Cleo. May soft dreams

Play in his fancy, that when he awakes,
With comfort, he may, by degrees, digest
The present blessings in a moderate joy!
Cor. I drench'd his cup to purpose; he ne'er
stirr'd

At barber or at tailor. He will laugh

At his own metamorphosis, and wonder,

We must be watchful. Does the couch stand ready? Enter TROLLIO.

.

Cleo. All, [all] as you commanded. What's your haste for?

Trol. A brace of women, usher'd by the young old ape with his she-clog, are enter'd the castle. Shall they come on?

Cor. By any means; the time is precious now; Lady, be quick and careful. Follow, Trollio!

[Exit.

Trol. I owe all reverence to your right worshipfulness.

[Exit.

Cleo. So many fears, so many joys encounter My double expectations, that I waver

Between the resolution of my hopes

And my obedience: 't is not, O my fate!

The apprehension of a timely blessing

In pleasures, shakes my weakness; but the danger Of a mistaken duty, that confines

The limits of my reason.

Let me live,

Virtue, to thee as chaste, as Truth to time!

Enter THAMASTA, speaking to some one without.
Tha. Attend me till I call.-My sweet Cleophila!
Cleo. Great princess-

Tha. I bring peace, to sue a pardon
For my neglect of all those noble virtues
Thy mind and duty are apparelled with:
I have deserv'd ill from thee, and must say,
Thou art too gentle, if thou canst forget it.

Cleo. Alas! you have not wrong'd me; for, in

deed,

Acquaintance with my sorrows, and my fortune,
Were grown to such familiarity,

That it was an impudence, more than presumption,

To wish so great a lady as you are,

Should lose affection on my uncle's son:
But that your brother, equal in your blood,
Should stoop to such a lowness, as to love
A cast-away, a poor despised maid,
Only for me to hope was almost sin ;-
Yet, 'troth, I never tempted him.

Tha. Chide not

The grossness of my trespass, lovely sweetness,
In such an humble language; I have smarted
Already in the wounds my pride hath made
Upon your sufferings: henceforth, 't is in you
To work my happiness.

Cleo. Call any service

Of mine a debt; for such it is. The letter
You lately sent me, in the blest contents
It made me privy to, hath largely quitted
Every suspicion of your grace, or goodness.
Tha. Let me embrace thee with a sister's love,
A sister's love, Cleophila! for should

My brother henceforth study to forget

The vows that he hath made thee, I would ever
Solicit thy deserts.1

Amet. Men. [within.] We must have entrance, Tha. Must! Who are they say must? you are unmannerly.

Enter AMETHUS and MENAPHON.

Brother is 't you? and you too, sir?

Amet. Your ladyship

1 Solicit thy deserts,] i. e. plead your merits to my brother: which accordingly she does in the next page, where Amethus observes, "The ladies are turn'd lawyers."-GIFFORD.

Has had a time of scolding to your humour;
Does the storm hold still?

Cleo. Never fell a shower

More seasonably gentle on the barren

Parch'd thirsty earth, than showers of courtesy
Have from this princess been distill'd on me,
To make my growth in quiet of my mind
Secure and lasting.

Tha. You may both believe,
That I was not uncivil.

Amet. Pish! I know Her spirit and her envy. Cleo. Now, in troth, sir,

(Pray credit me, I do not use to swear), The virtuous princess hath, in words and carriage, Been kind, so over-kind, that I do blush,

I am not rich enough in thanks sufficient

For her unequall'd bounty.—My good cousin,
I have a suit to you.

Men. It shall be granted.

Cleo. That no time, no persuasion, no respects
Of jealousies, past, present, or hereafter
By possibility to be conceiv'd,

Draw you from that sincerity and pureness
Of love, which you have oftentimes protested
To this great worthy lady: she deserves
A duty more than what the ties of marriage
Can claim or warrant; be for ever hers,

As she is yours, and Heaven increase your comforts!

Amet. Cleophila hath play'd the churchman's part;

I'll not forbid the bans.

Men. Are you contented?

Tha. I have one task in charge first, which con.

cerns me.

Brother, be not more cruel than this lady;
She hath forgiv'n my follies, so may you.
Her youth, her beauty, innocence, discretion,

Without additions of estate or birth,

Are dower for a prince, indeed. You lov'd her;
For sure you swore you did: else, if you did not,
Here fix your heart; and thus resolve,' if now
You miss this heaven on earth, you cannot find
In any other choice aught but a hell.

Amet. The ladies are turn'd lawyers, and plead handsomely

Their clients' cases: I am an easy judge,
And so shalt thou be, Menaphon. I give thee
My sister for a wife; a good one, friend.
Men. Lady, will you confirm the gift?
Tha. The errors

Of my mistaken judgment being lost
To your remembrance, I shall ever strive
In my obedience to deserve your pity.
Men. My love, my care, my all.
Amet. What rests for me?

I am still a bachelor: sweet maid, resolve me,
May I yet call you mine?

Cleo. My lord Amethus,

Blame not my plainness; I am young and simple,
And have not any power to dispose

Mine own will, without warrant from my father;
That purchas'd, I am yours.

Amet. It shall suffice me.

Enter CUCULUS, PELIAS, and TROLLIO, plucking in GRILLA.

Cuc. Revenge! I must have revenge; I will have revenge, bitter and abominable revenge; I will have revenge. This unfashionable mongrel, this linsey. Woolsey of mortality-by this hand, mistress, this she-rogue is drunk, and clapper-clawed me, without any reverence to my person, or good garments. Why do you not speak, gentlemen?

! And thus resolve,] i. e. and come to this certain conclusion, that -If now, &c.-GIFFORD.

Pel. Some certain blows have pass'd, an 't like your highness.

Trol. Some few knocks of friendship; some lovetoys, some cuffs in kindness, or so.

Gril. I'll turn him away, he shall be my master no longer.

Men. Is this your she-page, Cuculus? 't is a boy,

sure.

Cuc. A boy, an arrant boy in long coats.

Tha. Pelias, take hence the wag, and school him
for 't.

For your part, servant, I'll entreat the prince
To grant you some fit place about his wardrobe.
Cuc. Ever after a bloody nose do I dream of good
luck. I horribly thank your ladyship.

While I'm in office, the old garb shall agen
Grow in request, and tailors shall be men.
Come, Trollio, help to wash my face, prithee.
Trol. Yes, and to scour it too.

[Exeunt CUC. TROL. PEL. and GRIL.1

Enter RHETIAS and CORAX.

Rhe. The prince and princess are at hand; give

over

Your amorous dialogues. Most honour'd lady,
Henceforth forbear your sadness; are you ready
To practise your instructions?

Cleo. I have studied

My part with care, and will perform it, Rhetias,
With all the skill I can.

Cor. I'll pass my word for her.

A Flourish.-Enter PALADOR, SOPHRONOS, ARETUS, and EROCLEA.

Pal. Thus princes should be circled with a guard

1 It is pleasant to witness the departure of this despicable set of buf foons; and Ford has shown more judgment than he was probably aware of (for he seems to take delight in his wretched antics), in dismissing them at a period when they would have broken in on the deep pathos and feeling of his exquisite catastrophe -GIFFORD.