Re-enter AMETHUS, with a staff.

Ame.
The prince hath sent ye,
My lord, this staff of office, and withal
Salutes you Grand Commander of the Ports
Throughout his principalities. He shortly
Will visit you himself: I must attend him.
Cor. D'ye feel your physic stirring yet?
Mel.

Is a rare juggler, and can cheat the eye,
But not corrupt the reason, in the throne
soul.

Of a pure

A devil

Re-enter SOPHRONOS, with a tablet.
Another!-I will stand thee;

Be what thou canst, I care not.

From the prince,

Soph.
Dear brother, I present you this rich relic,

A jewel he hath long worn in his bosom :

Henceforth, he bade me say, he does beseech you
To call him son, for he will call you father;

It is an honour, brother, that a subject
Cannot but entertain with thankful prayers.
Be moderate in your joys: he will in person

[Exit.

Confirm my errand, but commands my service. [Exit. Cor. What hope now of your cure?

Mel.

Stay, stay!-What earthquakes

Roll in my flesh! Here's prince, and prince, and prince; Prince upon prince! The dotage of my sorrows

Revels in magic of ambitious scorn:

Be they enchantments deadly as the grave,

I'll look upon 'em. Patent, staff, and relic!

To the last first. [Taking up the miniature] Round me,

ye guarding ministers,

And ever keep me waking, till the cliffs

That overhang my sight fall off, and leave

These hollow spaces to be crammed with dust!

1 Miniature.

Cor. 'Tis time, I see, to fetch the cordial. Prithee, Sit down; I'll instantly be here again.

[Exit.

Mel. Good, give me leave; I will sit down: indeed, Here's company enough for me to prate to.

[Looks at the picture.

Eroclea!-'tis the same; the cunning arts-man
Faltered not in a line. Could he have fashioned

A little hollow space here, and blown breath

T'have made it move and whisper, 't had been excellent:

But, faith, 'tis well, 'tis very well as 'tis,

Passing, most passing well.

Re-enter CLEOPHILA leading EROCLEA, and followed

by RHETIAS.

Cleo. The sovereign greatness, Who, by commission from the powers of Heaven, Sways both this land and us, our gracious prince, By me presents you, sir, with this large bounty, A gift more precious to him than his birthright. Here let your cares take end; now set at liberty Your long-imprisoned heart, and welcome home The solace of your soul, too long kept from you. Ero. [Kneeling] Dear sir, you know me? Mel. Yes, thou art my daughter, My eldest blessing. Know thee! why, Eroclea, I never did forget thee in thy absence.

Poor soul, how dost?

Ero.

Consists in yours.

Mel.

The best of my well-being

Stand up the gods, who hitherto
[EROCLEA rises

Have kept us both alive, preserve thee ever!—
Cleophila, I thank thee and the prince:-
I thank thee too, Eroclea, that thou wouldst,
In pity of my age, take so much pains

To live, till I might once more look upon thee,

Before I broke my heart: O, 'twas a piece
Of piety and duty unexampled !

Rhe. [Aside] The good man relisheth his comforts

Yet let us gaze on one another freely,
And surfeit with our eyes. Let me be plain :
If I should speak as much as I should speak,
I should talk of a thousand things at once,
And all of thee; of thee, my child, of thee!
My tears, like ruffling winds locked up.
Do bustle for a vent ;-on t'other side,
To fly out into mirth were not so comely.
Come hither, let me kiss thee. [To EROCLEA] With a
pride,

in caves,

Strength, courage, and fresh blood, which now thy pre

sence

Hath stored me with, I kneel before their altars,
Whose sovereignty kept guard about thy safety.
Ask, ask thy sister, prithee, she will tell thee
How I have been much mad.

Much discontented,

Cleo.
Shunning all means that might procure him comfort.
Ero. Heaven has at last been gracious.
Mel.

So say I:

But wherefore drop thy words in such a sloth,

As if thou wert afraid to mingle truth

With thy misfortunes? Understand me throughly;
I would not have thee to report at large,

From point to point, a journal of thy absence,
"Twill take up too much time; I would securely
Engross the little remnant of my life,

That thou mightst every day be telling somewhat,

Which might convey me to my rest with comfort.
Let me bethink me: how we parted first,
Puzzles my faint remembrance—but soft—
Cleophila, thou told'st me that the prince
Sent me this present.

Cleo.

I did receive my sister.

Mel.

From his own fair hands

To requite him,

We will not dig his father's grave anew,
Although the mention of him much concerns
The business we inquire of :-as I said,
We parted in a hurry at the court;
I to this castle, after made my. jail.
But whither thou, dear heart?

Rhe.

I looked for this.

Ero.

Now they fall to't;

I, by my uncle's care,

Sophronos, my good uncle, suddenly

Was like a sailor's boy conveyed a-shipboard

That very night.

Mel.

A policy quick and strange.

Ero. The ship was bound for Corinth; whither first, Attended only with your servant Rhetias

And all fit necessaries, we arrived :

From thence, in habit of a youth, we journeyed

To Athens, where, till our return of late,

Have we lived safe.

Mel.
O, what a thing is man,
To bandy factions of distempered passions
Against the sacred Providence above him!
Here, in the legend of thy two years' exile,
Rare pity and delight are sweetly mixed.--
And still thou wert a boy?

Ero.

If earthly treasures

Are poured in plenty down from Heaven on mortals,
They rain amongst those oracles that flow

In schools of sacred knowledge; such is Athens:
Yet Athens was to me but a fair prison :

The thoughts of you, my sister, country, fortunes,
And something of the prince, barred all contents,
Which else might ravish sense; for had not Rhetias
Been always comfortable to me, certainly

Things had gone worse.

Mel.

Speak low, Eroclea.

That "something of the prince" bears danger in it:
Yet thou hast travelled, wench, for such endowments
As might create a prince a wife fit for him,

Had he the world to guide: but touch not there.
How cam'st thou home?

Rhe.

Kissing your hand first, that point I can answer.
Mel. Honest, right honest Rhetias!

Sir, with your noble favour,

Your grave brother

Rhe.
Perceived with what a hopeless love his son,
Lord Menaphon, too eagerly pursued
Thamasta, cousin to our present prince;
And, to remove the violence of affection,

Sent him to Athens, where, for twelve months' space,
Your daughter, my young lady, and her cousin,
Enjoyed each other's griefs; till by his father,

The Lord Sophronos, we were all called home.

Mel. Enough, enough: the world shall henceforth witness

My thankfulness to Heaven and those people
Who have been pitiful to me and mine.-

Lend me a looking-glass.-How now! how came I
So courtly, in fresh raiments?

Rhe.

Here's the glass, sir. [Hands a glass to MELEANDER.

Mel. I'm in the trim too.-O Cleophila,