To pour down riches, with a liberal hand,
Upon a poor man's wants, if that must bind him
To play the soothing parasite to his vices?
Or any man, because he saved my hand,
Presume my head and heart are at his service?
Or, did I stand engaged to buy my freedom
(When my captivity was honourable)

By making myself here, and fame hereafter, Bond-slaves to men's scorn, and calumnious tongues

Had his fair daughter's mind been like her fea

tures,

Or, for some little blemish, I had sought
For my content elsewhere, wasting on others
My body and her dower; my forehead then
Deserved the brand of base ingratitude :
But if obsequious usage, and fair warning,
To keep her worth my love, could not preserve
her

From being a whore, and yet no cunning one,
So to offend, and yet the fault kept from me,
What should I do? Let any free-born spirit
Determine truly, if that thankfulness,

Choice form, with the whole world given for a dowry,

Could strengthen so an honest man with patience,

As with a willing neck to undergo
The insupportable yoke of slave, or wittol!
Charmi. What proof have you she did play
false, besides

Your oath ?

Char. Her own confession to her father. I ask him for a witness.

Roch. 'Tis most true.

I would not willingly blend my last words With an untruth.

Char. And then to clear myself,

Your lordship's pleasure.-For the fact, as of
The former, I confess it; but with what
Base wrongs I was unwillingly drawn to it,
To my few words there are some other proofs,
To witness this for truth. When I was married,
(For there I must begin) the slain Novall
Was to my wife, in way of our French court-
ship,

A most devoted servant; but yet aimed at
Nothing but means to quench his wanton heat,
His heart being never warmed by lawful fires,
As mine was, lords: and though, on these pre-
sumptions,

Joined to the hate between his house and mine,
I might, with opportunity and ease,

Have found a way for my revenge, I did not;
But still he had the freedom as before,
When all was mine: and, told that he abused it
With some unseemly licence, by my friend,
My approved friend, Romont, I gave no credit
To the reporter, but reproved him for it,
As one uncourtly and malicious to him.
What could I more, my lords? Yet, after this,
He did continue in his first pursuit,
Hotter than ever, and at length obtained it;
But, how it came to my most certain knowledge,
For the dignity of the court, and my own honour,

session

Brought with it ruin to himself and army, Here's one in court, Beaumont, by whom I sent All grants and writings back which made it mine,

Before his daughter died by his own sentence,
As freely as, unasked, he gave it to me.

Beaum. They are here to be seen.
Charmi. Open the casket.

Peruse that deed of gift.

Rom. Half of the danger

Already is discharged: The other part
As bravely, and you are not only free,
But crowned with praise for ever.
Du Croy. 'Tis apparent.

Charmi. Your state, my lord, again is yours.
Roch. Not mine;

I am not of the world. If it can prosper,
(And yet, being justly got, I'll not examine
Why it should be so fatal) do you bestow it
On pious uses: I'll go seek a grave.

And yet, for proof I die in peace, your pardon
I ask; and, as you grant it me, may Heaven,

Nov. sen. If all may be believed

A pasionate prisoner speaks, who is so foolish,
That durst be wicked, that will appear guilty?
No, my grave lords; in his impunity
But give example unto jealous men

To cut the throats they hate, and they will never
Want matter or pretence for their bad ends.
Charmi. You must find other proofs to strengthen
these

But mere presumptions.

Du Croy. Or we shall hardly Allow your innocence.

Char. All your attempts

Shall fall on me, like brittle shafts on armour,
That break themselves; or waves against a rock,
That leave no sign of their ridiculous fury
But foam and splinters: my innocence like these
Shall stand triumphant, and your malice serve
But for a trumpet to proclaim my conquest.
Nor shall you, though you do the worst fate can,
Howe'er condemn, affright an honest man.

Rom. May it please the court, I may be heard?
Nov. sen. You come not

To rail again? But do-you shall not find
Another Rochfort.

Rom. In Novall I cannot;

But I come furnished with what will stop
The mouth of his conspiracy 'gainst the life
Of innocent Charalois. Do you know this cha-
racter?

Nov. sen. Yes, 'tis my son's.

Rom. May it please your lordships, read it,
And you shall find there, with what vehemency
He did solicit Beaumelle; how he got
A promise from her to enjoy his wishes;
How after he abjured her company,

And yet-but that 'tis fit I spare the dead-
Like a damned villain, as soon as recorded,
He brake that oath: To make this manifest,
Produce his bawds and her's.

Enter Officers with AYMER, FLORIMEL, and
BELLAPERT.

Charmi. Have they ta'en their oaths?

Rom. They have, and, rather than endure the rack,

Confess the time, the meeting, nay the act;
What would you more? Only this matron made
A free discovery to a good end;

And therefore I sue to the court, she may not
Be placed in the black list of the delinquents.
Pont. I see by this, Novall's revenge needs me,
And I shall do

Charmi. 'Tis evident. Nov. sen. That I

Till now was never wretched: Here's no place
To curse him or my stars. [Exit NOVALL sen.
Charmi. Lord Charalois,

The injuries you have sustained appear
So worthy of the mercy of the court,
That, notwithstanding you have gone beyond

By this sad precedent, how just soever
Our reasons are to remedy our wrongs,
We're yet to leave them to their will and power,
That to that purpose have authority.
For you, Romont, although in your excuse
You may plead what you did was in revenge
Of the dishonour done unto the court,
Yet, since from us you had not warrant for it,
We banish you the state: For these, they shall,
As they are found guilty or innocent,
Or be set free, or suffer punishment.

[Exeunt.

R

VOL. I.

AMYCLAS,

ITHOCLES,

ORGILUS, BASSANES,

Common to the kings of Laconia.
Honour of loveliness, a favorite.
Angry, son to Crotolon.

Veration, a jealous nobleman.

ARMOSTES, An appeaser, a counsellor of state.
CROTOLON, Noise, another counsellor.
PROPHILUS, Dear, friend to Ithocles.
NEARCHUS, Young Prince, prince of Argos.
TECNICUS, Artist, a philosopher.
HEMOPHIL, Glutton,'

GRONEAS, Tavernhunter, Two courtiers.

AMELUS,

Trusty, friend to Nearchus.

copy.

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 cynic, 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, bad 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 scal'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 poisonpus 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.