Cha. Why wilt thou rack My soul so long, Monimia? Ease me quickly; Mon. But when I have told you, will you keep your fury Within its bonds? Will you not do some rash You would not think how hardly I've been used Cha. I will be calm-but has Castalio wronged thee? Has he already wasted all his love? What has he done? Quickly, for I'm all trembling With expectation of a horrid tale. Mon. Oh! could you think it! Mon. I fear he'll kill me. Cha. Ha! Mon. Indeed I do; he's strangely cruel to me; Which, if it last, I'm sure must break my heart. Cha. What has he done? Mon. Most barbarously used me. Nothing so kind as he, when in my arms! In thousand kisses, tender sighs and joys, Not to be thought again, the night was wasted; At dawn of day he rose, and left his conquest. But, when we met, and I, with open arms, Ran to embrace the lord of all my wishes, Oh, then! Cha. Go on! Throw him to the earth, like a dead dog despised! Lameness and leprosy, blindness and lunacy, Poverty, shame, pride, and the name of villain, Light on me, if, Castalio, I forgive thee! Mon. Nay, now, Chamont, art thou unkind as he is! Didst thou not promise me thou wouldst be calm? Keep my disgrace concealed? Why shouldst thou kill him? By all my love, this arm should do him vengeance. Yet bless him, bless him, gods! where'er he goes. Enter ACASTO. Acast. Sure some ill fate is towards me; in my house I only meet with oddness and disorder; Cha. Then you met a villain. Cha. Yes, a villain. Acast. Have a care, young soldier, How thou art too busy with Acasto's fame. Cha. Curse on thy scandalous age, friend Was ne'er thy father; nothing of him is in thee. Acast. I scorn it Cha. No, I'll calinly hear the story, For I would fain know all, to see which scale Of too much passion. Pray, my lord, forgive me. [Kneels. Acast. Mock me not, youth! I can revenge a wrong. Cha. I know it well; but, for this thought of mine, Pity a madman's frenzy, and forget it. Acast. I will; but henceforth prithee be more kind. [Raises him. Whence came the cause? Cha. Indeed I have been to blame; But I'll learn better; for you have been my fa ther. You have been her father too [Takes Mon. by the hand. Grew sweet to sense, and lovely to the eye; Acast. You talk to me in parables, Chamont, You may have known, that I am no wordy man; | Is framing mischiefs too, for aught I know, Your son Castalio has wronged Monimia. Cha. Married her. Cha. Why sorry? By yon blest heaven, there's not a lord But might be proud to take her to his heart! Cha. You dare not; all your family combined In one damned falsehood to outdo Castalio, Dare not deny it. Acast. How has Castalio wronged her? Cha. Ask that of him. I say, my sister's wronged: Monimia, my sister, born as high I'll do it. Hark you, my lord! your son Castalio; That may produce bloodshed and horrid murder. Enter POLYDORE. Pol. Monimia, weeping! So morning dews on new-blown roses lodge, I come, my love, to kiss all sorrow from thee: . What mean these sighs? And why thus beats thy heart? Mon. Let me alone to sorrow. 'Tis a cause None ere shall know: but it shall with me die. Pol. Happy, Monimia, he, to whom these sighs, These tears, and all these languishings, are paid! I am no stranger to your dearest secret : I know your heart was never meant for me; Pol. Nay, wonder not; last night I heard I did, Monimia, and cursed the sound. Mon. Banish such fruitless hopes! Mon. Away; what meant my lord Pol. Is that a question now to be demanded? To assault my lodging at the dead of night, Pol. By those eyes [Exit. It was the same: I spent my time much better: I tell thee, ill-natured fair one, I was posted Mon. I am, my lord, if you'll vouchsafe to To more advantage, on a pleasant hill Of springing joy, and everlasting sweetness. Pol. Where is the danger near me? Mon. I fear you are on a rock will wreck your I'll prove Is there so wretched as Monimia? Breathe out the choicest secrets of my heart, Mon. Nay, I'll conjure you by the gods and angels, By the honour of your name, that's most concerned, Pol. She faints! No help! who waits? A curse Let mischiefs multiply! Let every hour And grow a curser of the works of nature! Mon. Oh, Polydore, if all The friendship e'er you vowed to good Castalio As I am, in possession of thy sweetness? Pol. What says Monimia! ha! Speak that again. Mon. I am Castalio's wife. Pol. His married, wedded wife? Saw it performed. Pol. And then, have I enjoyed My brother's wife? Mon. As surely as we both Must taste of misery, that guilt is thine. Pol. Oh! thou mayst yet be happy. Happy, with such a weight upon thy soul ? Pol. It may be yet a secret; I'll go try Of added sins upon my wretched head. Pol. Nay, then, Let us embrace, and from this very moment Mon. And wilt thou be a very faithful wretch? A child, be born, it shall be murdered- I'll find some place, where adders nest in winter, ACT V. SCENE I.-A Garden. CASTALIO lying on the ground.-Soft music. SONG. Come, all ye youths, whose hearts e'er bled Let none his sorrows hide : And see, when your complaints ye join, The happiest mortal once was I; My heart no sorrows knew ; Pity the pain with which I die, But ask not whence it grew. Yet if a tempting fair you find, That's very lovely, very kind, [Excunt. Though bright as heaven, whose stamp she bears, See, where the deer trot after one another, Cast. A woman! If you love my peace of Name not a woman to me; but to think I would forget, and blot from my remembrance. Cast. She, to chuse: Monimia! The very sound's ungrateful to my sense. Acast. This might seem strange, but you, I've found, will hide Your heart from me; you dare not trust your father. Cast. No more Monimia. Cast. So much the worse; who loves to hear of wife ? When you would give all worldly plagues a name, Acast. Castalio, you must go along with me, And see Monimia. Cast. Sure my lord but mocks me. Acast. I say, no more dispute. Complaints are made to me, that you have wronged her. Cast. Who has complained ? Cast. Speak, what said he? Acast. That thou wert a villain; Methinks I would not have thee thought a villain. Acast. By my sword, I would not see wronged, and bear it vilely: Though I have passed my word she shall have justice. Cast. Justice! to give her justice would undo her. Think you this solitude I now have chosen, Left joys, just opening to my sense, sought here A place to curse my fate in, measured out My grave at length, wished to have grown one piece With this cold clay, and all without a cause? Enter CHAMONT. Cha. Where is the hero, famous and renowned For wronging innocence and breaking vows? Whose mighty spirit, and whose stubborn heart, No woman can appease, nor man provoke? Acast. I guess, Chamont, you come to seek Castalio. Cha. I come to seek the husband of Monimia. Cast. The slave is here. Cha. I thought ere now to have found you Atoning for the ills you have done Chamónt; For you have wronged the dearest part of him. Monimia, young lord, weeps in this heart; And all the tears, thy injuries have drawn From her poor eyes, are drops of blood from hence. Cast. Then you are Chamont? Cha. Yes, and I hope no stranger To great Castalio. Cast. I have heard of such a man, That has been very busy with my honour. I own, I'm much indebted to you, sir, And here return the villain back again, You sent me by my father. Cha. Thus I'll thank you. [Draws. Acast. By this good sword, who first presumes to violence, Makes me his foe [Draws and interposes. -For [To Cha. Young soldier, I must tell you, you have wronged you, me. Acast. Her brother, to my face, proclaimed her I promised you to do Monimia right, wronged, And in such terms they have warmed me. Cast. What terms? Her brother! Heaven! Where learned she that? What! does she send her hero with defiance? He durst not sure affront you! And thought my word a pledge, I would not forfeit: But you, I find, would fright us to performance. Cast. Sir, in my younger years, with care you taught me, That brave revenge was due to injured honour; Oppose not then the justice of my sword, Because thou knowest that place is sanctified Thy father's honour's not above Monimia's; Acast. Boy, don't disturb the ashes of the dead With thy capricious follies. The remembrance Of the loved creature, that once filled these Sheath up thy angry sword, and don't affright me. Chamont, let once Serina calm thy breast: If any of my friends have done thee injuries, I'll be revenged, and love thee better for it. Cast. Sir, if you'd have me think you did not take This opportunity to shew your vanity, Let's meet some other time, when by ourselves Farewell: I wish much happiness attend you. Cast. Sir, 'twas my last request, You would, though I find you will not be satisfied; So, in a word, Monimia is my scorn; That was your business; No artful prostitute, in falsehoods practised, Cast. Farewell-My father, you seem troubled. Acast. Would I'd been absent, when this boisterous brave Came to disturb thee thus. I'm grieved I hindered Thy just resentment. But Monimia- Acast. Don't curse her. Cast. I'm sorry for it. Acast. Methinks, if, as I guess, the fault's but small, Flor. Oh, shew me quickly, where's Castalio! Acast. What's the matter? Flor. Hurried by despair, She flies with fury over all the house, Cast. Ha! will she? Does she name Castalio? And with such tenderness? Conduct me quickly To the poor lovely mourner. Oh, my father! Acast. Then wilt thou go? Blessings attend thy purpose.! Cust. I cannot hear Monimia's soul's in sadness, And be a man; my heart will not forgot her; But do not tell the world you saw this of me. |