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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
Shall right us both. Give me thy aged breast
To compass.

Cal. Nay, I do not love thee yet;

I cannot well endure to look on thee:
And, if I thought it were a courtesy,

Thou should'st not have it. But I am disgraced;
My offices are to be ta'en away;

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.

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To do the deed in. I will wash the stain,
That rests upon our house, off with his blood.
Enter AMINTOR.

Amin. Melantius, now assist me: If thou be'st
That, which thou sayest, assist me. I have lost
All my distempers, and have found a rage
So pleasing! Help me.

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,
And sink him, with the weight of all his sins,
To hell for ever.

Mel. 'Twere a rash attempt,

Not to be done with safety. Let your reason
Plot your revenge, and not your passion.

Amin. If thou refusest ine in these extremes,
Thou art no friend: He sent for her to me;
By Heaven, to me, myself! And, I must tell you,
I love her, as a stranger; there is worth
In that vile woman, worthy things, Melantius;
And she repents. I'll do it myself alone,
Though I be slain. Farewell.

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Out of my hand, and left me shaking here,
Defenceless.

Mel. I will take it up for thee.
Amin. What a wild beast is uncollected man!
The thing, that we call honour, bears us all
Headlong to sin, and yet itself is nothing.

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.

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ACT V.

Mel. This is a night, 'spite of astronomers,

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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.
Evad. You talk, you talk.

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
Of a lost virgin! whither wilt thou pull me?
To what things, dismal as the depth of hell,
Wilt thou provoke me? Let no woman dare
From this hour be disloyal, if her heart be flesh,
If she have blood, and can fear: 'Tis a daring
Above that desperate fool's, that left his peace,
And went to sea to fight. 'Tis so many sins,
An age cannot repent them; and so great,
The gods want mercy for! Yet, I must thro'
them.

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
Tells me, I merit in it. Yet I must not
Thus tamely do it, as he sleeps; that were
To rock him to another world: My vengeance
Shall take him waking, and then lay before him
The number of his wrongs and punishments.
Til shake his sins like furies, till I waken
His evil angel, his sick conscience,

And then I'll strike him dead. King, by your
leave,
[Ties his arm to the bed.
I dare not trust your strength. Your grace and I
Mast grapple upon even terms no more.
So: If he rail me not from my resolution,
I shall be strong enough. My lord the king!
My lord! He sleeps, as if he meant to wake
No more.
My lord! Is he not dead already?

Sir! My lord!
King. Who's that?

Erad. Oh, you sleep soundly, sir!
King. My dear Evadne,

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:
So much cold spirit to be called a woman.
I am a tyger; I am any thing

That knows not pity. Stir not! If thou dost,
I'll take thee unprepared; thy fears upon thee,
That make thy sins look double; and so send thee
(By my revenge, I will) to look those torments,
Prepared for such black souls,

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
As many such hells here. I was once fair,
Once I was lovely; not a blowing rose
More chastely sweet, till thou, thou, thou foul
canker,

(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
To those above us; by whose lights I vow,
Those blessed fires, that shot to see our sin,
If thy hot soul had substance with thy blood,
I would kill that too; which, being past my steel,
My tongue shall reach. Thou art a shameless vil-
lain!

A thing out of the overcharge of nature;
Sent, like a thick cloud, to disperse a plague
Upon weak catching women! such a tyrant,
That for his lust would sell away his subjects;
Ay, all his heaven hereafter!

King. Hear, Evadne,

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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.

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Enter STRATO.

Stra. Never follow her;

For she, alas! was but the instrument.
News is now brought in that Melantius
Has got the fort, and stands upon the wall;
And with a loud voice calls those few, that pass
At this dead time of night, delivering
The innocence of this act.

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.
Cal.' Would I had any! you should quickly know it.
Mel. Speak to the people: Thou art eloquent.
Cal. 'Tis a fine eloquence to come to the gallows!
You were born to be my end. The devil take you!
Now must I hang for company. "Tis strange,
I should be old, and neither wise nor valiant.

More out of fear than honour! You have lost
A noble master; which your faith, Melantius,
Some think, might have preserved: Yet you
know best.

Cal. When time was, I was mad; some, that
dares fight,

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,
While he was good, I call'd him king; and serv'd him
With that strong faith, that most unwearied va-
lour,

Pulled people from the farthest sun to seek him,
And beg his friendship. I was then his soldier.
And brand my noble actions with his lust
But since his hot pride drew him to disgrace me,
(That never cured dishonour of my sister,
Base stain of whore! and, which is worse,
The joy to make it still so), like myself,
And stand here mine own justice, to revenge
Thus I have flung him off with my allegiance;
What I have suffered in him; and this old man,
Wronged almost to lunacy.

Cal. Who I?

You would draw me in. I have had no wrong, 'I do disclaim ye all.

Mel. The short is this:
Tis no ambition to lift up myself
Urgeth me thus; I do desire again
To be a subject, so I may be free.
If not, I know my strength, and will unbuild
This goodly town. Be speedy, and be wise,
In a reply.

Stra. Be sudden, sir, to tie
All up again: What's done is past recall,
And past you to revenge; and there are thousands,

Amin. What would you, sir?

That wait for such a troubled hour as this.
Throw him the blank.

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.

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Asp. Please it your lordship to command your

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My business; and I am not hard to know;
For till the chance of war marked this smooth
face

With these few blemishes, people would call me
My sister's picture, and her mine. In short,
I am the brother to the wronged Aspatia.

so too

Amin, The wronged Aspatia! 'Would thou wert
Unto the wronged Amintor! Let me kiss
That hand of thine, in honour that I bear
Unto the wronged Aspatia. Here I stand,
That did it: 'Would he could not! Gentle youth,
Leave me; for there is something in thy looks,
That calls my sins, in a most hideous form,
Into my mind; and I have grief enough
Without thy help.

Asp. I would I could with credit.
Since I was twelve years old, I had not seen
My sister, till this hour; I now arrived:
She sent for me to see her marriage;

A woeful one! But they, that are above,
Have ends in every thing. She used few words;
But yet enough to make me understand
The baseness of the injuries you did her.
That little training, I have had, is war:
I may behave myself rudely in peace;
I would not, though. I shall not need to tell you,
I am but young, and would be loth to lose
Honour, that is not easily gained again.
For single combats; and we shall be stopped,
Fairly I mean to deal: The age is strict
If it be published. If you like your sword,
Use it; if mine appear a better to you,
Change; for the ground is this, and this the time,

To end our difference.

Amin. Charitable youth,

(If thou be'st such) think not I will maintain
So strange a wrong: And, for thy sister's sake,
Know, that I could not think that desperate thing,
I durst not do; yet, to enjoy this world,
I would not see her; for, beholding thee,
I am I know not what. If I have aught,
That may content thee, take it, and be gone;
For death is not so terrible as thou.
Thine eyes shoot guilt into me.

Thou wouldst behave thyself; and give me words,
Asp. Thus, she swore,
That would fetch tears into my eyes; and so
Thou dost, indeed. But yet she bade me watch,
Lest I were cozened; and be sure to fight,
Ere I returned.

Amin That must not be with me.
For her I'll die directly; but against her
Will never hazard it.

Asp. You must be urged.

I do not deal uncivilly with those,
That dare to fight; but such a one as you
Must be used thus.
[She strikes him.
Amin. I prithee, youth, take heed.
Thy sister is a thing to me so much
Above mine honour, that I can endure

All this. Good gods! a blow I can endure!
But stay not, lest thou draw a timeless death
Upon thyself.

Asp. Thou art some prating fellow;
One, that hath studied out a trick to talk,
And move soft-hearted people; to be kick'd

[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.

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Alas, defenceless!

Asp. I have got enough,

And my desire. There is no place so fit
For me to die as here.

Enter EVADNE, her hands bloody, with a knife.

Evad. Amintor, I am loaden with events,
That fly to make thee happy. I have joys,
That in a moment can call back thy wrongs,
And settle thee in thy free state again.
It is Evadne still, that follows thee,
But not her mischiefs.

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.
Black is thy colour now, disease thy nature.
Joy to Amintor! Thou hast touched a life,
The very name of which had power to chain
Up all my rage, and calm my wildest wrongs.
Evad. Tis done; and since I could not find a way
To meet thy love so clear as through his life,
I cannot now repent it.

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
From my slow hand: And, to augment my woc,
You now are present, stained with a king's blood,
Violently shed. This keeps night here,
And throws an unknown wilderness about me.
Asp. Oh, oh, oh!

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,
Thou dost awake something, that troubles me,
And says, I loved thee once.' I dare not stay;
There is no end of woman's reasoning.

[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:
My soul grows weary of her house, and I
All over am a trouble to myself.

There is some hidden power in these dead things,

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