HERMIONE

What said the stranger? PHILLIDA, I did not hear it? Then he did talk by signs, he was long about it: What was't, IRENE? Thou wilt never be old wench, if thou still Keepest this humour. You will not take our excuses, if we should say You find us now with more advantage to our beauty's. My own fears light upon me, if the might that Eve's the day of Marriage does not shut me from the World. It's a just anger. Why should you hinder you repose and mine? You know I never loved you. From his expression of his love. You are uncivil. Sir. Sir, I have taken and oath. I have, and she'l be here within this half hour. Her father was of Greece, a wealthy Merchant, And his business enforcing him to leave his Country, he married a Lady of that place where he lived, Who excellent in the Mystery of divination, Hath left that knowledge to her daughter, Enriched with thousand other modest virtues, As is delivered to me by those are frequent with her. What is't? The Grave must be my bed then: With what harsh fate does Heaven afflict me, That all those blessings which make others happy, Must be my ruin? but if this Ladies knowledge Shall inform me, that I shall nee're enjoy EUGENIO, Darkness shall cease me be Tapers light, My blushes to the fore-swome HYMEN'S rights. Dear IRENE, our Stars, whose influence does govern us, Are not malignant to us, but while we Remain in this false earth: he that hath courage To devest himself of that, removes with it Their powers to hurt him; and injured love Who sees that Fortune would usurp his power, I know will not be wanting. See, the Lady comes. Madam, the excuse that justifies sick men that Send for their Physician, must beg my pardon, That did not visit you to have this honour. Here you see A Virgin, that hath long stood the mark of Fortune, And now's so full of misery, that though the gods Resented what I suffer, yet I fear That they have plunged me to extremes exceed Their own assistance. I do not, but their will to help me I must doubt, For those that know no reason of their hate, Must fear it is perpetual. And let the Ensigns of their wrath fallen on me, If ere by any willing act I have Provoked their justice: to you now, in whom It's said, as in their Oracle they speak. I come to Know what mighty growth of dangers are decreed me. Do, and if yet you are not perfect in your Mysteries, Observe mine well, and when you meet a face Branded with such a line, conclude it miserable: When and eye that does resemble this, Teach it to weep betimes, that so being lost, It may not see those Misery's must be his only object. Are my misfortunes of that horrid shape, That the mere speculation does affright Those whose compassion only it concerns? I that must stand the strokes then, what defence Shall I prepare against them? yet a hope That they be ripened now to fallen on me, Lightens a desperate joy to my dark soul. For the last dart shall be embraced As remedy, to cure my former wounds. Are then my Misery's grown infections too, Must that be added? pardon me gentle Lady this sad crime. I must account amongst my secret faults: I me ant no more but to communicate, Not partly my sorrows with you. You shall know all. I have exchanged my heart With a young Gentleman's now banished His Country and my Hope's, his rival labours To make me his, my Father resolute, I should consent, till Fortune changed, but Lessened not my sufferings; for our Prince LYSICLES ruins me with the honour of his search. No. A womanish scorn to have my love revealed, Made me receive his declaration of it, As and affront unto my honour. And when he came to take his leave, I left him in the opinion I would obey my Father. By this judge how miserable I am? That my malignant Stars force them to change Nature and Virtue too, that else would shine, Unmoved Like the Star, that does direct The wandering Seamen: must then Nature change, And will not Fortune cease to persecute? Good gods; I will submit to all but breach of faith. Can my heart ever consent my tongue should say, I am to any other but EUGENIO? No my deer Love, though cruel Fate hath severed My vowed embraces, yet hath Death Ice enough To fright all others from them. If the Prince leave me, it is most certain He'll use his power to make me take ERGASTO. I am determined; for knives, fire, and Seas shall loose Their qualities, here Fate shall make me his: And if Death cannot be shunned, I'll meet it boldly. It is a grace our family must boast of, That you descend to visit those that style Themselves your creatures, made such by your goodness, Which we can only pay by frequent prayers, That your Line may last, as glorious to Posterity, as your now living fame is. Were there proportion betwixt our births my Lord, I would ill become a Virgins mouth to utter How much you do deserve, that will excuse, When I shall say, our Greece never saw your equal. We must forget our safeties, and the gods, Whose Instrument you were of our deliverance, When we are silent of the mighty Debt This Kingdom owes your courage. My Lord, I thought at first how ill my words Became a Virgins but give'em the right sense They were designed, which was to speak you truly, Not with a flattering ambition: They might engage you to the love of one So far unequal, if I have ever gained Any thing on your goodness, I'll not loose it By foolishly aspiring to that height, You must in honour dispossess me of When I was seated: Marry you my Lord! The King, our neighbour Princes, all good men Must curse me as a stain to those great virtues You're the single Lord of; if you speak this to try What easy conquest you can make of all, You faintly but pretend to, I'll confess The weakness of our Sex, who would be prouder Only to have the shows of your affection, Than real loves of any they can hope With Justice to attain to. My Lord, I do not understand you. Good my Lord, give me leave again to say, I dare not understand you, you are too noble To glory in the conquest of a heart That ever hath admired you, and to think You can so far forget your Birth and Virtue, As to believe me fit to be your Wife, Were a presumption, that swelling pride Must be the father of, which never yet My heart could be allied to: continue Prince, Be the example of a constant love, And let not your MILESIA'S ashes shrink With a new piercing cold, which they will feel I'th 'instant, that your heart shall be consenting To any new affection, and give me leave to say, Your mind can never admit a noble Love, If it hath banished hers your memory. Protect me Virtue, Pardon me my Lord, I know your griefs How great and just they are, and only meant By mentioning MILESIA, to confess How much unworthy I am to succeed her In your affection, which though you bent As low as I durst raise my self to reach, IT were now impiety for me to grasp, I being no more my own disposer. The Lord ERGASTO'S importunity, Whom though at first no inclination Of mine made me affect his vows, Hath vanished my determination, I finding nothing in my self deserving The constancy of his affection to me, Beside my Father's often urging me To make my choice obeying his commands, And threatening misery, if I declined the least, Knowing his violent nature, I consented To a contract betwixt me and the Lord ENGASTO. Give not my want of power to serve your Grace, The cruel Title of refusing you. Your merits are so great, you may affire Your self of all you can desire that's possible To grant, whom thousand worthier than my self Would kneelc to. By my life, if my Faith were not given, I would Here offer up my self to be disposed by you. Though no ambitious pride could flatter me, You could descend to raise me to your height. By all things holy this I swear to do, Though violent Diseases should enclose me Till the Priest joined our hands; yet if you please Let not my Father know, but he's the cause, I dare not look upon the mighty blessing Your love does promise. That he may know, that this unquestioned power Hath forced me to that error, which himself, And I, must ever mourn unpitied. Let me entreat you, that you'll see a Lady, Whose virtues do deserve the honour of our knowledge. And Egyptian Lady, lately come to Cirrha. When you know her, you will believe me, That virtue chosen that dark inhabitation, To hide her Treasure from the envious world. I'll call her to your Grace. Madam, this is the Prince. Respects to one I seemed to have made choice of, Made him forbear his Character: But shall not I be punished seeming to prefer, One so unworthy both to EUGENIO, and this noble Prince? IT was the servant of HERMIONE that came to Have nigh wait upon her Lady. Here Sir, on her knees, begging your pardon, or your pity. What secret sin calls down this punishment? That I should be accused of a fault I dare not hear the found of. Add not Sir Suspicions of new crimes unto your rage; The faults I have committed are enough to arm Your Justice; bring me to the Tomb, And kill me there, my Mother's Ghost will smile To see my blood shed to preserve my faith. Yes Sir: Nor is my disobedience so swollen, As you endear it by your passion: I now obey your general commands, Of doing virtuously in loving him You did applaud, while my poor brother lived. I was not made acquainted with so much, But strengthened by your approbation, Gave up my will to his, and vows to heaven Toknow no other man for husband. Good gods, if you are moved with tears, grant This a trial only of the weak proportion Of virtue you have lent me, not the overthrow. As with a Martyr, almost as much pleased with Knowledge what I dare to suffer for EUGENIO, As grieved with my affliction: Fortune in her Malice has given me yet a field to exercise My faith and love to him I do adore. But what? Forbear, I fear thy thoughts Are poisoned, which thou wouldst feign infuse To wound my constancy. Who ever had a misery Like mine? All that are grieved have yet the liberty And ease of their complaints, or pitying friends, J am excluded both; for my misfortune Is masqued with happiness, and if I grieve Such comforts as we give to those complain Of being too rich, have I smiles of contempt. No more, their virtues that exceeds all other men's, In them are equal. It's confessed: nor never any man had juster claim Than he against her; rich in all virtues, That make men desired: her narrow hand Excludes him, unwonted to bestow Her treasure there where and excess of merit Would make her gifts but seem the pay of virtue, Not favours of her partial love. O you are welcome. Here behold a Rock That stands the shame of the impetuous winds, And the swollen Seas. Oh yes, and more endangering songs of Sire's: A flourishing Land proposed, on which I might Have shipwracked with delight. You must needs: It was Prince LYSICLES presented in his lustre, Gainst whom I armed the virtues of my friend, And my own faith irresolute to whom The victory should yield: at last I left My heart, the prize, to both divided. Yes, the Prince hath the adoration of my heart, EUGENIO the love. We both have had satiety of that: But can you bring no comfort? have the gods Shut up their Oracles, as well as mercy? Though they will give no ease, they might advice, That we may put off misery by death. I have complained unjustly of the gods, They favour me so much, they do applaud My resolution for EUGENIO. Merits in others, I will close my eyes From the blessed Sun, before they shall take in And object that may startle my firm faith. Where cannot virtue dwell? what a still shade Hath she found out to live securely in From the attempts of men? Come my IRENE, Though thou hast spoken treason against my love, Because thine did produce it, I must thank thee. Let's in, and fortify our selves with some sad tale Ofthose, whose perjured loves have made them live Hated, and die most miserable. How now my Lord, Courting another Mistress? I see I must lock up my winds, Or you will seek the nearest harbour. Was it no more? I thank you Sir: my Sex will be my pardon If I return not equal thanks; we think if any Manumit before we license them to partly, They do usurp a power is ours by nature: the posture I found you in, was more than ordinary courtship gives. IT was unkindly done to undermine me. You shall oblige me since she has wronged me: Irene hark you. Would it were killing, that my death might end My fears, as my life has my Hope's. Bring him in. Good gods, if you can suffer me one minutes joy, Give it me now, and let excess ofhappinesse Finish what sorrow cannot. But where's this happiness I feign would dream of? Eugenio is returned, That I may look on him, and not be his, And call our faiths in vain to aid our loves. Rise, this is worse than your doubts were. Turn not your face away; would you revenge, Then let my eyes dwell on't: what punishment Can there be greater, than for me to see the beauty I have lost By my own fault? look then upon me. No, I must yet keep my anger to preserve my honour, And I dare not trust that, and my eyes at once, If they behold you. Rise, I can hold out no longer, the bore sounds Of your death dissolve my resolutions: Forget my anger, as I will the cause. Yes, the virtuous Lysicles, for his respects to me, However unhappy, challenged that name, In your absence labours to marry me: yet death— O my Eugenio, we are miserable, Yet must not quarrel love, to take or give A seeming comfort: go try all your power Of hate or friendship to undo this match, I'll give you leave to die first: any thing, But let not me have so much leave to change, As to believe you think it possible. Mysterious powers! instruct us in the way You would be served, for we are ignorant; Your Thunder else would not be aimed at those That follow virtue, as it is prescribed, While thousand others escape unpunished, That violate the Laws we are taught to keep. O my Lord, Nature had not made our hearts Capable of pity, if we forbear it here: The virtuous Acanthe has been tormented With pains, nothing is able to express But her own groans: she fears she's poisoned, Talks of you, of Tombs, and of Milesia, And in the amid of all her torture Says, her distrust and jealousy deserves a greater punishment. Heaven hath some further ends in this Than we can pierce: More water, she returns to life, And all the blackness of her face is gone. She stirs. The Groves, and Temples, and dark shade have herd Them mourned, and celebrated by your friend. He could not be so cruel to intend it. Then he dissembled when he made love to me? I am sorry for it. Nay, it is true, No more EUGENIO, if your words could add Expressions to your love, you had not had So much of mine; and after I have tried Your faith so many ways, it would appear Ingratitude not modesty to show a Mistress coldness. It's in your power Sir, to satisfy him. Persuade my Cozen to confess she loves him, Which I do know she does, and he already Has made profession of his, unto my prejudice: Nay blush not Cozen, since you would not allow me This secret as a friend, you may excuse The inquifitivenesse of a rival. Dear IRENE, perfect the happiness of this day. I was engaged. I'll call and oath to be my witness. Hide thee inconstant man, thou art so false Thy oaths do serve thee for no other use But to condemn thee, not to get belief: Be gone, and leave to love, till thou hast found The way to truth, and let not vanity cozen you To believe that I am moved, because you change. A thousand other imperfections Have made me hate thee: yet I chosen this way To let thee know't, that deprehended with the Black mark upon thee, thou mayest not dare To trouble me again. There may be some, that for their secret sins The gods will punish making them love you, Choose amongst them, Irene, I will hope, though she Be credulous, will learn by this, how far'tis safe to trust you. Eugenio returned? thou hast reason, Phillida, I Should be dead with sorrow: It's not fit we hear his name Without a miracle: where is he? send to bring him hither. O my best Lord, you now behold a face Too much acquainted with my sad hearts grief, Not to be stained with't: sure you cannot know it. I pray say you do not, you will wrong Two things I am most proud of, my just grief, And your young love, which could not grow, Nourished with such poor heat as now it gives. I have a story that will break your heart When you have herd it, and mine ere I Deliver it. Prince Lysicks to morrow marries me, Or I must leave my duty, or my life: Forgive me that I dare to utter this. Some saving power close up my drowned eyes, Which death had long since shut, had not the love And hope of seeing you preserved them open. Have I been false for this to all my friends, That you should think I can be so to you? Add not by your suspicions a crime to our misfortune. O my griefs! Now I perceive the gods decreed you endless, Since they have made him add unto my torment, Whose memory before did make the sharpest, glorious: Tears, and sighs, and groans farewell: They never were spent but when I feared for you; And you being lost I have no use of them. Here, take this paper, it's the last Legacy My love shall ever give you: 'twas designed When I conceived you worthy. If you believe her words, whose faith was never lost, Though you ungratefully have flung it off, If so, you be not that you accuse me for, you there shall find A story that will punish your suspicion. You are yet living. But Madam, what did your poor Hermione deserve, That you should hide your self from her? Or are you the Milesia that were pleased To call me friend? or is she buried By Pallas Temple? truly belief and memory Opposing sense, makes doubt which to credit: I wept you dead, the Virgins did entomb you: Were we then or no deceived?