Amin. It must not be so. Stay! Mine eyes would tell How loth I am to this; but, love and tears, All that this world calls happy. Thou hast wrought wrung From out my bosom: Give it me again; Mel. Why would you have it back? Thy blood so high, that thou wilt stir in this, Amin. I will not hear! but draw, or I- Amin. Draw then; for I am full as resolute As fame and honour can enforce me be ! I cannot linger. Draw! Mel. I do. But is not My share of credit equal with thine, Amin. No; for it will be called Honour in thee to spill thy sister's blood, Of fearful cuckold, Oh, that word! Be quick. Amin. I dare not do a sin, or else I would. Be speedy. Mel. Then dare not fight with me; for that's a sin. His grief distracts him: Call thy thoughts again, And to thyself pronounce the name of friend, And see what that will work, I will not fight. Amin. You must. Mel. I will be killed first. Though my passions Offered the like to you, 'tis not this earth Shall buy my reason to it. Think awhile, For you are (I must weep, when I speak that) Almost besides yourself." Amin. Oh, my soft temper! So many sweet words from thy sister's mouth, Mel. Why thinks my friend I will forget his honour? or, to save Mel. I'll do what worth shall bid me, and no more. Amin. 'Faith, I am sick, and desperately, I hope; Yet, leaning thus, I feel a kind of ease. Mel. Come, take again your mirth about you. Amin. I shall never do't. Mel. I warrant you; look up; we'll walk together; Put thine arm here; all shall be well again. Amin. Thy love (oh, wretched!) ay, thy love, Melantius! Why, I have nothing else. Enter MELANTIUS again. [Exeunt. Mel. This worthy young man may do violence Upon himself; but I have cherish'd him To counterfeit again. Sword, hold thine edge; To my best power, and sent him smiling from me, My heart will never fail me. Diphilus ! Thou com'st as sent. Enter DIPHILUS. Diph. Yonder has been such laughing. Diph. Why, our sister and the king; I thought their spleens would break; they laughed us all out of the room. Mel. They must weep, Diphilus. Diph. Must they? Mel. They must. Thou art my brother; and if I did believe Thou hadst a base thought, I would rip it out, Lie where it durst. Diph. You should not; I would first mangle myself, and find it. Mel. That was spoke according to our strain. Come, join thy hands to mine, And swear a firmness to what project I Diph. You do wrong us both: People hereafter shall not say, there passed Mel. It is as nobly said as I would wish. Anon I'll tell you wonders. We are wronged. Diph. But I will tell you now, we'll right our selves. Mel. Stay not: Prepare the armour in my house; And what friends you can draw unto our side, Not knowing of the cause, make ready too. Haste, Diphilus, the time requires it; haste! [Exit Diphilus. I hope my cause is just; I know my blood Tells me it is; and I will credit it. Were idle; and to escape impossible, To take revenge, and lose myself withal, Without I had the fort, which (misery!) Remaining in the hands of my old enemy Calianax- -But I must have it. See; Enter CALIANAX. Where he comes, shaking by me. Good my lord, Forget your spleen to me; I never wronged you, But would have peace with every man. Cal. 'Tis well; If I durst fight, your tongue would lie at quiet. Without I have this fort. Mel. You're touchy without all cause. Cal. Do, mock me. Mel. By mine honour I speak truth. Cal. Honour? where is it? Mel. See, what starts you make into your hatred, to my love and freedom to you. I come with resolution to obtain a suit of you. Cal. A suit of me! 'Tis very like it should be granted, sir. Mel. Nay, go not hence : 'Tis this; you have the keeping of the fort, And I would wish you, by the love you ought To bear unto me, to deliver it Into my hands. Cal. I am in hope thou art mad, To talk to me thus. Mel. But there is a reason To move you to it: I would kill the king, That wronged you and your daughter. Cal. Out, traitor! Cal. And should I help thee? Give me a sudden answer, or already Cal. If I say I will not, he will kill me; I do see it Cal. Methinks I feel myself Mel. Nay, but stay! I cannot escape, the deed I shall want breath, before I find the king. once done, Evad. You shall, if you bashful. Come, sir, how do I look? commend me; I am Mel. I would not have your women hear me Break into commendation of you; 'tis not seemly. Evad. Go, wait me in the gallery. Now speak. [Exeunt ladies. Mel. I'll lock the door first. Mel. I will not have your gilded things, that dance Evad. You are strangely disposed, sir. Mel. Good madam, not to make you merry. Evad. No; if you praise me, it will make me sad. Mel. Such a sad commendation I have for you. Evad. Brother, the court hath made you witty, And learn to riddle. Mel. I praise the court for it: Has it learnt you nothing? Evad. Me? Mel. Tis base; And I could blush, at these years, through all Mel. You dare not, fool! They, that commit thy faults, fly the remembrance. Evad. My faults, sir! I would have you know, I care not, If they were written here, here in my forehead. This is saucy: Look you intrude no more! There lies your way, Mel. Thou art my way, and I will tread upon thee, Till I find truth out. Evad. What truth is that, you look for? Rather to grapple with the plague, or stand Evad. How, sir! where got you this report? Mel. Where there were people, in every place. Evad. They and the seconds of it are base people: Believe them not, they lied. Mel. Do not play with mine anger, do not, wretch! I come to know that desperate fool, that drew thee From thy fair life: Be wise, and lay him open. Evad. Unhand me, and learn manners: Such another Forgetfulness forfeits your life. Mel. Quench me this mighty humour, and then tell me Whose whore you are; for you are one, The burnt air, when the Dog reigns, is not fouler Than thy contagious name, 'till thy repentance (If the gods grant thee any) purge thy sickness. Evad. Be gone! You are my brother; that's your safety. Mel. I'll be a wolf first! 'Tis, to be thy brother, An infamy below the sin of coward. I am as far from being part of thee, As thou art from thy virtue: Seek a kindred 'Mongst sensual beasts, and make a goat thy brother; A goat is cooler. Will you tell me yet? Evad. If you stay here and rail thus, I shall tell you, I'll have you whipped! get you to your command, And there preach to your centinels, and tell them What a brave man you are: I shall laugh at you. Mel. You're grown a glorious whore! Where be your fighters ? What mortal fool durst raise thee to this daring, Evad. The fellow's mad: Sleep, and speak sense. Mel. Force my swollen heart no further: I would save thee. Your great maintainers are not here, they dare not: 'Would they were all, and armed! I would speak loud; Here's one should thunder to them! will you tell me? Thou hast no hope to escape: He, that dares most, Mel. Do, whose child thou wert, Whose honour thou hast murdered, whose grave opened, And so pulled on the gods, that in their justice Let them lie sweet still in the earth; they'll stink here. Mel. Do you raise mirth out of my easiness? Or, by the dear soul of thy sleeping father, Mel. No? 'tis a justice, and a noble one, Mel. By thy foul self, no human-help shall help thee, If thou criest! When I have killed thee, as I have VOL. I. Mel. Up, and begin your story. Evad. Oh, I am miserable! Mel. 'Tis true, thou art. Speak truth still. Noble sir, forgive me. Mel. With what secure slave? Evad. Do not ask me, sir: Mel. Do not fall back again : Evad. What shall I do? Mel. Be true, and make your fault less. Mel. Tell, or I'll be this day a-killing thee. Mol. Stay; I must ask Mine honour first.-I've too much foolish na Evad. Too long. Mel. Too late you find it. Can you be sorry? Mel. 'Would gods thou hadst been so blest! Dost thou not hate this king now? prithee hate him. Couldst thou not curse him? I command thee, curse him. Curse, till the gods hear, and deliver him Evad. No; I feel To be a stale hour, and have your madam's name That slight contrition, that's no sacrifice Amin. Sure I dazzle: There cannot be a faith in that foul woman, For meat and coarser cloaths: Thus far you know That knows no god more mighty than her mis no fear. Come, you shall kill him. Evad. Good sir! Evad. Here I swear it; And, all you spirits of abused ladies, Mel. Enough. This must be known to none chiefs. Thou dost still worse, still number on thy faults, Evad. My lord, Give me your griefs: You are an innocent, Drest in the shames I lived in; the same monster! [Exit Mel. Eoad. 'Would I could say so to my black dis-Till you, my dear lord, shoot your light into me, grace! The beams of your forgiveness. I am soul-sick, And wither with the fear of one condemned, 'Till I have got your pardon. Oh, where have I been all this time? how 'friended, A more unhappy creature: Sure, I am monstrous! Amin. Rise, Evadne. Those heavenly powers, that put this good into thee, Evad. I have done nothing good to win belief, good ones, All but the cozening crocodiles, false women! sores, Men pray against; and, when they die, like tales Or, like another Niobe, I'll weep 'Till I am water. Amin. I am now dissolved: My frozen soul melts. May each sin thou hast, I should have killed thee, but this sweet repent ance Locks up my vengeance; for which thus I kiss thee The last kiss we must take! And 'would to heaven Crown thy fair soul! Thus I take leave, my lord; Set her in rest, and wash her stains away. [Exeunt. Cal. Yes, myself. King. No more, I mean, there were that heard it. Would you have more? why, am not I enough King. But, so, you may Hang honest men too, if you please. 'Tis like I will do so: There are a hundred If my word cannot hang a boisterous knave. Stra. Sir! Enter STRATO. King. Why, where is all the company? Call Amintor in; Evadne. Where's my brother, and Melantius? Bid him come too; and Diphilus. Call all, [Exit Strato. That are without there.-If he should desire Cal. Why, if you do think King. Come, sirs! Amintor, thou art yet a bridegroom, And I will use thee so: Thou shalt sit down. Thou wilt chop out with them unseasonably, Stra. 'Tis my ill luck, sir, so to spend them King. Reach me a bowl of wine. Melantius, thou Art sad. Mel. I should be, sir, the merriest here, King. Give me the wine. Melantius, I am now considering Mel. I think it were not hard, sir, for a knave. King. I'faith, 'twere easy: It becomes us well To get plain-dealing men about ourselves; |