see, my wision's limited. Buz. Now, Mr Weller, I'll ask you a question on another point, if you please. Sam. If you please, sir. Buz. Do you remember going up to Mrs 5 Bardell's house one night in November last? Sam. Oh, yes, wery well. Buz. Oh, you do remember that, Mr Weller! I thought we should get at something at last. Sam. I rayther thought that, too, sir. Buz. Well, I suppose you went up to have a little talk about this trial-eh, Mr Weller? Sam. I went up to pay the rent. But we did get a-talkin' about the trial. 5 Buz. Oh, you did get a-talking about the trial! Now, what passed about the trial? Will you have the goodness to tell us, Mr Weller? Sam. With all the pleasure in life, sir. After a few unimportant obserwations from the wirtuous female as has been examined here to-day, the ladies gets into a wery great state o' admiration at the honourable conduct of Messrs Dodson and Fogg-them two gen'l'm'n 5 as is settin' near you now. Buz. The attorneys for the plaintiff. Well! they spoke in high praise of the honourable conduct of Messrs Dodson and Fogg, the attorneys for the plaintiff, did they? Sam. Yes; they said what a wery generous thing it was o' them to have taken up the case on spec', and to charge nothin' at all for costs, unless they got 'em out of Mr Pickwick. Buz. It's perfectly useless, my Lord, attempt 5 ing to get at any evidence through the impenetrable stupidity of this witness. I will 540 not trouble the Court by asking him any more questions. Stand down, sir! That's my case, my Lord. Phunky. In the absence of my leader, Sergeant Snubbin, who is at Westminster, I cannot take upon myself the responsibility of replying to this case. Judge. Sergeant Snubbin should have been here. I cannot postpone my summing-up on that account. Gentlemen of the jury, if Mrs Bardell be right, it is perfectly clear that Mr Pickwick must be wrong; and if you think the evidence of Mrs Cluppins worthy of credence, you will believe it; and if you don't, you will not believe it. If you are satisfied that a breach of promise has been committed, 10 20 Ant. They tell me 'tis my birth-day, and I'll keep it With double pomp of sadness. 'Tis what the day deserves, which gave me breath. Why was I raised a meteor of the world, To be trod out by Cæsar? Vent. (Aside.) On my soul 'Tis mournful, wondrous mournful! Now, Antony: would'st thou be born for this? Vent. (Aside.) How sorrow shakes him! I must disturb him. I can hold no longer. (Stands before him.) Ant. Art thou Ventidius? I left you last. Ant. I would be private. Vent. Sir, I love you, Ant. Will not leave me! Where have you learned that answer? Who am I? Vent. My emperor; the man I love next heav'n. If I said more, I think 'twere scarce a sin: Ant. All that's wretched- Vent. 'Twas too presuming To say I would not: but I dare not leave you; For, if a friend, thou hast beheld enough, Vent. Look, emperor, this is no common dew; I have not wept this forty years; but now Ant. By Heav'n, he weeps! poor good old man, he weeps! Sure there's contagion in the tears of friends; Leave me And therefore will not leave you. Ant. Emperor! Why that's the style of victory. 30 40 Thy men are cowards, thou an envious traitor'; Vent. You may kill me; You have done more already-called me traitor. Ant. Art thou not one? Vent. For showing you yourself, Which none else durst have done. But had I been That name, which I disdain to speak again, 120 130 140 160 Ant. I did not think so; I said it in my rage; pr'ythee forgive me. But Cleopatra Go on; for I can bear it now. Vent. No more. Ant. Thou dar'st not trust my passion, but thou may'st; Thou only lov'st, the rest have flattered me. Vent. Heaven's blessing on your heart for that kind word. May I believe you love me? Speak again. Ant. Indeed I do. Speak this, and this, and this. Thy praises were unjust; but I'll deserve 'em. Vent. And will you leave this- And I will leave her-though, heav'n knows, Beyond life, conquest, empire-all, but honour; Vent. That's my royal master! Ant. I warrant thee, old soldier ; 170 Thou shalt behold me once again in iron, Ant. O, Cleopatra ! Vent. Again! Ant. I've done. In that last sigh she went ; Cæsar shall know what 'tis to force a lover From all he holds most dear. V'ent. Methinks you breathe Another soul; your looks are more divine; And mans each part about me. I won the trenches, while my foremost men Vent. Ye gods, ye gods, Ant. Come on, my soldier! Our hearts and arms are still the same. I long Once more to meet our foes; that thou and I, Like Time and Death, marching before our troops, May taste fate to 'em, mow 'em out a passage, And, ent'ring where the foremost squadrons yield, Begin the noble harvest of the field. 180 190 200 JOHN FLETCHER (1576-1625) AND PHILIP SIR JOHN VAN OLDEN BARNAVELT PROVOST, BARNAVELT, EXECUTIONER, FIRST LORD, SECOND LORD. Prov. Clear all, the scaffold ! Let no more into the court! we are choked with people. Barn. You are courteous in your preparations, gentlemen! 1st Lord. You must ascend, sir! Barn. Fearless I will, my lords; |