King. But thou hast let Amintor lie with thee. Ecad. I have not. King. Impudence! he says himself so. Evad. He lies. King. He does not. King. Draw not thy sword; thou know'st I cannot fear A subject's hand; but thou shalt feel the weight Of this, if thou dost rage. Amin. The weight of that! Evad. By this light he does, strangely and If you have any worth, for heaven's sake, think basely! And I'll prove it so. I did not shun him For a night; but told him, I would never close With him. King. Speak lower; 'tis false. Evad. I am no man To answer with a blow; or, if I were, You are the king! But urge me not; it is most true. Evad. It is dissembling. King. Take him! farewell! henceforth I am thy foe; And what disgraces I can blot thee, look for. Evad. Stay, sir!-Amintor!-You shall hear.— Amintor! Amin. What, my love? Evad. Amintor, thou hast an ingenuous look, And should'st be virtuous: It amazeth me, That thou canst make such base malicious lies! Amin. What, my dear wife? Evad. Dear wife! I do despise thee. Why, nothing can be baser than to sow Dissention amongst lovers. Amin. Lovers! who? Eoad. The king and me. Evad. Who should live long, and love without distaste, Were it not for such pickthanks as thyself! Amin. The faithless sin I made And not so much to wrong an honest man thus, Evad. Now, sir, see how loud this fellow lied. Amin. You, that can know to wrong, should know how men Must right themselves: What punishment is due I fear not swords; for as you are mere man, Easy to work on, and of state enough, Evad. I would not have a fool; It were no credit for me. Amin. Worse and worse! Thou, that darest talk unto thy husband thus, King. No; for I believed thee honest, As thou wert valiant. Amin. All the happiness Bestowed upon me, turns into disgrace. King. Thou may'st live, Amintor, Amin. I hate mine as much. This us to break a troth! I should be glad, Mel. I'll know the cause of all Amintor's griefs, Or friendship shall be idle. Enter CALIANAX. Cal. O Melantius, my daughter will die. Mel. Trust me, I am sorry. 'Would thou hadst ta'en her room! Cal. Thou art a slave, A cut-throat slave, a bloody treacherous slave! Mel. Take heed, old man! thou wilt be heard to rave, And lose thine offices. Cal. I am valiant grown, At all these years, and thou art but a slave! Mel. Leave! Some company will come, and I respect Thy years, not thee, so much, that I could wish To laugh at thee alone. Cat. Til spoil your mirth! I mean to fight with thee. There lie, my cloak! This was my father's sword, And he durst fight. Are you prepared? Mel. Why wilt thou doat thyself out of thy life? Hence, get thee to bed! have careful looking to, And eat warm things, and trouble not me : My head is full of thoughts, more weighty Than thy life or death can be. Cal. You have a name in war, where you stand safe Amongst a multitude; but I will try Mel. I will not draw, unless thou pull'st thy Upon thee with a stroke. There's no one blow, That thou canst give, hath strength enough to kill me. Tempt me not so far then: The power of earth Shall not redeem thee. Cal. I must let him alone; He's stout and able; and, to say the truth, Cal. I would give half my land, Mel. Sir, will you be gone? Cal. I dare not stay; but I'll go home and beat My servants all over for this. [Exit Calianax. Mel. This old fellow haunts me! Eat the distracted carriage of my Amintor Takes deeply on me! I will find the cause. fear his conscience cries, he wronged Aspatia. Enter AMINTOR. Amin. Men's eyes are not so subtle to perceive My inward misery: I bear my grief, Hid from the world. How art thou wretched, then? For aught I know, all husbands are like me; Mel. Amintor, we have not enjoyed our friendship of late, for we were wont to change our souls in talk. Amin. Melantius, I can tell thee a good jest of Strato and a lady the last day. Mel. How was it? Amin. Why, such an odd one! Mel. I have longed to speak with you; not of an idle jest, that's forced, but of matter you are bound to utter to me. Amin. What is that, my friend? Mel. I have observed your words Some sadness sits here, which your cunning would Amin. A sadness here! what cause A prison for all virtue? Are not you, Mel. You may shape, Amintor, Amin. But there is nothing Mel. Worse and worse! farewell! From this time have acquaintance, but no friend. Thou art run mad with injury, indeed; Amin. She's wanton: I am loth to say, a whore, Though it be true. Mel. Speak yet again, before mine anger grow After mine actions, shall the name of friend Amin. Not on thee, did thine anger swell as high Mel. This is base And fearful. They, that use to utter lies, The name of friend is more than family, A leprous one! Put up thy sword, young man. Amin. How should I bear it then, she being so? I fear, my friend, that you will lose me shortly; And I shall do a foul act on myself, Through these disgraces. Mel. Better half the land Were buried quick together. No, Amintor; That drew her to it! Where got he the spirit Amin. What is it then to me, Mel. Why, not so much : The credit of our house is thrown away. Amin. I have quite undone my fame. My vengeance, till I find thy heart at peace. Amia. 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 Iwill 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 my best To counterfeit again. Sword, hold thine edge; and sent him smiling from me, power, 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: And deaths together. 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 ourselves. 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. Mel. By mine honour I speak truth. 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, Cal. And should I help thee? Now thy treacherous mind betrays itself. Mel. Come, delay me not; Give me a sudden answer, or already Thy last is spoke! refuse not offered love, When it comes clad in secrets. Cal. If I say I will not, he will kill me; I do see it Cal. Methinks I feel myself ACT IV. Enter MELANTIUS, EVADNE, and a lady. Evad. Save you, sweet brother! Methinks, you look, Evadne Evad. Come, you would make me blush. Mel. I would, Evadne: I shall displease my ends else. Evad. You shall, if you commend me; I am bashful. Come, sir, how do I look? Mel. I would not have your women hear me Break into commendation of you; 'tis not seemly. Evad. Go, wait ine 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? 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, I know it. Let all mine honours perish, but I'll find him, Though he lie locked up in thy blood! Be sudden; There is no facing it, and be not flattered! |