A Comedy of Errors in Seven Acts | Page 6

fill our
breasts,
And deep within the cave of darkness cast
Ambitions holy which now swell to burst.
_Francos:_
Good Quezox, why dost thou so deep despond?
Methinks the future
wears a gladsome smile,
The children of thy race now spy a star

Which like to that of Bethlehem may lead

Them in the future to a

state of bliss.
_Quezox:_
Ah, noble sire, mayhap our children may,
But what of us who years have now attained?
_Francos:_
Ah, Quezox, I did only figure use.
Well dost thou know it rests upon
their deeds;
But demonstrate their worth and all were well,
And
then we'll speed us to our native land.
_Quezox:_ But, noble Francos,
we now wend our way
T o meet the vermin which do suck our blood,
And they with tongues which serpent-like
can charm
May fool thee with their tales of dire
intent.
_Francos: (striking his breast):_
Fear not, they soon shall feel how vain it were
To seek to trick one
who, in halls of state,
Hath met the wiles of shrewd, self-seeking men,

But to ward off attack with virtue's shield.
_Captain and
Seldonskip approach._
_Captain:_ Most noble potentate, as I my
rounds
Of observation make, it pleasures me
Most mightily, to make
obeisance to
The one so honored by his native land.
As captain of a
vessel may be judged
By those subordinate to his command,
So do
I quick conception of thee form.
By the broad mental gifts of
Seldonskip
Who were the hose, through which thy mind doth squirt
Most sapient thought, for mankind's betterment.
_Seldonskip:_ You
bet his wisdom squirts until I feel
As if my think tank were about to bust.
_Francos:_ Good captain,
greatly hast thou honored me

And from such worthy source, I doubly feel
The compliment were
born from honor's womb;
Anon, with thee would I more converse
hold.
_(Captain and Seldonskip move off.)_
_Francos to Quezox:_
Good Quezox, this young squirt doth raise
my bile,
I fear some contretemps his tongue may
raise.
_Quezox:_ Most noble sire, this youth hath long been bred,
To gentle food which fits him ill to wage.
Against his passions all
sufficient strife,
I fear lest close relation works you ill.
_Francos:_ Alas 'tis true that soft environments,
Take hold upon the child and grip him fast.
_Quezox:_ And yet if
seeds of manhood there inhere
'Twere time for them to sprout and outward shoot. _(Earnestly)_
I like not tattling tongues yet I must voice,
A matter which hath cut
me to the quick:
On yester morn, I in sweet converse joined,
With
one who wears angelic form divine,
When this presuming fop with
jeering eye,
Made bold to amble, with convenient ear.
Till we,
forsooth, were forced to silence woo.
But let us turn awhile to
pleasant thoughts.
What has been fashioned for the glorious day

When we shall thrust our journey in the past
And meet rejoicing
thousands at the pier?
_(Seldonskip approaches speaks)_
Well, Governor, thy message hath on wings
Of lightning sped its hurried way, and
now
Methinks the anxious throng which fears
the ax,
Will hustle mightily for stovepipe hats
To fit surmount their trembling heads,
and so
Make happy pair with coat of Tam'ny cut.

_Francos:_
Ha! Well 'twere done; but art thou doubly sure
That careless word of
wrong import hath not
Enwoofed itself within this note of state?

_Seldonskip:_
You bet your life, the thing is all O. K.
_Francos:_
But, my good friend, what hast thou in thine hand? _(Laughingly)_
Is it design of some sweet maiden fair?
_(Looks at the picture and
discovers Bryan)_
Ha! Ha! I see, 'tis he who wrecked our choice.
This Commoner hath
but a shallow mind
Which like a windmill moves a lively tongue.

_(Seldonskip moves off, replacing the picture close to his
breast, muttering)_
_My fighting cock, you're crowing mighty loud,
But Bryan holds old
Wilson in his hand._
_(Francos