Eud. May they fall

Eternally upon me, and increase,

When that which we call Time hath lost its name!
May lightning cleave the centre of the earth,
And I sink quick, before you have absolved me,
Into the bottomless abyss, if ever,
In one unchaste desire, nay, in a thought,
I wrong'd the honour of the emperor's bed!
I do deserve, I grant, more than I suffer,
In that my fervour and desire to please him,
In my holy meditations press'd upon me,
And would not be kept out; now to dissemble,
When I shall suddenly be insensible

Of what the world speaks of me, were mere mad

Of murder, my Eudocia. I will build
A glorious monument to his memory;
And, for my punishment, live and die upon it,
And never more converse with men.

I am happy to behold this, and presume,
Now you are pleased, to move a suit, in which
My sister is join'd with me.

Theo. Prithee speak it;

For I have vow'd to hear before I grant ;-
I thank your good instructions. [To PULCHERIA.
Arcad, 'Tis but this, sir:

We have observed the falling out and in
Between the husband and the wife shews rarely;
Their jars and reconcilements strangely take us.
Flac. Anger and jealousy that conclude in kisses,
Is a sweet war, in sooth.

Arcad. We therefore, brother,

Most humbly beg you would provide us husbands,
That we may taste the pleasure of't.
Flac. And with speed, sir;

For so your favour's doubled.

Theo. Take my word,

I will with all convenience; and not blush
Hereafter to be guided by your counsels :

I will deserve your pardon. Philanax

Shall be remember'd, and magnificent bounties
Fall on Chrysapius; my grace on all.

Let Cleon be deliver'd, and rewarded.
My grace on all, which as I lend to you,
Return your vows to heaven, that it may please,
As it is gracious, to quench in me

All future sparks of burning jealousy.

[Exeunt.

Enter ROCHFORT and DU CROY.

SCENE I.-A Street before the Court of Justice.
Enter CHARALOIS with a paper, ROMONT, and CHARMI.
Char. Sir, I may move the court to serve your
will;

But therein shall both wrong you and myself.
Rom. Why think you so, sir?
Char. 'Cause I am familiar

With what will be their answer: they will say,
"Tis against law; and argue me of ignorance,
For offering them the motion.

Rom. You know not, sir,

How, in this cause, they may dispense with law; And therefore frame not you their answer for them, But do your parts.

Char. I love the cause so well,

As I could run the hazard of a check for't.
Rom. From whom?

Char. Some of the bench, that watch to give it, More than to do the office that they sit for:

In giving up the place you hold in court, Will prove, I fear, a trouble in the state, And that no slight one.

Roch. Pray you, sir, no more.

[looks,

Rom. Now, sir, lose not this offer'd means; their Fix'd on you with a pitying earnestness, Invite you to demand their furtherance To your good purpose:- this such a dullness, So foolish and untimely, as

Du Croy. You know him?

Roch. I do; and much lament the sudden fall Of his brave house. It is young Charalois, Son to the marshal, from whom he inherits His fame and virtues only.

Rom. Ha! they name you.

Du Croy. His father died in prison two days since.

Roch. Yes, to the shame of this ungrateful state; That such a master in the art of war,

So noble, and so highly meriting

From this forgetful country, should, for want
Of means to satisfy his creditors

The sums he took up for the general good,
Meet with an end so infamous.

Rom. Dare you ever
Hope for like opportunity?

With the most savage beast? Blest, blest be ever
The memory of that happy age, when justice
Had no guards to keep off wrong'd innocence
From flying to her succours, and, in that,
Assurance of redress! where now, Romont,
The damn'd with more ease may ascend from hell,
Than we arrive at her. One Cerberus there
Forbids the passage, in our courts a thousand,
As loud and fertile-headed; and the client
That wants the sops to fill their ravenous throats,
Must hope for no access: why should I, then,
Attempt impossibilities; you, friend, being
Too well acquainted with my dearth of means
To make my entrance that way?

Rom. Would I were not!

But, sir, you have a cause, a cause so just,
Of such necessity, not to be deferr'd,
As would compel a maid, whose foot was never
Set o'er her father's threshold, nor within
The house where she was born, ever spake word
Which was not usher'd with pure virgin blushes,
To drown the tempest of a pleader's tongue,
And force corruption to give back the hire
It took against her. Let examples move you.
You see men great in birth, esteem, and fortune,
Rather than lose a scruple of their right,
Fawn basely upon such, whose gowns put off,
They would disdain for servants.

Charal. And to these

Can I become a suitor?

Rom. Without loss:

Would you consider, that, to gain their favours,
Our chastest dames put off their modesties,
Soldiers forget their honours, usurers
Make sacrifice of gold, poets of wit,

And men religious part with fame and goodness.
Be therefore won to use the means that may
Advance your pious ends.

Charal. You shall o'ercome.

Rom. And you receive the glory. Pray you now

practise.

Charal. 'Tis well.

The way to win my lord; he must not hear this,
But I, as one in favour, in his sight

May hearken to you for my profit.-Sir!
Pray hear them.

Nov. sen It is well.

Lilad. Observe him now.

Nov. sen. Your cause being good, and your proceedings so,

Without corruption I am your friend;
Speak your desires.

2 Cred. Oh, they are charitable;
The marshal stood engaged unto us three
Two hundred thousand crowns, which, by his death
We are defeated of: for which great loss
We aim at nothing but his rotten flesh;
Nor is that cruelty.

1 Cred. I have a son

That talks of nothing but of guns and armour,
And swears he'll be a soldier; 'tis an humour
I would divert him from; and I am told,
That if I minister to him, in his drink,
Powder made of this bankrupt marshal's bones,
Provided that the carcass rot above ground,
'Twill cure his foolish frenzy.

Nov. sen. You shew in it

A father's care. I have a son myself,
A fashionable gentleman, and a peaceful;
And, but I am assured he's not so given,
He should take of it too.

The worst of spirits, that strive to rob the tombs
Of what is their inheritance, the dead:
For usurers, bred by a riotous peace,

That hold the charter of your wealth and freedom
By being knaves and cuckolds; that ne'er pray,
But when you fear the rich heirs will grow wise,
To keep their lands out of your parchment toils;
And then, the devil your father's call'd upon,
To invent some ways of luxury ne'er thought on.
Be gone, and quickly, or I'll leave no room
Upon your foreheads for your horns to sprout on-
Without a murmur, or I will undo you;
For I will beat you honest.

Rom. I am somewhat eased in this yet.
Char. Only friend,

To what vain purpose do I make my sorrow
Wait on the triumph of their cruelty?
Or teach their pride, from my humility,

To think it has o'ercome? They are determined
What they will do; and it may well become me,
To rob them of the glory they expect
From any submiss entreaties.

Rom. Think not so, sir:

The difficulties that you encounter with

Will crown the undertaking-heaven! you weep:
And I could do so too, but that I know
There's more expected from the son and friend
Of him whose fatal loss now shakes our natures,
Than sighs or tears, in which a village nurse,
Or cunning strumpet, when her knave is hang'd,
May overcome us. We are men, young lord,
Let us not do like women. To the court,

And there speak like your birth: wake sleeping
Or dare the axe. This is a way will sort [justice,
With what you are: I call you not to that
I will shrink from myself; I will deserve
Your thanks, or suffer with you-O how bravely
That sudden fire of anger shews in you!
Give fuel to it. Since you are on a shelf
Of extreme danger, suffer like yourself.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II-The Court of Justice.

Enter ROCHFORT, NOVALL senior, Presidents, CHARMI, DU CROY, BEAUMONT, Advocates, three Creditors, and Officers.

Du Croy. Your lordships seated, may this meeting prove

Prosperous to us, and to the general good
Of Burgundy!

Nov. sen. Speak to the point.

Du Croy. Which is

With honour to dispose the place and power
Of premier president, which this reverend man,
Grave Rochfort, whom for honour's sake I name,
Is purposed to resign; a place, my lords,
In which he hath with such integrity
Perform'd the first and best parts of a judge,
That, as his life transcends all fair examples
Of such as were before him in Dijon,

So it remains to those that shall succeed him,
A precedent they may imitate, but not equal.
Roch. I may not sit to hear this.

Du Croy. Let the love

And thankfulness we are bound to pay to goodness, In this o'ercome your modesty.

Roch. My thanks

For this great favour shall prevent your trouble.
The honourable trust that was imposed
Upon my weakness, since you witness for me
It was not ill discharged, I will not mention;
Nor now, if age had not deprived me of
The little strength I had to govern well
The province that I undertook, forsake it.
Nov. sen. That we could lend you of our years!
Du Croy. Or strength !

Nov. sen. Or, as you are, persuade you to continue

The noble exercise of your knowing judgment ! Roch. That may not be; nor can your lordships' goodness,

Since your employments have conferr'd upon me
Sufficient wealth, deny the use of it:

And, though old age, when one foot's in the grave,
In many, when all humours else are spent,
Feeds no affection in them, but desire

To add height to the mountain of their riches,
In me it is not so. I rest content
With the honours and estate I now possess:
And, that I may have liberty to use
What heaven, still blessing my poor industry,
Hath made me master of, I pray the court
To ease me of my burthen, that I may
Employ the small remainder of my life
In living well, and learning how to die so.

Enter ROMONT and CHARALOIS.

Rom. See, sir, our advocate.

Du Croy. The court entreats

Your lordship will be pleased to name the man, Which you would have your successor, and, in me, All promise to confirm it.

Roch. I embrace it