SCENE I.

_A Cavern with winding Stairs, and recesses cut in the Rock; a large Lamp hanging in the Centre; a Table, Wine, Fruits, &c. in disorder.--At the Head DON CAESAR; on each Side SPADO, SANGUINO, RAPINO, and others of the Banditti._

AIR I. AND CHORUS.

Don Caesar. _Here we sons of freedom dwell,_ _In our friendly, rock-hewn cell;_ _Pleasure's dictates we obey,_ _Nature points us out the way,_ _Ever social, great and free,_ _Valour guards our liberty._

AIR.

Don Caesar. _Of severe and partial laws,_ _Venal judges, Alguazils;_ _Dreary dungeons' iron jaws,_ _Oar and gibbet--whips or wheels,_ _Let's never think_ _While thus me drink_ _Sweet Muscadine_! _O life divine!_

Chorus.--_Here we sons of freedom dwell_, &c.

_Don Caesar._ Come, cavaliers, our carbines are loaded, our hearts are light: charge your glasses, Bacchus gives the word, and a volley makes us immortal as the rosy god.--Fire!

_Spado._ Ay, captain, this is noble firing--Oh, I love a volley of grape-shot.--Are we to have any sky-light in our cave?

[_Looking at SANGUINO's Glass._

_Don Caesar._ Oh, no! a brimmer round.--Come, a good booty to us to-night.

[_All drink._

_Spado._ Booty! Oh, I love to rob a fat priest.--Stand, says I, and then I knock him down.

_Sang._ My nose bleeds. [_Looks at his Handkerchief._] I wonder what colour is a coward's blood?

_Spado._ Don't you see it's red?

_Sang._ Ha! call me coward, [_Rises in fury._] sirrah? Captain! cavaliers!--But this scar on my forehead contradicts the miscreant.

_Spado._ Scar on your forehead!--Ay, you will look behind you, when you run away.

_Sang._ I'll stab the villain--[_Draws Stilletto._]--I will, by Heaven.

_Don Caesar._ Pho, Sanguino! you know when a jest offers, Spado regards neither time, place, nor person.

_All._ [_Interposing._] Don't hurt little Spado.

_Spado._ [_Hiding behind._] No, don't hurt little Spado.

_Sang._ Run away! Armies have confessed my valour: the time has been--but no matter.

[_Sits._

_Don Caesar._ Come, away with reflection on the past, or care for the future; the present is the golden moment of possession.--Let us enjoy it.

_All._ Ay, ay, let us enjoy it.

_Don Caesar._ You know, cavaliers, when I entered into this noble fraternity, I boasted only of a little courage sharpened by necessity, the result of my youthful follies, a father's severity, and the malice of a good-natured dame.

_Spado._ Captain, here's a speedy walk-off to old women.

_All._ [_Drink_] Ha! ha! ha! ha!

_Don Caesar._ When you did me the honour to elect me your captain, two conditions I stipulated:----Though at war with the world abroad, unity and social mirth should preside over our little commonwealth at home.

_Spado._ Yes, but Sanguino's for no head--he'll have ours a commonwealth of fists and elbows.

_Don Caesar._ The other, unless to preserve your own lives, never commit a murder.

_Spado._ I murdered since that----a bishop's coach-horse.

_All._ Ha! ha! ha!

_Don Caesar._ Hand me that red wine.

AIR II.--DON CAESAR.

_Flow, thou regal purple stream,_ _Tinctur'd by the solar beam,_ _In my goblet sparkling rise,_ _Cheer my heart and glad my eyes._ _My brain ascend on fancy's wing,_ _'Noint me, wine, a jovial king._ _While I live, I'll lave my clay,_ _When I'm dead and gone away,_ _Let my thirsty subjects say,_ _A month he reign'd, but that was May._

[_Thunder._]

_Don Caesar._ Hark, how distinct we hear the thunder through this vast body of earth and rock.--Rapino, is Calvette above, upon his post?

_Rap._ Yes.

_Don Caesar._ Spado, 'tis your business to relieve the centinel.

_Spado._ Relieve! what's the matter with him?

_Don Caesar._ Come, come, no jesting with duty--'tis your watch.

_Spado._ Let the wolves watch for me--my duty is to get supper ready.--[_Thunder._]--Go up! Od's fire, do you think I'm a Salamander?--D'ye hear?

_Sang._ No sport, I fear.

_Don Caesar._ Then call Calvette, lock down the trap-door, and get us some more wine from the cistern.

_Spado._ Wine! Ay, captain; and this being a night of peace, we'll have a dish of olives.

_Sang._ No, peace! we'll up and scour the forest presently. But well thought on; a rich old fellow, one Don Scipio, has lately come to reside in the castle on the skirts of the forest--what say you to plunder there?

_Don Caesar._ Not to-night--I know my time--I have my reasons--I shall give command on that business. But where's the stranger we brought in at our last excursion?

_Rap._ He reposes in yonder recess.

_Spado._ Ay, egad, there he lies, with a face as innocent--[_Aside._]--If my fellow-rooks would but fly off, I'd have the pigeon here within all to myself.

_Cal._ [_Appears at the Top of the winding Stairs, with a Lanthorn._] A booty.

_Sang._ Good news, cavaliers; here comes Calvette.

_Cal._ A booty!

_Sang._ What! where?

_Cal._ Soft--but one man!

_Sang._ But one man! Is he alone?

_Cal._ Quite.

_Spado._ One man, and alone--that's odd!

_Cal._ He seems in years, but his habit, as well as I could distinguish, speaks him noble.

[_Descends._

_Don Caesar._ Then he'll fight.--My arms!

_Spado._ Oh, he'll fight--get my arms; no, my legs will do for me.

[_Aside._

_Sang._ Come, my carbine--quick!

_Don Caesar._ To the attack of one man--paltry! Only you, Calvette, Sanguino, Rapino, and Spado go; the rest prepare for our general excursion.

_Spado._ Captain, don't send me; indeed I'm too rash!

_Don Caesar._ Come, come, leave buffoonery, and to your duty.

[_CALVETTE and RAPINO ascend; the rest go in at several Recesses; SPADO, the last, ascends up slowly._

_Enter DON ALPHONSO._

_Don Alph._ I find myself somewhat refreshed by my slumber; at such a time to fall into the hands of these ruffians, how unlucky! I'm pent up here; my rival, Fernando, once my friend, reaches Don Scipio's castle, weds my charming Victoria, and I lose her for ever; but if I could secure an interview, love should plead my cause.

AIR III.--DON ALPHONSO.

_The hardy sailor braves the ocean,_ _Fearless of the roaring wind;_ _Yet his heart, with soft emotion,_ _Throbs to leave his love behind._

_To dread of foreign foes a stranger,_ _Tho' the youth can dauntless roam,_ _Alarming fears paint every danger_ _In a rival, left at home._

_SPADO returns down the Stairs._

_Spado._ [_Aside._] Now for some talk with our prisoner here--Stay, are they all out of ear-shot? How the poor bird sings in its cage! I know more of his affairs than he thinks of, by overhearing his conversation at the inn at Lorca.

_Don Alph._ How shall I escape from these rascals? Oh, here is one of the gentlemen. Pray, sir, may I take the liberty--

_Spado._ No liberty for you.--Yet upon certain conditions, indeed--give me your hand.

_Don Alph._ [_Aside._] Impudent scoundrel!

_Spado._ Signor, I wish to serve you--and serve you I will; but I must know the channel, before I make for the coast; therefore, to examine you with the pious severity of an holy inquisitor, who the devil are you?

_Don Alph._ A pious adjuration truly!--[_Aside._]--Sir, my name is Alphonso, and I am son of a banker at Madrid.

_Spado._ Banker! Oh! I thought he sung like a young goldfinch.

_Don Alph._ Perhaps, by trusting this fellow, I may make my escape.

[_Aside._

_Spado._ I'll convince him I know his secrets, and then I hold his purse-strings.

_Don Alph._ You won't betray me?

_Spado._ Honour among thieves.

_Don Alph._ Then you must know, when your gang attacked me yesterday evening--

_Spado._ You were posting full gallop to Don Scipio's castle, on the confines of the forest here.

_Don Alph._ Hey! then perhaps you know my passion for--

_Spado._ Donna Victoria, his daughter.

_Don Alph._ Then you know that she's contracted--

_Spado._ To your friend Don Fernando de Zelva, who is now on his journey to the castle, and, to the destruction of your hopes, weds the lady on his arrival.

_Don Alph._ True, while I am pent up in this cursed cavern; but how you got my story, I----

_Spado._ No matter! I could let you out of this cursed cavern.

_Don Alph._ And will you?

_Spado._ Ah, our trap-door above requires a golden key.

_Don Alph._ Your comrades have not left me a piastre.

_Spado._ Will you give me an order on your father's bank for fifty pieces, and I'll let you out?

_Don Alph._ You shall have it.

_Spado._ A bargain. I'll secure your escape.

_Enter DON CAESAR, behind._

_Don Caesar._ How's this?

_Spado._ Zounds, the captain Ramirez! [_Aside._]--Ay, you dog, I'll secure you for an escape! Do you think I'd set you at liberty without the captain's orders? Betray my trust for a bribe! What the devil do you take me for? [_In a seeming rage._] Oh, captain, I did not see you.

_Don Caesar._ What's the matter?

_Spado._ Nothing, only our prisoner here was mistaken in his man--that's all. Let you escape, indeed!

_Don Alph._ Here's a rascal!

_Spado._ Rascal! D'ye hear him? He has been abusing me this half hour, because I would not convey him out without your knowledge. Oh, what offers he did make me! but my integrity is proof against Gallions, Escurials, Perus, and Mexicos.

_Don Caesar._ Begone instantly to your comrades. [_SPADO ascends._] Signor, no occasion to tamper with my companions; you shall owe your liberty to none but me. I'll convey you to the cottage of the vines, belonging to the peasant Philippo, not far from Don Scipio's castle; there you may rest in safety to-night, and--

_Don Alph._ Ah, captain! no rest for me.

_Don Caesar._ Look ye, signor, I am a ruffian, perhaps worse, but venture to trust me.--A picklock may be used to get to a treasure--don't wish to know more of me than I now chuse to tell you; but, if your mistress loves you as well as you seem to love her, to-morrow night she's yours.

_Don Alph._ My good friend!

_Don Caesar._ Now for Philippo--I don't suppose you wish to see any of our work above--ha! ha! ha!--Well, well, I was once a lover, but now--

AIR IV.--DON CAESAR.

_On by the spur of valour goaded,_ _Pistols primed, and carbines loaded,_ _Courage strikes on hearts of steel;_ _While each spark,_ _Through the dark_ _Gloom of night,_ _Lends a clear and cheering light,_ _Who a fear or doubt can feel?_

_Like serpents now, through thickets creeping,_ _Then on our prey, like lions, leaping!_ _Calvette to the onset leads us,_ _Let the wand'ring trav'ler dread us!_ _Struck with terror and amaze,_ _While our swords with lightning blaze._

[Thunder.

_Thunder to our carbines roaring,_ _Bursting clouds in torrents pouring,_ _Each a free and roving blade,_ _Ours a free and roving trade,_ _To the onset let's away,_ _Valour calls, and we obey._

[Exeunt.