Mel. The short is, I will hold thee with the king In this perplexity, till peevishness And thy disgrace have laid thee in thy grave. But, if thou wilt deliver up the fort, I'll take thy trembling body in my arms, And bear thee over dangers: Thou shalt hold Thy wonted state. Cal. If I should tell the king, Canst thou deny it again? Mel. Try, and believe. Cal. Nay, then thou canst bring any thing about. Thou shalt have the fort. Mel. Why, well: Here let our hate be buried; and this hand Cal. Nay, I do not love thee yet; I cannot well endure to look on thee: Thou should'st not have it. But I am disgraced; And, if I did but hold this fort a day, I do believe, the king would take it from me, And give it thee, things are so strangely carried. Ne'er thank me for it; but yet the king shall know There was some such thing in it I told him of; And that I was an honest man. To do the deed in. I will wash the stain, Amin. Melantius, now assist me: If thou be'st Mel. Who can see him thus, And not swear vengeance? What's the matter, friend? Amin. Out with thy sword! and, hand in hand with me, Rush to the chamber of this hated king, Mel. 'Twere a rash attempt, Not to be done with safety. Let your reason Amin. If thou refusest ine in these extremes, Out of my hand, and left me shaking here, Mel. I will take it up for thee. Mel. Alas, how variable are thy thoughts! Amin. Just like my fortunes: I was run to that I purposed to have chid thee for. Some plot, I did distrust, thou hadst against the king, By that old fellow's carriage. But take heed; There's not the least limb growing to a king, But carries thunder in it. Mel. I have none Against him. Amin. Why, come then; and still remember, We may not think revenge. ACT V. Mel. This is a night, 'spite of astronomers, Enter EVADNE, and a Gentleman. Ecad. SIR, is the king a-bed? Gent. Madam, an hour ago. Evad. Give me the key then, and let none be near; 'Tis the king's pleasure. Gent. I understand you, madam; 'would 'twere mine. I must not wish good rest unto your ladyship. Gent. 'Tis all I dare do, madam; but the king Will wake, and then Evad. Saving your imagination, pray, good night, sir. Geat. A good night be it then, and a long one, madam. I am gone. [Exit. [King a-bed. Ecad. The night grows horrible; and all about me Like my black purpose. Oh, the conscience I have begun a slaughter on my honour, And I must end it there. He sleeps. Good Heavens! Why give you peace to this untemperate beast, That hath so long transgressed you? I must kill him, And I will do it bravely: The mere joy And then I'll strike him dead. King, by your Sir! My lord! Erad. Oh, you sleep soundly, sir! I have been dreaming of thee. Come to bed. Evad. I am come at length, sir; but how welcome? King. What pretty new device is this, Evadne? What, do you tie me to you? By my love, This is a quaint one. Come, my dear, and kiss me; I'll be thy Mars; to bed, my queen of love: Let us be caught together, that the gods May see, and envy our embraces. Etad. Stav, sir, stay; You are too hot, and I have brought you physic To temper your high veins. King. Prithee, to bed then; let me take it warm; There thou shalt know the state of my body bet ter. Evad. I know you have a surfeited foul body; And you must bleed. King. Bleed! Evad. Ay, you shall bleed! Lie still; and, it the devil, Your lust, will give you leave, repent. This steel Comes to redeem the honour, that you stole, King, my fair name; which nothing but thy death Can answer to the world. King. How is this, Evadne? Evad. I am not she; nor bear I in this breas: That knows not pity. Stir not! If thou dost, King. Thou dost not mean this; 'tis impossible Thou art too sweet and gentle. Evad. No, I am not. I am as foul as thou art, and can number (Stir not) didst poison me. I was a world of virtue, Till your curst court and you (hell bless you for it!) With your temptations on temptations, Made me give up mine honour; for which, king, I'm come to kill thee. King. No! Evad, I am. King. Thou art not! I prithee speak not these things: Thou art gentle, And wert not meant thus rugged. Evad. Peace, and hear me. Stir nothing but your tongue, and that for mercy A thing out of the overcharge of nature; King. Hear, Evadne, 1. Run forth and call. 2. Treason, treason! 1. This will be laid on us: Who can believe a woman could do this! Enter CLEON and LYSIPPUS. Cleon. How now! Where's the traitor? [Exit. Enter LYSIPPUS, DIAGORAS, CLEON, STRATO, and guard. Lys. See where he stands, as boldly confident, As if he had his full command about him. Stra. He looks as if he had the better cause, Sir; Under your gracious pardon, let me speak it! Though he be mighty spirited, and forward To all great things; to all things of that danger Worse men shake at the telling of; yet, certainly, I do believe him noble; and this action Rather pulled on, than sought: His mind was ever As worthy as his hand. Lys. 'Tis my fear, too. Heaven forgive all! Summon him, lord Cleon. Cleon. Ho, from the walls there. Mel. Worthy Cleon, welcome. We could have wished you here, lord: You are honest. Cal. Well, thou art as flattering a knave, though I dare not tell thee so Lys. Melantius! Mel. Sir. [Aside Lys. I am sorry, that we meet thus; our old love Never required such distance. Pray Heaven, 1. Fled, fled away; but there her woeful act You have not left yourself, and sought this safety lies still. Enter STRATO. Stra. Never follow her; For she, alas! was but the instrument. Lys. Gentlemen, I am your king. Stra. We do acknowledge it. Lys. I would I were not! Follow, all; for this Must have a sudden stop. [Exeunt. Enter MELANTIUS, DIPHILUS, and CALIANAX, on the wall. Mel. If the dull people can believe I am armed, (Be constant, Diphilus !) now we have time, Either to bring our banished honours home, Or create new ones in our ends. Diph. I fear not. My spirit lies not that way. Courage, Calianax. More out of fear than honour! You have lost Cal. When time was, I was mad; some, that I hope will pay this rascal. Mel. Royal young man, whose tears look lovely on thee, Had they been shed for a deserving one, They had been lasting monuments! Thy brother, Pulled people from the farthest sun to seek him, Cal. Who I? You would draw me in. I have had no wrong, 'I do disclaim ye all. Mel. The short is this: Stra. Be sudden, sir, to tie Amin. What would you, sir? That wait for such a troubled hour as this. Lys Melantius, write in that Thy choice: My seal is at it. Mel. It was our honours drew us to this act, Not gain; and we will only work our pardons. Cal. Put my name in too. Diph. You disclaim'd us all But now, Calianax. Cal. That is all one; I'll not be hanged hereafter by a trick: I'll have it in. Mel. You shall, you shall. Come to the back gate, and we'll call you king, And give you up the fort. Lys. Away, away. [Exeunt omnes. Asp. Please it your lordship to command your My business; and I am not hard to know; With these few blemishes, people would call me so too Amin, The wronged Aspatia! 'Would thou wert Asp. I would I could with credit. A woeful one! But they, that are above, To end our difference. Amin. Charitable youth, (If thou be'st such) think not I will maintain Thou wouldst behave thyself; and give me words, Amin That must not be with me. Asp. You must be urged. I do not deal uncivilly with those, All this. Good gods! a blow I can endure! Asp. Thou art some prating fellow; [She kicks him. Thus, to be kick'd!--Why should he be so slow In giving me my death? [Aside. Forgive me, then! Amin. A man can bear No more, and keep his flesh. I would endure yet, if I could. Now shew The spirit thou pretend'st, and Thou hast no hour to live.What dost thou mean? understand, [They fight. Alas, defenceless! Asp. I have got enough, And my desire. There is no place so fit Enter EVADNE, her hands bloody, with a knife. Evad. Amintor, I am loaden with events, Amin. Thou canst not fool me to believe again; But thou hast looks and things so full of news, That I am stayed. Evad. Noble Amintor, put off thy amaze, Let thine eyes loose, and speak: Am I not fair? Looks not Evadne beauteous, with these rites now? Were those hours half so lovely in thine eyes, When our hands met before the holy man? I was too foul within to look fair then: Since I knew ill, I was not free till now. Amin. There is presage of some important thing About thee, which, it seems, thy tongue hath lost. Thy hands are bloody, and thou hast a knife! Evad. In this consists thy happiness and mine. Joy to Amintor! for the king is dead. Amin. Those have most power to hurt us, that we love; We lay our sleeping lives within their arms! Why, thou hast raised up Mischief to his height, And found one, to out-name thy other faults. Thou hast no intermission of thy sins, But all thy life is a continued ill. Amin. Couldst thou procure the gods to speak to me, To bid me love this woman, and forgive, I think I should fall out with them. Behold, Here lies a youth, whose wounds bleed in my breast, Sent by his violent fate, to fetch his death Amin. No more; pursue me not. Ecad. Forgive me then, and take me to thy bed We may not part. Amin. Forbear! Be wise, and let my rage Go this way. Evad. 'Tis you, that I would stay, not it. Amin. Take heed; it will return with me. Evad. If it must be, I shall not fear to meet it: Take me home. Amin. Thou monster of cruelty, forbear! Evad. For heaven's sake, look more calm : Thine eyes are sharper than thou canst make thy sword. Amin. Away, away! Thy knees are more to me than violence, I'm worse than sick to see knees follow me, For that I must not grant. For heaven's sake, stand. Evad. Receive me, then. Amin. I dare not stay thy language: In midst of all my anger and my grief, [Leaves her. Evad. Amintor, thou shalt love me now again: Go; I am calin. Farewell, and peace for ever! Evadne, whom thou hat'st, will die for thee. [Kills herself. Amin. have a little human nature yet, That's left for thee, that bids me stay thy hand. [Returns. Evad. Thy hand was welcome, but it came too late. Oh, I am lost! the heavy sleep makes haste. Asp. Oh, oh, oh! [She dies. Amin. This earth of mine doth tremble, and I feel A stark affrighted motion in my blood: There is some hidden power in these dead things, |