Cleophila, I thank thee and the prince;

I thank thee too, Eroclea, that thou would'st,
In pity of my age, take so much pains
To live, till I might once more look upon thee,
Before I broke my heart: O, 'twas a piece
Of piety and duty unexampled.

Rhe. The good man relisheth his comforts
strangely;

[Aside.

The sight doth turn me child.

Ero. I have not words

That can express my joys.

Cleo. Nor I.

Mel. Nor I;

Yet let us gaze on one another freely,
And surfeit with our eyes; let me be plain :
If I should speak as much as I should speak,
I should talk of a thousand things at once,
And all of thee; of thee, my child, of thee!
My tears, like ruffling winds lock'd up in caves,
Do bustle for a vent;-on th' other side,
To fly out into mirth were not so comely.
Come hither, let me kiss thee!—[TO ERO.]—with
a pride,

Strength, courage, and fresh blood, which now
thy presence

Hath stored me with, I kneel before their altars,
Whose sovereignty kept guard about thy safety:
Ask, ask thy sister, prithee, she will tell thee
How I have been much mad.

Cleo. Much discontented,

Shunning all means that might procure him com

fort.

Ero. Heaven has at last been gracious.
Mel. So say I;

But wherefore drop thy words in such a sloth,
As if thou wert afraid to mingle truth
With thy misfortunes?

Understand me tho

roughly;

I would not have thee to report at large,
From point to point, a journal of thy absence,
"Twill take up too much time; I would securely
Engross the little remnant of my life,

That thou might'st every day be telling some

what,

Which might convey me to my rest with comfort.

Let me bethink me; how we parted first,
Puzzles my faint remembrance-but soft-
Cleophila, thou told'st me that the prince
Sent me this present.

Cleo. From his own fair hands

I did receive my sister.

Mel. To requite him,

We will not dig his father's grave anew,
Although the mention of him much concerns
The business we inquire of :-as I said,
We parted in a hurry at the court;
I to this castle, after made my jail;
But whither thou, dear heart?

Rhe. Now they fall to't;

I look'd for this.

Ero. I, by my uncle's care,

THE LOVER'S MELANCHOLY.

Sophronos, my good uncle, suddenly
Was like a sailor's boy convey'd a-shipboard,
That very night.

Mel. A policy quick and strange.

Ero. The ship was bound for Corinth, whither
first,

Attended only with your servant Rhetias,
And all fit necessaries, we arrived;
From thence, in habit of a youth, we journey'd
To Athens, where, till our return of late,
Have we liv'd safe.

116

ACT V.

Mel. Oh, what a thing is man,

To bandy factions of distemper'd passions,
Against the sacred Providence above him!
Here, in the legend of thy two years' exile,
Rare pity and delight are sweetly mix'd.-
And still thou wert a boy?

Ero. So I obey'd

My uncle's wise command.
Mel. 'Twas safely carried ;

I humbly thank thy fate.

Ero. If earthly treasures

Are pour'd in plenty down from heaven on mortals,

They reign amongst those oracles that flow

In schools of sacred knowledge, such is Athens;
Yet Athens was to me but a fair prison:

The thoughts of you, my sister, country, for-
tunes,

And something of the prince, barr'd all contents,

Which else might ravish sense; for had not Rhetias

Been always comfortable to me, certainly
Things had gone worse.

Mel. Speak low, Eroclea,

That "something of the prince" bears danger in it: Yet thou hast travell'd, wench, for such endowments,

As might create a prince a wife fit for him,

Had he the world to guide; but touch not there. How cam'st thou home?

Rhe. Sir, with your noble favour,

Kissing your hand first, that point I can answer. Mel. Honest, right honest Rhetias!

Rhe. Your grave brother

Perceiv'd with what a hopeless love his son,
Lord Menaphon, too eagerly pursued
Thamasta, cousin to our present prince;
And, to remove the violence of affection,
Sent him to Athens, where, for twelve months'
space,

Your daughter, my young lady, and her cousin, Enjoy'd each other's griefs; till by his father, The lord Sophronos, we were all call'd home.

Mel. Enough, enough! the world shall henceforth witness

My thankfulness to heaven, and those people
Who have been pitiful to me and mine.
Lend me a looking-glass.-How now! how came I
So courtly, in fresh raiments?

Rhe. Here's the glass, sir.

Mel. I'm in the trim too.-O Cleophila, This was the goodness of thy care, and cunning[Loud Music.

Whence comes this noise?
Rhe. The prince, my lord, in person. [They kneel.
Enter PALADOR, SOPHRONOS, ARETUS, AMETHUS,
MENAPHON, CORAX, THAMASTA, and KALA.
Pal. You shall not kneel to us; rise all, I charge
you.

Father, you wrong your age; henceforth my arms [Embracing MEL. And heart shall be your guard: we have o'erheard

All passages of your united loves.

Be young again, Meleander, live to number
A happy generation, and die old

In comforts, as in years! The offices
And honours, which I late on thee conferr'd,
Are not fantastic bounties, but thy merit;
Enjoy them liberally.

Mel. My tears must thank you,
For my tongue cannot.

Cor. I have kept my promise,

And given you a sure cordial.

Mel. Oh, a rare one.

Pal. Good man! we both have shar'd enough of sadness,

Though thine has tasted deeper of the extreme; Let us forget it henceforth. Where's the picture I sent you? Keep it; 'tis a counterfeit ;