ARETHUSA

Comes he not. Will Phylaster come? But didst thou tell me so. I am forgetful, and my woman's strength is so over charged, with dangers Like to grow about my marriage, that these under things dares not abide in such a troubled sea, how looked he when he told thee he would come? And not a little fearful. You all are of his faction, the whole Court is bold in praise of him, while I may live neglected, and do noble things, as fools in strife throw gold into the sea, drowned in the doing: but I know he fears. Of love, to whom: to you, did you deliver those plain words I sent, with such a wooing gesture and puicke looks that you have caught. Of love to me: alas, thy ignorance lets thee not see the cros ses of our births, nature that loves not to be questioned: why she did this, or that, but has his ends, and knows she dos well: ne ver gave the world to things so opposite, so bound to put as he and I am, if a boul of blood drawn from this arm, would poison thee, a draught ofhis would cure thee: love to me. Bring him in: you gods that will not have your dens with. stood, whose holy wisdoms at this time it is to make the passion of a feeble maid, the way into your Justice, I obey. O it is well, withdraw your self. 'Tis true Phylaster, but the words are such I have to say, and dos so ill become the mouth of woman, that I wish them said, and yet am loath to speak them. Have you known that I have ought detracted from your worth: have I in person wronged you? or have set my baser Instrumnts to throw disgrace upon your virtues. Why then should you in such a public place, Injury a Princess, and a scandal lay upon my Fortune's, found to be so great: calling a great partly of my dowry in question. Phylaster, know I must enjoy these Kingdoms. Both, or I do, by heaven I die Phylaster, if I not calmly die enjoy them both, Nay then hear, I must and will have them, and more. Or loose that little life the gods prepared, to trouble this poor piece of earth with all. Do. Yet for my sake a little bend thy looks. Then know I must have them and thee. Thy love, without which, all the land discovered yet, will serve me for no use, but to be buried in. Another soul into my body shot, Could not have filled me with more strength and spirit, Then this thy breath, but spend not hasty time In seeking how I came thus: 'tis the gods that make me so, And sure our love will be the worthier, and the better Blessed, in that the secret justice of the gods Is mingled with it: let us leave, and kiss, lest some Unwelcomed guest should fallen betwixt us, And we should partly without it. 'Tis true, and worse you should come often. How shall we devise to hold intelligence? That our true loves, on and new occasion may agree, What path is best to tread. 'Tis well, no more. What will you Phylaster do with your self? Dear, hide thy self, bring in the Prince. He cannot know it. Then good Phylaster give him scope and way in what he says: for he is apt to speak what you are loath to hear. To his claim unto the Kingdom. Leave us Phylaster. You were best make him your Controller. If you dare speak your thoughts, I must withdraw in honour. Where's the boy? Gave you him gold to buy him clothes? And has he don't? 'Tis a pretty sad talking boy, i'st not, asked you his name? Oh, you are welcome, what good news? Hast thou discovered? I prithee how? With whom? Oh when and where? Run thy self into the presents: mingle there again with other Ladies, leave the rest to me, if destiny to whom we dare not say, why thou didst this, have not decreed it so, in lasting leaves: whose smallest characters was never altered, yet this match shall break: where the boy. Sir, your sad to change your service, i'st not so? Then trust in me, tell me thy name. Thou canst sing and play. Alas, what kind of grief can thy years know, Hadst thou a cross schoolmaster when thou wentest to school? Thou art not capable of other grief, Thy brows and cheeks are smooth as water be, When no breath troubles them: believe me boy, Care seeks wrinkled brows, and hollow eyes, And builds it self caves to abide in them, Come sir, tell me truly, does your Lord love me? Canst thou know grief, and never yet knewest love, Thou art deceived boy, dos he speak of me, As ifhe wished me well? Oh you're a cunning boy, and taught to your Lords credit, But thou knowest a lie that bears this found, Is welcomer to me then any truth that says He loves me not: led the way boy, do you attend me too, 'Tis thy Lords business hasts me thus away. 'Tis well yare courting ofthese Ladies, i'st not late Gentlemen? Wait you there. Ypon my life it is, and I do hope your Highness will not tie me to a man, that in the heat of wooing, throws me off, and takes another. None but my single self, I need no guard, I do no wrong, nor fear none. Yes Sir. A page, a waiting boy. I think he be not ugly Sir, well qualified, and dutiful, I know him, I took him not for beauty. Yes Sir. I never asked his age. By your pardon, why do you ask? Sir. Good sir, let me understand you? Let me have reason for it, and then your will is a command. What I have done? Where may a maid live securely free, Keeping her honour fair, not with the living, They feed upon opinions, errors, dreams, and make um truth, They draw a nourishment out of defamings, Grow upon disgraces, and when they see a virtue fortified, Strongly above the battery of their tongues. O how they mind to sink it, and defeated foul Sick with poison, stricke the mountains, Where noble names be sleeping, till they sweat, And the cold Marble melt. O my dearest servant, I have a war within me. Oh my best love, thatboy. The pretic boy you gave me, Must be no more mine. They are jealous of him. The King. Oh cruel, are you hard hearted too? Who shall now tell you how much I loved you? Who shall swear it to you, and weep the tears I send? Who shall now bring you letters, rings, braslets, Lose his health in service, make tedious nights, In stories ofyour praise? Who shall now sing Your crying Elegies, and strike a sad soul Into senseless pictures, and make them warm? Who shall take up his lute, and touch it, Till he crown a silent sleep upon my eyelids, Make me dream and cry: Oh my deer, deer Phylaster. O never, never, such a boy again, as my Bellario. With thee, my boy, fare well for ever, All service in servants, farewell faith and all Desires to do well, for thy sake, let all that Shall succeed thee, for thy wrongs, Fell and betray chaste love. He was your boy, and you put him unto me, And the lose ofsuch must have a mourning for. How, my Lord? Do what sir, would you sleep? For ever Arethusa, Oh you gods, you gods: Give me a wealthy patience, have I stood naked Above the shock of many Fortune's? have I seen mischief, Numberless, and mighty, grow Like a sea upon me: Have I taken danger as deep as death, into my bosom, And laughed upon it, made it but a mirth, And flowing it by, do I live now Like him under this tyrant King, That languishing hear his sad bell, and sees his Mourners, Do I bear all this bravely? and sink at length Under a woman's falsehood, Oh that boy, that cursed boy, None but a villain boy, to ease your lust. Nay, then I am betrayed, I feel the plot cast for my overthrow: Oh I am wretched. Be merciful you gods, and strike me dead. What way have I deserved this? make my breast transparent, That the world jealous of me, May see the foulest thought my heart holds: Where shall women turn their eyes to find out constancy? Save me, how black and vile me thinks, that boy looks now! O thou dissembler, that before thou spokst, Wertenberg in thy cradle false, sent to make lies, And to betray innocence, thy Lord and thou Mayest glory in the ashes of a maid, fooled by her passion: But the conquest is nothing so great as wicked, Fly away, let my command force thee to that, Which shame would do without it, if thou understoodst. The loathed office thou hast undertook, Why thou wouldst hide thee under heaps of hills, Lest we should dig and find thee. Peace guide thee, thou hast overthrown me once, But if I had another time to loose, Thou, or another villain with thy looks, Might take me out ofit, and send me naked, My hair desheueld, through the fiery streets. I am in tune to hunt: Diana if thou canst Rage with a maid, as with a man, let me discover thee bathing, and turn me to a fearful hind, That I may die pursued by cruel hounds, And have my story written in my wounds. You did command sir, and I obeyed you. Where am I now, feet find out the way, without the counsel of my troubled head, I'll follow you boldly about these woods, or mountains, through brambles, pits and floods; Heaven I hope will ease me, I am sick. 'Tis not gently done to put me in a miserable life, and hold me there, I prithee let me go, I shall do best without thee. I am well, forbear. Dear Phylaster, leave to enrage, and hear me. Alas my Lord, your pulse keeps madmens time, So dos your tongue. Not for the world. If my Fortune's be so good to let me shall upon thy hand, I shall have peace with earth, Yet tell me this, there will be no slanders, no jealousy, in the other world no ill here? Show me the way to joy. I am prepared, With heaven and earth. What ill bred man art thou, to intrude thy self upon our private sports, our recreations. Gods guard my Lord. He has not hurt me. I felt it not. Some dishonest wrecth, alas I know him not, And do forgive him. Not at all, 'tis some distracted fellow. Nay, good sir, if you do take him, bring him quick to me, and I will study for a punishment great as his sin. But swear. Ay me, I know him well. Sir, if it were he, he was disguised. Sir, they did plot together, to take hence this harmless life, should it pass unrevenged, I should to earth, weeping. Grant me then, by all the loves a father bears his child, their custodies, that I may appoint their tortures, and their death's. Nay, faith Phylaster, grieve not, we are well. And I the wofulst maid that ever lived, Forced with my hands to bring my Lord to death, Do by the honour of a Virgin swear. To tell no hour behind it. Come from this prison, all joyful to our death's. My dearest, say not so. Why? 'tis well. Why, if it were? Enjoy it, I. We would my Lord. So, so. Sir, if you love it in plain truth, for now there is no mass king in't, this gentleman the prisoner that you gave me, is become my keeper. And through all the bitter threats, your Jealousy's, and his ill fate, have wrought him, thus nobly hath he struggled, and at length arrived here: My deer husband. Sir, by that little life that I have left to swear by, There's nothing can stir me from my self. What I have done, I have done, without repntance, For death to me can be no bugbare, as long as Pharamont, Is not my headsman. How, our sometime Page, Bellario, turned woman? I do believe thee, Bellario I shall call thee still. Such royal spokesmen must not be denied. I marvel my boy comes not back, But that I know my love will question him over and over, How I slept, make talk how I remember him, When his deer name was last spoken, And how spoke when I sighed song, and ten thousand such, I should be angry at his stay. With it, it were too little to bestow on thee, now though thy breath strike me dead, which know it may, I have unripped my breast. Turn then away thy face.