Ser. And you, sir. What's your business? Asp. With you, sir, now; to do me the fair office To help me to your lord. Ser. What, would you serve him? Asp. I'll do him any service; but, to haste, Ser. Sir, because you're in such haste, I would be loth delay you any longer: You cannot. Asp. It shall become you, though, to tell your lord. so too Unto the wronged Amintor! Let me kiss Asp. I would I could with credit. A woeful one! But they, that are above, I may behave myself rudely in peace; I would not, though. I shall not need to tell you, To end our difference. Amin. Charitable youth, So strange a wrong: And, for thy sister's sake, I am I know not what. If I have aught, Asp. Thus, she swore, Thou wouldst behave thyself; and give me words, Amin That must not be with me. For her I'll die directly; but against her Will never hazard it. Asp. You must be urged. I do not deal uncivilly with those, All this. Good gods! a blow I can endure! Asp. Thou art some prating fellow; [She kicks him. Thus, to be kick'd!--Why should he be so slow In giving me my death? Amin. A man can bear [Aside. Thou canst not fight: The blows thou mak'st at me Are quite besides; and those, I offer at thee, Thou spread'st thine arms, and tak'st upon thy breast, Alas, defenceless! Asp. I have got enough, And my desire. There is no place so fit Enter EVADNE, her hands bloody, with a knife. Evad. Amintor, I am loaden with events, Amin. Thou canst not fool me to believe again; But thou hast looks and things so full of news, That I am stayed. Evad. Noble Amintor, put off thy amaze, Let thine eyes loose, and speak: Am I not fair? Looks not Evadne beauteous, with these rites now? Were those hours half so lovely in thine eyes, When our hands met before the holy man? I was too foul within to look fair then: Since I knew ill, I was not free till now. Amin. There is presage of some important thing About thee, which, it seems, thy tongue hath lost. Thy hands are bloody, and thou hast a knife! Eoad. In this consists thy happiness and mine. Joy to Amintor! for the king is dead. Amin. Those have most power to hurt us, that we love; We lay our sleeping lives within their arms! Why, thou hast raised up Mischief to his height, And found one, to out-name thy other faults. Thou hast no intermission of thy sins, But all thy life is a continued ill. Evad. Tis done; and since I could not find a way Amin. Couldst thou procure the gods to speak to me, To bid me love this woman, and forgive, I think I should fall out with them. Behold, Here lies a youth, whose wounds bleed in my breast, Sent by his violent fate, to fetch his death Amin. No more; pursue me not. Evad. Forgive me then, and take me to thy bed. We may not part. Amin. Forbear! Be wise, and let my rage Go this way. Evad. 'Tis you, that I would stay, not it. Amin. Take heed; it will return with me. Evad. If it must be, I shall not fear to meet it: Take me home. Amin. Thou monster of cruelty, forbear! Evad. For heaven's sake, look more calm : Thine eyes are sharper than thou canst make thy sword. Amin. Away, away! Thy knees are more to me than violence. Amin. I dare not stay thy language: In midst of all my anger and my grief, [Leaves her. That calls my flesh unto them: I am cold: I can find nothing in the whole discourse If all that's left in me can answer it. I've heard, if there be any life, but bow Ye heavenly powers! and lend, for some few years, Enter Servant. Serv. This is a great grace to my lord, to have Asp. Was it a dream? There stands Amintor the new king come to him: I must tell him he still; Or I dream still. Amin. How dost thou ? Speak; receive my love and help. Thy blood climbs up to his old place again : Asp. Did you not name Aspatia? Amin. I did. Asp. And talked of tears and sorrow unto her? Amin. 'Tis true; and 'till these happy signs in thee Did stay my course, 'twas thither I was going. Asp. Thou'rt there already, and these wounds are hers: Those threats, I brought with me, sought not revenge; But came to fetch this blessing from thy hand. I am Aspatia yet. Amin. Dare my soul ever look abroad again? Asp. I shall surely live, Amintor; I am well: A kind of healthful joy wanders within me. Amin. The world wants lives to excuse thy loss! Come, let me bear thee to some place of help. Asp. Amintor, thou must stay; I must rest here; My strength begins to disobey my will. How dost thou, my best soul? I would fain live Now, if I could: Wouldst thou have loved me, then? Amin. Alas! All that I am's not worth a hair from thee. is entering. Oh, heaven! Help, help! Enter LYSIPPUS, MELANTIUS, CALIANAX, CLEON, Lys. Where's Amintor? Mel. These deaths are such acquainted things with me, That yet my heart dissolves not. May I stand Diph. Oh, brother! Here lies your sister slain; you lose yourself Mel. Why, Diphilus, it is A thing to laugh at, in respect of this: All that I had! Speak once again: What youth Asp. Give me thy hand; my hands grope up Lies slain there by thee? and down, And cannot find thee: I am wondrous sick : Amin. Thou greatest blessing of the world, thou hast. Asp. I do believe thee better than my sense. Oh! I must go. Farewell! [Dies. Amin. She swoons! Aspatia! Help for heaven's sake, water! Such as may chain life ever to this frame. Amin. 'Tis Aspatia. My last is said. Let me give up my soul Into thy bosom. [Dies. Cal. What's that? what's that? Aspatia! Repent the greatness of my heart till now: Cal. My daughter dead here too! And you have all fine new tricks to grieve; but I never knew any but direct crying. Mel. I am a prattler; but no more. [Offers to kill himself. Diph. Hold, brother. To stop my breath? or, if you tie down those, To rule with temper: For, on lustful kings, Enter DION, CLEREMONT. and THRASILINE. Cle. HERE'S nor lords nor ladies! Dion. Credit me, gentlemen, I wonder at it They received strict charge from the king to attend here. Besides, it was boldly published, that no officer should forbid any gentlemen, that desire to attend and hear. Cie. Can you guess the cause ? Dion. Sir, it is plain, about the Spanish prince, that's come to marry our kingdom's heir, and be our sovereign. Thra. Many, that will seem to know much, say, she looks not on him like a maid in love. Dion. Oh, sir, the multitude (that seldom know any thing but their own opinions) speak that, they would have; but the prince, before his own approach, received so many confident messages from the state, that I think she's resolved to be ruled. Cle. Sir, it is thought, with her he shall enjoy both these kingdoms of Sicily and Calabria. Dion. Sir, it is, without controversy, so meant. But 'twill be a troublesome labour for him to enjoy both these kingdoms with safety, the right heir to one of them living, and living so virtuously; especially, the people admiring the bravery of his mind, and lamenting his injuries. Cle. Who? Philaster? Dion. Yes; Whose father, we all know, was by our late king of Calabria unrighteously deposed from his fruitful Sicily. Myself drew some blood in those wars, which I would give my hand to be washed from. Cle. Sir, my ignorance in state policy will not let me know, why, Philaster being heir to one of these kingdoms, the king should suffer him to walk abroad with such free liberty. But the Dion. Sir, it seems your nature is more constant than to enquire after state news. king, of late, made a hazard of both the kingdoms, of Sicily and his own, with offering but to imprison Philaster. At which the city was in arms, not to |