To take me fuller of what news I bring
As I return-for I must needs return!

Can I? 'Twere hard, no listener for their wrongs,
To turn them back upon the old despair-
Harder, Sir Guibert, than imploring thus-
So I do any way you please-implore!

If you . . . but how should you remember Cleves?
Yet they of Cleves remember you so well!
-Ay, comment on each trait of you they keep,
Your words and deeds caught up at second hand,-
Proud, I believe, at bottom of their hearts,
Of the very levity and recklessness

Which only prove that you forget their wrongs.
Cleves, the grand town, whose men and women starve,
Is Cleves forgotten? Then remember me!

You promised me that you would help me once
For other purpose: will you keep your word?
Gui. And who may you be, friend?

Val.

Valence of Cleves.

Gui. Valence of . . . not the Advocate of Cleves

I owed my whole estate to, three years back?
Ay, well may you keep silence! Why my lords,
You've heard, I'm sure, how, Pentecost three years,
I was so nearly ousted of my

land

By some knaves' pretext,-(eh? when you refused me
Your ugly daughter, Clugnet,)—and you've heard
How I recovered it by miracle

-(When I refused her)! Here's the very friend,

-Valence of Cleves, all parties have to thank!

Nay, Valence, this procedure's vile in you-
I'm no more grateful than a courtier should,
But politic am I-I bear a brain,

Can cast about a little, might require

Your services a second time! I tried

To tempt you with advancement here to court
—“No!”—well, for curiosity at least

To view our life here-"No!"—our Duchess, then,---
-A pretty woman's worth some pains to see,
Nor is she spoiled, I take it, if a crown

Completes the forehead pale and tresses pure.
Val. Our city trusted me its miseries,

And I am come.

Gui.

So much for taste! But "

So may you be, for any thing I know,

come,"

To beg the Pope's cross, or Sir Clugnet's daughter,
And with an equal chance you get all three!
If it was ever worth your while to come,
Was not the proper way worth finding too?

Val. Straight to the palace-portal, sir, I came―
Gui. And said?--

Val.

―That I had brought the miseries

Of a whole city to relieve.

Gui.

-Which saying

Won your admittance? You saw me, indeed,
And here, no doubt, you stand: as certainly,
My intervention, I shall not dispute,
Procures you audience; which, if I procure,
That paper's closely written-by Saint Paul,

Here flock the Wrongs, follow the Remedies,
Chapter and verse, One, Two, A, B, and C-
Perhaps you'd enter, make a reverence,

And launch these "miseries" from first to last?

Val. How should they let me pause or turn aside ? Gau. [to VALENCE.] My worthy sir, one question: you've come straight

From Cleves, you tell us : heard you any talk

At Cleves about our lady?

Val.

Gau.

Much.

And what?

Val. Her wish was to redress all wrongs she knew. Gau. That, you believed?

Val.

Gau.

You see me, sir!

-Nor stopped

Upon the road from Cleves to Juliers here,
For any-rumours you might find afloat?

Val. I had my townsmen's wrongs to busy me.
Gau. This is the Lady's birthday, do you know?
-Her day of pleasure?

Val.

-I know that the Great,

For Pleasure born, should still be on the watch

To exclude Pleasure when a Duty offers:

Even as, the Lowly too, for Duty born,
May ever snatch a pleasure if in reach:

Both will have plenty of their birthright, sir!

Gau. [Aside to GUIBERT.] Sir Guibert, here's your man! No scruples now

You'll never find his like! Time presses hard.

I've seen your drift and Adolf's too, this while, But you can't keep the hour of audience back Much longer, and at noon the Prince arrives. [Pointing to VALENCE.] Entrust him with it-fool no chance away !

Gui. -Him?

Gau.

man to her?

-With the missive! What's the

Gui. No bad thought!-Yet, 'tis yours-who ever

played

The tempting serpent-else, 'twere no bad thought!
I should-and do-mistrust it for your sake,

Or else...

Enter an Official who communicates with ADOLF.

Adolf. The Duchess will receive the Court! Gui. Give us a moment, Adolf! Valence, friend, I'll help you: we of the service, you're to mark, Have special entry, while the herd . . . the folks Outside, get access through our help alone -Well, it is so, was so, and I suppose So ever will be-your natural lot is, therefore, To wait your turn and opportunity, And probably miss both. Now, I engage To set you, here and in a minute's space, Before the lady with full leave to plead Chapter and verse, and A, and B, and C, To heart's content.

Val.

I grieve that I must ask,

This being, yourself admit, the custom here,

To what the price of such a favour mounts?

Gui. Just so! You're not without a courtier's tact! Little at court, as your quick instinct prompts,

Do such as we without a recompense.

Val. Yours is?

Gui.

A trifle here's a document

:

'Tis some one's duty to present her Grace

I say, not mine—these say, not theirs--such points
Have weight at court. Will you relieve us all

And take it?-Just say, "I am bidden lay

"This paper at the Duchess' feet.”

Val.

I thank you, sir!

Adolf.

No more?

Her Grace receives the Court!

Gui. [Aside.] Now, sursum corda, quoth the mass

priest! Do

Whoever's my kind saint, do let alone

These pushings to and fro, and pullings back;
Peaceably let me hang o'the devil's arm
The downward path, if you can't pluck me off
Completely! Let me live quite his, or yours!

[The Courtiers begin to range themselves, and move towards
the door.

After me, Valence! So our famous Cleves

Lacks bread? Yet don't we gallants buy their lace ?
And dear enough-it beggars me, I know,

To keep my very gloves fringed properly!

This, Valence, is our Great State Hall you cross :