The native American. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1840, 1837-12-30

SCENE VII.
The House of Scopelus.
ScorELus I'm deep meditation, has head leaning
on has hand. ALcIBIADEs.
.4le. (enternng) They directed me e this way
to the house Of Scopelus. Am | right!
Scop. (Starting up.) Yes.
.Alc. Must name myself to thee? or dost
thou already know me!
Scop How should born Athenian be unac-
auainted with the lineaments Of noble Alcibiades?
Ale. Thou art sculptor?
Ale. And good one too, as have heard?
Scop. could almost gather from thy question
that still must have--what scarcely hoped
for-ffriends to speak well Of me in absence.
.alc. Without further compliment on my side,
or overdone modesty on thine, want for one Of
my bathrooms the statue of Grace. Wilt
thou undertake it, as soon as possible?
Scoop. Alas!
.Alc. Why that sigh!
Scoop. Son of Clinias, thy proposal does me
infinite honor. To take commands from thee
would be immortality one-half secured. Yet at
present can hardly venture to accept the order.
L
thee model Ia living model-for the work.
i Scoop. (sighing more deeply.) An advantage
could well dispense with! All! before my eyes
before my minds eyes at least-the model Of
a Grace is ever lowering. Happy the marble on
which an artist could engrave the thousandeth
part of her charms! But won't dissemble it;
labor-once my highest pleasures now a pain
to me; perseverance, seems an impossibility; and
to be early ready still greater.
.Alc. And why this change?
Scoop. From the change Of my domestic cir
cumstances-ruined by a treacherous debtor; and
| yet more from the sorrow which an unfortunate
forgive me, Alcibiades; some kinds of sorrow can
be on felt.
Ale. Many sorrow might be lightened by
disclosure to friend and trust me, / am the
friend of every youthful artist, who gives pro-
mise of being one day great one. Yes! if
nothing but domestic cares be troubling thee, /
am not only willing to offer thee large advance,
but give thee my word and hand upon it, this
statue shall make thy happiness.
Scop. Shaking his head.) Make my happi-
ness! My happiness2 Nephew ofPer;cles, and
now perhaps his successor, thou canst do much;
but that thou canst not do.
1 Ale. First hear my plan, before you set il
down as worthless. know maiden, fair as a
| day of spring, and mild as its breezes. Already
i counted her my own, when found to my as
constituent that no snare of love could capture
her. rendered her all my house contained:
she is poor, and she rejected it. None but her
betrothed, she swore, should ever embrace her.
AT last, that | might have something of her in
possession, | tempted herr by huge sum, to
promise that she would stand, in seemly garb,
as model to an artist of her own selection. She
has selected THEE. Methinks prosperous
Al, Co. ~,
this young Grace, and thou hast rich reward
from me, innumerable commissions from my
friends, and perhaps, in addition to all this, a
maid to wife, pure as the dewdrop on the rose,
lovely as the rose itself, and dowered-in requi-
tai of her virtue-with an Attic talent.
Scoop. And though she had PhGnicia as her
dover; though all the fleets of Tyre were hers,
she could not make me happy not for one
moment charm me. Noble Alcibiades, thy mu-
nificence puts me to the blush. Great as it is,
It's wasted on man untitled by luckless pas
sion for every other happiness Of life.
.Alc. Perhaps--for this very reason---a nc,c
passion might give thee back thy happiness and
taste for life. t4f
Scoop. All, never, never more! The man
who for many year has labored on one little
mansion, has thought upon it as temple sacred
to repose and blessedness; has just been hoping
soon to place the browning stone upon its Pedi-
ment-if a thunderbolt strike it into ruins, what
consolation can he gather from its ashes!
| .dlc. Strange man, who bids thee groPe amia
the ashes, when thou hast fresh n'aterad1s at
hand and friends to boot that VIII aid thee 10
build up better mansioni .
Scoop. (half transported.) A oetter man na'sf
/ q. that were to dream of a stronger god than
| nost;ny No Alcibiades, thou art a sCilling
comforter, but a successful one thou canst not be,
since thou knowest not how much have lost!
.qlc. At least bestow look upon the Athenian
girl, Of whom spoke to thee, and who is waiting
without,