Mel. The short is, I will hold thee with the king | To do the deed in, I will wash the stain, In this perplexity, till peevishness And thy disgrace have laid thee in thy grave. But, if thou wilt deliver the fort, up I'll take thy trembling body in my arms, And bear thee over dangers: Thou shalt hold Thy wonted state. Cal. If I should tell the king, Canst thou deny it again? Mel. Try, and believe. Cal. Nay, then thou canst bring any thing about. Thou shalt have the fort. Mel. Why, well: Here let our hate be buried; and this hand Cal. Nay, I do not love thee yet; I cannot well endure to look on thee: Thou should'st not have it. But I am disgraced; I do believe, the king would take it from me, That rests upon our house, off with his blood, Enter AMINTOR. Amin. Melantius, now assist me: If thou be'st That, which thou sayest, assist me. I have lost All my distempers, and have found a rage So pleasing! Help me. Mel. Who can see him thus, And not swear vengeance? What's the matter, friend? Amin. Out with thy sword! and, hand in hand Rush to the chamber of this hated king, Mel. 'Twere a rash attempt, Not to be done with safety. Let your reason Plot your revenge, and not your passion. Amin. If thou refusest me in these extremes, Thou art no friend: He sent for her to me; By Heaven, to me, inyself! And, I must tell you, I love her, as a stranger; there is worth In that vile woman, worthy things, Melantius; And she repents. I'll do it myself alone, Though I be slain, Farewell. Mel. He'll overthrow What thou hast said; but thou hast charmed my sword Out of my hand, and left me shaking here, Mel. I will take it up for thee. Amin. What a wild beast is uncollected man! The thing, that we call honour, bears us all Headlong to sin, and yet itself is nothing. Mel. Alas, how variable are thy thoughts! Amin. Just like my fortunes: I was run to that I purposed to have chid thee for. Some plot, I did distrust, thou hadst against the king, By that old fellow's carriage. But take heed; There's not the least limb growing to a king, But carries thunder in it. Mel, Be gone. Diph. He's finely wrought. [Exeunt Cal. and Diph. ACT V. Mel. This is a night, 'spite of astronomers, Mel. I will remember. [Exeunt. Evad. Saving your imagination, pray, good night, sir. Gent. A good night be it then, and a long one, madam. I am gone. [Erit. [King a-bed. Evad. The night grows horrible; and all about me Like my black purpose. Oh, the conscience I have begun a slaughter on my honour, And I must end it there. He sleeps. Good Heavens ! Why give you peace to this untemperate beast, That hath so long transgressed you? I must kill him, And I will do it bravely: The mere joy King. Who's that? Evad. Oh, you sleep soundly, sir! I have been dreaming of thee. Come to bed. Evad. I am come at length, sir; but how welcome? King. What pretty new device is this, Evadne? What, do you tie me to you? By my love, This is a quaint one. Come, my dear, and kiss me; I'll be thy Mars; to bed, my queen of love : Let us be caught together, that the gods May see, and envy our embraces. Erud. Stay, sir, stay; You are too hot, and I have brought you physic To temper your high veins. King. Prithee, to bed then; let me take it warm; Evad. Ay, you shall bleed! Lie still; and, it the devil, Your lust, will give you leave, repent. This steel Comes to redeem the honour, that you stole, King, my fair name; which nothing but thy death Can answer to the world. King. How is this, Evadne? Evad. I am not she; nor bear I in this breas: That knows not pity. Stir not! If thou dost, King. Thou dost not mean this; 'tis impossible Thou art too sweet and gentle. Evad. No, I am not. I am as foul as thou art, and can number (Stir not) didst poison me. I was a world of virtue, Till your curst court and you (hell bless you for it!) With your temptations on temptations, Made me give up mine honour; for which, king, I'm come to kill thee. King. No! Evad. I am. King. Thou art not! I prithee speak not these things: Thou art gentle, And wert not meant thus rugged. Evad. Peace, and hear me. Stir nothing but your tongue, and that for mercy A thing out of the overcharge of nature; King. Hear, Evadne, Thou soul of sweetness, hear! I am thy king. Evad. Thou art my shame! Lie still, there's Thus I begin my vengeance! King. Hold, Evadne! I do command thee hold. Evad. I do not mean, sir, [Stabs him. There thou shalt know the state of my body bet-To part so fairly with you; we must change More of these love-tricks yet. King. What bloody villain Provoked thee to this murder? Evad. Thou, thou monster. 1. Run forth and call. 2. Treason, treason! 1. This will be laid on us : Who can believe a woman could do this! Enter CLEON and LYSIPPUS. Cleon. How now! Where's the traitor? [Exit. Enter LYSIPPUS, DIAGORAS, CLEON, STRATO, and guard. Lys. See where he stands, as boldly confident, As if he had his full command about him. Stra. He looks as if he had the better cause, Sir; Under your gracious pardon, let me speak it! Though he be mighty spirited, and forward To all great things; to all things of that danger Worse men shake at the telling of; yet, certainly, I do believe him noble; and this action Rather pulled on, than sought: His mind was ever As worthy as his hand. Lys. 'Tis my fear, too. Lys. Lam sorry, that we meet thus; our old love Never required such distance. Pray Heaven, 1. Fled, fled away; but there her woeful act You have not left yourself, and sought this safety Enter STRATO. Stra. Never follow her; For she, alas! was but the instrument. Lys. Gentlemen, I am your king. Lys. I would I were not! Follow, all; for this Must have a sudden stop. [Exeunt. Enter MELANTIUS, DIPHILUS, and CALIANAX, on the wall. Mel. If the dull people can believe I am armed, (Be constant, Diphilus!) now we have time, Either to bring our banished honours home, Or create new ones in our ends. More out of fear than honour! You have lost Cal. When time was, I was mad; some, that I hope will pay this rascal. Mel. Royal young man, whose tears look lovely on thee, Had they been shed for a deserving one, They had been lasting monuments! Thy brother, Pulled people from the farthest sun to seek him, Cal. Who I? You would draw me in. I have had no wrong, 'I do disclaim ye all. Mel. The short is this: Stra. Be sudden, sir, to tie All up again: What's done is past recall, 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. Ser. Sir, he will speak with nobody; but, in particular, I have in charge, about no weighty matters. Asp. This is most strange. Art thou gold proof? There's for thee; help me to him. Ser. Pray be not angry, sir. I'll do my best. There is a vile dishonest trick in man, Which love could never know. But we fond wo men Harbour the easiest and the smoothest thoughts, Amin. Where is he? Ser. There, my lord. so too Unto the wronged Amintor! Let me kiss That hand of thine, in honour that I bear Asp. I would I could with credit. A woeful one! But they, that are above, you, Have ends in every thing. She used few words; To end our difference. Amin. Charitable youth, (If thou be'st such) think not I will maintain 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; One, that hath studied out a trick to talk, And move soft-hearted people; to be kick'd [She kicks him. [Aside. Thus, to be kick'd!-Why should he be so slow In giving me my death? Amin. A man can bear No more, and keep his flesh. Forgive me, then! I would endure yet, if I could. Now shew The spirit thou pretend'st, and Thou hast no hour to live. What dost thou mean? understand, [They fight. 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 Évadne 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! Evad. 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. Eoad. 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. I'm worse than sick to see knees follow me, Amin. I dare not stay thy language: [Leaves her. |