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Kitabı oku: «The Works of Aphra Behn», sayfa 32

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Now, honoured Captain, (said his Friend) and you, Gentlemen, his other worthy Officers, be pleas’d to receive your Soldier, as Sir Miles Hardyman, Bar., Son to the late Sir Henry Hardyman of Somersetshire, my dear and honoured Brother-in-Law: Who is certainly – the most unhappy Wretch crawling on Earth! (interrupted Miles) O just Heaven! (persu’d he) How have I been rack’d in my Soul ever since the Impious Vow I made, that I never would see my dearest Father more! This is neither a Time nor Place to vent your Sorrows, my dearest Brother! (said his Friend, tenderly embracing him.) I have something now more material than your Expressions of Grief can be here, since your honoured Father has been dead these five Years almost: – Which is to let you know, that you are now Master of four thousand Pounds a Year; and if you will forgive me two Years Revenue, I will refund the rest, and put you into immediate and quiet Possession; which I promise before all this worthy and honourable Company. To which Miles return’d, That he did not deserve to inherit one Foot of his Father’s Lands, tho’ they were entail’d on him, since he had been so strangely undutiful; and that he rather thought his Friend ought to enjoy it all in Right of his Sister, who never offended his Father in the whole Course of her Life: – But, I beseech you, Sir, (continu’d he to his Friend) how long is it since I have been so happy in so good and generous a Brother-in-Law? Some Months before Sir Henry our Father dy’d, who gave us his latest Blessing, except that which his last Breath bequeath’d and sigh’d after you. O undutiful and ungrateful Villain that I am, to so kind, and so indulgent, and so merciful a Father: (cry’d Miles) But Heaven, I fear, has farther Punishments in Store for so profligate a Wretch and so disobedient a Son. – But your Name, Sir, if you please? (persu’d he to his Brother) I am Lewis Constance, whom once you unhappily mistook for your Rival. Unhappily, indeed: (return’d Miles) I thought I had seen you before. Ay, Sir, (return’d Constance) but you could never think to have seen me again, when you wounded and left me for dead, within a Mile of my House. O! thou art brave, (cry’d his Brother, embracing him affectionately) ’tis too much Happiness, for such a Reprobate to find so true a Friend and so just a Brother. This, this does in some Measure compensate for the Loss of so dear a Father. – Take, take all, my Brother! (persu’d he, kissing Lewis’s Cheek) Take all thou hast receiv’d of what is call’d mine, and share my whole Estate with me: But pardon me, I beseech you my most honour’d Officers, and all you Gentlemen here present, (continu’d he to the whole Company, who sate silent and gazing at one another, on the Occasion of so unusual an Adventure) pardon the Effects of Grief and Joy in a distracted Creature! O, Sir Miles, (cry’d his Captain) we grieve for your Misfortune, and rejoice at your Happiness in so noble a Friend and so just a Brother. Miles then went on, and gave the Company a full but short Account of the Occasion of all his Troubles, and of all his Accidents he met with both Abroad and at Home, to the first Day that Constance saw him digging in the Tower-Ditch. About one that Morning, which preceded that Afternoon (persu’d he) whereon I saw my dear Brother here, then a Stranger to me, I dream’d I saw my Father at a Distance, and heard him calling to me to quit my honourable Employment in his Majesty’s Service: This (my Thought) he repeated seven or nine Times, I know not which; but I was so disturb’d at it, that I began to wake, and with my Eyes but half open was preparing to rise; when I fancy’d I felt a cold Hand take me by the Hand, and force me on my hard Bolster again, with these Words, take thy Rest, Miles! This I confess did somewhat surprize me; but I concluded, ’twas the Effect of my Melancholy, which, indeed, has held me ever since I last left England: I therefore resolutely started up, and jump’d out of Bed, designing to leave you, and sit up with my Fellow-Soldiers on the Guard; but just then I heard the Watchman cry, Past one a Clock and a Star-light Morning; when, considering that I was to be at Work in the Ditch by four a Clock, I went to Bed again, and slumber’d, doz’d, and dream’d, ’til Four; ever when I turn’d me, still hearing, as I foolishly imagin’d, my Father crying to me, Miles! Sleep, my Miles! Go not to that nasty Place, nor do such servile Offices! tho’ thou dost, I’ll have thee out this Day, nay, I will pull thee out: And then I foolishly imagin’d, that the same cold Hand pull’d me out of the Ditch; and being in less than a Minute’s Time perfectly awake, I found my self on my Feet in the Middle of the Room; I soon put on my Cloaths then, and went to my Labour. Were you thus disturb’d when you were Abroad? (the Captain ask’d) O worse, Sir, (answer’d Miles) especially on a Tuesday Night, a little after One, being the Twelth of November, New Style, I was wak’d by a Voice, which (methought) cry’d, Miles, Miles, Miles! Get hence, go Home, go to England! I was startled at it, but regarded it only as proceeding from my going to Sleep with a full Stomach, and so endeavour’d to sleep again, which I did, till a second Time it rouz’d me, with Miles twice repeated, – hazard not thy Life here in a foreign Service! Home! to England! to England! to England! This disturb’d me much more than at first; but, after I had lay’n awake near half an Hour, and heard nothing of it all that Time, I assur’d my self ’twas nothing but a Dream, and so once more address’d my self to Sleep, which I enjoy’d without Interruption for above two Hours; when I was the third Time alarm’d, and that with a louder Voice, which cry’d, as twice before, Miles! Miles! Miles! Miles! Go Home! Go to England! Hazard not thy Soul here! At which I started up, and with a faultering Speech, and Eyes half sear’d together, I cry’d, In the Name of Heaven, who calls? Thy Father, Miles: Go Home! Go Home! Go Home! (it said.) O then I knew, I mean, I thought I knew it was my Father’s Voice; and turning to the Bed-Side, from whence the Sound proceeded, I saw, these Eyes then open, these very Eyes, at least, my Soul saw my Father, my own dear Father, lifting up his joined Hands, as if he begg’d me to return to England. I saw him beg it of me. – O Heaven! The Father begs it of the Son! O obstinate, rebellious, cruel, unnatural, barbarous, inhuman Son! Why did not I go Home then! Why did I not from that Moment begin my Journey to England? But I hope, e’er long, I shall begin a better. Here his o’ercharg’d Heart found some little Relief at his Eyes, and they confess’d his Mother: But he soon resum’d the Man, and then Constance said, Did you ne’er dream of your Sister, Sir? Yes, often, Brother, (return’d Miles) but then most particularly, before e’er I heard the first Call of the Voice; when (my Thought) I saw her in Tears by my Bed Side, kneeling with a Gentleman, whom I thought I had once seen; but knew him not then, tho’, now I recal my Dream, the Face was exactly yours. ’Twas I, indeed, Sir, (return’d Lewis) who bore her Company, with Tears, at your Father’s Bed-Side; and at twelve a Clock at Night your Father dy’d. But come, Sir, (persu’d he) ’tis now near twelve a Clock, and there is Company waits for you at Home, at my House here in Town; I humbly beg the Captain’s Leave, that I may rob ’em of so dutiful a Soldier for a Week or two. Sir, (return’d the Captain) Sir Miles knows how to command himself, and may command us when he pleases. Captain, Lieutenant, and Ensign, (reply’d Sir Miles) I am, and ever will continue, during Life, your most dutiful Soldier, and your most obedient and humble Servant. Thus they parted.

As soon as Constance was got within Doors, his Lady and Sir Miles’s Sister, who both did expect him that Night, came running into the Hall to welcome him? his Sister embrac’d and kiss’d him twenty and twenty Times again, dropping Tears of Joy and Grief, whilst his Mistress stood a little Distance, weeping sincerely for Joy to see her Love return’d: But long he did not suffer her in that Posture; for, breaking from his Sister’s tender Embraces, with a seasonable Compliment he ran to his Mistress, and kneeling, kiss’d her Hand, when she was going to kneel to him; which he perceiving, started up and took her in his Arms, and there, it may be presum’d, they kiss’d and talk’d prettily; ’till her Brother perswaded ’em to retire into the Parlour, where he propos’d to ’em that they should marry on the very next morning; and accordingly they were, after Lewis had deliver’d all Sir Henry’s Estate to Sir Miles, and given him Bills on his Banker for the Payment of ten thousand Pounds, being the Moiety of Sir Miles’s Revenue for five Years. Before they went to Church, Sir Miles, who then had on a rich bridal Suit, borrow’d his Brother’s best Coach, and both he and Lewis went and fetch’d the Captain, Lieutenant, and Ensign, to be Witnesses of their Marriage. The Captain gave the Bride, and afterwards they feasted and laugh’d heartily, ’till Twelve at Night, when the Bride was put to Bed; and there was not a Officer of ’em all, who would not have been glad to have gone to Bed to her; but Sir Miles better supply’d their Places.

Notes: Critical and Explanatory:

The Unhappy Mistake

p. 477 the Jack. The small bowl placed as a mark for the players to aim at. cf. Cymbeline ii, I: ‘Was there ever man had such luck! when I kissed the jack upon an up-cast to be hit away!’
p. 477 the Block. cf. Florio (1598). ‘Buttino, a maister or mistres of boules or coites whereat the plaiers cast or playe; some call it the blocke.’
p. 495 vor Mainly be our Country Word, zure. Wright, English Dialect Dictionary, gives apposite quotations for ‘mainly’ from Gloucester, Wilts and Devon. He also has two quotations, Somerset and West Somerset for ‘main’ used adverbially. But ‘mainly’ is also quite common in that county.
p. 495 the Gun. A well-known house of call. 2 June, 1668, Pepys ‘stopped and drank at the Gun’.
p. 496 a Broad piece. This very common name was ‘applied after the introduction of the guinea in 1663 to the “Unite” or 20 shilling pieces (Jacobus and Carolus) of the preceeding reigns, which were much broader and thinner than the new milled coinage.’

APPENDIX

The Epistle Dedicatory to Oroonoko was printed as an Appendix. In keeping with the editor’s intention (see second paragraph of Note), it has been placed immediately before the novel.