As use to pay lust, recompence thy deed! You are a pair of vipers; and behold As brave as mine, for they have more descents; Ara. You spend your rage and words in vain, And rail upon a guess; hear us a little. Arb. No, I will never hear, but talk away My breath, and die. Gob. Why, but you are no bastard. Arb. How's that! Ara. Nor child of mine. Arb. Still you go on In wonders to me. Gob. Pray you, be more patient; I may bring comfort to you. Arb. I will kneel, And hear with the obedience of a child. Gob. First know, our last king, your supposed Was old and feeble when he married her, Arb. Therefore she took leave To play the whore, because the king was old: Is this the comfort? Ara. What will you find out To give me satisfaction, when you find How you have injur'd me? Let fire consume me If ever I were whore! Gob. Forbear these starts, Or I will leave you wedded to despair, Arb. Bring it out, good father. Gob. Our king, I say, was old, and this our Desir'd to bring an heir, but yet her husband, She hardly could have been: But yet her cunning Found out this way; she feign'd herself with child, And posts were sent in haste throughout the land, And God was humbly thank'd in ev'ry church, That so had bless'd the queen; and prayers were made For her safe going and delivery. She feign'd now to grow bigger; and perceiv'd A far more large respect from every man, Arb. Do I not hear it well? Nay, I will make No noise at all; but pray you to the point, Quick as you can. Gob. Now when the time was full Mov'd me to let her have you; and such reasons Unto her, and pretended you were dead,. That night this queen feign'd hastily to labour, Which she had charm'd, she made the world be lieve She was deliver'd of you. You grew up, Arb. And have you made an end now? Is this all? If not, I will be still till I be aged, Gob. This is all. Arb. And is it true, say you too, madam ? Arb. But can you prove this? Arb. Give consent? Why, I will have 'em all that know it rack'd Mardonius, the best news! Nay, draw no nearer; Mar. Indeed, 'twere well for you This hope of issue made her fear'd, and brought | If you might be a little less obey'd. What fury's this? Gob. Believe me, 'tis no fury; All that he says is truth. Mar. 'Tis very strange. Arb. Why do you keep your hats off, gentlemen? Is it to me! I swear it must not be; Nay, trust me, in good faith, it must not be! Mar. We will. You are not found Arb. Oh, not here! You may, but not I, for here is my father In presence. Mar. Where? Arb. Why, there. Oh, the whole story Bes. Why, if you remember, fellow-subject Arbaces, I told you once she was not your sister: Ay, and she look'd nothing like you. Arb. I think you did, good captain Bessus. Bes. Here will arise another question now amongst the sword-men, whether I be to call him to account for beating me, now he is prov'd No King. Enter LYGONES. Mar. Sir, here's Lygones, the agent for the Armenian state. Arb. Where is he? I know your business, good Lygones. Lyg. We must have our king again, and will. Arb. I knew that was your business: You shall have Your king again; and have him so again, [Exe. two gentlemen. Lyg. 'Tis Spaconia. Arb. She is so. I could now tell any thing I never heard. Your king shall go so home, As never man went. Mar. Shall he go on's head? Arb. He shall have chariots easier than air, That I will have invented; and ne'er think He shall pay any ransom! And thyself, That art the messenger, shall ride before him On a horse cut out of an entire diamond, That shall be made to go with golden wheels, I know not how yet. Lyg. Why, I shall be made For ever! They bely'd this king with us, Arb. And then, thy daughter; She shall have some strange thing; we'll have the kingdom Sold utterly, and put into a toy, Which she shall wear about her carelessly, Somewhere or other. See, the virtuous queen! Behold the humblest subject that you have, Kneel here before you. Enter PANTHEA and 1 Gentleman. Pan. Why kneel you to me, That am your vassal? Arb. Grant me one request. Pan. Alas! what can I grant you? what I can I will. Arb. That you will please to marry me, If I can prove it lawful. Pan. Is that all! Cleon. The rest are making ready, sir. Lys. So let them; there is time enough. Diph. You are the brother to the king, my lord; and we'll take your word. Lys. Strato, thou hast some skill in poetry: What think'st thou of the masque? Will it be well? Strat. As well as masque can be. Strat. Yes; they must commend their king, and speak in praise of the assembly; bless the bride and bridegroom, in person of some god. They are tied to rules of flattery. Cle. See, good my lord, who is returned ! Lys. Noble Melantius! the land, by me, Welcomes thy virtues home to Rhodes. Mel. My lord, my thanks; but these scratch'd limbs of mine Have spoke my love and truth unto my friends, More than my tongue e'er could. My mind's the same It ever was to you: Where I find worth Diph. Hail, worthy brother! Mel. I thank thee, Diphilus. But thou art faulty; Diph. My noble brother, my excuse Mel. Peace of heart betwixt them! But this is strange. Lys. The king my brother did it To honour you; and these solemnities Is my king's straight command; which you, my Are at his charge. ford, Mel. 'Tis royal, like himself. But I am sad My speech bears so unfortunate a sound To beautiful Aspatia. There is rage Hid in her father's breast, Calianax, Bent long against me; and he should not think, Lys. Yes. But this lady Walks discontented, with her watery eyes Bent on the earth. The unfrequented woods Mel. These soft and silken wars are not for Are her delight; and, when she sees a bank me: The music must be shrill, and all confused, Diph. This day. Mel. All joys upon him! for he is my friend. Wonder not that I call a man so young my friend: His worth is great; valiant he is, and temperate; And one that never thinks his life his own, If his friend need it. When he was a boy, As oft as I returned (as, without boast, I brought home conquest) he would gaze upon me, And view me round, to find in what one limb The virtue lay to do those things he heard. Then would he wish to see my sword, and feel The quickness of the edge, and in his hand Weigh it: He oft would make me smile at this. His youth did promise inuch, and his ripe years Will see it all performed. Enter ASPATIA, passing by. Hail, maid and wife ! Thou fair Aspatia, may the holy knot, That thou hast tied to-day, last till the hand Asp. My hard fortunes Deserve not scorn; for I was never proud, When they were good. Mel. How is this? Lys. You are mistaken, For she is not married. Mel. You said Amintor was. Diph. 'Tis true; but Mel. Pardon me, I did receive Letters at Patria from my Amintor, Diph. And so it stood In all opinion long; but your arrival Stuck full of flowers, she, with a sigh, will tell Mel. She has a brother under my command, Enter AMINtor. Cle. My lord, the bridegroom! Mel. I might run fiercely, not more hastily, Amin. Thou art Melantius; [Exit. | All love is spoke in that. A sacrifice, To thank the gods Melantius is return'd In safety! Victory sits on his sword, Made me imagine, you had heard the change. Mel. Who hath he taken then? Lys. A lady, sir, That bears the light above her, and strikes dead VOL. I. But if you laugh at my rude carriage Enter CALIANAX with DIAGORAS. Cal. Diagoras, look to the doors better, for shame! you let in all the world, and anon the king will rail at me-why, very well said-by Jove, the king will have the show in the court. Diag. Why do you swear so, my lord? You know, he will have it here. Cal. By this light, if he be wise, he will not. Diag. And, if he will not be wise, you are forsworn. Cal. One may wear out his heart with swearing, and get thanks on no side. I'll be gonelook to it, who will. Diag. My lord, I shall never keep them out. Pray, stay; your looks will terrify them. Cal. My looks terrify them, you coxcombly ass, you! I will be judged by all the company, whether thou hast not a worse face than I. Diug. I mean, because they know you and your office. Cal. Office! I would I could put it off: I am sure I sweat quite through my office. I might have made room at my daughter's wedding: they have near killed her among them; and now I must do service for him, that hath forsaken her. Serve, that will. [Exit. Diag. He is so humourous since his daughter was forsaken. Hark, hark! there, there! so, so, Codes, Codes! [Knock within.] What now? Mel. [Within.] Open the door. Diag. Who's there? Mel. [Within.] Melantius. Diag. I hope your lordship brings no troop with you; for, if you do, I must return them. Enter MELANTIUS and a Lady. Mel. None but this lady, sir. Diag. The ladies are all placed above, save those, that come in the king's troop: The best of Rhodes sit there, and there's room. Mel. I thank you, sir.--When I have seen you placed, madam, I must attend the king; but, the masque done, I'll wait on you again. Diag. Stand back there-room for my lord Melantius-pray, bear back-this is no place for such youths and their trulls-let the doors shut again.-No!-do your heads itch! I will scratch them for you.-So, now thrust and hang.Again! who is it now?-I cannot blame my ford Calianax for going away: Would he were here! he would run raging among them, and break a dozen wiser heads than his own, in the twinkling of an eye.-What's the news now? Within.] I pray you, can you help me to the speech of the master-cook? Diag. If I open the door, I will cook some of your calves heads. Peace, rogues !-Again! who is it? Mel. [Within.] Melantius. Enter CALIANAX. your age, And place, to be thus womanish. Forbear! Cal. Why, it is well, if I stand here to place men's wenches. Mel. I shall forget this place, thy age, my safety, And, thorough all, cut that poor sickly week, Cal. Nay, I know you can fight for your whore. |