Your hopes: Your plots are idle: I am resolute. Ero. Antinous, urge no further. Ant. Hence, thou sorcery Of a beguiling softness; I will stand, Like the earth's centre, unmov'd; lords, your breath And thankless wrongs to me, urge me to cry Dec. Whither run you? [know Ant. For, honour'd fathers, that you all may That I alone am not unmatchable In crimes of this condition, lest perhaps You might conceive, as yet the case appears, That this foul stain and guilt run in a blood; Before this presence, I accuse this lady Of as much vile ingratitude to me. Cas. Impudent traitor ! Phi. Her? Oh spare, Antinous; The world reputes thee valiant, do not soil All thy past nobleness with such a cowardice, As murd'ring innocent ladies will stamp on thee. Ant. Brave prince, with what unwillingness I Her follies, and in those her sin, be witness, [force All these about me: She is bloody-minded, And turns the justice of the law to rigour : It is her cruelties, not I, accuse her : Shall I have audience? Ero. Let him speak, my lords. Dec. Your memory will rot. Ant. Cast all your eyes On this, what shall I call her? truthless woman, She could not, would not live, unless I granted Not that I covet blood, but that she may not Ero. My lords, be as the law is, 'Las, man, I meant not to outlive thy doom, Shall we be friends in death? Cas. Hear me, the villain Scandals her, honour'd lords. Ero. Leave off to doat, And die a wise man. Ant. I am over-reach'd, And master'd in my own resolution. Phi. Will ye be wilful, madam? here's the curse Of love's disdain. Cas. Why sit you like dumb statues? Demur no longer. Pos. Cassilane, Erota, Antinous, death ye ask; and 'tis your dooms, And I Antinous hath been gracious. May I presume to crave a blessing from you Cas. Yes, such a one as parents Bestow on cursed sons; now, now I laugh To see how those poor younglings are both cheated Of life and comfort: look ye, look ye, lords, I go but some ten minutes, more or less, Before my time, but they have finely cozen'd Themselves of many, many hopeful years, Amidst their prime of youth and glory; Now My vengeance is made full. Safe at their mothers' breasts, your very cloisters The rigour of the law against you all. Great prince of Cyprus, you are left Phi. What a scene of misery Hath thine obdurate forwardness, old man, Of the destroyer. Dost thou yet perceive Thy grave with, that at once hast robb'd this Of honour and of safety? Ero. Children yet unborn Will stop their ears when thou art nam'd. Arc. The world will be too little to contain Dec. What the sword Could not enforce, your peevish thirst of honour, Hath brought on Candy: Candy groans, not these Phi. 'Tis happiness enough For them, that they shall not survive to see The wounds wherewith thou stab'st the land that Thee life and name. Dec. 'Tis Candy's wreck shall feel The mischief of your folly. Cas. Annophel! Anno. 1 will not be entreated. Cas. Pr'ythee, Annophel! [gave With a more violent remedy: your lives, Phi. Then with consent Be reconcil'd on all sides: please you, fathers, Pos. Let us again ascend, With joy and thankfulness to heaven: and now Enter GASPERO and MELITUS, with GONZALO The senate hath been set. Gon. And I not know it? Who sits with them? Mel. My lord, the prince of Cyprus. Why how comes that to pass? Gas. Some weighty cause I warrant you. Gon. Now lords, the business? ha! Who's here, Erota? Por. Secretary, do your charge Upon that traitor. Gon. Traitor? Gas. Yes, Gonzalo, traitor; Of treason to the peace and state of Candy, I do arrest thee. Gon. Me? thou dog! Enter FERNANDO and MICHAEL. Mich. With license From this grave senate, I arrest thee likewise Gon. Ha! Is Michael here? nay theu I see Ero. I shall not be your queen, Gon. Dull, dull brain! O, I am fool'd. Gas. Look, sir, do you know this hand? [Produces a paper. Mich. Do you know this seal? first, lords, he writes to Venice, To make a perfect league, during which time Anno. Why would ye urge me to a mercy, which Corrupt the captains; at a banquet poison You in yourself allow not? Cas. 'Tis the law, That if the party who complains, remit The offender, he is freed: Is't not so, lords? Cas. Antinous, by my shame observe Hath been becharm'd: live, live, my matchless son, The prince, and greatest peers, and in conclusion Gas. Next, he contracted With the illustrious princess, the lady Erota, Ero. This is true, Gonzalo. Mich. As likes the state of Candy, Either to sentence him as he deserves Ero. Lords, ere you part Be witness to another change of wonder. Antinous, now be bold, before this presence, Freely to speak, whether or no I us'd The humblest means affection could contrive, To gain thy love. Ant. Madam, I must confess it, And ever am your servant. Ero. Yes, Antinous, My servant, for my lord thou shalt be never : 1 here disclaim the interest thou hadst once In my too passionate thoughts. To PHILANDER.] Most noble prince, If yet a relic of thy wonted flames Live warm within thy bosom, then I blush not To thee, that hast deserv'd it best. Phi. Oh, madam, You play with my calamity Ero. Let heav'n Record my truth for ever. Phi. With more joy Than I have words to utter, I accept it. I also pawn you mine. Ero. The man that in requital Of noble and unsought affection Grows cruel, never lov'd, nor did Antinous. Yet herein, prince, ye are beholding to him; Phi. For which I'll rank him my deserving friend. Ant. Much comfort dwell with you, as I could To him I honour most. [wish Cas. Oh, my Antinous, Fer. One suit I have to make. Fer. Lord Cassilane, to you. Fer. This lady Hath promised to be mine. Ant. You cannot, sir, bestow her Cas. Sayst thou so? Antinous, I confirm it. Here, Fernando, Live both as one; she is thine. Ant. And herein, sister, I honour you for your wise settled love. This is a day of triumph, all contentions Are happily accorded, Candy's peace Secur'd, and Venice vow'd a worthy friend. [Exeunt. cc 2 SCENE I.-Alexandria. A Hall in the Royal | The majesty of Egypt, and what factions Palace. Enter ACHILLAS and ACHOREUS. Achor. I love the king, nor do dispute his power, The queen, Achillas, 'twere, I hope, no treason, Achil. "Tis confess'd, My good Achoreus, that in these eastern kingdoms Have sprung from those partitions, to the ruin Achor. How this may Stand with the rules of policy, I know not; This government was deliver'd, or great Pompey, Of this rash counsel, their consent not sought for, Achil. The civil war, In which the Roman empire is embark'd On a rough sea of danger, does exact [them Their whole care to preserve themselves, and gives Achor. What's your opinion Of the success? I have heard, in multitudes Of soldiers, and all glorious pomp of war, Achil. I could give you A catalogue of all the several nations From whence he drew his powers; but that were tedious. They have rich arms, are ten to one in number, To make a public feast. They at Dirachium Of all the gamesters of the court and city, Who for a tissue robe; whose husband's jealous, Sept. No, sir, as a guest, Fought with success; but knew not to make use of A welcome guest too; and it was approved of Achor. Where are they now? Achil. In Thessaly, near the Pharsalian plains; Where Cæsar, with a handful of his men, Hems in the greater number. His whole troops Or corn not yet half ripe, and that a banquet; To come to blows, and let their swords determine Achor. May victory Attend on't, where it is. Achil. We ev'ry hour Expect to hear the issue. Enter SEPTIMIUS. Sept. Save my good lords! By Isis and Osiris, whom you worship, Achor. Truth needs, Septimius, no oaths. If you deny him swearing, you take from him Sept. Your honour's bitter. But I must swear't: Yet such is my ill fortune, I think (and I can find no other reason) Achor. No, Septimius; To be a Roman were an honour to you, Did not your manners and your life take from it, And cry aloud, that from Rome you bring nothing By a dozen of his friends, though they were touch'd in't: For look you, 'tis a kind of merriment, To talk what we have done, at least to hear it; Achil. Was't of your own composing? Of a skulking scribbler for two Ptolemies; But I have damn'd myself, should it be question'd, That I will own it. Achor. And be punish'd for it? Take heed, for you may so long exercise The kingdom's counsels, and make profane jests (Which to you, being an atheist, is nothing) Against religion, that your great maintainers, Unless they would be thought copartners with you, Will leave you to the law; and then, Septimius, Remember there are whips. Sept. For whores, I grant you, When they are out of date; 'till then, they are safe too, |