Alm. I grieve not your recovery.
Vice. So coldly!

Duke. Why fall you off?

Car. To shun captivity, sir.

I was too long a slave, I'll now be free.

Alm. 'Tis my desire you should. Sir, my affection

To him was but a trifle, which I play'd with
In the childhood of my love; which now, grown
I cannot like of.
[older,

Vice. Strange inconstancy!

Car. 'Tis judgment, sir, in me, or a true debt Tender'd to justice, rather. My first life, Loaden with all the follies of a man,

Or what could take addition from a woman,
Was by my headstrong passions, which o'er-ruled
My understanding, forfeited to death:
But this new being, this my second life,
Begun in serious contemplation of
What best becomes a perfect man,
Sink under such weak frailties.

shall never

Duke. Most unlook'd for!
Paul. It does transcend all wonders.
Car. 'Tis a blessing

I owe your wisdom, which I'll not abuse :
But if you envy your own gift, and will
Make me that wretched creature which I was,
You then again shall see me compassionate.
A lover of poor trifles, confident

In man's deceiving strength, or falser fortune;
Jealous, revengeful, in unjust things daring,
Injurious, quarrelsome, stored with all diseases
The beastly part of man infects his soul with,
And to remember what's the worst, once more
To love a woman; but till that time never. [Exit.
Vice. Stand you affected so to men, Almira?
Alm. No, sir; if so, I could not well discharge
What I stand bound to pay you, and to nature.
Though prince Martino does profess a hate
To womankind, 'twere a poor world for women,
Were there no other choice, or all should follow
The example of this new Hippolytus :

That saved my life and honour, is my husband, Whom I will serve with duty.

Bora. My son slave!

Vice. Have you your wits?

Bora. I'll not part with him so.
Cuc. This I foresaw too.
Vice. Do not jest thyself

Into the danger of a father's anger.

Alm. Jest, sir! by all my hope of comfort in him,

I am most serious. Good sir, look upon him;
But let it be with my eyes, and the care
You should owe to your daughter's life and safety,
Of which, without him, she's uncapable,
And you'll approve him worthy.

Vice. O thou shame

And base affections in thee? what strange philtres
Hast thou received? what witch with damned spells
Deprived thee of thy reason? Look on me,
Since thou art lost unto thyself, and learn,
From what I suffer for thee, what strange tortures
Thou dost prepare thyself.

Duke. Good sir, take comfort;

The counsel you bestow'd on me, make use of. Paul. This villain, (for such practices in that nation

Are very frequent,) it may be, hath forced,
By cunning potions, and by sorcerous charms,
This frenzy in her.

Vice. Sever them.

Alm. I grow to him.

truly;

Nor am I desperate but I may deserve One that both can and will so.

Vice. My allowance

Shall rank with your good liking, still provided Your choice be worthy.

Alm. In it I have used

The judgment of my mind, and that made clearer
With calling oft to heaven it might be so.
I have not sought a living comfort from
The reverend ashes of old ancestors;
Nor given myself to the mere name and titles
Of such a man, that, being himself nothing,
Derives his substance from his grandsire's tomb :
For wealth, it is beneath my birth to think on't,
Since that must wait upon me, being your daughter;
No, sir, the man I love, though he wants all
The setting forth of fortune, gloss and greatness,
Has in himself such true and real goodness,
His parts so far above his low condition,
That he will prove an ornament, not a blemish,
Both to your name and family.

Pedro. What strange creature

Hath she found out?

Leon. I dare not guess.

Alm. To hold you

No longer in suspense, this matchless man,

Bora. Drunk! am I drunk? bear witness.
Cuc. She is indeed distemper'd.

Vice. Hang them both,

If e'er more they come near the court.
Cuc. Good sir,

You can recover dead men; can you cure
A living drunkenness ?

Paul. 'Tis the harder task :

Go home with her, I'll send you something that
Shall once again bring her to better temper,
Or make her sleep for ever.

Cuc. Which you please, sir.

[Exeuni CUCULO and BORACHIA. Vice. Why linger you? rack him first, and after Upon the wheel. [break him

Pedro. Sir, this is more than justice. Ant. Is't death in Sicily to be beloved Of a fair lady?

Leon. Though he be a slave, Remember yet he is a man.

Pedro. Pray you pass that over, That's not worth the relation. Ant. You confirm

True friends' love to do courtesies, not to hear them.
But I'll obey you. In our tedious passage
Towards Malta-I may call it so, for hardly
We had lost the ken of Sicily, but we were
Becalm'd and hull'd so up and down twelve hours;
When, to our more misfortunes, we descried
Eight well-mann'd gallies making amain for us,
Of which the arch Turkish pirate, cruel Dragut,
Was admiral: I'll not speak what I did
In our defence, but never man did more
Than the brave captain that you sent forth with me:
All would not do: courage oppress'd with number,
We were boarded, pillaged to the skin, and after
Twice sold for slaves; by the pirate first. and
By a Maltese to signior Cuculo,
[after
Which I repent not, since there 'twas my fortune
To be to you, my best friend, some ways useful--
I thought to cheer you up with this short story,
But you grow sad on't.

Pedro. Have I not just cause,
When I consider I could be so stupid,

As not to see a friend through all disguises;
Or he so far to question my true love,
To keep himself conceal'd?

Ant. 'Twas fit to do so,

And not to grieve you with the knowledge of
What then I was; where now I appear to you,
Your sister loving me, and Martino safe,
Like to myself and birth.

Pedro. May you live long so!

How dost thou, honest friend? (your trustiest

servant)

Give me thy hand :-I now can guess by whom You are thus furnish'd.

Ant. Troth he met with me

As I was sent to prison, and there brought me Such things as I had use of.

Enter VICEROY, Duke of MESSINA, CARDEnes, Paulo, Captain, ALMIRA, LEONORA, Waiting-women, and Attendants.

Vice. The slave changed to the prince of Tarent, says he?

Capt. Yes, sir, and I the captain of the fort, Worthy of your displeasure, and the effect of't, For my deceiving of that trust your excellency Reposed in me.

Paul. Yet since all hath fallen out Beyond your hopes, let me become a suitor, And a prevailing one, to get his pardon.

Alm. O, dearest Leonora, with what forehead Dare I look on him now? too powerful Love, The best strength of thy unconfined empire Lies in weak women's hearts: thou art feign'd

blind,

And yet we borrow our best sight from thee.
Could it be else, the person still the same,
Affection over me such power should have,
To make me scorn a prince, and love a slave!

Hort. Honest ones, I know it.

I have my bills of exchange, and all provisions,
Entrusted to you; you have shewn yourself
Just and discreet, what would you more? and yet,
To satisfy in some part your curious care,
Hear this, and leave me. I desire to be
Obscured; and, as I have demean'd myself
These six months past in Mantua, I'll continue
Unnoted and unknown, and, at the best,

Appear no more than a gentleman, and a stranger,
That travels for his pleasure.

Jul. With your pardon,

This hardly will hold weight, though I should With your noble friends and brother.

Hort. You may tell them,

[swear it,

Since you will be my tutor, there's a rumour,
Almost cried up into a certainty,

Of wars with Florence, and that I am determined
To see the service: whatever I went forth,

Proclaim'd in Mantua; I find it here,

No foreign, but intestine war: I have
Defied myself, in giving up my reason
A slave to passion, and am led captive
Before the battle's fought: I fainted, when
I only saw mine enemy, and yielded,
Before that I was charged; and, though defeated,
I dare not sue for mercy. Like Ixion,
I look on Juno, feel my heart turn cinders
With an invisible fire; and yet, should she
Deign to appear clothed in a various cloud,
The majesty of the substance is so sacred,
I durst not clasp the shadow. I behold her
With adoration, feast my eye, while all
My other senses starve; and, oft frequenting
The place which she makes happy with her pre-
I never yet had power with tongue or pen [sence,
To move her to compassion, or make known
What 'tis I languish for; yet I must gaze still,
Though it increase my flame :-however, I
Much more than fear I am observ'd, and censured
For bold intrusion.
[Walks by.

purpose.

He is my client, and pays his fees as duly
As ever usurer did, in a bad cause,

To his man of law; and yet I get, and take them
Both easily and honestly: all the service

I do him is, to give him notice when
And where the princess will appear; and that
I hope's no treason. If you miss him, when
She goes to the vesper or the matins, hang me;
Or when she takes the air, be sure to find him
Near her coach, at her going forth, or coming
back;

But if she walk, he's ravish'd. I have seen him
Smell out her footing like a lime-hound, and nose it
From all the rest of her train.

Beat. Yet I ne'er saw him

Present her a petition.

Asc. Nor e'er shall:

He only sees her, sighs, and sacrifices
A tear or two-then vanishes.

Beat. 'Tis most strange :

[of't.

What a sad aspéct he wears! but I'll make use
The princess is much troubled with the threats
That come from Florence; I will bring her to him,
The novelty may afford her sport, and help
To purge deep melancholy. Boy, can you stay
Your client here for the third part of an hour?
I have some ends in't.

Asc. Stay him, madam! fear not :

The present receipt of a round sum of crowns, And that will draw most gallants from their prayers, Cannot drag him from me.

Beat. See you do.

Asc. Ne'er doubt me.

[Exit.

Asc. Why do you sigh? if that you have a business

To be dispatch'd in court, shew ready money,
You shall find those that will prefer it for you.

Hort. Business ! can any man have business, but
To see her; then admire her, and pray for her,
She being composed of goodness? for myself,
I find it a degree of happiness

But to be near her, and I think I pay

A strict religious vow, when I behold her;
And that's all my ambition.

Asc. I believe you :

[assured,

[Whispers.

Yet, she being absent, you may spend some hours With profit and delight too. After dinner,

Asc. Who, I? I know with whom too: But that is to be whisper'd.

Beat. How the princess