ˇ¶The Hour Glassˇ· DRAMATIS PERSONAE A ISE MAN A FOOL SOME PUPILS AN ANGEL tO ChILDREN SCENE-1 SCENE: A large room t to an inner room. A desk and a c near tool near it. Some bencting at his desk. ISE MAN [turning over t passage I am to explain to my pupils to?day? is, and t it ten by a beggar on t;tries, t is er is summer in t country; andime t; I ands at t . sounds to me like foolis t cannot be, for ter of t it by itself on t had been foolishness. FOOL. Give me a penny. ISE MAN. [turns to anotten: quot;times forgot try.quot; t I understand, but I augter. FOOL. ont you give me a penny? ISE MAN. do you ? t teach you much. FOOL. Suc eac refuse a penny to a Fool. ISE MAN. do you kno wisdom? FOOL. O I have seen. ISE MAN. is it you have seen? FOOL. by Kilcluan t t by tubbervanaco be climbing to tting at t by Carrigoras ing and serving t misfortune all t une, but it eaching. ISE MAN. Run round to tco eat. FOOL. t is fooliso give. ISE MAN. hy, Fool? FOOL. is eaten is gone. I pennies for my bag. I must buy bacon in ts in t, and strong drink for time o catcs and t to cook them in. ISE MAN. Go ahan giving you pennies. FOOL. Give me a penny and I s me sleep among ts in in ter?time because ime tures let me sleep near ts and t is lucky even to look at me or to touc it is muco give me a penny. [ lucky, Id starve. ISE MAN. the shears for? FOOL. I tell you. If I told you, you hem away. ISE MAN. hom would I drive away? FOOL. I tell you. ISE MAN. Not if I give you a penny? FOOL. No. ISE MAN. Not if I give you two pennies. FOOL. You I tell you. ISE MAN. three pennies? FOOL. Four, and I ell you! ISE MAN. Very I call you teigue the Fool any longer. FOOL. Let me come close to you you must promise you drive t dressed in black and spread great black nets over t black nets. ISE MAN. ? FOOL. t tc of t every morning, just before t and cut ts he angels fly away. ISE MAN. A you are teigue told me t I am wise, and I have never seen an angel. FOOL. I y of angels. ISE MAN. Do you bring luck to too. FOOL. O. But t one; the blades of grass. ISE MAN. hem? FOOL. s quiet; t like tars??not like t move, but like tars. [s upward.] ISE MAN. And w hen? FOOL. te one smells summer floall people go by, he color of burning sods. ISE MAN. Is it long since you eigue the Fool? FOOL. Not long, glory be to God! I sa laug it its head. ISE MAN. ell, t;Glory be to God,quot; but before I came t. Run a ring the bell for my scholars. FOOL. Four pennies! t means a great deal of luck. Great teac you plenty of luck! [ she bag.] ISE MAN. teigue t more fooliso be, I ouc ar, I augo forget tecture, I s of ts daug is ter, I to tions of battle ic t ts of o t. But, Roric and Dialectic, t of t star and out of tar, you apult! O ing arguments, it is because of you t I s of foolis ands upon tuffed a angels t came and stood upon mens t I o urned t consider t tries. My moto say somet s are snatc t t be different, for only fools and ; ts ten upon the walls of Babylon. [ are you? is t I h dreams. ANGEL. I am t high God. ISE MAN. o me? ANGEL. I you a message. ISE MAN. message for me? ANGEL. You grains urns the hour?glass.] ISE MAN. My time to die come. I I cannot leave. I die? ANGEL. You must die because no souls o try. tes are rusty, and t keep chere are lonely. ISE MAN. o? ANGEL. t open to you, for you ence of ory open to you, for you ence of purgatory. ISE MAN. But I ence of hell! ANGEL. hose who deny. ISE MAN [kneeling]. I augo deny. I old me. But, oiful Angel, forgive me, forgive me! ANGEL. You should have asked forgiveness long ago. ISE MAN. noo doubt. Storm, deatting, many sicknesses, t came to me. O? You carry t to me! I he hem of your dress! ANGEL. You let go undying oo ago to take hem now. ISE MAN. You cannot understand. You live in t country people only see in try t . Maybe it is as o understand o believe. O ime to undo w I I may undo w I have done! ANGEL. You cannot undo o er tory. For, from one fiery seed, c sent me, t can come again to no of time. ISE MAN. Blessed be t, blessed be t! ANGEL [at ting at ttle y. [Goes out.] ISE MAN. Everyt. [Pulls the bell.] t. I outside on t to please me; tend t too old to be overcome all in a minute. Besides, I can prove w I once disproved. [Anot to my desk. I ly, as if nothing had happened. [ands at th a fixed look in his eyes.] [Enter PUPILS and the FOOL.] FOOL. Leave me alone. Leave me alone. pulling at my bag? Kings son, do not pull at my bag. A YOUNG MAN. Did your friends t bag? they fill your bag for you? FOOL. Give me pennies! Give me some pennies! A YOUNG MAN. Let go is coming to pieces. do you pennies for, great bag at your ? FOOL. I to buy bacon in ts in t, and strong drink for time cs and t steal ts, and pot to cook them in. A YOUNG MAN. your friends tell you wreasures are? ANOt t treasures? If one dreams times, treasure. FOOL [ ]. Give me pennies! Give me pennies! [to . anding close to t to each newcomer.] SCENE-2 A YOUNG MAN. Master, he Fool for a scholar? ANOteigue, eaco scains. tell us ains, teigue? ISE MAN. Be silent all. [anding silent, looking aand still in your places, for tell me. [A moments pause. tand round in tEIGUE still stands at the door.] ISE MAN. Is t you wory? Or in hell? ALL ter! No one! ISE MAN. I kne; but do not be afraid. I be angry. tell me trut believe? A YOUNG MAN. e once did, but you augo knoter. ISE MAN. Oeaceac go very deep! t remains unc all. You believe just as yon alo tell me. A YOUNG MAN. No, no, master. ISE MAN. If you tell me t you believe I s angry. A YOUNG MAN. [to s somebody to dispute h. from the beginning. A YOUNG MAN. t is not t for to?day; you o talk about te upon the walls of Babylon. ISE MAN. If t you t believes, friend. Surely t you. [t.] Surely your mot been so soon forgotten. A YOUNG MAN. Master, till you came, no teaco get rid of foolis every one ened to you, every one rut disputation. ANOt a fool you made of t monk in t?place! a o say. ISE MAN. [Comes from ands among time. It passes, and t lasts for ever. [tEIGUE, tting on a stool by t h his money.] A YOUNG MAN [to anot be satisfied till e o t, master. hem? ISE MAN [in a lo noo tanding there. A YOUNG MAN. You were in a dream. Anybody can see an angel in his dreams. ISE MAN. O a dream. I ell you I was awake as I am now. A YOUNG MAN. Some dream ter, but t is augo say. t is o ts and tyrs. ANOteaching. ISE MAN. Out, out from my sig some one find t grain tell you I must find it, and you anss. Out you ick! [the young men laugh.] A YOUNG MAN. faito say. ISE MAN. Out, out, or I ick about your s hough you are a kings son! [to .] A YOUNG MAN. Come, come; s us to find some one .] ISE MAN [alone. o t t! Bridget! [BRIDGEt comes in ell me trut say imes say your prayers? BRIDGEt. Prayers! No, you taugo leave t first I I am glad nohe evenings. ISE MAN. But do you not believe in God? BRIDGEt. O ells her! ISE MAN. But sometimes ts, about to believe in? do you think of when you are alone? BRIDGEt [considering]. I t notimes I tening to see if the chickens food. ISE MAN. O can I do! Is t go and find somebody! [o go out; I cannot leave t! BRIDGEt. You somebody to get up argument h. ISE MAN. O of tell me if treet. I cannot leave t s! the sand would fall quickly. BRIDGEt. I dont understand .] t of people talking to your pupils. ISE MAN. O, Bridget, and see if t believes! BRIDGEt [o a man of learning t must be al and ss tc be meddling . ISE MAN. [Kneels do;Salvum me fac, Deus??salvum??salvum. ...quot; I ten it all. It is ty years since I said a prayer. I must pray in tongue, like a clo like teigue t! [BRIDGEt enters, follo to her.] FOOL. Give me someto buy bacon in ts in t, and strong drink for time whe sun grows weak. BRIDGEt. I o t find anybody to argue h you. try dohe monk. Cant you be quiet no aling to s? It must be terrible to . ISE MAN. I am lost! I am lost! BRIDGEt. Leave me alone nohe children. ISE MAN. Out of t of t goes tco sten t is only t doubt; t, Bridget, send my co me! BRIDGEt [inside]. Your fats you, run to him now. [togettle cimidly at ther.] ISE MAN. C do you believe? Is tory? FIRSt C forgotten, father. toget see. FIRSt Co t t you are very learned and you augter. ISE MAN. You are just as bad as t as bad as t of t of to cry and run aeacter??no, I eaco your mot be able to teachem, O God! [Alone.] ttle sand in t glass. Somebody ; per tures t . O t ts could speak! Somebody ted. O speak to me, O grass blades! O fingers of Gods certainty, speak to me. You are millions and you speak. I dare not kno t and brings it to tting by tuck in . o blow a dandelion are you doing? FOOL. ait a moment. [he blows.] Four, five, six. ISE MAN. are you doing t for? FOOL. I am blo to find out ime it is. ISE MAN. You is o find out ing to see to carry me a to force to ask you. [o tory? FOOL. So you ask me no eigue could tell it, for teigue it s. ISE MAN. tell me; tell me! FOOL. I said, teigue kno even t milk teigues teigue speak; hing. ISE MAN. tell me, tell me! For under t if I found somebody t believes! Speak, speak! FOOL [looking tell you tell you s. I met a bodacerday, and ;teigue, tell me t ty pennies in your bag; let me put in my t; But I pulled trings tigo sleep every nighe bag where no one knows. ISE MAN. [Goes too uncover it.] No, no, I the courage! [he kneels.] y upon me, Fool, and tell me! FOOL. A is different. I am not afraid of you no I must come near you; somebody in t the Angel said. ISE MAN. O did tell you? FOOL. Once I ;teigue t forget t punis purifies, and t; ISE MAN. . I am dying. ... [FOOL o ry of tars, and I am going to try of tars! Ring t. ... I o tand it all no see trutrut speak, I am too ell t no, I I cannot pray. Pray Fool, t tter than mine. [FOOL bows er.] A YOUNG MAN. Look at turned bell?ringer! ANOt eigue? are you going to tell us? ANOt asleep noouche ISE MAN.] Oh, he is dead! FOOL. Do not stir! you mig for a moment.] Look le tle s o tretc aken it in her hands... she Garden of Paradise. [they all kneel.]