We've been bold with your wives, toyed with your Practised on us with rigour; this hath forced us The noble horse, With such decorum, as wise law-makers, To shake our heavy yokes off; and, if redress Grac. And not leave One house unfired. Cimb. Or throat uncut of those We have in our power. Pol. Nor will we fall alone; Timol. What are your demands? Pis. A general pardon, first, for all offences Committed in your absence: Liberty To all such as desire to make return Into their countries; and to those that stay, To each man's proper use; no lord acknowledged; Timag. Let the city sink first. Leost. And ruin seize on all, ere we subscribe To such conditions. Arch. Carthage, though victorious, Could not have forced more from us. Leost. Scale the wall! Capitulate after. Timol. He that wins the top first, [Exeunt. [Flourish and arms. Or death or victory.-Charge them home, and fear not, Enter TIMOLEON, ARCHIDAMUS, and Senators. Timol. We wrong ourselves, and we are justly punished, To deal with bondmen, as if we encountered Arch. They fight like devils; And run upon our swords, as if their breasts Enter LEOSTHENES and TIMAGORAS. Timol. They are wild beasts, And to be tamed by policy.-Each man take "Twill force them to remember what they are, And stoop to due obedience. Enter CIMBRIO, GRACCULO, ond other Slaves. Arch. Here they come. Drinking the bitter water of afflictions, Leost. Fears? Your sufferings, For which I am so overgone with grief, Cimb. Leave not a man alive: A wound is but I dare not ask, without compassionate tears, a flea-biting, Enter PISANDER and TIMANDRA. Pis. I know I am pursued; nor would I fly, Although the ports were open, and a convoy Ready to bring me off-The baseness of These villains, from the pride of all my hopes, Has thrown me to the bottomless abyss Of horror and despair. Had they stood firm, I could have bought Cleora's free consent With the safety of her father's life and brother's; And forced Leosthenes to quit his claim, And kneel a suitor to me. Timan. You must not think The villain's name, that robbed thee of thy ho nour; For being trained up in chastity's cold school, Timan. How mean you? Fell, sir! Leost. I would thou did'st not, Under which odds I know Cleora fell too, Timan. Pray you, do not bring, sir, Leost. O Timandra, That I had faith enough but to believe thee! must not Credit impossibilities; yet I strive To find out that, whose knowledge is a curse, What might have been, but what must now be (Though men and angels should proclaim him ho practised, And suddenly resolve. Pis. All my poor fortunes Are at the stake, and I must run the hazard. I would be apprehended.-Do not enquire Enter LEOSTHENES. Jove turn all to the best!-You are welcome, sir. (Though the infringing it had called upon her Leost. Thou givest it in a heavy tone. We have so long fed on the bread of sorrow, A living funeral) must of force have shrunk at. No danger could compel her to dispense with Her cruel penance; though hot lust came armed To seize upon her; when one look or accent Leost. Might? O do not shew me A beam of comfort, and straight take it from me. Each minute of delay's an age of torment: Timan. Free her from the oath; Herself can best deliver it. [Takes off the scarf. Never did galley-slave shake off his chains, Cleora. I forgive you. He was a lover. Leost. Not yours, lady? Cleora. Yes; Loved me, Leosthenes; nay more, so doted, (If e'er affections scorning gross desires May without wrong be styled so) that he durst not Leost. How greedily I receive this! Stay, best In fear it might take from me, whom he made lady, And let me by degrees ascend the height The pleasant taste these cares of comfort yield me, Should not too soon be swallowed. Have you not (By your unspotted truth I do conjure you To answer truly) suffered in your honour, (By force, I mean, for in your will I free you) Since I left Syracusa ? Cleora. I restore The object of his better part, discover Cleora. I cannot speak it to the worth: All praise Leost. You conceal still This kiss, (so help me, goodness!) which I bor- My father's bondman. rowed When I last saw you. Leost. Miracle of virtue! One pause more, I beseech you :---I am like A man, whose vital spirit, consumed and wasted not Fix here; but must enquire the man to whom Which to requite at full, though in this hand If of a mean estate, I'll gladly part with Leost. Ha, ha, ha! Cleora. Why do you laugh? Leost. To hear the labouring mountain of your praise Delivered of a mouse. Cleora. The man deserves not This scorn, I do assure you. Leost. Do you call What was his duty merit? Cleora. Yes, and place it As high in my esteem, as all the honours Leost. Why, lady, can you Be won to give allowance that your slave Cleora. The immortal gods you. [Aside. Cleora. Zealous, I grant, in the defence of Why, good Leosthenes, though I endured That, which is only yours in expectation, They are all under guard; their fangs pared off: Asot. And shall I be The thing I was born, my lord? 'Slight, what a beast they have made thee! Produced the like. Asot. I think so.-Nor the land Where apes and monkeys grow, like crabs and On the same tree. Not all the catalogue Timag. An ass thou wert ever. Asot. And would have given one leg, with all my heart, That now prescribe such hard conditions to me? For good security to have been a man Leost. One kiss, and I am silenced. Cleora. I vouchsafe it; Yet, I must tell you 'tis a favour that Leost. Pray you end; The story does not please me. Cleora. Well, take heed wretch Of doubts and fears;-for know, Leosthenes, To innocent chastity than unjust suspicion. Let that secure you. And I here command you, Between him and all punishment, and oppose Leost. What a bridge Of glass I walk upon, over a river [Exit. Of certain ruin! Mine own weighty fears Which confidence yields to others, are from me SCENE IV. After three lives, or one and twenty years, Cleon. Never varlets So triumphed o'er an old fat man-I was famished. On cullises and jelly, though his cooks Timag. How now, friend? Enter LEOSTHENES, and DIPHILUS, with a Leost. In my thoughts, sir. Diph. It is Timoleon's pleasure; The slaves have been examined, and confess, Leost. Ha! I more than fear- Enter TIMANDRA. Timan. You are unmannered grooms Enter DIPHILUS with PISANDER. Diph. Close hid in your sister's chamber. Enter TIMAGORAS, CLEON, ASOTUS, CORISCA, All she delivered, false. and OLYMPIA. Cleon. But are you sure we're safe? Timag. You need not fear: Timag. But that I scorn To rust my sword in thy slavish blood, In that I find, beyond my hopes, no sign Of riot in my house, but all things ordered As if I had been present. Cleora. May that move you To pity poor Marullo. Arch. Tis my purpose To do him all the good I can, Cleora: [Exit Arch. His sufferings merit, I stand bound to think on Marullo's dangers; though I save his life, confess, His love is unrewarded. Enter TIMANDRA. How now? whence flow these tears? Timan. I have met, madam, An object of such cruelty, as would force Cleora. Speak! What is it? Timan. Men pity beasts of rapine, if over matched, Though baited for their pleasure: but these mon sters, Upon a man that can make no resistance, A capital offender; yet in justice Not to be tortured, till the judge pronounce Cleora. Where is he? Timan. Dragged to prison With more than barbarous violence; spurned and spit on By the insulting officers, his hands Pinioned behind his back; loaden with fetters; Yet, with a saint-like patience, he still offers His face to their rude buffets. Cleora. O my grieved soul ! By whose command? Timan. It seems, my lord your brother, For his respects to you, whose name in vain Cleora. By Diana, 'Tis base in both, and to their teeth I will tell them That I am wronged in it. Timan. What will you do? [As going forth. Cleora. In person Visit and comfort him. |