Henry Longfellow - The Complete Poetical Works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Your name is ever green in Alcala,

And our professor, when we are unruly,

Will shake his hoary head, and say, "Alas!

It was not so in Santillana's time!"

Padre C. I did not think my name remembered there.

Hyp. More than remembered; it is idolized.

Padre C. Of what professor speak you?

Hyp. Timoneda.

Padre C. I don't remember any Timoneda.

Hyp. A grave and sombre man, whose beetling brow

O'erhangs the rushing current of his speech

As rocks o'er rivers hang. Have you forgotten?

Padre C. Indeed, I have. O, those were pleasant days,

Those college days! I ne'er shall see the like!

I had not buried then so many hopes!

I had not buried then so many friends!

I've turned my back on what was then before me;

And the bright faces of my young companions

Are wrinkled like my own, or are no more.

Do you remember Cueva?

Hyp. Cueva? Cueva?

Padre C. Fool that I am! He was before your time.

You're a mere boy, and I am an old man.

Hyp. I should not like to try my strength with you.

Padre C. Well, well. But I forget; you must be hungry.

Martina! ho! Martina! 'T is my niece.

(Enter MARTINA.)

Hyp. You may be proud of such a niece as that.

I wish I had a niece. Emollit mores.

(Aside.)

He was a very great man, was Cicero!

Your servant, fair Martina.

Mart. Servant, sir.

Padre C. This gentleman is hungry. See thou to it.

Let us have supper.

Mart. 'T will be ready soon.

Padre C. And bring a bottle of my Val-de-Penas

Out of the cellar. Stay; I'll go myself.

Pray you. Senor, excuse me. [Exit.

Hyp. Hist! Martina!

One word with you. Bless me I what handsome eyes!

To-day there have been Gypsies in the village.

Is it not so?

Mart. There have been Gypsies here.

Hyp. Yes, and have told your fortune.

Mart. (embarrassed). Told my fortune?

Hyp. Yes, yes; I know they did. Give me your hand.

I'll tell you what they said. They said—they said,

The shepherd boy that loved you was a clown,

And him you should not marry. Was it not?

Mart. (surprised). How know you that?

Hyp. O, I know more than that,

What a soft, little hand! And then they said,

A cavalier from court, handsome, and tall

And rich, should come one day to marry you,

And you should be a lady. Was it not!

He has arrived, the handsome cavalier.

(Tries to kiss her. She runs off. Enter VICTORIAN, with a letter.)

Vict. The muleteer has come.

Hyp. So soon?

Vict. I found him

Sitting at supper by the tavern door,

And, from a pitcher that he held aloft

His whole arm's length, drinking the blood-red wine.

Hyp. What news from Court?

Vict. He brought this letter only.

(Reads.)

O cursed perfidy! Why did I let

That lying tongue deceive me! Preciosa,

Sweet Preciosa! how art thou avenged!

Hyp. What news is this, that makes thy cheek turn pale,

And thy hand tremble?

Vict. O, most infamous!

The Count of Lara is a worthless villain!

Hyp. That is no news, forsooth.

Vict. He strove in vain

To steal from me the jewel of my soul,

The love of Preciosa. Not succeeding,

He swore to be revenged; and set on foot

A plot to ruin her, which has succeeded.

She has been hissed and hooted from the stage,

Her reputation stained by slanderous lies

Too foul to speak of; and, once more a beggar,

She roams a wanderer over God's green earth

Housing with Gypsies!

Hyp. To renew again

The Age of Gold, and make the shepherd swains

Desperate with love, like Gasper Gil's Diana.

Redit et Virgo!

Vict. Dear Hypolito,

How have I wronged that meek, confiding heart!

I will go seek for her; and with my tears

Wash out the wrong I've done her!

Hyp. O beware!

Act not that folly o'er again.

Vict. Ay, folly,

Delusion, madness, call it what thou wilt,

I will confess my weakness—I still love her!

Still fondly love her!

(Enter the PADRE CURA.)

Hyp. Tell us, Padre Cura,

Who are these Gypsies in the neighborhood?

Padre C. Beltran Cruzado and his crew.

Vict. Kind Heaven,

I thank thee! She is found! is found again!

Hyp. And have they with them a pale, beautiful girl,

Called Preciosa?

Padre C. Ay, a pretty girl.

The gentleman seems moved.

Hyp. Yes, moved with hunger,

He is half famished with this long day's journey.

Padre C. Then, pray you, come this way. The supper waits.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. — A post-house on the road to Segovia, not far from

the village of Guadarrama. Enter CHISPA, cracking a whip, and

singing the cachucha.

Chispa. Halloo! Don Fulano! Let us have horses, and quickly.

Alas, poor Chispa! what a dog's life dost thou lead! I thought,

when I left my old master Victorian, the student, to serve my

new master Don Carlos, the gentleman, that I, too, should lead the

life of a gentleman; should go to bed early, and get up late.

For when the abbot plays cards, what can you expect of the

friars? But, in running away from the thunder, I have run into

the lightning. Here I am in hot chase after my master and his

Gypsy girl. And a good beginning of the week it is, as he said

who was hanged on Monday morning.

(Enter DON CARLOS)

Don C. Are not the horses ready yet?

Chispa. I should think not, for the hostler seems to be

asleep. Ho! within there! Horses! horses! horses! (He knocks at

the gate with his whip, and enter MOSQUITO, putting on his

jacket.)

Mosq. Pray, have a little patience. I'm not a musket.

Chispa. Health and pistareens! I'm glad to see you come on

dancing, padre! Pray, what's the news?

Mosq. You cannot have fresh horses; because there are none.

Chispa. Cachiporra! Throw that bone to another dog. Do I look

like your aunt?

Mosq. No; she has a beard.

Chispa. Go to! go to!

Mosq. Are you from Madrid?

Chispa. Yes; and going to Estramadura. Get us horses.

Mosq. What's the news at Court?

Chispa. Why, the latest news is, that I am going to set up a

coach, and I have already bought the whip.

(Strikes him round the legs.)

Mosq. Oh! oh! You hurt me!

Don C. Enough of this folly. Let us have horses. (Gives

money to MOSQUITO.) It is almost dark; and we are in haste. But

tell me, has a band of Gypsies passed this way of late?

Mosq. Yes; and they are still in the neighborhood.

Don C. And where?

Mosq. Across the fields yonder, in the woods near Guadarrama.

[Exit.

Don C. Now this is lucky. We will visit the Gypsy camp.

Chispa. Are you not afraid of the evil eye? Have you a stag's

horn with you?

Don C. Fear not. We will pass the night at the village.

Chispa. And sleep like the Squires of Hernan Daza, nine under

one blanket.

Don C. I hope we may find the Preciosa among them.

Chispa. Among the Squires?

Don C. No; among the Gypsies, blockhead!

Chispa. I hope we may; for we are giving ourselves trouble

enough on her account. Don't you think so? However, there is no

catching trout without wetting one's trousers. Yonder come the

horses.

[Exeunt.

SCENE V. — The Gypsy camp in the forest. Night. Gypsies

working at a forge. Others playing cards by the firelight.

Gypsies (at the forge sing).

On the top of a mountain I stand,

With a crown of red gold in my hand,

Wild Moors come trooping over the lea

O how from their fury shall I flee, flee, flee?

O how from their fury shall I flee?