AMINTOR

Thou art Melantius, All love is spoke in that, a sacrifice To thank the gods, Melantius is returned In safety, victory sits on his sword As she was wont, may she built there, and dwell, And may thy armour be as it hath been, Only thy valour and thine innocence, What endless treasures would our enemies give, That I might hold thee till thus. Much happiness unto you all. Exe: Ladies. I did that Lady wrong, me thinks I feel A grief shoot suddenly through all my veins, Mine eyes rain, this is strange at such a time, It was the King first moved me too't, but he Has not my will in keeping, — why did I perplex my self thus; something whispers me, Go not to bed, my gilded is not so great as mine own conscience, too sensible Would make me think, I only break a promise, And it the King enforced me, timorous flesh, Why shakst thou so, away my idle fears, Enter Evadne Yonder is she, the l ster of whose eye, Can blot away the sad remembrance Of all these things: — o my Evadne spare That tender body, let it not take cold, The vapours of the night shall not fallen here, To bed my love, Hymen will punish us, For being slack performers of his rights, Camest thou to call me. Evadne weel watch, I mean no sleeping. I prithee do. Why my deer love. Sworn! How? Sworn Evadne. To whom have you sworn this. Come, this is but the coyness of a bride. How prettily that frown becomes thee. Thou canst not dress thy face in such a look, But I shall Like it. Why do you ask. Howes that. I prithee put thy lests in milder looks, It shows as thou Wertenberg angry. Why, who has done thee wrong, Name me the man, and by thy self sweet love, Thy yet unconquered self, I will revenge it. I wonnot swear sweet love, till I know the cause. If I should know that, I should quickly kill The man you hated. O no, what look so ere thou shouldst put on, To try my faith, I cannot think thee false, I cannot find one blemish in thy face Where falsehood should abide, leave, and to bed, If you have sworn to any of the virgins That were your old companio S to preserve Your maidenhead a night, it may be done Without this means. Sure she raves, this cannot be, Her natural temper, shall I call thy maids, Either thy healthful fleepe hath left thee long, Or else some fever rages in thy blood. Is this the truth, will you not lie with me to night. Hereafter, yes I do. I dream,—awake Amintor. Is flesh so earthly to endure all this, Are these the joys of marriage, Hymen keep This story (that will make succeeding youth Neglect thy ceremonies) from all ears. Let it not rise up for thy shame and mine To after ages, we will scorn thy laws, If thou no better bless them, touch the heart Of her whom thou hast sent me, or the world Shall know this, not and altar then will smoke In praise of thee, we will adopt us sons, Then virtue shall inherit and not blood, If we do lust, we'll take the next we meet; Serving our selves as other creatures do , And never take note of the female more, Nor of her issue: I do rage in vain, She cannot jest; O pardon me my love, So deer the thoughts are which I hold of thee, That I must break forth; satisfy my fear, It is a pain beyond the pain of death, To be in doubt; confirm it with and oath, If this be true. I know too much, would I had doubted still, Was ever such a marriage night as this: You powers above, if you did ever mean Man should be used thus, you have thought a way How he may bear himself, and save his honour: Instant me with it, for to my dull eyes There is no mean, no moderate course to run, I must live scorned or be a murderer: Is there a third, why is this night so calm, Why does not heaven speak in thundet to us, And drown their voice. Evadne, hear me, thou hast taken and oath, But such a rash one, that to keep it were Worse then to swear it, call it back to thee, Such vows as that never ascend the heaven, A tear or two will wash it quite away, Have mercy on my youth, my hopeful youth, If thou be pitiful, for without boast This land was proud of me, what Lady was there That men eald fair, and virtuous in this I le That would have shunned my love, it is in thee To make me hold this worth—O we vain men That trust all our reputation To rest upon the weak and yielding hand Of feeble woman, but thou art not stone, Thy flesh is soft, and in thine eyes do dwell The spirit of love, thy heart cannot be hard, Come lead me from the bottom of despair, To a the joys thou hast, I know thou wilt. And make me careful least the sudden change Overcome my spirits. I sleep and am to temporate, come to bed, Or by those hairs which if thou hast a soul; Like to thy locks, Were threads for Kings to wear About their arms. I'll drag thee to my bed, and make thy tongue Undo this wicked oath, or on thy flesh I'll print a thousand wounds to let out life. It will not sure Evadne. Would you your Champions. No, let me know the man that wrongs me so That I may cut his body into motes, And scatter it before the Northern wind. Do not wrong me so, Yes, if his body were a poisonous plant, That it were death to touch, I have a soul Will throw me on him. The King. It is not the King. O thou hast named a word that wipes away All thoughts revengeful, in that sacred word, The King, there lies a terror, what frail man Dares lift his hand against it, let the Gods Speak to him when they please, till when let us Suffer, and wai e. What Devil hath put it in thy fancy then To marry me. What strange thing am I? A miserable one, one that my self Am sorry for. Why show it then in this, If thou hast pity, though thy love be none, Kill me, and all true lovers that shall love In after ages crossed in their desires, Shall bless thy memory, and call thee good, Because such mercy in thy breast was found, To rid a lingering wretch. These strange and sudden injuries have fallen So thick upon me, that I loose all sense Of what they are, me thinks I am not wronged, Nor is it ought, if from the censuring world I can but hide it—reputation Thou art a word, no more, but thou hast shown And impudence so high, that to the world I fear thou wilt betray or shame thy self. Nor let the King Know I conceive he wrongs me, then mine honour Will thrust me into Actium, that my flesh Could bear with patience, and it is some ease To me in these extremes, that I know this Before I touched thee, else had all the sins Of mankind stood betwixt me and the King, I had gone through, e'ne to his heart and thine I have left one desire, 'tis not his crown Shall buy me to thy bed, now I resolve He has dishonoured thee, give me thy hand, Be careful of thy credit, and sin close 'Tis all I wish, upon thy chamber flower I'll rest to night, that morning visiters May think we did as married people use, And prithee smile upon me when they come, And seem to toy as if thou hadst been pleased With what I did. Come let us practice, and as wantonly As ever longing bride and bridegroom met, Lets laugh and enter here. Whose there my brother, I am no readier yet, your sister is but now up. I faith I did not. We have ventured for a boy, when he is twelve, a shall command against the foes of Rhodes, shall we be merry. 'Tis true, but she As if she had drunk Lethe, or had made Even with heaven, did fetch so still a sleep, aside. So sweet and found. Your sister frets this morning, and does turn her eyes upon me, as people on the heads man, she does chafe, and kiss and chafe, and clap my cheeks, she's in another world. Would, does he not mock me, y'ad lost indeed I do not bungle. I a worser my lips to hers, and that wild breach That was so rude and rough to me, last night Was sweet as April, isle be guilty too, If these be the effects. Enter Melanti . Dear Melantius, Let me behold thee, is it possible. 'Tis wondrous strange. I wonder much Melantius. To see those noble looks that make more think, How virtuous thou art, and on this sudden 'Tis strange to me, thou shouldst have worth and honour, Or not be base and false, and treacherous, And every ill. O mistake me not, I know thee to be full of all those deeds, That we frail men call good, but by the course Of nature thou shouldst be as quickly changed, As are the winds dissembling, as the Sea, That now wears brows as smooth as virgins be, Tempting the Merchant to invade his face. And in and hour call his billows up, And shoot em at the Sun, destroying all A carries on him, O how near am I To utter my sick thoughts. aside. I have wed thy sister, who hath virtuous thoughts now for one whole family, and it is strange, That you should feel no want. Evadne. Come forth my love, Your brother's do attend to wish you joy. Enough, enough, Faith thou shalt come in. Enter Evadne. Nor I by heaven. H . Who I, I thank you for that, shall Diphilus thou and I sing a catch. Prithee l to . I am so heighned with my happiness, how dost thou love, kiss me. Nothing but what becomes us, Gentlemen Would you had all such wives, and all the world, That I might be no wonder, you're all sad, What do you envy me, I walk me thinks On water, and never sink I am so light. Well? can you be other when she looks thus, Is there no music there, lets dance. I do not know my self, yet I could wish my joy were le see. What says my love I must obey. Where. Indeed she took but little. Yes sir. Why well? no more nor less then other couples use, You know what 'tis, it has but a course name I cannot tell I never tried other sir, but I perceive She is as quick as you delivered. No never sir. So well I Like her, For this I bow my knee in thanks to you, And unto heaven will pay my grateful tribute Hourly, and do hope we shall draw out, A long contented life together here, And die both full of grey hairs in one day, for which the thanks is yours, but if the powers That rule us, please to call her first away, Without pride spoke, this world holds not a wife Worthy to take her room. Asid A will not tell me that he lies with her, if he do, For it is apt to thrust this arm of mine to acts unlawful. What my deer wife. Lovers? who. O God. The faithless sin I made To fair Aspati , is not yet revenged, It follows me, I will not lose a word To this wild woman, but to you my King, The anguish of my soul thrusts out this truth, You're a tyrant, and not so much to wrong And honest man thus, as to take a pride In talking with him of it. The wait of that, If you have any worth, for heavens sake think I fear not swords, for as you are mere man, I dare as easily kill you for this deed, As you dare think to do it, but there is. Divinity about you, that strikes dead My rising passion, as you are my King, I fallen before you and present my sword, To cut mine own lesh if it be your will, Alas! I am nothing but a multitude of walking griefs, yet should I murder you, I might before the world take the excuse Of madness, for compare my iniuri S, And they will well appear too sad a weight For reason to endure, but fallen I first Amongst my sorrows, ere my treacherous sword Touch holy things, but why? I know not what I have to say, why did you choose out me To make thus wretched, there are thousands Easy to work on, and of state enough Within the Land. All the happiness Bestowed upon me turns into disgrace, Gods take your honesty again, for I Am loaded with it, good my Lord the King Be private in it. A baud, hold, hold my breast, a bitter curse Cease me, if I forget not all respects That are religious, on and other word Seconded Like that, and through a Sea of sins Will wade to my revenge, though I should call Plagues here, and after life, upon my soul. Prithee vex me not, Leave me, I am afraid some sudden start Will pull a murder on me. I hate mine as much, This 'tis to break a troth, I should be glad, If all this tide of grief would make me mad. Exit. Men eyes are not subtle to perceive My inward misery, I bear my grief Hid from the world, how art thou wretched then, For ought I know all husbands are Like me, And every one I talk with of his wife, Is but a well dissembler of his woes As I am, would I knew it for the rareness Afflicts me now. Melantius, I can tell the a good est of Strato, and a Lady the last day. Why such and odd one. What is that my friend? A sadness here, what cause Can Fate provide for me to make me so, Am I not loved through all this Isle, the King Reins greatness on me, have I not received A Lady to my bed, that in her eye Keeps mounting fire, and on her tender cheeks Immutable colour, in her heart A prison for all virtue, are not you, Which is above all joys, my constant friend: What sadness can I have, no, I am light, And feel the courses of my blood more warm And stirring then they were; faith marry too, And you will feel so unexpressed a joy In chaste embraces, that you will indeed Appear another. But there is nothing. Melantius, stay, you shall know what that is. Forgive what I would done, For I am so overgone with Misery's, Unheard of, that I loose consideration Of what I ought to do,—o—o. I had spoke at first, but that, I held it most unfit For you to know, faith do not know it yet. Why 'tis this,—it is too big To get out, let my tears make way awhile. Your sister. You'll wished unknown when you have herd it. Is much to blame, And to the King has given her honour up, And lives in whoredom with him. she's wanton, I am loath to say a whore, Though it be true. By all our friendship, these. Not on thee, did thine anger go as high As troubled waters, thou should do me ease, Here, and eternally, if thy noble hand, Would cut me from my sorrows. Thou pleasest me, for so much more Like this, Will raise my anger up above my griefs, Which is a passion easier to be known, And I shall then be blessed. Then I draw, As justly as our Magistrates their swords, To cut offenders off; I knew before, Twould grate your ears, but it was base in you To urge a weighty secret from your friend, And then rage at it, I shall be at ease If I be killed, and if you fallen by me, I shall not long out live you. What is it then to me? If it be wrong to you. I have quite undone my fame. It must not be so, stay, mine eyes would tell How loath I am to this, but love and tears Leave me a while, for I have hazarded All that this world calls happy, thou hast wrought A secret from me under name of friend, Which art could never have found, nor torture wrong From out this bosom, give it me again, For I will find it where so ere it lies Hid in the mortalest partly, invent a way To give it back. Therefore I call it from ̄ thee, for I know Thy blood so high, that thou wilt stir in this, take to thy weapon I will not hear, but draw, or I — Draw then, for I am full as resolute As fame, and honour can enforce me, I cannot linger, draw? No? for it will be called Honour in thee to spill thy sisters blood, If she her birth abuse, and on the King A brave revenge, but on me that have walked With patience in it, it will fix the name Of fearful cuckold, — Oh that word, Be quick. I dare not do a sin, or else I would be speedy. You must? O my soft temper, So many sweet words from thy sisters mouth, I am afraid would make me take her, To embrace and pardon her, I am mad indeed, And know not what I do, but have a care Of me in what thou dost. A curse will follow that, but rather live And suffer with me. Faith I am sick, and desperately I hope, Yet leaning thus I feel a kind of ease. I shall never doo't. Thy love, oh wretched, I thy love Melantius, why I Have nothing else. Exeunt. How now? This cannot be. Stand up. This is a new way to beget more sorrows, Heaven knows I have too many, do not mock me, Though I am tame and bred up with my wrongs Which are my foster-brothers, I may leap Like a hand-wolfe into my natural wildness, And do and outrage, prithee do not mock me. Rise Evadne. Those heavenly powers that put this good into thee Grant a continuance of it, I forgive thee Make thyself worthy of it, and take heed Take heed Evadne this be serious Mock not the powers above that can, and dare Give thee a great example of their justice To all ensuing e es, if thou playest With thy repentance, the best sacrifice. I am dissolved. My frozen soul melts, may each sin thou hast, Find a new mercy, rise, I am at peace: Hadst thou been thus, thus excellently good Before that devil King tempted thy frailty Sure thou hadst made a Star, give me thy hand From this time I will know thee, and as far As honour gives me leave, be thy Amintor, When we meet next I will salute thee fairly, And pray the gods to give thee happy days, My Charity shall go along with thee Though my embraces must be far from thee, I should ha'kild thee, but this sweet repentance Locks up my vengeance, for which, thus I kiss thee The last kiss we must take, and would to heaven The holy Priest that gave our hands together, Had given us equal virtues, go Evadne The gods thus partly our bodies, have a care My honour falls no further, I am well then. Here my love, This wine will do thee wrong, for it will set Blushes upon thy cheeks, and till thou dost A fault it pity. You have done all ready Sir for me I thank you. Yes Sir. 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. 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. If thou refusest me in these extremes, Thou art no friend, he sent for her to me, By heaven to me, my self, and I must tell you I love her as a stranger, there is worth In that vild woman, wor high things Melantius, And she repents, I'll doo't my self alone, Though I be slain, farewell. I cannot tell What thou hast said, but thou hast charmed my sword Out of my hand, and left me shaking here Defenceless. What a wild beast is uncollected man! The thing that we call honour bears us all Headlong unto sin, and yet it self is nothing. Just Like my Fortune's, I was run to that, I purposed to have hid thee for some plot I did distrust thou hadst against the King By that old fellows carriage, but take heed, Theres not the least limb growing to a King But carries thunder in't. Why come then, and still remember we may not think revenge. Where is he? Enter Amintor and his man. What would you Sir? Leave us. Now your will Sir. The wronged A patia, would thou Wertenberg so too 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 odious form Into my mind, and I have grief enough Without thy help. Charitable youth, If thou be'st such, think not I will maintain So strange a wrong, and for thy sisters 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 ought That may content thee, take it, and be gone, For death is not so terrible as thou, Thine eyes shoot gilded into me. That must not be with me, For her isle die directly, but against her Will never hazard it. 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, least thou draw a timeless death Upon thy self. A man can bear No more and keep his flesh, forgive me then, I would endure yet if I could, now show The spirit thou pretendest, and understand Thou hast no hour to live, what dost thou mean, they figh Thou Can st not fight, the blows thou makest at me Are quite beside, and those I offer at thee Thou spreadest thine arms, and takest upon thine breast Alas defencele e. Thou canst not fool me to believe again, But thou hast books and things so full of news That I am stald. 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. 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 tame my wildest wrongs. Cudst thou procure the gods to speak to me, To bid me love this woman, and forgive, I think I should fallen 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, this keeps night here And throws and unknown Wilderness about me. No more pursue me not. Forbear be wise, and let my rage go this way. Take heed it will return with me. Thou Monster of cruelty, forbear. Away, away thy knees are more to me then vio lence, I am worse then sick to see knees follow me, For that I must not grant, for Gods sake stand, I dare not stay, thy language, In amid of all my anger, and my grief, Thou dost awake some thing that troubles me, And says I loved thee once, I dare not stay, There is no end of woman's reasoning. leaves her. I have a little humane nature yet Thats lest for thee, that bids me stay thy hand. Returns. This earth of mine does tremble, and I feel A tarke affrighted motion in my blood, My soul grows weary of her house, and I All over am a trouble to my self, There is some hidden power in these dead things That calls myself vnto'em, I am cold, Be resolute, and beare'em company, Theres something yet which I am loath to leave, Theres man enough in me to meet the fears That death can bring, and yet would it were done, I can find nothing in the whole discourse Of death I durst not meet the bouldest way, Yet still betwixt the reason and the act The wrong I to Aspatia did stands up, I have not such another fault to answer, Though she may justly arm her self with scorn And hate of me, my soul will partly less troubled, When I have paid to her in tears my sorrow, I will not leave this act unsatisfied, If all thats left in me can answer it. How dost thou? speak, receive my love & help: Thy blood climbs up to his old place again, Theres hope of thy recovery. I did. 'Tis true, and till these happy signs in thee Stayed my course, it was thither I was going. Dare my soul ever look abroad again? The world wants lines to excuse thy lose, Come let me bear thee to some place of help. Alas, all that I ams not worth a hair From thee. Thou greatest blessing of the world, thou hast. She sounds: Aspatia. Help, for Gods sake: water, Such as may chain life ever to this frame. Aspatia, speak: what no help? yet I fool, I'll chafe her temples, yet there nothing stirs. Some hidden power tell her Amintor calls, And let her answer me: Aspatia speak. I have herd, if there be any life, but bow The body thus, and it will show it self. O she is gone, I will not leave her yet. Since out of justice we must challenge nothing, I'll call it mercy if yowl pity me, You heavenly powers, and lend forth some few years The blessed soul to this fair seat again. No comfort comes, the gods deuie me too. I'll bow the body once again: Aspatia. The soul is fled for ever, and I wrong My self, so long to lose her company. Must I talk now? Heres to be with thee love, Kills himself. O. What? 'Tis Aspatia, My last is said, let me give up my soul Into thy bosom. Pardon thon holy God Of marriage bed, and frown not, I am forced In answer of such noble tears as these, To weep upon my wedding day. She had my promise, but the King foe bade it, And made me make this worthy change, thy sister Accompanied with graces about her, With whom I long to lose my lusty youth, And grow old in her arms. My Lord the mask S rage for you. Weel all attend you, we shall trouble you With our solemnities. What vild wrong Has sturd my worthy friend, who is as slow To sighed with words as he is quick of hands, Good sir forbear. He will wrong you, or me, or any man, And talk as if he had no life to lose Since this our match: the King is come in, I would not for more wealth then I enjoy He should perceive you raging, he did hear You were at difference now, which hastened him. All happiness to you. Come, come, my love, And let us lose our selves to one another, Why art thou up so long. To bed, then let me wind thee in these arms, Till I have banished sickness. Worse and worse, Thou that darest talk unto thy husband thus, Profess thy self a whore, and more then so, Resoule to be so still, is it my fault, To bear and bow beneath a thousand griefs, To keep that little credit with the world, But there were wise ones to, you might have taken another. How should I bear it then she being so, I fear my friend that you will lose me shortly, And I shall do a foul act on my self Through these disgraces. Sure I dazzle. There cannot be A faith in that foul woman That know no God more mighty then her mischiefs, Thou dost still worse, S I l number on thy faults, To press my poor heart thus. Can I believe Theres any seed of virtue in that woman Left to shoot up, that dares go in sin Known and so known as thine is, Oh Evadne, Would there were any safety in thy sex, That I might put a thousand sorrows off, And credit thy repentance, but I must not, Thou hast brought me to that dull calamity, To that strange misbelief of all the world, And all things that are in it, that I fear I shall fallen Like a tree, and find my graven, Only remembering that I grieve. Sir, I dare trust my wife, When she dares to talk, and not be jealous You that can know to wrong, should know how Men must right themselves, what punishment is endue, From me to him that shall abuse my bed, It is not death, nor can that satisfy, Unless I show how nobly I have freed my self.