DRAMATIS PERSONE.

AMYCLAS, King of Laconia.

ITHOCLES, a Favourite.

ORGILUS, Son of Crotolon.

BASSANES, a jealous Nobleman.
ARMOSTES, a Ccunsellor of State
CROTOLON, another Counsellor.
PROPHILUS, Friend of Ithocles.
NEARCHUS, Prince of Argos.

TECNICUS, a Philosopher.

HEMOPHIL,

GRONEAS,

Courtiers.

AMELUS, Friend of Nearchus.

PHULAS, Servant to Bassanes.

Lords, Courtiers, Officers, Attendants, &c.

CALANTHA, Daughter of Amyclas.

PENTHEA, Sister of Ithocles and Wife of Bassanes.

EUPHRANEA, Daughter of Crotolon, a Maid of honour.

CHRISTALLA, Maids of honour.

PHILEMA,

Enter CROTOLON and ORGILUS.

ROT. Dally not further; I will know

Such I expect, and ere we part must

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 cases

Touching the commonwealth; for, as I take it,
The budding of your chin cannot prognosticate
So grave an honour.

Org.

All this I acknowledge.

[have:

Crot. You do! then, son, if books and love of know

Inflame

ledge

you to this travel, here in Sparta

You may as freely study.

Crot. Not that, sir! As a father, I command thee T'acquaint me with the truth.

Org.

Thus I obey ye.

After so many quarrels as dissension,

Fury, and rage had broached 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 sealed a gentlé peace:
Friends you professed yourselves; which to confirm,
A resolution for a lasting league

Betwixt your families was entertained,
By joining in a Hymenean bond

Me and the fair Penthea, only daughter
To Thrasus.

Crot. Org.

What of this?

Much, much, dear sir.

A freedom of convérse, an interchange
Of holy and chaste love, so fixed our souls
In a firm growth of union, that no time
Can eat into the pledge: we had enjoyed
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 poisonous stalk

Of aconite, whose ripened fruit hath ravished

All health, all comfort of a happy life;

For Ithocles, her brother, proud of youth,

And prouder in his power, nourished closely
The memory
of former discontents,

To glory in revenge. By cunning partly,
Partly by threats, he woos at once, and forces

His virtuous sister to admit a marriage

With Bassanes, a nobleman, in honour

And riches, I confess, beyond my fortunes.

Crot. All this is no sound reason to impórtune

My leave for thy departure.

Org.

Now it follows.

Beauteous Penthea, wedded to this torture
By an insulting brother, being secretly
Compelled to yield her virgin freedom up
To him, who never can usurp her heart,
Before contracted mine, is now so yoked
To a most barbarous thraldrom, misery,
Affliction, that he savours not humanity,
Whose sorrow melts not into more than pity
In hearing but her name.

Crot.

Org.

As how, pray?

The man that calls her wife, considers truly
What heaven of perfections he is lord of
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 :

All

eyes who gaze upon that shrine of beauty
He doth resolve1 do homage to the miracle;
Some one, he is assured, may now or then,
If opportunity but sort, prevail :

So much, out of a self-unworthiness,

Bassanes,

His fears transport him; not that he finds cause
In her obedience, but his own distrust.

My griefs are violent :

Crot. You spin-out your discourse.
Org.
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.

I undertake a voluntary exile;

Hence, from hence,

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

1 i.e. Convince himself.

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. Euphranea, thus upon thy cheeks I print A brother's kiss; more careful of thine honour, Thy health, and thy well-doing, than my life. Before we part, in presence of our father, I must prefer a suit t' ye.

Euph.

My brother, a command.

Org.

You may style it,

That you will promise

Never to pass to any man, however

Worthy, your faith, till, with our father's leave,

Euphranea's oath must yield me satisfaction.

Euph. By Vesta's sacred fires I swear.
Crot.

By great Apollo's beams, join in the vow,
Not without thy allowance to bestow her

And I,

Mistake me not: far, far 'tis from my thought,

As far from any wish of mine, to hinder
Preferment to an honourable bed

Or fitting fortune; thou art young and handsome;
And 'twere injustice,-more, a tyranny,—

Not to advance thy merit: trust me, sister,