take thine own course!—Oh madman! madman!—where others only walk he runs, where others enter slowly and only step by step, thither he rushes. Well, well, even if what I have urged prove of no avail, friendship has however discharged its duty—and the worst that can happen is at last to be reduced to suffer with my friend. Till then, be of good heart, Diego!—How dost thou find thyself?

Diego. Like a fish upon dry land.

Juan. Thou dost not speak truly. When a fool is running on the wrong side of the post, he is in his proper element; and, by Saint George, I think we are running cursedly on the wrong side of the post here.

Diego. Only with this difference, that I must do as you please—and you are not pleased to do what God and sound reason require of you.

Juan. Well, let us hear what your wisdom would suggest.

Diego. Were I in the place of the valiant knight Don[21] Juan de Velasquez, in the first place I would deliver a discourse pretty nearly to the same purpose as he has done; but then if that produced no effect, I would say—my dear friend Alonzo, or my dear Don Alonzo, you cannot expect that I should stay to be roasted alive for your sake!—Fare thee well—I shall return home, and take our worthy Diego with me.—We will say over our beads in your behalf.

[21]

Juan. That may as well be done here.

Diego. Here!—on heathen ground!—in view of a heathen temple!

Juan. Blockhead!—Our God is every where, and by a firm adherence to the sacred claims of friendship we serve him more acceptably than by saying over a rosary—therefore will I offer no prayers at this moment. I am here as the guardian of my misguided friend.

Diego. And pray then in what capacity am I here?

Juan. As his attendant, whom he employs to carry his arms.

Diego. My presence then, it should seem, is now wholly superfluous, since I am not permitted to appear publickly as such.

Juan. Thy part is to obey, not to remonstrate. Go, take this whistle, and steal silently to the left, along the wall that surrounds the Temple, while I go round by the right—we shall by this means meet on the other side; and should you encounter any thing suspicious by the way, make use of the whistle. Here, take it.

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