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Dian, Good my Lord,

Ask him upon his Oath, if he does think
He had not my Virginity.

King. What fay'ft thou to her?

Ber. She's Impudent, my Lord,

And was a common Gamefter to the Camp.
Dia. He does me wrong, my Lord; if I were so,
He might have bought me at a common Price.
Do not believe him. O behold this Ring,
Whose high Respect and rich Validity
Did lack a Parallel: Yet for all that

He gave

it to a Commoner o'th' Camp,

If I be one.

Count. He blushes, and 'tis hit:

Of fix preceeding Ancestors, that Jem

Confer'd by Teftament to th' fequent Iffue

Hath it been ow'd and worn.

That Ring's a thousand Proofs.

King. Methought you faid

This is his Wife,

You faw one here in Court could witness it.
Dia. I did, my Lord, but loath am to produce
So bad an Instrument; his Name's Parolles.
Laf. I faw the Man to day, if Man he be.
King Find him, and bring him hither.
Ber. What of him?

He's quoted for a most perfidious Slave,

With all the Spots o'th' World, tax'd and deboish'd,
Which Nature fickens with: but to speak truth,
Am I, or that or this, for what he'll utter,
That will speak any thing?

King. She hath that Ring of yours.

Ber. I think fhe has; certain it is I lik'd her,
And boarded her i'th' wanton way of Youth:
She knew her diftance, and did angle of me,
Madding my eagerness with her restraint,
As all Impediments in Fancy's course
Are Motives of more Fancy, and in fine,
Her Infuit coming with her modern Grace,
Subdu'd me to her rate; fhe got the Ring,
And I had that which any Inferior might
At Market Price have bought.

Dia. I must be patient :

You that have turn'd off a first so noble Wife,
May juftly Diet me. I pray you yet,
Since you lack Virtue, I will lofe a Husband,
Send for your Ring, I will return it home,
And give me mine again.

Ber. I have it not.

King. What Ring was yours, I pray you?
Dia. Sir, much like the fame upon your Finger:
King. Know you this Ring, this Ring was his of late.
Dia. And this was it I gave him, being a-bed.
King. The Story then goes falfe, you threw it him
Out of a Cafement.

Enter Parolles.

Ber. My Lord, I do confefs the Ring was hers. King. You boggle fhrewdly, every Feather starts you: Is this the Man you speak of?

Dia. It is, my Lord.

King. Tell me, Sirrah, but tell me true, I charge you, Not fearing the Displeasure of your Mafter;

Which on your juft Proceeding I'll keep off,

By him, and by this Woman here, what know you?

Par. So pleafe your Majefty, my Mafter hath been an honourable Gentleman. Tricks he hath had in him, which Gentlemen have.

King. Come, come, to the purpofe; Did he love this Woman?

Par. 'Faith, Sir, he did love her, but how!

King. How, I pray you?

Par. He did love her, Sir, as a Gentleman loves a Wo

man.

King. How is that?

Par. He lov'd her, Sir, and lov'd her not.

King. As thou art a Knave, and no Knave; what an equivocal Companion is this?

Par. I am a poor Man, and at your Majefty's Command. Laf. He's a good Drum, my Lord, but a naughty O

rator.

Dia. Do you know he promis'd me Marriage?
Par. 'Faith, I know more than I'll speak.
King. But wilt thou not speak all thou know'st?

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Par. Yes, so please your Majefty. I did go between them, as I faid; but more than that, he lov'd her: For, indeed, he was mad for her, and talk'd of Sathan, and of Limbo, and of Furies, and I know not what; yet I was in that Credit with them at that time, that I knew of their going to Bed, and of other Motions, as promifing her Marriage, and things that would derive me ill will to fpeak of; therefore I will not speak what I know.

King. Thou haft fpoken all already, unless thou canst fay they are married; but thou art too fine in thy Evidence ; therefore ftand afide. This Ring, you fay, was yours?

Dia. Ay, my good Lord.

King. Where did you buy it? or who

gave it you?
Dia. It was not given me, nor did I buy it.
King. Who lent it you?

Dia. It was not lent me neither.

King. Where did you find it then?

Dia. I found it not.

King. If it were yours by none of all these ways,

How could you give it him.

Dia. I never gave it him.

Laf. This Woman's an eafie Glove, my Lord, fhe goes off and on at pleasure.

King. This Ring was mine, I gave it his firft Wife.
Dia. It might be yours, or hers, for ought I know.
King. Take her away, I do not like her now,

To Prison with her: And away with him.
Unless thou tell'ft me where thou hadst this Ring,
Thou dieft within this Hour.

Dia. I'll never tell you.

King. Take her away.

Dia. I'll put in Bail, my Liege.

King. I think thee now fome common Customer.
Dia. By Jove, if ever I knew Man, 'twas you.
King. Wherefore haft thou accus'd him all this while?
Dia. Because he's guilty, and he is not guilty;

He knows I am no Maid, and he'll fwear to't;
I'll fwear I am a Maid, and he knows not.
Great King, I am no Strumpet, by my Life;

I am either Maid,or elfe this old Man's Wife. Pointing to Laf

King. She does abuse our Ears, to Prison with her. Dia. Good Mother, fetch my Bail. Stay, Royal, Sir, The Jeweller that owes the Ring is fent for,

And he fhall furety me.

But for this Lord,
Who hath abus'd me, as he knows himself,
Tho' yet he never harm'd me, here I quit him.
He knows himself my Bed he hath defil'd,
And at that time he got his Wife with Child;
Dead tho' fhe be, fhe feels her young one kick:
So there's my Riddle, one that's dead is quick.
And now behold the meaning.

Enter Helena and Widow.

King. Is there no Exorcist

Beguiles the truer Office of mine Eyes?
Is't real that I fee?

Hel. No, my good Lord,
'Tis but the fhadow of a Wife

The Name, and not the Thing.
Ber. Both, both, O pardon.

you fee,

[To Bert.

Hel. Oh, my good Lord, when I was like this Maid, I found you wondrous kind, there is your Ring, And look you, here's your Letter: This it fays, When from my Finger you can get this Ring, And are by me with Child, &c. This is done. Will you be mine, now you are doubly won?

Ber. If the, my Liege, can make me know this clearly, I'll love her dearly, ever, ever dearly.

Hel. If it appear not plain, and prove untrue, Deadly Divorce ftep between me and

you.

O, my dear Mother, do I fee you living? [To the Countess.
Laf. Mine Eyes fmell Onions, I fhall weep anon:
Good Tom Drum, lend me a Handkerchief. [To Parolles.
So, I thank thee, wait on me home, I'll make Sport with
thee: Let thy Courtefies alone, they are fcurvy ones.
King. Let us from point to point this Story know,

To make the even Truth in pleasure flow :

If thou beeft yet a fresh uncropped Flower,
[To Diana.
Chufe thou thy Husband, and I'll pay thy Dower,
For I can guess, that by thy honeft aid,
Thou keep'ft a Wife her felf, thy felf a Maid.
VOL. II.

A a

Of

Of that and all the Progrefs more and less,
Refolvedly more leifure fhall express:
All yet feems well, and if it end fo meet,
The bitter paft, more welcome is the fweet.

T

EPILOGUE.

HE King's a Beggar, now the Play is done:
All is well ended, if his Suit be won,
That you express Content; which we will Pay,
With ftrife to please you, day exceeding day;
Ours be your Patience then, and yours our Parts,
Your gentle Hands lend us, and take our Hearts.

[Exeunt.

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