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With joy should offer.-Is my high birth a ble- | Retaining still the clearness of the spring,

mish?

Or does my wealth, which all the vain expence
Of women cannot waste, breed loathing in you?
The honours, I can call mine own, thought scan-
dals?

Am I deformed, or, for my father's sins,
Mulcted by Nature? If you interpret these
As crimes, 'tis fit I should yield up myself,
Most miserably guilty; But, perhaps,
(Which yet I would not eredit) you have seen
This gallant pitch the bar, or bear a burden
Would crack the shoulders of a weaker bondman;
Or any other boisterous exercise,
Assuring a strong back, to satisfy

Your loose desires, insatiate as the grave.
Cleora. You are foul-mouthed.
Arch. Ill-mannered too.
Leost. I speak

In the way of supposition, and entreat you,
With all the fervour of a constant lover,

That you would free yourself from these asper

sons,

Or any imputation black-tongued slander
Could throw on your unspotted virgin whiteness;
To which there is no easier way, than by
Vouchsafing him your favour; him, to whom,
Next to the general, and to the gods,
The country owes her safety.

Tunag. Are you stupid?

'Slight, leap into his arms, and there ask pardon-
Oh! you expect your slave's reply; no doubt
We shall have a fine oration; I will teach
My spaniel to howl in sweeter language,
And keep a better method.

Arch. You forget The dignity of the place. Diph. Silence!

Timol. Speak boldly.

Pis. Tis your authority gives me a tongue;
I should be dumb else; and I am secure,
I cannot clothe my thoughts, and just defence,
In such an abject phrase, but 'twill appear
Equal, if not above, my low condition."
I need no bombast language, stolen from such
As make nobility from prodigious terms
The hearers understand not; I bring with me
No wealth to boast of, neither can I number
Uncertain fortune's favours with my merits:
I dare not force affection, or presume
To censure her discretion, that looks on me
As a weak man, and not her fancy's idol.
How I have loved, and how much I have suf-
fered,

And with what pleasure undergone the burthen
Of my ambitious hopes (in aiming at
The glad possession of a happiness,
The abstract of all goodness in mankind
Can at no part deserve), with my confession

Of mine own wants, is all that can plead for me.
But if that pure desire, not blended with

Foul thoughts, that like a river keeps his course,

From whence it took beginning, may be thought
Worthy acceptance; then I dare rise up,
And tell this gay man to his teeth, I never
Durst doubt her constancy, that like a rock
Beats off temptations, as that mocks the fury
Of the proud waves; nor from my jealous fears
Question that goodness, to which, as an altar
Of all perfection, he, that truly loves,
Should rather bring a sacrifice of service,
Than raze it with the engines of suspicion;
Of which, when he can wash an Ethiop white,
Leosthenes may hope to free himself;'
But, till then, never.

Timag. Bold, presumptuous villain !

Pis. I will go farther, and make good upon him, In the pride of all his honours, birth and fortunes, He's more unworthy than myself.

Leost. Thou liest.

Timag. Confute him with a whip, and, the doubt decided,

Punish him with a halter.

Pis. O the gods!

My ribs, though made of brass, cannot contain My heart, swoln big with rage-The lie! A whip! [Plucks off his disguise. Let fury then disperse these clouds, in which I long have masked, disguised; that, when they know

Whom they have injured, they may faint with horror

Of my revenge, which, wretched men! expect, As sure as fate, to suffer!

Lcost. Ha! Pisander?

Timag. 'Tis the bold Theban!

Asot. There's no hope for me then!

I thought I should have put in for a share, And borne Cleora from them both: But now, This stranger looks so terrible, that I dare not So much as look on her.

Pis. Now, as myself,

Thy equal at thy best, Leosthenes.

For you, Timagoras, praise heaven you were born
Cleora's brother, 'tis your safest armour.
But I lose time.-The base lie cast upon me,
I thus return. Thou art a perjured man,
False and perfidious, and hast made a tender
Of love and service to this lady, when
Thy soul (if thou hast any) can bear witness,
That thou wert not thine own. For proof of this,
Look better on this virgin, and consider,
This Persian shape laid by, and she appearing
In a Greekish dress, such as when first you saw
her,

If she resemble not Pisander's sister,
One called Statilia?

Leost. 'Tis the same! my guilt
So chokes my spirits, I cannot deny
My falsehood, nor excuse it.

Pis. This is she,

To whom thou wert contracted: This is the lady, That, when thou wert my prisoner, fairly taken

In the Spartan war, that begged thy liberty, And with it gave herself to thee, ungrateful! Timan. No more, sir, I entreat you: I

ceive

True sorrow in his looks, and a consent To make me reparation in mine honour; And then I am most happy.

Pis. The wrong done her

I was preparing for defence elsewhere,
So soon got entrance; In this I am guilty:
per-Now, as you please, your censure.
Timol. Bring them in;

And, though you have given me power, I do en

treat

Such as have undergone their insolence,

It may not be offensive, though I study

Drew me from Thebes with a full intent to kill Pity more than revenge.

thee:

But this fair object met me in my fury,

And quite disarmed me. Being denied to have

her

By you, my lord Archidamus, and not able
To live far from her, love (the mistress of
All quaint devices) prompted me to treat
With a friend of mine, who as a pirate sold me
For a slave to you, my lord, and gave my sister
As a present to Cleora.

Timol. Strange meanders!

Čor. "Twill best become you.
Cleon. I must consent.

Asot. For me, I'll find a tine

To be revenged hereafter.

Enter GRACCULO, CIMBRIO, POLIPHRON, ZAN◄ THIA and the other slaves, with halters about their necks.

Grac. Give me leave;

I'll speak for all.

Timol. What canst thou say, to hinder

Pis. There how I bare myself needs no rela- The course of justice?

tion.

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Grac. Nothing. You may see

We are prepared for hanging, and confess
We have deserved it. Our most humble suit is,
We may not twice be executed.

Timol. Twice? How mean'st thou ?

Grac. At the gallows first, and after in a ballad,

Sung to some villainous tune. There are tengroat rhymers

About the town grown fat on these occasions.—
Let but a chapel fall, or a street be fired,
A foolish lover hang himself for pure love,

Or any such like accident, and before

They are cold in their graves, some damned ditty's made,

Which makes their ghosts walk.-Let the state take order

For the redress of this abuse, recording
'Twas done by my advice, and for my part,
I'll cut as clean a caper from the ladder
As ever merry Greek did.

Timol. Yet I think

You would shew more activity, to delight Your master for a pardon.

Grac. O! I would dance As I were all air and fire. Timol. And ever be Obedient and humble?

Grac. As his spaniel,

Though he kicked me for exercise; and the like I promise for all the rest.

Timol. Rise then, you have it.

All Slaves. Timoleon! Timoleon!
Timol. Cease these clamours.

And now, the war being ended to our wishes,
And such as want the pilgrimage of love,
Happy in full fruition of their hopes,
'Tis lawful, thanks paid to the powers divine,
To drown our cares in honest mirth and wine.

[Ereunt.

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SCENE I.

ACT I..

Enter CHARALOIS with a paper, RoMONT and CHARMI.

Charmi. SIR, I may move the court to serve your will;

But therein shall both wrong you and myself.
Rom. Why think you so, sir?

Charmi. Because I am familiar

With what will be their answer: They will say,
Tis against law, and argue me of ignorance,
For offering them the motion.

Rom. You know not, sir,

How, in this cause, they may dispense with law, And therefore frame not you their answer for them,

But do your part.

Charini. I love the cause so well,

That I could run the hazard of a check for it.
Rom. From whom?

Charmi. Some of the bench that watch to give it,
More than to do the office that they sit for:
But give me, sir, my fee.

Rom. Now you are noble.

Charmi. I shall deserve this better yet, in giving

My lord some counsel (if he please to hear it)
Than I shall do with pleading.

Rom. What may it be, sir?

Charmi. That it would please his lordship, as the presidents

And counsellors of court come by, to stand
Here and but shew yourself, and to some one
Or two make his request: There is a minute,
When a man's presence speaks in his own cause,
More than the tongues of twenty advocates.
Rom. I have urged that.

Enter ROCHFORT and DU CROY.
Charmi. Their lordships here are coming,
I must go get me a place. You'll find me in court,
And at your service.
[Exit Charmi.
Rom. Now, put on your spirits!
Du Croy. The ease that you prepare yourself,

my lord,

In giving up the place you hold in court,

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Roch. Yes, to the shame of this ungrateful
state;

That such a master in the art of war,
So noble and so highly meriting
From this forgetful country, should, for want
Of means to satisfy his creditors

The sum he took up for the general good,
Meet with an end so infamous.

Rom. Dare you ever hope for like opportunity?
Du Croy. My good lord!

Roch. My wish bring comfort to you.
Du Croy. The time calls us.
Roch. Good morrow, Colonel!

[Exeunt Rochfort and Du Croy.

Rom. This obstinate spleen,

You think becomes your sorrow, and sorts well With your black suits: But, grant me wit or

judgment,

And, by the freedom of an honest man,
And a true friend to boot, I swear, 'tis shameful;
And therefore flatter not yourself with hope,
Your sable habit, with the hat and cloak,

No, though the ribbons help, have power to work them

To what you would: For those that had no eyes
To see the great acts of your father, will not,
From any fashion sorrow can put on,
Be taught to know their duties.

Char. If they will not,

They are too old to learn, and I too young
To give them counsel; since, if they partake
The understanding and the hearts of men,
They will prevent my words and tears: If not,
What can persuasion, though made eloquent
With grief, work upon such as have changed na-

tures

With the most savage beast? Blest, blest be ever The memory of that happy age, when justice Had no guards to keep off wronged innocence From flying to her succours, and, in that, Assurance of redress: Whereas now, Romont, The damned with more ease may ascend from hell,

Than we arrive at her. One Cerberus there Forbids the passage; in our courts a thousand,

As loud and fertile-headed; and the client,
That wants the sops to fill their ravenous throats,
Must hope for no access. Why should I, then,
Attempt impossibilities, you, friend, being
Too well acquainted with my dearth of means
To make my entrance that way?

Rom. Would I were not!

But, sir! you have a cause, a cause so just,
Of such necessity, not to be deferred,
As would compel a maid, whose foot was never
Set o'er her father's threshold, nor, within
The house where she was born, ever spake word,
Which was not ushered with pure virgin blushes,
To drown the tempest of a pleader's tongue,
And force corruption to give back the hire
It took against her. Let examples move you.
You see men great in birth, esteem, and fortune,
Rather than lose a scruple of their right,
Fawn basely upon such, whose gowns put off,
They would disdain for servants.

Char. And to these can I become a suitor?
Rom. Without loss:

Would you consider, that, to gain their favours,
Our chastest dames put off their modesties,
Soldiers forget their honours, usurers

Make sacrifice of gold, poets of wit,

And men religious part with fame and goodness. Be therefore won to use the means that may Advance your pious ends.

Char. You shall o'ercome.

Rom. And you receive the glory. Pray you now practise.

'Tis well.

Enter Old NoVALL, LILADAM, and three
Creditors.

Char. Not look on me!

Rom. You must have patience-Offer it again.

Char. And be again contemned!

Nov. I know what's to be done.

1 Cred. And, that your lordship

Will please to do your knowledge, we offer first Our thankful hearts here, as a bounteous earnest To what we will add.

Nov. One word more of this, I am your enemy. Am I a man, Your bribes can work on? Ha?

Lilad. Friends! you mistake

The way to win my lord; he must not hear this,
But I, as one in favour, in his sight,
May hearken to you for my profit. Sir!
-I
pray hear them.

Nov. 'Tis well.

Lilad. Observe him now.

Nov. Your cause being good, and your proceedings so,

Without corruption I am your friend;
Speak your desires.

2 Cred. Oh, they are charitable; The marshal stood engaged unto us three, Two hundred thousand crowns, which by his death

We are defeated of. For which great loss We aim at nothing but his rotten flesh; Nor is that cruelty.

1 Cred. I have a son

That talks of nothing but of guns and armour,
And swears he'll be a soldier; 'tis an humour
I would divert him from; and I am told,
That if I minister to him, in his drink,
Powder made of this bankrupt marshal's bones,
Provided that the carcase rot above ground,
Twill cure his foolish frenzy.

Nor. You shew in it

A father's care. I have a son myself,-
A fashionable gentleman, and a peaceful:
And, but I am assured he is not so given,

He should take of it too. Sir, what are you?
Char. A gentleman.

Noe. So are many that rake dunghills.
If you have any suit, move it in court:
I take no papers in corners.

Rom. Yes, as the matter may be carried; and whereby

To manage the conveyance-Follow him.
Lilad. You're rude: I say he shall not pass.
[Exeunt Novall, Charalois, and advocates.
Rom. You say so? On what assurance?
For the well-cutting of his lordship's corns,
Picking his toes, or any office else
Nearer to baseness?

Lilad. Look upon me better;

Are these the ensigns of so coarse a fellow?
Be well advised.

Rom. Out, rogue! do not I know [Kicks him. These glorious weeds spring from the sordid dunghill

Of thy officious baseness? Wert thou worthy
Of any thing from me, but my contempt,

I would do more than this,-more, you courtspider!

Lilad. But that this man is lawless, he should find

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Enter ROCH FORT, NOVALL, sen. CHARMI, Du CROY, advocates, BEAUMONT, officers, and three presidents.

Du Croy. Your lordship is seated. May this meeting prove

Prosperous to us, and to the general good of Burgundy.

Nov. sen. Speak to the point!
Du Croy-Which is

With honour to dispose the place and power
Of premier president, which this reverend man,
Grave Rochfort (whom for honour's sake I name),
Is purposed to resign; a place, my lords,
In which he hath, with such integrity,
Performed the first and best parts of a judge,
That, as his life transcends all fair examples
Of such as were before him in Dijon,
So it remains to those that shall succeed him,
A precedent that they may imitate, but not equal,
Roch. I may not sit to hear this.

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