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In manners and effect indeed a child,
A boy, a very boy.

Pel. May it please your grace, I think you do contain within yourself The great elixir, soul and quintessence Of all divine perfections; are the glory Of mankind, and the only strict example For earthly monarchs to square out their lives by:

Time's miracle! Fame's pride! in knowledge, wit, Sweetness, discourse, arms, arts,

Pal. You are a courtier.

Cuc. But not of the ancient fashion, an it like your highness. 'Tis I; I that am the credit of the court, noble prince; and if thou would'st, by proclamation or patent, create me overseer of all the tailors in thy dominions, then, then the golden days should appear again! bread should be cheaper; fools should have more wit; knaves more honesty, and beggars more money.

Gri. I think now

Cuc. Peace, you squall!

Pal. You have not spoken yet.

[To Rhetias.

Cuc. Hang him! he'll nothing but rail.
Gri. Most abominable;-out upon him!
Cor. Away, Cuculus; follow the lords.
Cuc. Close, page, close.

[They all silently withdraw, but RHE. and PAL.
Pal. You are somewhat long a'thinking.
Rhe. I do not think at all.

Pal. Am I not worthy of your thought?

Rhe. My pity, you are;-but not my reprehension.

Pal. Pity!

Rhe. Yes, for I pity such to whom I owe service, who exchange their happiness for a misery. Pal. Is it a misery to be a prince?

Rhe. Princes who forget their sovereignty, and yield to affected passion, are weary of command.— You had a father, sir.

Pal. Your sovereign, whilst he lived:-but what of him?

Rhe. Nothing.

I only dared to name him,-that is all.

Pal. I charge thee, by the duty that thou ow'st

us,

Be plain in what thou mean'st to speak; there's something

That we must know: be free; our ears are open.

Rhe. O, sir, I had rather hold a wolf by the ears than stroke a lion; the greatest danger is the last. Pal. This is mere trifling.-Ha! are all stol'n hence?

We are alone-thou hast an honest look.-
Thou hast a tongue, I hope, that is not oil'd
With flattery: be open. Though 'tis true,
That in my younger days I oft have heard
Agenor's name, my father, more traduced,
Than I could then observe; yet I protest,
I never had a friend, a certain friend,
That would inform me throughly of such errors,
As oftentimes are incident to princes.

Rhe. All this may be. I have seen a man so curious in feeling of the edge of a keen knife, that he has cut his fingers. My flesh is not proof

against the metal I am to derer than the other.

handle; the one is ten

Pal. I see then I must court thee. Take the word

Of a just prince; for any thing thou speakest
I have more than a pardon, thanks and love.

Rhe. I will remember you of an old tale, that something concerns you. Meleander, the great but unfortunate statesman, was by your father treated with for a match between you and his eldest daughter, the lady Eroclea: you were both near of an age. I presume you remember a contract, and cannot forget her.

Pal. She was a lovely beauty-prithee forward! Rhe. To court was Eroclea brought; was courted by your father, not for prince Palador, as it followed, but to be made a prey to some less noble design. With your favour, I have forgot

the rest.

Pal. Good, call it back again into thy memory; Else, losing the remainder, I am lost too.

Rhe. You charm me." In brief, a rape by some bad agents was attempted; by the lord Meleander her father rescued; she conveyed away; Meleander accused of treason, his land seized, he himself distracted and confined to the castle,

8 You charm me.] You overpower my reluctance to speak; and accordingly Rhetias feels no further difficulty in disclosing himself.

where he yet lives. What had ensued, was doubtful; but your father shortly after died.

Pal. But what became of fair Eroclea?

Rhe. She never since was heard of.
Pal. No hope lives then

Of ever, ever seeing her again?

Rhe. Sir, I feared I should anger you. This was, as I said, an old tale:-I have now a new one, which may perhaps season the first with a more delightful relish.

Pal. I am prepared to hear; say what you please.

Rhe. My lord Meleander falling, (on whose favour my fortunes relied,) I furnished myself for travel, and bent my course to Athens; where a pretty accident, after a while, came to my knowledge.

Pal. My ear is open to thee.

Rhe. A young lady contracted to a noble gentleman, as the lady last mentioned and your highness were, being hindered by their jarring parents, stole from her home, and was conveyed like a ship-boy in a merchant,' from the country where she lived, into Corinth first, and afterwards to Athens; where in much solitariness she lived, like a youth, almost two years, courted by all her acquaintance, but friend to none by familiarity.Pal. In habit of a man?

9 In a merchant.] i. e. a merchantship, a trader. This is the expression which so greatly perplexed Steevens; who has made woeful work with it, in the Tempest.

Rhe. A handsome young man-'till within these three months or less, (her sweet-heart's father dying some year before, or more,) she had notice of it, and with much joy returned home, and, as report voiced it at Athens, enjoyed her happiness she was long an exile for. Now, noble sir, if you did love the lady Eroclea, why may not such safety and fate direct her, as directed the other? 'tis not impossible.

Pal. If I did love her, Rhetias! Yes I did. Give me thy hand: As thou did'st serve Mele

ander,

And art still true to these, henceforth serve me. Rhe. My duty and my obedience are my surety; but I have been too bold.

Pal. Forget the sadder story of my father, And only, Rhetias, learn to read me well; For I must ever thank thee: thou hast unlock'd A tongue was vow'd to silence; for requital, Open my bosom, Rhetias.

Rhe. What's your meaning?

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Pal. To tie thee to an oath of secrecyUnloose the buttons, man! thou dost it faintly: What find'st thou there?

Rhe. A picture in a tablet.

Pal. Look well upon't.

Rhe. I do-yes-let me observe it—

'Tis her's, the lady's.

Pal. Whose?

Rhe. Eroclea's.

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