Britain's Historical Drama (1839)
by John Fitzgerald Pennie (9780217449144)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE ENGLISH SLAVE. ACT I. SCENE I.?The Interior of a miserable Cottage. Enter Eclitha and Albert. EDITHA. St. Cuthbert save us what can ail thee, boy, To be so testy, wayward, cross, and peevish ? Some fearful spirit of the stormy moor, Which thou dost ever haunt, hath on thee cast An evil eye; or the night-roaming hag, Crossing thy path, bewitched thee ALBERT. Mother, no? I love to wander when the tempest howls O'er Dartmoor's lonely wilds, for then I seem To breathe the mountain air of liberty: I the fierce stag love to companion where The herds in freedom rove, for then I seem To be as free as they: I love to climb The eagle's granite throne, and see him wave His broad wings to the wind, for then I feel EDITHA. Now goodness keep me Why, Albert, should thine ever-restless mind Indulge such vain desires ? Win thou content, And in thy humble lot, though hard it be, Thou 'It find some happiness. ALBEET. None, never, none, While I behold the stern usurping Thane, In splendour clad, tread like a god the earth, (J) And frown me into nothing Why should he Have all things at command, while I must wear These sordid weeds, and toil, yoked to the plough, (2) For food his dogs would scorn ? EDITHA. The saints assoil thec Why, Albert, where hast thou picked up such treason Against thy high-born betters? ALBEET. Why my betters In what are they my betters ? True, .they feed From trenchers loaded with the daintiest cheer The garden, forest, flood, and harvest yield; (3) Furred robes they wear, bedizened o'er with gold (4) And dazzling pebbles, bought with blood of slaves; Curb fiery steeds, in costly trappings decked; Grasp in their hands a spear, the sign of freedom, (5) And on their ring-bound fingers bear a hawk, None da...

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