'A Comedy of Errors' in Seven Acts - Spokeshave (the chimp paradox TXT) 📗

Francos: When, as we tread the varied path of life,

Disaster dire demands a valued limb,

We with the mood of Stoic bear the pain;

While nagging tooth doth ever set us wild.

'Tis vain on deep philosophy to call

When stinging gnats, unseen, do us assail;

A warring instinct urges us to kill,

And we delay not, till Dame Reason speaks.

'Twas but an automatic action of the mind

When matter trivial late did rouse a phlegm

Within my soul, which irritated sore,

And on the instant I did stern resolve

That, like the surgeon when an abscess ripe

Action demands with operating knife,

To sever bonds politic which did fast

Within my family executive

Hold Seldonskip and bid him hence to speed.

But sometimes action swift doth breed regreet;

An as I on the future cogitate,

Methinks excuses which might satisfy

Uninterested minds may weakly fail

To ease paternal irritation, when

Its offspring, bearing hence a varnished tale

Of wrongs which from imagination's womb

Were born and yet with specious sound do ring.

Hence I must speedily with subtle skill

Frame a dispatch which like to plaster kind

May ease the irritation of the sore

And thus mar not a happy intercourse.

The mind of man can compass many things,

But still, to reach perfection's dizzy height,

It should be centered on some special point,

Fathered by energy, to reach the goal.

How can I soar, upheld by wings of hope,

When various projects, all demanding skill,

Before me loom, as do the clouds of night

All threat'ning storm which well may wreck the craft

Unless the captain calls unto his aid

Lieutenants by long school of action trained

To guard from danger's shoals which are unknown

Except to those who long the chart have scanned?

My predecessor who first ruled these Isles

Did loud proclaim in optimistic tones

The Philippines for Filipinos are,

And so high expectations did arouse

Which Time with all its mellowing pow'r did

Dissapoint; and so at last Approval's

Smile slowly did wane, and bitterest frown,

Conceived from discontent, usurped its place.

Alas! Am I to be the pliant tool

To work a policy from chaos born?

And on its failure, if perchance it fails,

Will I too meet the cold and icy stare?

Enter Halstrom; speaks:

My Liege, thy self-communion I would halt

And usher to thy presence men of weight

Who would discourse upon some pregnant facts

Which may perchance to thee be quite unknown.

Francos: Good Halstrom, tell me of their every mien.

(anxiously)

Didst thou in judgment fair, within their eyes

Spy greedy look as if on plunder bent?

If so, 'twere best preoccupation plead.

Halstrom: I think, my Liege, 'twere safe to give them ear

So that offense may rankle not their minds.

Francos: Ha, thinkst thou so? Then hail them to my court.

But stay! Wisdom doth hint that in each ear

A caution should be breathed that concise speech

Were best, for pressing matters constant urge.

Halstrom: Thy words are uttered but to be obeyed.

That time is precious I will firm impart. (Retires

and ushers the visitors in.)

Most honored Sire, these gentlement would speak

On matters of great import to the state.

Francos: Welcome, sweet Gentlement, I greet thee well,

And wait the import of the words ye bring.

I beg thee speedily the burden ease

From off thy overladen minds, that we

May then in converse wise consider well

The various phases of a matter new.

Gentleman: Your Honor!—Please excuse the term, as I

From pleading long before the bar have thus

Familiar with this title grown, and so

From 'tween my lips the word did careless slip.

Francos (earnestly):

But honored Sir, I fain would ask what bar

It wast before which thou didst earnest plead?

Gentlemen: Ha! Ha! Methinks a subtle humor finds

Its home within the mind of him who rules.

But in all truth the point were taken well,

For Caesar, rumor saith, disdains the cup

Which doth inebriate and thus befool

The mind of him who at it tarries long.

But Sire, the business which doth urge us here

Is of great import to our party's needs.

Francos: I pray thee, hasten to the point, for time

Hath wings that bear us swiftly on.

Gentleman: Most noble Governor, I sore lament

That from our noble South there be men here

Who have deep sympathy for these, who in

The past have fattened at the public crib,

And find no sympathy for Caesar's plan

To mould this commonwealth on model grand

Perfected by the chivalry front which

Both he and thou didst draw sweet childhood's milk.

These men did quick condone the ev'ry act

Which emanated from the Northern mind.

Yearly were millions spent on bootless task

Of feeding vacant minds on useless food

Because unfitted to their various needs.

"A little knowledge is a dang'rous thing"

And doth unfit the plodding mass for toil,

Which is their proper sphere; hence ev'ry thought

Hard thrust within their skulls doth discontent

Engender, and thus far stability

Doth threathen for the ruling class, and so

As in our "Sunny South" the specter grins

Prophetic of grave danger to the State.

Francos: The plea doth fall on sympathetic ears.

Yet Caesar counseled in his parting words

That discord here among our party friends

Would breed distemper if 'twere not ignored.

Both Gentlemen, despondingly:

Alas! 'Tis so, that we who burdens bore

Are thrust aside when vict'ry crowns our work

And renegades are placed on equal terms

With loyal sons who ne'er a duty shirked.

(Exeunt Gentlemen).

Francos: Ah! so it is. Each entity is filled

With selfish impulse which doth ever hide

Justice eternal from its clouded sight

And pigmy self exalt to giant form.

Bonset:    But Sire, it were the common lot of man

To seek preferment; and unless he doth,

No other will lift hand to boost him on,

Unless great wealth doth like a magnet draw

Support from those who with a greedy eye

Expect to feel most happy contact with

The shining coin, which doth a lever prove

To pry success from out the voting mob.

Francos: But Bonset, see'st thou not that native worth

And mental parts may overtower the gold

And thus perforce attract attention from

The ones who guide their party to success?

(Bonset doublingly)

Perhaps, my Liege. But in the outer hall

A deputation waits to greeting give

And tokens of respectful homage show

On the behalf of Briton's col'ny here.

(Enter Quezox)

Francos: But Bonset, list! 'Twere well to let them wait:

To quick respond will lower dignity.

The British mind doth breed a rev'rence deep

For form and etiquette which swift cognition

Might debase, and thus we on their mental

Vision might mayhap but feeble impress

Make as envoys by most noble Caesar sent

To rule these Isles with gravity and state.

Quezox:   Most noble Sire! If I might but suggest,

'Twere well for Bonset to inquire each name

And mental picture stamp upon his mind

That he may fluent be when he presents

Each sev'ral person as he shall proceed

To pass before thee and his greeting voice,

And when the proper waiting hath an end,

I will speed forth and beck the conclave in.

Francos: 'Tis well! And in the intervining time

'Twere wise important matters to discuss.

(Enter Carpen)

Ha! Carpen, thou hast long experience had

In dealings intricate with this proud race,

And thee alone from out the anchored host

I trust to honest voice conditions here.

Carpen:   Sire! dost thou seek a true, unvarnished tale,

Or rather wouldst a colored picture please?

Francos: Truth is so hidden in her various garbs

That nakedness alone presents her fair;

Hence ornament and furbelow disdain,

And Hebe-like unbedecked let her stand forth.

Carpen:   It were indeed a most stupendous mind

Which, as the argonaut with mining pan

Doth sift pure gold from ever present dross,

Can Truth unmesh from Error's well spread net.

Conditions intricate with taunting smile

Of Fate's stern irony, have faced us here;

But now the seething problem must be solved

And vague uncertainty be swept aside.

Shall the mestizos, as the ruling class,

Be firm entrenched by our assisting hand,

Or must we in the well marked path still tread

And longer bear our burden which will bring

No gratitude to recompense our pains?

Quezox:   Sire! Carpen well hath voiced mine ev'ry thought,

We, who Caucasian blood boast in our veins

Are numerous, and can uphold the state.

The pure-blood Filipinos to us look

For guidance and our ev'ry counsel take.

To wait until the tao fills his skull

With book lore were to see us in our graves

And millions burden on thy native land.

But Sire, I feel that time enow has flown

To proper impress make on waiting minds.

Hence it were well to bid them entrance speed

That they may grave obeisance to thee make.

(Exit Quezox)

Second Scene: Outer Room, where the deputation waits.