  Francos . . . . . . Governor General of a Province. First Scene: Governor Office. |
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)
