But when inhuman lusts transform us, then As beasts we are to suffer, not like men To be lamented. Nor did Charalois ever Perform an act so worthy the applause Of a full theatre of perfect men,
As he hath done in this. The glory got By overthrowing outward enemies,
Virtue, that was my patroness, betrayed me : For, entering, nay, possessing, this young man, It lent him such a powerful majesty,
To grace whate'er he undertook, that freely gave myself up with my liberty,
To be at his disposing. Had his person, Lovely I must confess, or far-famed valour,
Since strength and fortune are main sharers in it, Or any other seeming good, that yet
We cannot, but by pieces, call our own: But, when we conquer our intestine foes, Our passions bred within us, and of those The most rebellious tyrant, powerful love, Our reason suffering us to like no longer Than the fair object, being good, deserves it, That's a true victory! which, were great men Ambitious to achieve by your example, Setting no price upon the breach of faith, But loss of life, 'twould fright adultery Out of their families; and make lust appear As loathsome to us in the first consent, As when 'tis waited on by punishment.
Char. You have confirmed me. Who would love a woman,
That might enjoy, in such a man, a friend! You've made me know the justice of my cause, And marked me out the way how to defend it. Rom. Continue to that resolution constant, And you shall, in contempt of their worst malice, Come off with honour.-Here they come. Char. I am ready.
Enter DU CROY, CHARMI, ROCHFOrt, No- VALL sen. PONTALIER, and BEAUMONT. Nov. sen. See, equal judges, with what confi-
The cruel murderer stands, as if he would Out-face the court and justice!
Roch. But look on him,
you shall find (for still methinks I do, Though guilt hath dyed him black) something good in him,
That may perhaps work with a wiser man Than I have been, again to set him free, And give him all he has.
Charm. This is not well.
I would you had lived so, my lord, that I, Might rather have continued your poor servant, Than sit here as your judge.
Du Croy. I am sorry for you.
Roch. In no act of my life I have deserved This injury from the court, that any here Should thus uncivily usurp on what Is proper to me only.
Du Croy. What distaste
Receives my lord?
Roch. You say you are sorry for him; A grief in which I must not have a partner. Tis I alone am sorry, that when I raised The building of my life, for seventy years, Upon so sure a ground, that all the vices Practised to ruin man, though brought against
Holds a near neighbourhood with ill, wrought
I might have borne it better: But, when good
And piety itself, in her best figure,
Were bribed to my destruction, can you blame
Though I forget to suffer like a man, Or rather act a woman?
Beaum. Good my lord!
Nov. sen. You hinder our proceeding. Charmi. And forget
The parts of an accuser.
Beaum. Pray you, remember
To use the temper, which to me you promised. Roch. Angels themselves must break, Beau-
Beyond the strength and patience of angels. But I have done:-My good lord, pardon me, A weak old man, and, pray you, add to that, A miserable father; yet be careful That your compassion of my age, nor his, Move you to any thing, that may mis-become The place on which you sit.
Charmi. Read the indictment.
Char. It shall be needless; I myself, my lords,
Will be my own accuser, and confess All they can charge me with, nor will I spare To aggravate that guilt with circumstance, They seek to load me with; only I pray, That, as for them you will vouchsafe me hear- ing,
I may not be denied it for myself,
When I shall urge by what unanswerable reasons I was compelled to what I did, which yet, Till you have taught me better, I repent not. Roch. The motion's honest.
Charmi. And 'tis freely granted.
Char. Then I confess, my lords, that I stood bound,
When, with my friends, even hope itself had left me,
To this man's charity for my liberty; Nor did his bounty end there, but began: For, after my enlargement, cherishing The good he did, he made me master of His only daughter and his whole estate. Great ties of thankfulness, I must acknowledge; Could any one, fee'd by you, press this further?- But yet consider, my most honour'd lords, If to receive a favour make a servant, And benefits are bonds to tie the taker To the imperious will of him that gives, There's none but slaves will receive courtesies, Since they must fetter us to our dishonours. Can it be called magnificence in a prince,
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
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
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,
That his great wealth was not the mark I shot at, I dare not say. But that I held it, when fair Beaumelle Fell from her virtue, like the fatal gold
Which Brennus took from Delphos, whose pos
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.
THE SPEAKERS' NAMES FITTED TO THEIR QUALITIES.*
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.
Trusty, friend to Nearchus.
*This whimsical enumeration of the Dramatis Personæ has been carefully preserved from the old
Partly by threats, he wooes, at once, and forces,
SCENE I.-An Apartment in the House of His virtuous sister to admit a marriage
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.
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
Crot. You do? Then, son, if books and love What heaven of perfections he is lord of,
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.
Crot. Not that, sir? As a father, I command All eyes who gaze upon that shrine of beauty,
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.
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?
Thy sister comes to give a farewell.
Enter EUPHRANIA.
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