CROTOLON.

Enter CROTOLON and ORGILUS.

Crot. Dally not further; I will know the reason,

That speeds thee to this journey.
Org. Reason, good sir?

I can yield many.

Crot. Give me one, a good one,

Such I expect, and e'er we part must have:
Athens? pray, why to Athens? you intend not
To kick against the world, turn cynie, stoic,
Or read the logic lecture, or become
An areopagite; and judge in causes

Touching the commonwealth? for, as I take it,
The budding of your chin cannot prognosticate

So

grave an honour.

Org. All this I acknowledge.

With Bassanes, a nobleman, in honour
And riches, I confess, beyond my fortunes.
Crot. All this is no sound reason to importune
My leave for thy departure.

Org. Now it follows,

Beauteous Penthea, wedded to this torture
By an insulting brother, being secretly
Compell'd to yield her virgin freedom up
To him, who never can usurp her heart,
Before contracted mine, is now so yok'd
To a most barbarous thraldom, misery,
Affliction, that he savours not humanity,
Whose sorrow melts not into more than pity,
In hearing but her name.

Crot. As how, pray?

Org. Bassanes,

The man that calls her wife, considers tru

of knowledge

Inflame you to this travel, here in Sparta

You may as freely study.

Org. 'Tis not that, sir.

By thinking fair Penthea his: This thought Begets a kind of monster love, which love Is nurse unto a fear so strong, and servile, As brands all dotage with a jealousy.

thee

To acquaint me with the truth.

Org. Thus I obey you:

After so many quarrels, as dissentions,

Fury, and rage, had broach'd in blood, and sometimes

With death to such confederates, as sided
With now dead Thrasus, and yourself, my lord,
Our present king Amyclas reconciled

Your eager swords, and seal'd a gentle peace: Friends you profess'd yourselves, which to confirm,

A resolution for a lasting league
Betwixt your families was entertain'd,
By joining, in a Hymenean bond,

Me and the fair Penthea, only daughter
To Thrasus.

Crot. What of this?

Org. Much, much, dear sir.

A freedom of converse, an interchange
Of holy and chaste love, so fixt our souls
In a firm growth of holy union, that no time
Can eat into the pledge; we had enjoy'd
The sweets our vows expected, had not cruelty
Prevented all those triumphs we prepared for,
By Thrasus his untimely death.

Crot. Most certain.

Org. From this time sprouted up that poison-
ous stalk

Of aconite, whose ripen'd fruit hath ravished
All health, all comfort, of a happy life :
For Ithocles her brother, proud of youth,
And prouder in his power, nourish'd closely
The memory of former discontents,
To glory in revenge; by cunning partly,

He doth resolve, do homage to the miracle;
Some one, he is assur'd, may now and then
(If opportunity but sort) prevail;

So much out of a self unworthiness
His fears transport him: not that he finds cause
In her obedience, but his own distrust.

Crot. You spin out your discourse.
Org. My griefs are violent;

For, knowing how the maid was heretofore
Courted by me, his jealousies grow wild
That I should steal again into her favours,
And undermine her virtues; which the gods
Know, I nor dare, nor dream of: hence, from
hence

I undertake a voluntary exile.

First, by my absence to take off the cares
Of jealous Bassanes; but chiefly, sir,
To free Penthea from a hell on earth;
Lastly, to lose the memory of something,
Her presence makes to live in me afresh.

Crot. Enough, my Orgilus, enough: To Athens
I give a full consent: Alas, good lady!—
We shall hear from thee often?

Org. Often.

Crot. See,

Thy sister comes to give a farewell. Enter EUPHRANIA.

Euph. Brother!

Org. Euphrania, thus upon thy cheeks I print A brother's kiss, more careful of thine honour, Thy health, and thy well doing, than my life. Before we part, in presence of our father, I must prefer a suit t' you. Euph. You may stile it,

My brother, a command.

Org. That you will promise

To pass never to any man, however worthy,
Your faith, till, with our father's leave,
I give a free consent.

Crot. An easy motion;

I'll promise for her, Orgilus.
Org. Your pardon;

Euphrania's oath must yield me satisfaction.
Euph. By Vesta's sacred fires, I swear.
Crot. And I,

By great Apollo's beams, join in the vow, Not, without thy allowance, to bestow her On any living.

Org. Dear Euphrania,

Mistake me not; far, far, 'tis from my thought,
As far from any wish of mine, to hinder
Preferment to an honourable bed,
Or fitting fortune; thou art young and handsome,
And t'were injustice, more, a tyranny,

Not to advance thy merit. Trust me, sister,
It shall be my first care to see thee match'd
As may become thy choice, and our contents:
I have your oath.

Euph. You have; but mean you, brother, To leave us, as you say?

Crot. Aye, aye, Euphrania :

He has just grounds direct him: I will prove
A father and a brother to thee.

Euph. Heaven

Does look into the secrets of all hearts: Gods, you have mercy with ye! else

Crot. Doubt nothing,

Thy brother will return in safety to us. Örg. Souls sunk in sorrows never are without them;

They change fresh airs, but bear their griefs about them. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-A Room in the Palace. A Flourish. Enter AMYCLAS the king, ARMOSTES, PROPHILUS, and attendants.

Amy. The Spartan gods are gracious; our humility

Shall bend before their altars, and perfume
Their temples with abundant sacrifice.

See, lords, Amyclas, your old king, is entering
Into his youth again. I shall shake off

This silver badge of age, and change this snow
For hairs as gay as are Apollo's locks;
Our heart leaps in new vigour.

Armo. May old time

Run back to double your long life, great sir! Amy. It will, it must, Armostes; thy bold ne

phew,

Death-braving Ithocles, brings to our gates
Triumphs and peace upon his conquering sword.
Laconia is a monarchy at length;
Hath in this latter war trod under foot
Messene's pride; Messene bows her neck
To Lacedemon's royalty: O'twas
A glorious victory, and doth deserve
More than a chronicle! a temple, lords,
A temple to the name of Ithocles.

Where didst thou leave him, Prophilus?
Pro. At Pephon,

Most gracious sovereign; twenty of the noblest
Of the Messenians there attend your pleasure,
For such conditions as you shall propose,
In settling peace, and liberty of life.

Amy. When comes your friend, the general?
Pro. He promis'd

To follow with all speed convenient.

Enter CROTOLON, CALANTHA, CHRYSTALLA, PHILEMA and EUPHRANIA.

Amy. Our daughter?-Dear Calantha, the
happy news,

The conquest of Messene, hath already
Enrich'd thy knowledge?

Calan. With the circumstance

And manner of the fight, related faithfully
By Prophilus himself. But, pray, sir, tell me,
How doth the youthful general demean
His actions in these fortunes?

Pro. Excellent princess,

Your own fair eyes may soon report a truth
Unto your judgment, with what moderation,
Calmness of nature, measure, bounds and limits
Of thankfulness and joy, he doth digest
Such amplitude of his success, as would
In others, moulded of a spirit less clear,
Advance them to comparison with heaven.
But Ithocles-

Enter ITHOCLES; HEMAPHIL, and GRONEAS, and the rest of the Lords, ushering him in. Amy. Return into these arms, thy home, thy sanctuary,

Delight of Sparta, treasure of my bosom,
Mine own, own Ithocles!

Itho. Your humble subject.

Armo. Proud of the blood I claim an interest in, As brother to thy mother, I embrace thee, Right noble nephew.

Itho. Sir, your love's too partial.

Crot. Our country speaks by me, who, by thy
valour,

Wisdom, and service, shares in this great action;
Returning thee, in part of thy due merits,
A general welcome.

Itho. You exceed in bounty.

Cal. Chrystalla, Philema, the chaplet!-Ithocles, Upon the wings of fame, the singular And chosen fortune of an high attempt

Is pleas'd to stile victorious, there, to such,
Applause runs madding, like the drunken priests
In Bacchus' sacrifices, without reason;
Voicing the leader on a demi-god;

When as indeed, each common soldier's blood
Drops down as current coin in that hard purchase,
As his, whose much more delicate condition
Hath suck'd the milk of ease: judgment com-
mands,

But resolution executes. I use not,
Before this royal presence, these fit sleights
As in contempt of such as can direct:
My speech hath other end; not to attribute

Except my mind do alter strangely.
Phil. By Vulcan, you're forsworn,
Gron. One word.

Christ. You lie beyond all modesty; forbear me! Hemo. I'll make thee mistress of a city, 'tis Mine own by conquest.

en'd

By many hands. For instance, here is Prophilus, A gentleman, (I cannot flatter truth,)

Of much desert; and, though in other rank,
Both Hemophil and Groneas were not missing
To wish their country's peace; for, in a word,
All there did strive their best, and 'twas our duty.
Amy. Courtiers turn soldiers? We vouchsafe
our hand;

Observe your great example.
Hemo. With all diligence.
Gron. Obsequiously and hourly.
Amy. Some repose

After these toils is needful; we must think on
Conditions for the conquer'd; they expect them.-
On!-Come, my Ithocles!

Euphr. [To Prophilus.] Sir, with your favour, I need not a supporter.

Proph. Fate instructs me.

[Exeunt. Manent HEMOPHIL, detaining CHRISTALLA, and GRONEAS, PHILEMA. Christ. With me?

Phil. Indeed, I dare not stay.

Hemo. Sweet lady,

Soldiers are blunt; your lip.

Christ. Fye, this is rudeness:

You went not hence such creatures.

Gron. Spirit of valour

Is of a mounting nature.

Phil. It appears so.—

Christ. By petition; sue for't

forma pauperis.-City? kennell.-Gallants, Off with your feathers; put on aprons, gallants, Learn to reel thrums or trim a lady's dog, And be good quiet souls of peace, hobgoblins! Hemo. Christalla!

Christ. Practise to drill hogs, in hope
To share in th' acorns-Soldiers? corn cutters;
But not so valiant; they oft-times draw blood,
Which you durst never do. When you have
practised

More wit, or more civility, we'll rank ye
I'th' list of men: till then, brave things at arms,
Dare not to speak to us, most potent Groneas!-
Phil. And Hemophil the hardy! At your ser-

vices.

Tec. Ah, Orgilus,

Neglects in young men of delights and life
Run often to extremities; they care not
For harms to others, who contemn their own.
Org. But I, most learned artist, am not so
much

At odds with nature, that I grudge the thrift
Of any true deserver, nor doth malice
Of present hopes so check them with despair,
As that I yield to thought of more affliction
Than what is incident to frailty: wherefore
Impute not this retired course of living
Some little time, to any other cause
Than what I justly render, the information
Of an unsettled mind; as the effect
Must clearly witness.

Tec. Spirit of truth inspire thee!

On these conditions I conceal thy change,
And willingly admit thee for an auditor.-
I'll to my study.

Org. I to contemplations,

[Erit.

In these delightful walks.-Thus metamorphos'd,
I may without suspicion hearken after
Penthea's usage, and Euphrania's faith.
Love! thou art full of mystery: the deities
Themselves are not secure, in searching out
The secrets of those flames, which, hidden, waste
A breast, made tributary to the laws
Of beauty; physic yet hath never found
A remedy to cure a lover's wound.

Ha! who are those that cross yon private walk
Into the shadowing grove, in amorous foldings?
[PROPHILUS passeth over, supporting
EUPHRANIA, and whispering.
My sister, O my sister! 'tis Euphrania
With Prophilus, supported too; I would
It were an apparition! Prophilus

Is Ithocles his friend: it strangely puzzles me-
Again help me, my book; this scholar's habit
Must stand my privilege; my mind is busy,
Mine eyes and ears are open. [Walks by, reading.

Re-enter PROPHILUS and EUPHRANIA.
Proph. Do not waste

The span of this stolen time, lent by the gods
For precious use, in niceness. Bright Euphrania,
Should I repeat old vows, or study new,
For purchase of belief to my desires-
Org. Desires?

To my Penthea: chastely honourable.

Proph. Nor wants there more addition to my wish

Of happiness, than having thee a wife,
Already sure of Ithocles, a friend
Firm and unalterable.

Org. But a brother

More cruel than the grave.

Euph. What can you look for,

In answer to your noble protestations,
From an unskilful maid, but language suited
To a divided mind?

Org. Hold out, Euphrania!

[Aside.

Euph. Know, Prophilus, I never undervalued,
From the first time you mention'd worthy love,
Your merit, means, or person: it had been
A fault of judgment in me, and a dulness
In my affections, not to weigh and thank
My better stars, that offer'd me the grace
Of so much blissfulness. For, to speak the truth,
The law of my desires kept equal pace
With your's, nor have I left that resolution;
But only, in a word, whatever choice
Lives nearest in my heart, must first procure
Consent, both from my father and my brother,
Ere he can own me his.

Org. She is forsworn else-
Proph. Leave me that task.
Euph. My brother, ere he parted

To Athens, had my oath.

Org. Yes, yes, he had sure.

Proph. I doubt not, with the means the court supplies,

But to prevail at pleasure.

Org. Very likely.

Proph. Mean time, best, dearest, I may build my hopes

On the foundation of thy constant sufferance
In any opposition.

Euph. Death shall sooner

Divorce life, and the joys I have in living,
Than my chaste vows from truth.
Proph. On thy fair hand

I seal the like.