Gather around my good players and hear our tale. It begins on a path that leads through a pleasant wood down to a river. We see Arliquin in silent mummery, his dancing graces the stage as the background for the dialogue that takes place before him.
See, on the path here is Isabella, a young lady, and Columbine, her servant and confidante. Thier conversation tells the story and it is a common enough one. You see, Pantalone, Isabella's uncle and guardian, is set to marry her to his friend and nieghbor Il Dottore. Pantalone does not realize that Isabella would oppose this match. And he is of course of the opinion that a young woman is the last person to be consulted on the matter of her marriage, if indeed she is to be consulted at all.
To complicate Isabella's concern, she is aware that Pantalone is seeking privileges with her loyal maid, Columbine. Isabella knows that by marrying Il Dottore she may save her friend and servant. But such a sacrifice this would be to her; one disagreeable to both girls.
They stop before the river and Isabella wonders about its beauty, for it is a very lovely place and yet seems avoided by most everyone in town. Columbine explains why this is so with this speech.
"In truth people do shy from this site although it is lovely. It is thier fear of the river's power that keeps them away.
Yes, its power, attributes particular to this river and yet not unlikely to other rivers. Like wine or even like the poppy, when one bathes in this river, and to bathe in it is what few save the foolish or desperate do, one becomes at ease, relaxed, at rest. At rest in mind and body and as well at rest in judgement and propriety. One becomes gay, exuberant, giddy, risque, fanciful and foolish all in such a way quite unwarranted while in a current of water.
See the flowing current? Hear it? Its voice a gentle whisper in your ear, whisper of alluring nothings. Feel its breath, a cool moist drizzle that comes forth to brush your cheek. See the river, watch it run and turn and bend along its course like a proud and sensual dance that entices the viewer and absorbs mind and heart, spirit and flesh, name and soul. Even to sit by it is to feel like one about to swoon before a love, or a god, or even a tragedy. To feel like one about to lose ones breath in love, in song, in dance or in laughter. To feel as if one was a step away from the apex of any human emotion and one false step may bring a giggle or a sigh, a belly-laugh or a mournful sob.
You may say, and you would be right, that this is no more than you will find in contemplating any river. True it is, any river may possess any or all these virtues. They are to be seen if one looks. But this river; to look at it is not an act but a reaction. No, not even that. It is an irresistable prophecy; for this river is the river of art, of the comedy. To say it simply, this river is more a river than any river can ever be.
Don't you see, you are the belle, all ladies are beautiful if you look for them to be. But you are the belle and to look at you is as natural as it is to take a breath. Your beauty is beyond what any other belle's beauty could be. Also, you are inamorata and so are a fool. All those who are in love are fools. But who could hope to play the fool as well as you?
Il Dottore and Pantalone: thier wisdom is self-serving and hypocritical as is the wisdom of all those who pride thier wisdom and role as meant to guide and benefit others. Captains are boastful, tramps are rogues both free and wild. All these things within the comedy are in thier most refined form.
Modesty makes me hesitant to include myself, the servatta, the maid. I am reluctant to point out that such servants must naturally be wiser than those who chance of birth have made thier mistress. I would be vain if I were to voice the logical deduction that no maid may be as clever or witty, nor so superior in such wisdom over her Lady as myself over mine."
Impressed and pleased as she is at Columbine's speech, Isabella comments on it greatly until seeing for the first time, as if just a glimpse, of Arliquin. Arliquin, although in our view the whole time, comes into thier view momentarily and is out of sight again. This sudden and passing view of Arliquin instills great curiosity in both Isabelle and Columbine. This strange vision, Arliquin, motley clothes with bright patches, tumbling, leaping, dancing, balancing a feather. It is as if they had caught a glimpse into another world. They resolve to find out more about this spectacle.
They quickly make a plan. Columbine will go back along the path and Isabella will take the smaller trail they went around the other way, and so between them surround the area where he may have gone.
Columbine has not gone far back up the path before she meets Pantalone. Here he has come for his ward for the new captain has stopped by for a visit. Madam Pantalone and her gossip are entertaining the captain in the parlour and Isabella must come to meet him as well.
Columbine indicates Isabella is nearby in the woods picking wildflowers, but as Pantalone percieves Columbine is in fact alone, he seeks this opportunity to approach Columbine in a daring fashion. Thus Columbine must engage in that ever difficult task of appropriate flattery to the revered employer and firm snub to the unwanted lover. Her predicament comes to the attention of Trivelino and Arliquin who approach silently behind good Pantalone.Each snatches up an end of Pantalone's cape and sweeping it up, hoodwink the old rascal, tying cape and arms down with the same sash. Trivelino makes introductions for himself and Arliquin, who speaks not a word in our story. The three then go off to seek Isabella, leaving Pantalone standing idle, hoodwinked and bound.
Now it is time for Arliquin to truely perform before his three young friends who are amazed as he brings out his juggling gear and shows his best. Bravo,bravo! But see here, what is this? Ah, Il Capitano has heard reports of two strange vagabonds haunting the forest. No good can be thier intention and on hearing that this very forest is where his host has gone to seek his niece, Il Capitano has thought to warn them and bring thme both back to safety. He comes in the company of Madam Pantalone and her gossip, and they tell him of the narrow trail that goes one way to the river and the broader path that goes another.
At first, Il Capitano is reluctant to go down the dark narrow trail alone. After all, he does not wish to abandon to the wide and open path alone. They asssure him that they have thier stout walking sticks to defend themseves and will hear thier cries if help is needed.. So they divide into two parties and just as Arlinquin ends his trickery, the women come on Pantalone.
To confuse a hoodwinked man for a masked one is an easy enough mistake to make and with a shout of "Help, thief!" The two lionesses fall upon thier victim. Poor Pantalone. He can run but he cannot hide. Arms bound and blindfolded, he flees from one terror only to be cut off by the next. Excited by the hunt, our old lionessses fall to with a gusto.
The women's cries reach the ears of all on stage and they converge on the spectacle. Pantalone narrowly escapes the additional complications offered by Il Capitano when Columbine intervenes.
Understandably both Pantalone and madam Pantalone are equally amazed at the revelation of pounder and poundee. Demands for explanations are mutually exchanged and in his turn Pantalone almost imperils Columbine by begining his explanation when she captures the dialogue in brilliant fashion.
Columbine states the obvious, Her "virtuous" Master Pantalone has been set upon. If only she and the other young folk had known, had heard, they could have come to his aid. She thus in one voice alibi's herself and her new friends while with word and look make it obvious to the "virtuous" Pantalone that any conflicting tale may not appear to be in his favor. So ends the first scene.
Scene II The Garden