Ant. Well, go thy ways. Of all the lusty lovers That e'er I saw-Wilt have another potion? Lieut. If you will be another thing, have at you. Ant. Ha, ha, ha! Give me thy hand; from henceforth thou'rt my Do bravely; I'll love thee as much. [soldier. Lieut. I thank you; But, if you were mine enemy, I would not wish it I beseech your grace, pay me my charge. [you. 2 Gent. That's certain, sir; He has bought up all that e'er he found was like you, Or any thing you have loved, that he could purchase; Old horses that your grace had ridden blind, and founder'd; Dogs, rotten hawks, and, which is more than all this, Has worn your grace's gauntlet in his bonnet. Ant. Bring in your bills: Mine own love shall be satisfy'd; And, sirrah, for this potion you have taken, Ant. Are the princes come to th' court? [drank. Ant. Come then, make ready for their entertainment; Which presently we'll give.-Wait you on me, sir. Lieut. I shall love drink the better whilst I live, boys! [Exeunt. SCENE III.-A Room in the House of CELIA. Enter DEMETRIUS and LEONTIUS. Dem. Let me but see her, dear Leontius; Let me but die before her! Leon. 'Would that would do it. If I knew where she lay now, with what honesty (You having flung so main a mischief on her, And on so innocent and sweet a beauty) Dare I present your visit? Dem. I'll repent all, And with the greatest sacrifice of sorrow, Leon. 'Twill be too late, sir: I know not what will become of you. Leon. It may be, to her sight: What are you nearer ? She has sworn she will not speak to you, look upon you; And, to love you again, oh, she cries out, and thunders, She had rather love-There is no hope. There is a hope; which, though it draw no love to Leon Hark you, sir, hark you! Say I should bring you Dem. Do not trifle with me! Leon. I will not trifle-both together bring youYou know the wrongs you have done? Dem. I do confess 'em. Leon. And if you should then jump into your fury, And have another quirk in your head Dem. I'll die first! Except this sin. he was the bravest gentleman, If there were any way to expiate A sin so great as mine, by intercession, [know not; Celia. Sir, I forgive you heartily, And all your wrong to me I cast behind me, And wish you a fit beauty to your virtues : Mine is too poor. In peace I part thus from you! I must look back.-Gods keep your grace !-He's [Points to her heart, and exil here still. Dem. She has forgiven me. Leon. She has directed you: Up, up, and follow like a man; away, sir! here, sir; You drew tears from her too; she cannot freeze thus. Dem. I dare not trouble her. Leon. Nay, an you will be nipt i' th' head with nothing, Walk whining up and down-"I dare not, cannot.' Strike now or never! Faint heart-you know what, sir. Be govern'd by your fear, and quench your fire out! Will I go fetch out a more sovereign plaister. SCENE IV.-An Apartment in the Palace. Enter ANTIGONUS, SELEUCUS, LYSIMACHUS, PTOLEMY, LIEUTENANT, Gentlemen, and Lords. Ant. This peace is fairly made. To put in more? Take what you please, we yield it: The honour done us by your son constrains it, Ant. It is sufficient, princes. And, now we're one again, one mind, one body, And one sword shall strike for us, Lys. Let prince Demetrius But lead us on (for we are his vow'd servants) Against the strength of all the world we'll buckle. Ptol. And ev'n from all that strength we'll catch at victory. Sel. Oh, had I now recover'd but the fortune This is no time to entertain such sorrows.- Enter LEONTIUS. [the prince, Cast from his mistress' favour; and such a coil there is, Such fending, and such proving! She stands off, Sel. She is a hard lady denies that caution. Leon. And now they whine, and now they rave: 'Faith, princes, "Twere a good point of charity to piece 'em ; Sel. 'Beseech your grace, let's wait upon you thither, That I may see that beauty dares deny him, Ptol. I should think it worse now; Ill brought-up beauty. Ant. She has too much reason for't; Which, with too great a grief, I shame to think of. But we'll go see this game. Lys. Rather this wonder. Ant. Be you our guide, Leontius. Here's a new peace. [Exeunt. SCENE V.-A Room in the House of CELIA. Enter DEMETRIUS and CELIA. Celia. Thus far you shall persuade me; still to Still to live with you, sir, or near about you; And much repentance fallen in showers to purge it; Upon this hand, I'll seal that faith. Put not those out o' th' peace too. So there you will be pleased to pitch your ne ultra ; Lys. How does your grace?-He stands still; Ptol. We come to serve you, sir, in all our fortunes. Lys. He bows a little now; he's strangely alter'd. Lysimachus! You both knew mine Enanthe, Sel. Look on her eyes. Leon. Most certain she is like her: Ant. What's that ye look at, princes? They only err in time. Lys. Did you mark that blush there? That came the nearest. Kneeling I give it too; kneeling I take it; [Kneels. Ant. Come, beat all the drums up, EPILOGUE, SPOKEN BY THE LIEUTENANT. I am not cured yet throughly; for, believe, It takes me cold, cold, cold; I know not how. I'll swear you are physicians, the wars none. THE FAITHFUL SHEPHERDESS. TO THAT NOBLE AND TRUE LOVER OF LEARNING, SIR WALTER ASTON, Sir, I must ask your patience, and be true. This play was never liked, unless by few KNIGHT OF THE BATH. And proper being; from whose equal eye And judgment nothing grows but purity. That brought their judgments with 'em; for, of late, Nor do I flatter, for, by all those dead, First the infection, then the common prate Of common people, have such customs got, Had fall'n for ever, prest down by the rude, Great in the muses, by Apollo's head, Given to your service, JOHN FLETCHER. TO THE READER. Ir you be not reasonably assured of your knowledge in this kind of poem, lay down the book, or read this, which I would wish had been the Prologue. It is a pastoral tragi-comedy, which the people seeing when it was played, having ever a singular gift in defining, concluded to be a play of country-hired shepherds, in grey cloaks, with cur-tailed dogs in strings, sometimes laughing together, and sometimes killing one another; and, missing Whitsun-ales, cream, wassel, and morris-dances, began to be angry. In their error I would not have you fall, lest you incur their censure. Understand, therefore, a pastoral to be a representation of shepherds and shepherdesses with their actions and passions, which must be such as may agree with their natures, at least not exceeding former fictions and vulgar traditions; they are not to be adorned with any art, but such improper ones as nature is said to bestow, as singing and poetry; or such as experience may teach them, as the virtues of herbs and fountains, the ordinary course of the sun, moon and stars, and such like. But you are ever to remember shepherds to be such as all the ancient poets, and modern, of understanding, have received them: that is, the owners of flocks, and not hirelings. A tragi-comedy is not so called in respect of mirth and killing, but in respect it wants deaths, which is enough to make it no tragedy, yet brings some near it, which is enough to make it no comedy, which must be a representation of familiar people, with such kind of trouble as no life be questioned; so that a god is as lawful in this as in a tragedy, and mean people as in a comedy, Thus much I hope will serve to justify my poem, and make you understand it; to teach you more for nothing, I do not know that I am in conscience bound. SCENE I.-A Wood. ACT I. Enter CLORIN, having buried her Love in an Arbour. But thou art gone, and these are gone with thee, Only remembering what my youth did gain Enter a Satyr, with a Basket of Fruit. [Secing CLORDI |