Believe me, I'll not hurt it.

Org. Pain my heart too!

Pen. Complain not though I wring it hard: I'll kiss it;

Oh, 'tis a fine soft palm.-Hark in thine ear! Like whom do I look, pr'ythee? Nay, no whispering.

Goodness! we had been happy: too much happi

ness

Will make folk proud, they say.-But that is
he:-
[Pointing to ITHOCLES.
And yet he paid for't home. Alas! his heart
Is crept into the cabinet of the princess;
We shall have points and bride-laces. Remember
When we last gathered roses in the garden,
I found my wits, but truly you lost yours.
That's he, and still 'tis he.

Ith. Poor soul, how idly
Her fancies guide her tongue!
Bass. Keep in vexation,
And break not into clamour.
Org. She has tutor❜d me:

[Aside.

Some powerful inspiration checks my laziness.
Now let me kiss your hand, grieved beauty.
Pen. Kiss it.-

Alack, alack, his lips be wond'rous cold ;
Dear soul, he's lost his colour: Have ye seen
A straying heart? All crannies, every drop
Of blood is turned to an amethyst,
Which married batchelors hang in their ears.
Org. Peace usher her into Elysium!
If this be madness, madness is an oracle.

[Exit ORG.

Ith. Christalla, Philema, when slept my sister? Her ravings are so wild!

Christ. Sir, not these ten days.

Phi. We watch by her continually; besides, We cannot any way pray her to eat.

Bass. Oh, misery of miseries!
Pen. Take comfort,

You may live well, and die a good old man:
By yea and nay, an oath not to be broken,
If you had joined our hands once in the temple,
('Twas since my father died, for had he lived
He would have done't,) I must have called you
father.

Oh, my wreck'd honour, ruin'd by those tyrants,
A cruel brother and a desperate dotage!
There is no peace left for a ravish'd wife
Widowed by lawless marriage; to all memory,
Penthea's, poor Penthea's name is strumpeted:
But since her blood was seasoned by the forfeit
Of noble shame, with mixtures of pollution,
Her blood-'tis just,-be henceforth never
heightened

With taste of sustenance. Now let that fulness
Whose pleurisy hath fevered faith and modesty-
Forgive me!-Oh! I faint.

Arm. Be not so wilful,

Sweet niece, to work thine own destruction.
Ith. Nature

Will call her daughter monster. What? not eat?
Refuse the only ordinary means

Which are ordained for life? Be not, my sister,

Bass. I grant ye; and will put in practice instantly

What you shall still admire: 'tis wonderful,
'Tis supersingular, not to be matched:
Yet, when I've done't, I've done't; ye shall all
thank me.

Arm. The sight is full of terror.
Ith. On my soul

[Exit.

Lies such an infinite clog of massy dulness,
As that I have not sense enough to feel it.
See, uncle! the angry thing returns again;
Shall's welcome him with thunder? We are
haunted,

And must use exorcising to conjure down
This spirit of malevolence.
Arm. Mildly, nephew.

Enter NEARCHUS and AMELUS.
Near. I come not, sir, to chide your late disor-
der;

Admitting that th' inurement to a roughness
In soldiers of your years and fortunes, chiefly
So lately prosperous, hath not yet shook off
The custom of the war in hours of leisure:
Nor shall you need excuse, since you're to render
Account to that fair excellence, the princess,
Who in her private gallery expects it
From your own mouth alone: I am a messenger
But to her pleasure.

Ith. Excellent Nearchus,

Be prince still of my services, and conquer,
Without the combat of dispute; I honour ye.

Near. The king is on a sudden indisposed; Physicians are called for: 'twere fit, Armostes, You should be near him.

Arm. Sir, I kiss your hands.

[Exeunt ITHOCLES and ARMOSTES, Near. Amelus, I perceive Calantha's bosom Is warm'd with other fires than such as can Take strength from any fuel of the love I might address to her; young Ithocles, Or ever I mistake, is lord ascendant Of her devotions; one, to speak him truly, In every disposition nobly fashioned.

Ame. But can your highness brook to be so rivall'd,

Considering the inequality of the persons?

me

Unto my bed-chamber; none on his forehead
Wear a distemper'd look.

All. The gods preserve ye!

Cal. Sweet, be not from my sight.
Ith. My whole felicity!

[AMYCLAS is led out. Exeunt all but ITHO

CLES, detained by ORGILUS.

Org. Shall I be bold, my lord?
Ith, Thou canst not, Orgilus :

Call me thine own, for Prophilus must henceforth

Be all thy sister's; friendship, though it cease not
In marriage, yet is oft at less command
Than when a single freedom can dispose it.
Org. Most right, my most good lord, my most
great lord,

My gracious princely lord, I might add royal.
Ith. Royal? a subject royal?

Org. Why not, pray, sir?

The sovereignty of kingdoms in their nonage

Stoop'd to desert, not birth; there's as much

merit

Stands seated in your will, secure and settled, I dare pronounce you will be a just monarch; Greece must admire and tremble.

Ith. Then the sweetness

Of so imparadised a comfort, Orgilus !
It is to banquet with the gods.
Org. The glory

Of numerous children, potency of nobles,
Bent knees, hearts pav'd to tread on,
Ith. With a friendship
So dear, so fast as thine?
Org, I am unfitting
For office, but for service.

Ith. We'll distinguish

Our fortunes merely in the title; partners
In all respects else, but the bed.

Org. The bed?

Forefend it, Jove's own jealousy, till lastly
We slip down in the common earth together,
And there our beds are equal, save some monu-

ment

To shew this was the king, and this the subject.[Soft sad music. List, what sad sounds are these extremely sad

ones.

Ith. Sure from Penthea's lodgings.
Org. Hark! a voice too.

A SONG.-Sung behind the Scene.
Oh no more, no more! too late
Sighs are spent; the burning tapers
Of a life as chaste as fate,
Pure as are unwritten papers,
Are burnt out; no heat, no light
Now remains; 'tis ever night.
Love is dead; let lovers' eyes,
Lock'd in endless dreams,
Th' extremes of all extremes
Open no more, for now love dies;
Now love dies, implying

Love's martyrs must be ever, ever dying.

Ith. Oh, my misgiving heart!

Org. A horrid stilness

Succeeds this deathful air, Let's know the rea

son:

Tread softly; there is mystery in mourning.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.-Chamber of PENTHEA. PENTHEA discovered in a chair veiled; two servants place two other chairs, one with an engine; the maids CHRISTALLA and PHILEMĄ sit down at her feet, mourning.

Enter ITHOCLES and ORGILUS.

Serv. 'Tis done; that on her right hand,
[Placing the chairs.
Org. Good: begone. [Exeunt servants,
Ith. Soft peace enrich this room!
Org. How fares the lady?

Ith. So died!

Org. Up! you are messengers of death: go from us; [CHRIST. and PHIL. rise. Here's woe enough to court without a prompter. Away! and,-hark ye,-till you see us next, No syllable that she is dead.-Away, Keep a smooth brow.-My lord!: [To ITHOCLES. [Exeunt CHRIST. and PHIL.

Ith. Mine only sister!
Another is not left me.
Org. Take that chair,

I'll seat me here in this: between us sits
The object of our sorrows; some few tears
We'll part among us; I perhaps can mix
One lamentable story to prepare them.-
There, there! sit there, my lord.

Ith. Yes, as you please.

[Sits down, and is caught in the engine. What means this treachery?

Org. Caught; you are caught,
Young master: 'tis thy throne of coronation,
Thou fool of greatness. See, I take this veil off:
Survey a beauty withered by the flames
Of an insulting Phæton, her brother.

Ith. Thou mean'st to kill me basely.
Org. I foreknew

The last act of her life, and trained thee hither
To sacrifice a tyrant to a turtle.

You dreamt of kingdoms, did ye? how to bosom
The delicacies of a youngling princess,
How with this nod to grace that subtle courtier,
How with that frown to make this noble tremble,
And so forth; whilst Penthea's groans and tor-
tures,

Her agonies, her miseries, afflictions,
Ne'er touched upon your thought? As for my in-
juries,

Alas! they were beneath your royal pity; But yet they lived, thou proud man, to confound thee.

Behold thy fate: this steel! [Draws his sword. Ith. Strike home! A courage

As keen as thy revenge shall give it welcome.
But pr'ythee faint not; if the wound close up,
Tent it with double force, and search it deeply.
Thou look'st that I should whine, and beg com-
passion,

As loath to leave the newness of my glories:
A statelier resolution arms my confidence,
To cozen thee of honour; neither could I,
With equal trial of unequal fortune,
By hazard of a duel; 'twere a bravery
Too mighty for a slave intending murder.
On to the execution, and inherit
A conflict with thy horrors!

Org. By Apollo,

Thou talk'st a goodly language! for requital
I will report thee to thy mistress richly.
And take this peace along: some few short mi-

nutes

Determin'd, my resolves shall quickly follow
Thy wrathful ghost; then, if we tug for mastery,
Penthea's sacred eyes shall lend new courage.
Give me thy hand: be healthful in thy parting
From lost mortality. Thus, thus I free it.
[Stabs him.

Ith. Yet, yet I scorn to shrink.
Org. Keep up thy spirit:

I will be gentle even in blood; to linger
Pain, which I strive to cure, were to be cruel.

Ith. Nimble in vengeance, I forgive thee. Fol

low

Safety, with best success: ob may it prosper!
Penthea, by thy side thy brother bleeds,
The earnest of his wrongs to thy forc'd faith.
Thoughts of ambition or delicious banquet,
With beauty, youth, and love, together perish
In my last breath, which on the sacred altar
Of a long look'd for peace-now-moves-to
Heaven.

[Dies. Org. Farewell, fair spring of manhood; henceforth welcome

Best expectation of a noble sufferance!
I'll look the body's safe, till what must follow
Shall be approved.-Sweet twins, shine stars for
ever!

In vain they build their hopes, whose life is shame;
No monument lasts but a happy name. [Exit

Enter ORGILUS.

Org. Honour
Attend thy counsels ever.

Bass. I beseech thee,

With all my heart, let me go from thee quietly;
I will not aught to do with thee, of all men.
The doublers of a hare, or in a morning
Salutes from a splay-footed witch, to drop
Three drops of blood at th' nose just, and no more,
Croaking of ravens, or the screech of owls,
Are not so boding mischief as thy crossing
My private meditations: shun me, pr'ythee:
And if I cannot love thee heartily,

I'll love thee as well as I can.

Org. Noble Bassanes,

Mislike me not.

Bass. Phew! then we shall be troubled: Thou wert ordain'd my plague; Heaven make me thankful!'

And give me patience too, Heaven, I beseech thee!
Org. Accept a league of amity; for henceforth,
I vow, by my best genius, in a syllable
Never to speak vexation: I will study
Service and friendship, with a zealous sorrow
For my past incivility towards ye.

Bass. Heyday! good words, good words?-I must believe 'em,

And be a coxcomb for my labour.

Org. Use not

So hard a language; your misdoubt is causeless:
For instance, if you promise to put on
A constancy of patience; such a patience
As chronicle or history ne'er mentioned,
As follows not example, but shall stand
A wonder and a theme for imitation,
The first, the index pointing to a second,
I will acquaint ye with an unmatch'd secret,
Whose knowledge to your griefs shall set a period.
Bass. Thou canst not, Orgilus ; 'tis in the power
Of the gods only: yet for satisfaction,
Because I note an earnest in thine utterance,
Unforc'd and naturally free, be resolute ;
The virgin-bays shall not withstand the lightning
With a more careless danger, than my constancy
The full of thy relation. Could it move
Distraction in a senseless marble statue,
It should find me a rock. I do expect now
Some truth of unheard moment.

SCENE II-A Room in the Palace. Loud music. Enter EUPHRANEA, led by GRONEAS and HEMOPHIL; PROPHILUS, led by CHRISTALLA and PHILEMA; NEARCHUS, supporting CALAntha; CrotoLON and AMELUS. [Music ceases.]

Cal. We miss our servants, It ocles and Orgilus;

On whom attend they?

Crot. My son, gracious princess,

Whispered some new device, to which these revels

Should be but usher; wherein, I conceive,
Lord Ithocles and he himself are actors.

Cal. A fair excuse for absence. As for Bassanes,
Delights to him are troublesome. Armostes
Is with the king?

Crot. He is.

Cal. On to the dance!

Dear cousin, hand you the bride; the bridegroom

must be

Intrusted to my courtship. Be not jealous, Euphranea; I shall scarcely prove a temptress.— Fall to our dance!

[Music. NEARCHUS dances with EUPHRANEA, PROPHILUS with CALANTHA, Christalla with HEMOPHIL, PHILEMA with GRONEAS. They dance the first change. During which enter ARMOSTES.

Arm. [In a whisper to CALANTHA.] The king
your father's dead.

Cal. To the other change!
Arm. Is't possible!

Another Dance. Enter BASSANES.
Bass. [In a whisper to CALANTHA,] Oh, ma-
dam,
Penthea, poor
Penthea's starved.
Cal. Beshrew thee!-

Lead to the next!

Bass. Amazement dulls my senses.

Another Dance. Enter ORGILUS.

Org. Brave Ithocles is murder'd, murder'd
cruelly.
[Aside to CALANTHA.
Cal. How dull this music sounds! Strike up
more sprightly:

Our footings are not active like our heart,
Which treads the nimbler measure.
Org. I am thunderstruck.

The last Change. Music ceases.

Cal. So let us breathe awhile.-Hath not this

:

motion

Rais'd fresher colours on our cheeks?

Near. Sweet princess,

A perfect purity of blood enamels
The beauty of your white.

Cal. We all look cheerfully: