LEONTIUS

Come fair Hidaspes, thou art Duchess to day, Art thou prepared to ask, thou knowest My oath will force performance. And Leucippus, if she now ask ought that shall, Or would have performance After my death, when by the help of heaven, This Land is thine, accursed be thy raze, May cuery one forget thou art my son, And so their own obedience. Are you prepared? then speak. So it ever does: Thou only comfort of my feeble age, Make known thy good desire, For I dare swear thou lovest me. What is it? But be advised my fairest daughter, if he be A God, he will express it upon thee my child: Which heaven avert. This makes our youth unchaste. I am resolved: Nephew Ismenus, break the Statues down Here in the palace, and command the City Do the Like, let proclamations Be drawn, and hastily sent through the Land To the same purpose. Go and command it. Pleasure of my life, Wouldst thou ought else? Make many thousand suits, They must and shall be granted. But go and meditate on other suits, Some six days hence I'll give thee audience again, And by a new oath bind my self to keep it: Ask largely for thy self, dearer then life In whom I may be bold to call my self, More fortunate then any in my age, I will deny thee nothing. No news yet my Son? The Gods go with them: Who be those that wait there? On ph n We have no use to employ your Virtue in our war: now the province is well settled: Hear you ought of the Marquis? Oh my Daughter, my health! And did I say my soul, I lyde not; Thou art so near me, speak, and have what ever Thy wise will leads thee too: had I a Heaven, It were too poor a place for such a goodness. I know thou dost but try my Age, Come ask again. Oh let me never speak, Or with my words let me speak out my life; Thou power abused great Love, whose vengeance now we feel and fear, have mercy on this Land. Sick, very sick I hope. Away base woman. Mercy, mercy heaven: Thou heir of all dishonour, shamest thou not to draw This little moisture left for life, thus rudely from me? Carry that Slave to death. To death with him, I say. Hold fast, I charge you away with him. Dorialus, Pray see her in her Chamber, And lay a guard about her: The greatest curse the Gods lay on our frailties, Is will and disobedience in our Issues, Which we beget as well as them to plague us, With our found loves; Beasts you are only blessed That have that happy dulness to forget What you have made, your young ones grieve not you They wander where they list, and have their ways Without dishonour to you; and their ends, Fallen on em without sorrow of their parents, Or after ill remembrance: O this Woman Would I had made my self a Sepulcher, When I made her: Nephew where is the prince? Pray God he have not more partly of her baseness Then of her blood about him, Gent: where is he? I do not Like this hiding of him self, From such society as his person: Some of it ye needs must know. Be sure of this. Nay, you must back and show us what it is, That witches you out of your Honour thus. Lady, never fly you are betrayed. Thou thy self Art grown infectious: wouldst thou know my name? I am the Duke, father to this young man Whom thou corruptst. Tell me, why did you Whats the matter, why speak you not? What did you with her then so long Leucip? I see it well. 'Tis very strange, being so young and fair. How do you know her age so joust? She stains the ripest Virgins of the age. How's that Leucippus! Be't what it will, I pardon thee. Did she refuse it? You have stayed too long Leucippus. She is the fairest creature that ever I beheld; And then so chaste, 'tis wonderful! the more I look On her, the more I am amazed. I have long thought of a wife, and one I would have Had, but that I was afraid to meet a woman That might abuse my age: but here she is Whom I may trust too; of a chastity Impregnable, and approved so by my son: The means of her birth will still preserve her In endue obedience; and her beauty is Of force enough to pull me back to youth. My son once sent away, whose rivalship I have joust cause to fear, if power, or gold, Or wit, can win her to me, she is mine. Nephew Ismenus, I have new intelligence, Your Province is unquiet still. And so dangerously, that I must send the Pirnce in person with you. You shall be dispatched within this hour, Leucippus, never wonder nor ask, it must be thus. Lady I ask your pardon, whose virtue I have Slubberd with my tongue, and you shall ever be Chaste in my memory hereafter; But we old men often dote: to make amends for My great fault, receive that Ring: Ime sorry for your grief, may it soon leave you. Come my Lords lets go. Timantus. This Feather is not large enough. Telamon, does it do well? Away, dost think so? Telamon, have you bid this Dancer come a morning's? Timantus, let me see the glass again: look you how careless you are grown, is this tooth well put in? This Sir. So, foe. My Gown? why, am I sick? bring me my Sword. Ride? Doffed thou think I cannot ride? These Coaches make me sick: yet 'tis no matter, let it be so. Oh well said: let me see it, I could me thinks. Why Telamon, bring me another: what, thinkest thou I will wear a sword in vain? Oh put it up again, and on with it; me thinks I am not dressed till I feel my sword on. Telamon, if any of my counsel ask for me, Say I am gone to take the air. Nay widow fly not back, we come not now to chide, stand up and bid me welcome. Come kiss me then, this is but manners wid dow: Near fling your head aside, I have more cause of grief then you: my Daughters dead: but what? 'Tis nothing, is the rough French horse brought to the door? They say he is a high goer, I shall soon try his mettle. They are the better: Before the gods I am lightsome, very lightsome: How dost thou Like me Widow? Come, Come, ye flatter: I'll clap your cheek for that, and you shall not be angry. Hast no Music? Now could I cut three times with ease, and do a cross point, should shame all your gallants. Thou art so witty I must kiss again. I will kiss thee, I am a fire Timanthus. Widow I am come in short to be a Suitor. I am so far from taking any thing, I'll add unto thee. Shall I fight for thee? This Sword shall cut his throat, that dares lay claim But to a Finger of thee, but to a look, I would See such a fellow. How shall I win thy love, I pray thee tell me? I'll marry thee if thou desirest that: That is and honest Course, I am in good earnest, and presently within this hour, I am mad for thee: prithee deny me not, For as I live I'll pine thee, but I'll have thee. If I do, let me famish: I will have thee, Or break up house, and board here. No more: these half a dozen kisses, and this Jewel, and every thing I have, and away with me, and clap it up; and have a boy by the morning Timan tus. Let one be sent post for my son again: and for Ismenus, they are scarce twenty mile on their way yet, by that time weel be married. Welcome my son; rise, I did send for thee Back from the Province, by thy Mother's counsel, Thy good Mother here, who loves thee well: She would not let me venture all my Joy Amongst my enemies: I thank thee for her, And none but thee, I took her on thy word. And she shall bid thee welcome: I have now Some near affairs, but I will drink a Health To thee a non: Come Telamon, Ime grown Lustier, I thank thee for't, since I married; I can stand now alone, why Telamon, And never stagger. This is too much my Queen. Still you run wrong. I wonder Duchess. Have you done with him? I see no such perfection. You make me blush at all these years To see how blindly you have flung your praises Upon a Boy, a very child, and worthless, While I live of these Honours. Allowance of the people, what allow they No more I have said no more. I do, not a word more Timantus when saw you the prince? Tell me truly, out of your free opinion with out courting, How you Like him: Yes, for you in conversation may see more then a Father. Yes I mean of his Ill: you take rightly. These are flatteries: speak me his vices there you do a service worth a Father's thanks. You are not, forward and open what these dangers are. Nay fallen not off again, I will have all. Donc not displease me Syrrha, But that you know tell me, and presently. Make me understand what I desire. Do not anger me. Heaven you have I offended, that this rod So heavy and unnatural, should fallen upon me When I am old and helpless. I perceive it, and spite of all they, strengths will make my safety: I'll cut him shorter. I'll cut him shorter first, then let him rule. I'll teach him to fly lower. 'Tis too plain: He means to play the villain, I'll prevent him, not a word more of this, be private. Set me down Tellamon. Leucippus. You are foolish: peace. Knowest thou that petition? Look on it well: wouldst thou be joined with me (Unnatural child to be weary of me) Ere Fate esteem me fit for other world's. What, would he kill me? It was his doing then: come hither Love. Led me hence Tellamon: come my deer I know thou art too kind; away I say. I wonder the Duchess comes not. Heaven bless us all. From whence coms this distemper? speak my fair one. This is still stranger: lay this treason, Open to my correction. If thou concealest him may Beside my death the curses of the Country, Troubles of conscience, and a wretched end, Bring thee unto a poor forgotten graven. My Son? Heaven help me. No more I thought it: and since His life is grown so dangerous: Let them that Gave him, take him: He shall die, And with him all my fears. Durst his villainy extend to thee? Upon my life he sought my Bed. Oh Villain! Here I am; Each corner of the Dukedom Sends new affrights forth: what wouldst thou speak? Why, whats the matter? Take thy courage To thee; and boldly speak, where are the Guard? In the Gods name, cut with it: In whom? Leave shaking man. But let me know the business. Where is he? Go sirs, and apprehend him; Treason shall Never dare me in mine own Gates. Am I or he your Duke? away with im To a close prison: your Highness now shall know, Such branches must be cropped before they grow, Come Gentlemen, weel determine presently About his death: we cannot be too forward in our Safety: I am very sick, lead me unto my Bed. 'Tis strange he should be gone thus: This 5. days he was not seen. Where's my Daughter? She's chased and virtuous; Fetch her to me, And tell her I am pleased to grant her now Her last request, without repenting me. Be it what it will: she is wise Dorialus, And will not press me farther then a Father. By the Gods I will not, I cannot, were there no other power, Then my love called to a witness of it. In what? How? Now as I am and honest man, I'll tell thee true lie, how many foot did I jump yesterday Timanthus? Why by my troth, I come to woo thee wench: And win thee for my self: Nay, look upon me: I have about me that will do it. Howes that? Let her be so, I have other matters in hand: but this same Taylor anger's me, he has made my doublet so wide: and see, the knave has put no points at my arm. Yet still he is a man, and subject still to more inordinate vices, then our love can give him blessing. This touches me. Oh base people. Thou always makest the best ont: but I fear-- Are these the comforts of my Age? Their happy that end their days Contented With a little, and live aloof from dangers, to a King Every coutent does a new; peril bring. Oh let me live no longer, shame of Nature, Bastard to Honour: Traitor, Murderer, Devil in a humane shape, A way with him, He shall not breath his hight infection here. This leaves a taste behind it worse then physic. Widow, guess why I come, I prithee do. What?