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, What mortal fool durst raise thee to this daring, Evad. The fellow's mad: Sleep, and speak sense. 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 They must restore him flesh again, and life, And raise his dry bones to revenge this scandal. Exad. The gods are not of my mind; they had better 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, Mei. 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 | Vowed to do, if thou confess not, naked, As thou hast left thine honour, will I leave thee; That on thy branded flesh the world may read Thy black shame, and my justice. Wilt thou bend yet? Evad. Yes. 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? Mel. Do not fall back again: Mel. Be true, and make your fault less. Mel. Tell, or I'll be this day a-killing thee. Mel. 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 Discourse for grooms and pages; and, hereafter, When his cool majesty hath laid you by, To be at pension with some needy sir, That slight contrition, that's no sacrifice For what I have committed. 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! kiss him dead, thou'dst Be wise, and kill him. Canst thou live, and know What noble minds shall make thee, see thyself Found out with every finger, made the shame Of all successions, and in this great ruin Thy brother and thy noble husband broken? Thou shalt not live thus. Kneel, and swear to help me, When I shall call thee to it; or, by all Holy in heaven and earth, thou shalt not live This lustful thief stole from thee, when I say it, Evad. Here I swear it; And, all you spirits of abused ladies, Mel. Enough. This must be known to none Oh, where have I been all this time? how 'friended, Amin. Stand up. This is a new way to beget more sorrow: chiefs. Thou dost still worse, still number on thy faults, Évad. My lord, Give me your griefs: You are an innocent, Amin. Rise, Evadne. Those heavenly powers, that put this good into thee, Evad. I have done nothing good to win belief, My life hath been so faithless. All the creatures, Made for heaven's honours, have their ends, and good ones, All but the cozening crocodiles, false women! They reign here like those plagues, those killing 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; Cal. Yes, myself. 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. 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; 1 Cal. You shall have it, soundly, I warrant you. But let me know it: Happily, 'tis nought King. Reach to Amintor, Strato. Amin. Here, my love, Mel. Were he known, Impossible. King. It would be known, Melantius. Mel. It ought to be: If he got then away, He must wear all our lives upon his sword. He need not fly the island; he must leave No one alive. King. No; I should think no man Could kill me, and 'scape clear, but that old man. Cal. But I heaven bless me! I should I, my liege? King. I do not think thou would'st; but yet thou might'st; For thou hast in thy hands the means to escape, Mel. From cobwebs, sir, 'Tis clean swept: I can find no other art Cal. I shall be sure Of your good word: But I have kept it safe Mel. Keep your ill temper in: I speak no malice. Had my brother kept it, King. You are not merry. Brother, drink wine. Sit you all still!-Calianax, I cannot trust this: I have thrown out words, That would have fetched warm blood upon the cheeks Of guilty men, and he is never moved : He knows no such thing. Cal. Impudence may 'scape, When feeble virtue is accused. [Apart. At this our whisper, whilst we point at him: Cal. Let him hang himself: What care I what he does? This he did say. King. Melantius, you can easily conceive What I have meant; for men, that are in fault, Can subtly apprehend, when others aim At what they do amiss: But I forgive Freely, before this man. Heaven do so too! But misconstruction; and, where I am clear, King. Nay, if you stand so stiff, I shall call back my mercy. Mel. I want smoothness To thank a man for pardoning of a crime, King. Not to instruct your knowledge, but to shew you My ears are every where, you meant to kill me, And get the fort to escape. Mel. Pardon me, sir; My bluntness will be pardoned: You preserve Had perished without food, be it who it will, Cal. Ay, that will be The end of all: Then I am fairly paid For all my care and service. Mel. That old man, Who calls me enemy, and of whom I (Though I will never match my hate so low) Have no good thought, would yet, I think, ex Frantic with age and sorrow, make a breach My arm. This sword of mine hath plowed the ground, And reaped the fruit in peace; And you yourself have lived at home in ease. My name hath fetched you conquest: And my heart Cal. Pity? a pox upon you! Cal. I shall be mad indeed, if you do thus! Why should you trust a sturdy fellow there (That has no virtue in him; all's in his sword) Before me? Do but take his weapons from hin, And he's an ass; and I'm a very fool, Both with him, and without him, as you use me. Omnes. Ha, ha, ha! King. 'Tis well, Calianax. But if you use This once again, I shall entreat some other To see your offices be well discharged. Be merry, gentlemen; it grows somewhat late. Amintor, thou wouldst be a-bed again. Amin. Yes, sir. King. And you, Evadne. Let me take Thee in my arms, Melantius, and believe Thou art, as thou deservest to be, my friend Still, and for ever. Good Calianax, Sleep soundly; it will bring thee to thyself. [Exeunt. Manent MELANTIUS and CALIANAX. Cal. Sleep soundly! I sleep soundly now, I hope; I could not be thus else. How dar'st thou stay Alone with me, knowing how thou hast used me? Mel. You cannot blast me with your tongue, Mel. Mark his disordered words! And, at the Meant me no hurt! Disgrace me with the king; masque, Diagoras knows, he raged, and railed at me, Cal. I'll not speak for thee, For all thy cunning. If you will be safe, King. Some, that love him," Get him to bed. Why, pity should not let Lose all my offices! This is no hurt, Mel. To poison men, because they love me not; Cal. All this thou think'st, is sport; For mine is worse: But use thy will with me; For, betwixt grief and anger, I could cry. Mel. Be wise then, and be safe; thou may'st |