Author: Theodore St Bo'

Publisher: General Books

Published: 2010-10

Total Pages: 48

ISBN-13: 9781458990297

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Scene I.?Mary soliloquising. Mary. How came I then to reproach my father ? How can I upbraid so good a father ? Tis not within the pale of his dear will To make it otherwise, I know that well. In every sense he's proved himself a parent, True and faithful to his only daughter. Against the law, the vile and wicked law, That prohibits every slave's tuition, He conferred on me the best of education, At the risk of imprisonment and fine; He did this, and far more than this, for me. How then would I presume to chide my father ? It is the base aggressive corrupt law, The law denominated ' Fugitive, ' That prevents him from some decided step. But will it prevent me ? that's my next thought. Seven days?what can be done in seven days ? This is no time for me remain inert, Or yield me up to sad dispair, become Morose and grieved, and weep in melancholy; Nay 'tis the very time bestir myself, Put my native, my in-born, a woman's Ingenuity to work, and devise Same plan t'evade or otherwise escape The meshes of a Vellum for my master. If I can read that villan's inward thoughts, I am no woman, but degraded slave. Bestir me then, each sinew in my frame, Each bone, each muscle; ay, and every nerve Bestir thee, and prepare to do your work. But stay, as yet I have devised no plan? How very weak is woman in her schemes What shall I do ? And then I am betrothed To Wilberforce. What will become of him When I've devised some method of escape ? Can I forsake him too ? Oh, what a thought 1 am perplexed?in sore perplexity. My father knows not that we are betrothed; This was my only charming little secret That I e'er ventured to conceal from him. What, then, if I appealed to Wilberforce? Made him acquainted with my true position ? But, is not that a strange court of appeal ? Methinks...