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_ ACT I - SCENE III
SCENE.--An apartment in Count Helmaar's Castle.--A train of dancers.--After they have danced for some time,
Enter a Page.
Page.
Ladies! I have waited, according to your commands,
till Count Helmaar appeared in the ante-chamber
--he is there now, along with the ladies Christina and Eleonora.
1st Dancer.
Now is our time--Count Helmaar shall hear our song to welcome him home.
2nd Dancer.
None was ever more welcome.
3rd Dancer.
But stay till I have breath to sing.
SONG.
I.
Welcome, Helmaar, welcome home;
In crowds your happy neighbours come,
To hail with joy the cheerful morn,
That sees their Helmaar's safe return.
II.
No hollow heart, no borrow'd face.
Shall ever Helmaar's hall disgrace:
Slaves alone on tyrants wait;
Friends surround the good and great.
Welcome Helmaar, &c.
Enter ELEONORA, CHRISTINA, and COUNT HELMAAR.
Helmaar.
Thanks, my friends, for this kind welcome.
1st Dancer
(looking at a black fillet on Helmaar's head).
He has been wounded.
Christina.
Yes--severely wounded.
Helmaar.
And had it not been for the fidelity of the soldier who carried me from the field of battle, I should never have seen you more, my friends, nor you, my charming Eleonora. (A noise of one singing behind the scenes.)--What disturbance is that without?
Christina.
Tis only Aleftson, the fool:--in your absence, brother, he has been the cause of great diversion in the castle:--I love to play upon him, it keeps him in tune;--you can't think how much good it does him.
Helmaar.
And how much good it does you, sister:--from your childhood you had always a lively wit, and loved to exercise it; but do you waste it upon fools?
Christina.
I'm sometimes inclined to think this Aleftson is more knave than fool.
Eleon.
By your leave, Lady Christina, he is no knave, or I am much mistaken. To my knowledge, he has carried his whole salary, and all the little presents he has received from us, to his brother's wife and children. I have seen him chuck his money, thus, at those poor children, when they have been at their plays, and then run away, lest their mother should make them give it back.
Enter ALEFTSON, the fool, in a fool's coat, fool's cap and bells, singing.
I.
There's the courtier, who watches the nod of the great;
Who thinks much of his pension, and nought of the state:
When for ribands and titles his honour he sells--
What is he, my friends, but a fool without bells?
II.
There's the gamester, who stakes on the turn of a die
His house and his acres, the devil knows why:
His acres he loses, his forests he sells--
What is he, my friends, but a fool without bells?
III.
There's the student so crabbed and wonderful wise,
With his plus and his minus, his x's and y's:
Pale at midnight he pores o'er his magical spells--
What is he, my friends, but a fool without bells?
IV.
The lover, who's ogling, and rhyming, and sighing,
Who's musing, and pining, and whining, and dying:
When a thousand of lies ev'ry minute he tells--
What is he, my friends, but a fool without bells?
V.
There's the lady so fine, with her airs and her graces,
With a face like an angel's--if angels have faces:
She marries, and Hymen the vision dispels--
What's her husband, my friends, but a fool without bells?
Christina, Eleonora, Helmaar, &c.
--Bravo! bravissimo!--excellent fool!--Encore.
[The fool folds his arms, and begins to cry bitterly.]
Christina.
What now, Aleftson?
I never saw you sad before--What's the matter?--Speak.
[Fool sobs, but gives no answer.]
Helm.
Why do you weep so bitterly?
Aleft.
Because I am a fool.
Helm.
Many should weep, if that were cause sufficient.
Eleon
But, Aleftson, you have all your life, till now, been a merry fool.
Fool.
Because always, till now, I was a fool, but now I am grown wise:
and 'tis difficult, to all but you, lady, to be merry and wise.
Christina.
A pretty compliment; 'tis a pity it was paid by a fool.
Fool.
Who else should pay compliments, lady, or who else believe them?
Christina.
Nay, I thought it was the privilege of a fool to speak the truth without offence.
Fool.
Fool as you take me to be, I'm not fool enough yet
to speak truth to a lady, and think to do it without offence.
Eleon
Why, you have said a hundred severe things to me
within this week, and have I ever been angry with you?
Fool.
Never; for, out of the whole hundred, not one was true. But have a care, lady--fool as I am, you'd be glad to stop a fool's mouth with your white hand this instant, rather than let him tell the truth of you.
Christina
(laughing, and all the other ladies, except Eleonora, exclaim)
--Speak on, good fool; speak on--
Helm.
I am much mistaken, or the lady Eleonora fears not
to hear the truth from either wise men or fools--Speak on.
Fool.
One day, not long ago, when there came news that our count there was killed in Finland--I, being a fool, was lying laughing, and thinking of nothing at all, on the floor, in the west drawing-room, looking at the count's picture--In comes the Lady Eleonora, all in tears.
Eleon
(stopping his mouth.)
Oh! tell any thing but that, good fool.
Helmaar
(kneels and kisses her hand).
Speak on, excellent fool.
Christina and ladies.
Speak on, excellent fool--In came the Lady Eleonora, all in tears.
Fool.
In comes the Lady Eleonora, all in tears
--(pauses and looks round).
Why now, what makes you all so curious about these tears?
--Tears are but salt water, let them come from what eyes they will--my tears are as good as hers--in came John Aleftson, all in tears, just now, and nobody kneels to me--nobody kisses my hands--nobody cares half a straw for my tears--
(folds his arms and looks melancholy).
I am not one of those--I know the cause of my tears too well.
Helm.
Perhaps they were caused by my unexpected return--hey?
Fool
(scornfully).
No--I am not such a fool as that comes to. Don't I know that, when you are at home, the poor may hold up their heads, and no journeyman-gentleman of an agent dares then to go about plaguing those who live in cottages? No, no,--I am not such a fool as to cry because Count Helmaar is come back; but the truth is, I cried because I am tired and ashamed of wearing this thing--(throwing down his fool's cap upon the floor, changes his tone entirely)--I!--who am brother to the man who saved Count Helmaar's life--I to wear a fool's cap and bells--Oh shame! shame!
[The ladies look at one another with signs of astonishment.]
Christina
(aside).
A lucid interval--poor fool!
--I will torment him no more--he has feeling--'twere better he had none.
Eleon
Hush!--hear him!
Aleft
(throwing himself at the counts feet).
Noble count, I have submitted to be thought a fool; I have worn this fool's cap in your absence, that I might indulge my humour, and enjoy the liberty of speaking my mind freely to the people of all conditions. Now that you are returned, I have no need of such a disguise--I may now speak the truth without fear, and without a cap and bells.--I resign my salary, and give back the ensign of my office
--(presents the fool's cap).
[Exit.]
Christina.
He might well say, that none but fools should pay compliments
--this is the best compliment that has been paid you, brother.
Eleon
And observe, he has resigned his salary.
Helm.
From this moment let it be doubled:
--he made an excellent use of money when he was a fool
--may he make half as good a use of it now he is a wise man.
Christina.
Amen--and now I hope we are to have some more dancing.
[Exeunt.] _
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