You are to enter, and, as you pass by, Salute my woman; be but bold enough, You'll speed, I warrant you. Begin.

Asot. Have at it

Save thee, sweet heart! a kiss.

Zant. Venus forbid, sir,

I should presume to taste your honour's lips
Before my lady.

Coris. This is well on both parts.
Asot. How does thy lady?

Zant. Happy in your lordship,

As oft as she thinks on you.

Coris. Very good:

This wench will learn in time.
Asot. Does she think of me?

Zant. O sir! and speaks the best of you; ad mires

Your wit, your clothes, discourse; and swears, but that

You are not forward enough for a lord, you were
The most complete and absolute man, I'll shew
Your lordship a secret.

Asot. Not of thine own n?
Zant. Oh! no, sir,

'Tis of my lady; but upon your honour,
You must conceal it.

Asot. By all means.

Zant. Sometimes

I lie with my lady; as the last night I did:
She could not say her prayers for thinking of you:
Nay, she talk'd of you in her sleep, and sigh'd out,
O sweet Asotus, sure thou art so backward,
That I must ravish thee! and in that fervour
She took me in her arms, threw me upon her,
Kiss'd me, and hugg'd me, and then waked, and
wept,

Because 'twas but a dream.

Coris. This will bring him on,

Or he's a block. A good girl!
Asot. I am mad,

'Till I am at it.

Zant. Be not put off, sir,

With, Away, I dare not ;—fie, you are immo

dest:

My brother's up ;-my father will hear.-Shoot home, sir,

You cannot miss the mark.

Asot. There's for thy counsel.

This is the fairest interlude,-if it prove earnest, I shall wish I were a player.

Coris. Now my turn comes.

I am exceeding sick, pray you send my page For young Asotus, I cannot live without him; Pray him to visit me; yet, when he's present, I must be strange to him.

Asot. Not so, you are caught:

Lo, whom you wish; behold Asotus here! Coris. You wait well, minion; shortly I shall not speak

My thoughts in my private chamber, but they must Lie open to discovery.

Asot. 'Slid, she's angry.

Zant. No, no, sir, she but seems so. To her again. Asot. Lady, I will descend to kiss your hand, But that 'tis gloved, and civet makes me sick; And to presume to taste your lip 's not safe, Your woman by.

Coris. I hope she's no observer

Of whom I grace. [ZANTHIA looks on a book. Asot. She's at her book, O rare! [Kisses her. Coris. A kiss for entertainment is sufficient; Too much of one dish cloys me.

Asot. I would serve in

The second course; but still I fear your woman. Coris. You are very cautelous.

[ZANTHIA seems to sleep.

Asot. 'Slight, she's asleep!

'Tis pity these instructions are not printed;
They would sell well to chamber-maids. 'Tis no
time now

To play with my good fortune, and your favour;
Yet to be taken, as they say :-a scout,
To give the signal when the enemy comes,

[Exit ZANTHIA.
Were now worth gold.-She's gone to watch.
A waiter so trained up were worth a million
To a wanton city madam.

Coris. You are grown conceited.

Asot. You teach me. Lady, now your cabi

Pis. More wine; prythee drink hard, friend, And when we're hot, whatever I propound, Enter CIMBRIO, GRACCULO, and other Slaves. Second with vehemency.-Men of your words, all welcome!

Slaves use no ceremony; sit down, here's a health. Pok. Let it run round, fill every man his glass. Grac. We look for no waiters;—this is wine! Pis. The better,

Strong, lusty wine. Drink deep; this juice will make us [Drinks.

As free as our lords.

To love our liberty, if not command,
Should the strong serve the weak, the fair de-
formed ones?

Or such as know the cause of things, pay tribute
To ignorant fools? All's but the outward gloss
And politic form that does distinguish us.
Cimbrio, thou art a strong man; if, in place
Of carrying burthens, thou hadst been trained up
In martial discipline, thou might'st have proved
A general, fit to lead and fight for Sicily,
As fortunate as Timoleon.
Cim. A little fighting
Will serve a general's turn.

Pis. Thou, Gracculo,

Hast fluency of language, quick conceit;
And, I think, covered with a senator's robe,
Formally set on the bench, thou wouldst appear
As brave a senator-

Grac. Would I had lands,

Or money to buy a place; and if I did not Sleep on the bench with the drowsiest of 'em, Play with my chain,

Look on my watch when my guts chim'd twelve, and wear

A state beard, with my barber's help, rank with them

In their most choice peculiar gifts; degrade me, And put me to drink water again, which (now I've tasted wine) were poison.

Pis. 'Tis spoke nobly,

And like a gown-man:-None of these, I think too, But would prove good burghers.

Grac. Hum! the fools are modest:

I know their insides.-Here's an ill-faced fellow
(But that will not be seen in a dark shop,)
If he did not in a month learn to out-swear,
In the selling of his wares, the cunningest trades-

man

In Syracusa, I've no skill.-Here's another, Observe but what a cozening look he has !Hold up thy head, man; if, for drawing gallants Into mortgages for commodities, cheating heirs With your new counterfeit gold thread, and gummed velvets,

He does not transcend all that went before him, Call in his patent. Pass the rest; they'll all make Sufficient beccos, and with their brow-antlers Bear up the cap of maintenance.

Pis. Is't not pity, then,

Men of such eminent virtues should be slaves? Cim. Our fortune.

Pis. 'Tis your folly; daring men Command, and make their fates. Say, at this instant,

I marked you out a way to liberty;
Possessed you of those blessings our proud lords
So long have surfeited in; and, what is sweetest,
Arm you with power, by strong hand to revenge
Your stripes, your unregarded toil, the pride,
The insolence, of such as tread upon
Your patient sufferings; fill your famished mouths
With the fat and plenty of the land; redeem you
From the dark vale of servitude, and seat you
Upon a hill of happiness; what would you do
To purchase this, and more?

Grac. Do! any thing:

Increase each minute. No way left to save us,
No flattering hope to comfort us, or means
By miracle to redeem us from base lust
And lawless rapine! are there gods, yet suffer
Such innocent sweetness to be made the spoil
Of brutish appetite? Or, since they decree
To ruin Nature's masterpiece (of which
They have not left one pattern), must they chuse,
To set their tyranny off, slaves to pollute
The spring of chastity, and poison it
With their most loathed embraces? And, of those,
He, that should offer up his life to guard it,
Marullo, cursed Marullo, your own bondman,
Purchased to serve you, and fed by your fa-
vours?-
[CLEORA starts.
Nay, start not: it is he; he, the grand captain
Of these libidinous beasts, that have not left
One cruel act undone, that barbarous conquest
Yet ever practised in a captive city.

f

He, doating on your beauty, and to have fellows
In his foul sin, hath raised these mutinous slaves,
Who have begun the game by violent rapes
Upon the wives and daughters of their lords:
And he, to quench the fire of his base lust,
By force comes to enjoy you: Do not wring
CLEORA wrings her hands.
Your innocent hands, 'tis bootless; use the means
That may preserve you. 'Tis no crime to break
A vow when you are forced to it; shew your face,
And with the majesty of commanding beauty
Strike dead his loose affections. If that fail,
Give liberty to your tongue, and use entreaties;
There cannot be a breast of flesh and blood,
Or heart so made of flint, but must receive
Impression from your words; or eyes so stern,
But from the clear reflection of your tears,
Must melt, and bear them company: will you not
Do these good offices to yourself? Poor I, then,
Can only weep your fortune:-Here he comes.

Enter PISANDER, speaking at the door.
Pis. He that advances

A foot beyond this, comes upon my sword.
You have had your ways, disturb not mine.
Timan. Speak gently,

Her fears may kill her else.

Pis. Now Love inspire me! Still shall this canopy of envious night Obscure my suns of comfort? And those dainties, Of purest white and red, which I take in at My greedy eyes, denied my famished senses? The organs of your hearing yet are open ; And you infringe no vow, though yoù vouchsafe To give them warrant to convey unto Your understanding parts, the story of A tortured and despairing lover, whom Not fortune, but affection, marks your slave :[CLEORA shakes. Shake not, best lady! for, believe it, you are As far from danger as I am from force: All violence I shall offer, tends no farther Than to relate my sufferings, which I dare not Presume to do, till by some gracious sign You shew you're pleased to hear me. Timan. If you are,

Hold forth your right hand.

[CLEORA holds forth her right hand. Pisan. So, 'tis done; and I With my glad lips seal humbly on your foot, My soul's thanks for the favour: I forbear To tell you who I am, what wealth, what honours I made exchange of, to become your servant: And, though I knew worthy Leosthenes (For sure he must be worthy, for whose love You have endured so much) to be my rival; When rage and jealousy counselled me to kill him, (Which then I could have done with much more ease,

Than now, in fear to grieve you, I dare speak it)
Love, seconded with duty, boldly told me,
The man i hated, fair Cleora favoured:
And that was his protection.
Timan. See, she bows

Her head, in sign of thankfulness.
Pisan. He removed

[CLEORA bows

By the occasion of the war (my fires increasing
By being closed and stopt up), frantic affection
Prompted me to do something in his absence,
That might deliver you into my power,
Which you see is effected; and even now,
When my rebellious passions chide my dulness,
And tell me how much I abuse my fortunes,
Now it is in my power to bear you hence,

[CLEORA starts.
Or take my wishes here, (nay, fear not, madam,
True love's a servant, brutish lust a tyrant,)
I dare not touch those viands that ne'er taste well,
But when they're freely offered: Only thus much,
Be pleased I may speak in my own dear cause,
And think it worthy your consideration,
(I have loved truly, cannot say deserved,
Since duty must not take the name of merit,)
That I so far prize your content, before
All blessings that my hope can fashion to me,
That willingly I entertain despair,
And for your sake embrace it. For I know,
This opportunity lost, by no endeavour
The like can be recovered. To conclude,
Forget not that I lose myself to save you:
For what can I expect but death and torture,
The war being ended? And (what is a task
Would trouble Hercules to undertake,)
I do deny you to myself, to give you
A pure unspotted present to my rival.
I've said: If it distaste not, best of virgins,
Reward my temperance with some lawful favour,
Though you contemn my person.

[CLEORA kneels, then pulls off her glove and offers her hand to PISANDER. Timan. See, she kneels,

And seems to call upon the gods to pay
The debt she owes your virtue: To perform

which

As a sure pledge of friendship, she vouchsafes you Her fair right hand.

Pis. I am paid for all my sufferings. Now, when you please, pass to your private

chamber;

My love and duty, faithful guards, shall keep you From all disturbance; and when you are sated

With thinking of Leosthenes, as a fee Due to my service, spare one sigh for me. [Exeunt. CLEORA makes a low courtesy as she goes off.

SCENE III.-The same. A Room in CLEON'S House.

Enter GRACCULO, leading ASOTUS in an ape's habit, with a chain about his neck; ZANTHIA in CORISCA's clothes, she bearing up her train. Grac. Come on, sir. Asot. Oh!

Grac. Do you grumble? You were ever A brainless ass; but, if this hold, I'll teach you To come aloft, and do tricks like an ape. Your mornings lesson: If you missAsot. O no, sir.

Grac. What for the Carthaginians? [ASOTUS makes moppes.] A good beast. What for ourself, your lord? [Dances.] Exceeding well.

There's your reward. Not kiss your paw! So,

Without her painting, curling, and perfumes,
Like the last day of January; and stinks worse
Than a hot brache in the dog-days. Further off!
So-stand there like an image; if you stir,
Till, with a quarter of a look, I call you,
You know what follows.

Coris. O, what am I fallen to!

But 'tis a punishment for my lust and pride,

Justly return'd upon me.

Grac. How dost thou like

Thy ladyship, Zanthia?

Zant. Very well; and bear it

With as much state as your lordship.

Grac. Give me thy hand;

Let us, like conquering Romans, walk in triumph, Our captives following; then mount our tribunals, And make the slaves our footstools.

For carbonadoes.

Poliph. Spare the old jade, he's founder'd.
Grac. Cut his throat then,
And hang him out for a scarecrow.

Poliph. You have all your wishes
In your revenge, and I have mine. You see
I use no tyranny: When I was her slave,
She kept me as a sinner, to lie at her back
In frosty nights, and fed me high with dainties,
Which still she had in her belly again ere morning;
And in requital of those courtesies,
Having made one another free, we are married:
And, if you wish us joy, join with us in
A dance at our wedding.

Grac. Agreed; for I have thought of
A most triumphant one, which shall express
We are lords, and these our slaves.
Poliph. But we shall want

A woman.

Grac. I'll have an apple for Jack, and may be

some scraps

May fall to your share.

[Exeunt GRAC. ZANT. CIMB. POLIPH. and OLYMP,

Coris. Whom can we accuse

But ourselves, for what we suffer? Thou art just,
Thou all-creating power! and misery
Instructs me now, that yesterday acknowledged
No deity beyond my lust and pride,

There is a heaven above us, that looks down
With the eyes of justice, upon such as number
Those blessings freely given, in the accompt
Of their poor merits: else it could not be,
Now miserable I, to please whose palate
The elements were ransack'd, yet complain'd
Of nature, as not liberal enough
In her provision of rarities

To sooth my taste, and pamper my proud flesh,
Should wish in vain for bread,