Pos. Lord Cassilane,

What strange distemperature provokes distrust
Of our impartiality? Be sure
We'll flatter no man's injuries.

Cas. 'Tis well;

You have a law, lords, that without remorse Dooms such as are belepred with the curse Of foul ingratitude unto death.

Por. We have.

Cas. Then do me justice.

Enter ANTINOUS with DECIUS, and EROTA with HYPARCHA.

Dec. Madman, whither run'st thou ?

Ant. Peace, Decius, I am deaf.

Hyp. Will you forget

Your greatness, and your modesty?
Ero. Hyparcha, leave, I will not hear.
Ant. Lady; great, gentle lady.

Ero. Prithee, young man, forbear to interrupt Triumph not in thy fortunes; I will speak. [me; Pos. More uproars yet! who are they that disturb us?

Cas. The viper's come; his fears have drawn him hither,

And now, my lords, be chronicled for ever,
And give me justice against this vile monster,
This bastard of my blood.

Ero. 'Tis justice, fathers,

I sue for too; and though I might command it,
(If you remember, lords, whose child I was)
Yet I will humbly beg it; this old wretch
Has forfeited his life to me.

C'as. Will you hear me?

Phi. Here's some strange novelty.
Pos. Sure we are mock'd.

Speak one at once: Say, wherein hath your son
Transgress'd the law?

Cas. O the gross mists of dulness!
Are you this kingdom's oracles, yet can be
So ignorant? First hear, and then consider.
That I begot him, gave him birth and life,
And education, were, I must confess,
But duties of a father: I did more;

I taught him how to manage arms, to dare
An enemy; to court both death and dangers;
Yet these were but additions to complete
A well-accomplish'd soldier: I did more yet.
I ma le him chief commander in the field
Next to myself, and gave him the full prospect
Of honour, and preferment; trained him up
In all perfections of a martialist :
But he, unmindful of his gratitude,
You know with what contempt of my deserts,
First kick'd against mine hononr, scorned all

Unto himself. Yet not content with this,
He, lastly, hath conspir'd my death, and sought
Means to engage me to this lady's debt,
Whose bounty all my whole estate could never
Give satisfaction to. Now, honoured fathers,
For this cause only, if your law be law,
And you the ministers of justice, then
Think of this strange ingratitude in him.
Phi. Can this be so, Antinous ?
Ant. 'Tis all true,

Nor hath my much-wrong'd father limn'd my faults
In colours half so black, as in themselves

My guilt hath dy'd them. Were there mercy left, Yet mine own shame would be my executioner: Lords, I am guilty.

Ero. Thou beliest, Antinous,

Thine innocence. Alas! my lords, he's desperate,
And talks he knows not what you must not credit
His lunacy; I can myself disprove
This accusation: Cassilane, be yet
More merciful; I beg it.

Cas. Time, nor fate,

The world, or what is in it, shall not alter My resolution: He shall die.

Ero. The senate's

Prayers, or weeping lovers, shall not alter My resolution: Thou shalt die.

Ant. Why, madam,

Are ye all marble?

Pos. Leave your shifts, Antinous;

What plead you to your father's accusation?
Ant. Most fully guilty.

Pos. You have doom'd yourself;

We cannot quit you now.

Cas. A burthen'd conscience

Will never need a hangman: hadst thou dar'd
To have denied it, then this sword of mine
Should on thy head have prov'd thy tongue a liar.
Ero. Thy sword? wretched old man, thou hast
liv'd too long

To carry peace or comfort to thy grave;
Thou art a man condemn'd: My lords, this tyrant
Had perished but for me, I still supplied
His miserable wants; I sent his daughter
Money to buy him food; the bread he ate,
Was from my purse: when he, vain-gloriously,
To dive into the peoples' hearts, had pawn'd
His birth-right, I redeem'd it, sent it to him;
And for requital, only made my suit,
That he would please to new receive his son
Into his favour, for whose love I told him
I had been still so friendly: but then he,
As void of gratitude as all good nature,
Distracted like a madman, posted hither
To pull this vengeance on himself and us;
For why, my lords, since by the law, all means
Is blotted out of your commission,
As this hard-hearted father hath accus'd
Noble Antinous, his unblemish'd son,
So I accuse this father, and crave judgment.
Cas. All this is but deceit, mere trifles forg'd
By combination to defeat the process
Of justice. I will have Antinous' life.
Arc. Sir, what do ye mean?
Ero. I will have Cassilane's.

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
Must finish these divisions: I confess
Civility doth teach I should not speak
Against a lady of her birth, so high

As great Erota, but her injuries,

And thankless wrongs to me, urge me to cry
Aloud for justice, fathers.

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,
When often in my discontents, the sway
Of her unruly blood, her untam'd passion,
Or name it as you list, had hour by hour
Solicited my love, she vow'd at last

She could not, would not live, unless I granted
What she long sued for: I, in tender pity,
To save a lady of her birth from ruin,
Gave her her life, and promis'd to be hers:
Nor urg'd I aught from her, but secrecy,
And then enjoin'd her to supply such wants
As I perceiv'd my father's late engagements
Had made him subject to: what! shall I heap up
Long repetitions? She, to quit my pity,
Not only hath discover'd to my father
What she had promis'd to conceal, but also
Hath drawn my life into this fatal forfeit ;
For which, since I must die, I crave a like
Equality of justice against her;

Not that I covet blood, but that she may not
Practise this art of falsehood on some other,
Perhaps more worthy of her love hereafter.
Por. If this be true-

Ero. My lords, be as the law is,
Indifferent, upright, I do plead guilty:
Now, sir, what glory have you got by this?

сс

Safe at their mothers' breasts, your very cloisters
Were not secure, your starting holes of refuge
Not free from danger, nor your lives your own:
In this most desperate ecstasy, my father,
This aged man, not only undertook
To guard your lives, but did so; and beat off
The daring foe; for you he pawn'd his lands,
To pay your soldiers, who, without their pay
Refus'd to strike a blow: but, lords, when peacc
Was purchas'd for you, and victory brought home,
Where was your gratitude, who in your coffers
Hoarded the rusty treasure which was due
To my unminded father? he was glad
To live retir'd in want, in penury,

Whilst you made feasts of surfeit, and forgot
Your debts to him: the sum of all is this,
You have been unthankful to him; and I crave
The rigour of the law against you all.
Cas. My royal spirited daughter!

Great prince of Cyprus, you are left
The only moderator in this difference;
And as you are a prince, be a protector
To woeful Candy.

Phi. What a scene of misery

Hath thine obdurate forwardness, old man,
Drawn on thy country's bosom! and for that
Thy proud ambition could not mount so high
As to be styled thy country's only patron,
Thy malice hath descended to the depth
Of hell, to be renowned in the title

Of the destroyer. Dost thou yet perceive
What curses all posterity will brand

Thy grave with, that at once hast robb'd this kingdom

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

The memory of this detested deed;
The furies will abhor it.

Dec. What the sword

That if the party who complains, remit

The offender, he is freed: Is't not so, lords?
Por. and Pos. 'Tis so.

Cas. Antinous, by my shame observe
What a close witchcraft popular applause is:
I am awak'd, and with clear eyes behold
The lethargy wherein my reason long

Hath been becharm'd: live, live, my matchless son,
Blest in thy father's blessing; much more blest
In thine own virtues : let me dew thy cheeks
With my unmanly tears: rise, I forgive thee:
And good Antinous, if I shall be thy father,
Forgive me: I can speak no more.

Ant. Dear sir,

You new beget me now.

I heartily remit you.

Ero. I as freely

-Madam, your pardon,

Discharge thee, Cassilane

Anno. My gracious lords,

Repate me not a blemish to my sex,

In that I strove to cure a desperate evil

.

Gon. Ha!

Is Michael here? nay then I see I am undone.

Ero. I shall not be your queen, Your duchess, or your empress.

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
He would in private keep some troops in pay,
Bribe all the sentinels throughout this kingdom,
Corrupt the captains; at a banquet poison
The prince, and greatest peers, and in conclusion
Yield Candy slave to Venice.

Gas. Next, he contracted

With the illustrious princess, the lady Erota,
In hope of marriage with her, to deliver
All the Venetian gallantry and strength,
Upon their first arrival, to the mercy
Of her and Candy.

Ero. This is true, Gonzalo.
Gon. Let it be true: what then?
Pos. My lord ambassador,
What's your demand?

Mich. As likes the state of Candy,

Either to sentence him as he deserves
Here, or to send him like a slave to Venice.
Por. We shall advise upon it.

Gon. Oh, the devils,

That had not thrust this trick into my pate-
A politician? fool! destruction plague
Candy and Venice both.

Por. and Pos. Away with him.
Mel. Come, sir, I'll see you safe.

[Exeunt GoNz, and MEL.

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 an your servant.

Ero. Yes, Antinous,

My servant, for my lord thou shalt be never :
I here disclaim the interest thou hadst once
La 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 offer up the assurance of my faith

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 ;
For his neglect of me humbled a pride,
Which to a virtuous wife had been a monster.
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,
My own, my own good son.

Fer. One suit I have to make.

Phi. To whom, Fernando?

Fer. Lord Cassilane, to you.
Cas. To me?

Fer. This lady

Hath promised to be mine.
Anno. Your blessing, sir;

Brother, your love.

Ant. You cannot, sir, bestow her On a more noble gentleman.

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.

Palace.

Enter ACHILLAS and ACHOREUS.

Achor. I love the king, nor do dispute his power,
For that is not confined, nor to be censured
By me, that am his subject; yet allow me
The liberty of a man, that still would be
A friend to justice, to demand the motives
That did induce young Ptolemy, or Photinus,
(To whose directions he gives up himself,
And I hope wisely,) to commit his sister
The princess Cleopatra-If I said

The queen, Achillas, 'twere, I hope, no treason,
She being by her father's testament
(Whose memory I bow to) left co-heir
In all he stood possess'd of.

Achil. 'Tis confess'd,

My good Achoreus, that in these eastern kingdoms
Women are not exempted from the sceptre,
But claim a privilege equal to the male;

But how much such divisions have ta'en from

Have sprung from those partitions, to the ruin
Of the poor subject, doubtful which to follow,
We have too many and too sad examples:
Therefore the wise Photinus, to prevent
The murders and the massacres that attend
On disunited government, and to shew
The king without a partner, in full splendour,
Thought it convenient the fair Cleopatra
(An attribute not frequent in this climate)
Should be committed to safe custody,
In which she is attended like her birth,
Until her beauty, or her royal dower,
Hath found her out a husband.