ξεντροπιάσω. [Ευγαίνει ἕνας δελος ἀπὸ τὸ ἐργασήρι.] Παλι καρι, πές με σὲ παρακαλῶ ποιὸς εἶναι ἐκεῖ εἰς ἐκείνες τὲς ὀντάδες ; ΔΟΥΛ. Τρεῖς χρήσιμοι ἄνδρες. Ενας ὁ κὺρ Ευγένιος, ὁ ἄλ λος ὁ κῦρ Μάρτιος Ναπολιτάνος, καὶ ὁ τρίτος ὁ Κῦρ Κόντε Λέαν ¿ δρος Αρδέντης.

ΠΛΑ.

(Ανάμεσα εἰς αὐτὲς δὲν εἶναι ὁ Φλαμίνιος, ἂν ὅμως δὲν ἄλλαξεν ὄνομα.)

ΛΕΑ. Νὰ ζῆ ἡ καλὴ τύχη τῷ κύρ Εὐγενία. [Πίνωντας.] ΟΛΟΙ. Νὰ ζῇ, να ζῇ,

ανα

ΠΛΑ. (Αὐτὸς εἶναι ὁ ἄνδρας με χωρὶς ἄλλο.) Καλὲ ἄν θρωπε κάμε με τὴν χαρὶν νὰ μὲ συντροφεύσης ἀπάνω εἰς αὐτὲς τὲς ἀφεντάδες, ὑπὲ θέλω νὰ τὰς παίξω μίαν. [Πρὸς τὸν δέλον.] ΔΟΥ. Ορισμός σας (συνηθισμένον ὀφφίκιον των δελευτῶν.) [Τὴν ἐμπάζει απὸ τὸ ἐργασήρι τα παιγνιδι.

ΡΙΔ. Καρδιά, καρδιά, κάμετε καλὴν καρδιὰν, δὲν εἶναι τί ποτες. [Πρὸς τὴν Βιττόριαν.]

ΒΙΤ. Ἐγὼ αἰσθάνομαι πῶς ἀπεθαίνω. [Συνέρχεται εἰς τὸν ἑαυτόν της.]

̓Απὸ τὰ παράθυρα τῶν ὀντάδων φαίνονται ὅλοι, ὁπε σηκόνωνται απὸ τὸ τραπέζι συγχισμένοι, διὰ τὸν ξαφνισμὸν τὸ Λεάνδρε βλέπωντας τὴν Πλάτζιδα, καὶ διατὶ αὐτὸς δείχνει πῶς θέλει νὰ τὴν φονεύσῃ.]

ΕΥΓ. Οχι, σαθητε.

ΜΑΡ. Μὴν κάμνετε. .

ΛΕΑ. Σίκω, φύγε απ' ἐδώ.

ΠΛΑ. Βοήθεια, βοήθεια. [Φεύγει ἀπὸ τὴν σκάλαν, ὁ Λέαν δρος θέλει νὰ τὴν ακολεθήση μὲ τὸ σπαθὶ, καὶ ὁ Εὐγ. τον βασᾷ.] ΤΡΑ. [Μὲ ἕνα πιάτο με φαγὶ εἰς μίαν πετζέτα πηδᾷ ἀπὸ τὸ παραθύρι, καὶ φεύγει εἰς τὸν καφενέ.]

ΠΛΑ. [Ευγαίνει απὸ τὸ ἐργασήρι τα παιγνίδις τρέχωντας, καὶ φευγει εἰς τὸ χάνι.]

ΕΥΓ. [Μὲ ἅρματα εἰς τὸ χέρι πρὸς διαφέντευσιν τῆς Πλάτζιδας, ἐναντίον τῷ Λεάνδρο, ὑπὸ τὴν κατατρέχει.]

ΜΑΡ. [Εὐγαίνει καὶ αὐτὸς σιγὰ σιγὰ ἀπὸ τὸ ἐργασήρι, καὶ φεύγει λέγωντας.] Rumores fuge. [Ρεμόρες φύγε.] *

Οἱ Δέλοι. [ ̓Απὸ τὸ ἐργασήρι απερνῶν εἰς τὸ χάνι, καὶ κλειὲν τὴν πορταν.]

BIT. [Μένει εἰς τὸν καφενέ βοηθημένη απὸ τὸν Ῥιδόλφον.] ΛΕΑ. Δόσετε τόπον· θέλω νὰ ἔμβω νὰ ἔμβω εἰς ἐκεῖνο τὸ χάνι. [Μὲ τὸ σπαθὶ εἰς τὸ χέρι ἐναντίον τῇ Εὐγενία.]

ΕΥΓ. Ὄχι, μὴ γένοιτο ποτέ· εἶσαι ἕνας σληρόκαρδος ἐναντίον τῆς γυναικός σε, καὶ ἐγὼ θέλει τήν διαφεντεύσω ὡς εἰς τὸ ὕσερον αἷμα.

ΛΕΑ. Σε κάμνω ὅρκον πῶς θέλει τὸ μετανοιώσης. [Κινηγά τὸν Εὐγένιον μὲ τὸ σπαθί.]

ΕΥΓ. Δὲν σὲ φοβᾶμαι. [Κατατρέχει τὸν Λέανδρον, καὶ τὸν βιάζει νὰ συρθῇ ὀπίσω τόσον, ὁπᾶ εὐρίσκωντας ανοικτὸν τὸ σπῆτι τῆς χορεύτριας, ἐμβαίνει εἰς αὐτὸς καὶ σώνεται.]

* Λόγος λατινικὸς, ὁπᾶ θέλει νὰ εἰπῇ· φεύγε ταῖς σύγχισες.

TRANSLATION.

Platzida from the Door of the Hotel, and the Others.

Pla. Oh God! from the window it seemed that I heard my husband's voice. If he is here, I have arrived in time to make him ashamed. [A Servant enters from the Shop.] Boy, tell me, pray, who are in those chambers?

Serv. Three Gentlemen: one, Signor Eugenio; the other Signor Martio, the Neapolitan; and the third, my Lord, the Count Leander Ardenti.

Pla. Flaminio is not amongst these, unless he has changed his name.

Leander. [Within drinking.] Long live the good fortune of Signor Eugenio!

[The whole Company, Long live, &c.] (Literally, Να ζῇ, να ζῇ, May he live.)

Pla. Without doubt that is my husband. [To the Serv.] My good man, do me the favour to accompany me above to those Gentlemen: I have some business.

Serv. At your commands. [Aside.] The old office of us waiters. [He goes out of the Gaming-House.]

Ridolpho. [To Victoria on another part of the

stage.] Courage, Courage, be of good cheer, it is nothing.

Victoria. I feel as if about to die. [Leaning on him as if fainting.]

[From the windows above all within are seen rising from table in confusion: Leander starts at the sight of Platzida, and appears by his gestures to threaten her life.

Eugenio. No, stop

Martio. Don't attempt

Leander. Away, fly from hence!

Pla. Help! Help! [Flies down the Stairs, Leander attempting to follow with his sword, Eugenio hinders him.]

[Trappola with a plate of meat leaps over the balcony from the window, and runs into the Coffee-House,] [Platzida runs out of the Gaming-House, and takes shelter in the Hotel.]

1

[Martio steals softly out of the Gaming-House, and goes off exclaiming, "Rumores fuge." The Servants from the Gaming-House enter the Hotel, and shut the door.]

[Victoria remains in the Coffee-House assisted by Ridolpho].

[Leander sword in hand opposite Eugenio exclaims, Give way-I will enter that hotel.]

Eugenio. No, that shall never be. You are a scoundrel to your wife, and I will defend her to the last drop of my blood.

Leander. I will give you cause to repent this. [Menacing with his sword.]

Eugenio. I fear you not. [He attacks Leander and makes him give back so much that finding the door of the dancing girl's house open, Leander escapes through, and so finishes.]*

*Zwvela" finishes"-awkwardly enough, but it is the literal translation of the Romaic. The original of this comedy of Goldoni's I never read, but it does not appear one of his best. "Il Bugiardo" is one of the most lively; but I do not think it has been translated into Romaic: it is much more amusing than our own "Liar," by Foote. The character of Lelio is better drawn than Young Wilding. Goldoni's comedies amount to fifty; some perhaps the best in Europe, and others the worst. His life is also one of the best specimens of autobiography, and, as Gibbon has observed, "more dramatic than any of his plays." The above scene was selected as containing some of the most familiar Romaic idioms, not for any wit which it displays, since there is more done than said, the greater part consisting of stage directions. The original is one of the few comedies by Goldoni which is without the buffoonery of the speaking Harlequin.