Still keep him fast chain'd: We must have none here

But vernal blasts, and gentle winds appear; Such as blow flow'rs, and thro' the glad boughs sing

Many soft welcomes to the lusty spring:
These are our music. Next, thy watery race
Bring on in couples (we are pleased to grace
This noble night), each in their richest things
Your own deeps, or the broken vessel, brings.
Be prodigal, and I shall be as kind,
And shine at full upon you.

Nept. Ho! the wind-commanding Æolus!

Enter EOLUS, out of a rock.

Eol. Great Neptune?

Nept. He.

Eol. What is thy will?

Nept. We do command thee free Favonius, and thy milder winds, to wait

Upon our Cinthia; but tie Boreas straight; He's too rebellious.

Eol. I shall do it.

Nept. Do.

Eol. Great master of the flood, and all below, Thy full command has taken.-Ho! the Main! Neptune!

Nept. Here.

Eol. Boreas has broke his chain,
And, struggling, with the rest has got away.

Nept. Let him alone, I'll take him up at sea; He will not long be thence. Go once again, And call out of the bottoms of the main

Blue Proteus, and the rest; charge them put on Their greatest pearls, and the most sparkling

SONG.

Hold back thy hours, dark Night, till we have done:

The day will come too soon; Young maids will curse thee, if thou steal'st away, And leav'st their losses open to the day: Stay, stay, and hide

The blushes of the bride.
Stay, gentle Night, and with thy darkness cover
The kisses of her lover.

Stay, and confound her tears, and her shrill cry-
ings,
Her weak denials, vows, and often dyings;
Stay, and hide all,

But help not, tho' she call.

Nept. Great queen of us and heav'n, hear
what I bring

To make this hour a full one,
If not o'ermeasure.

Cinth. Speak, sea's king.

Nept. The tunes my Amphitrite joys to have, When they will dance upon the rising wave, And court me as the sails. My Tritons, play Music to lead a storm; I'll lead the way.

SONG.

[Measure.

To bed, to bed; come, Hymen, lead the bride,
And lay her by her husband's side:
Bring in the virgins every one,
That grieve to lie alone;

That they may kiss while they may say, a maid;
To-morrow, 'twill be other, kiss'd, and said.
Hesperus be long a-shining,

Whilst these lovers are a-twining.

Eol. Ho! Neptune!

Nept. Eolus!

Fol. The seas go high,

Boreas hath rais'd a storm: Go and apply
Thy trident; else, I prophesy, ere day
Many a tall ship will be cast away.

Descend with all the gods, and all their power,

To strike a calm.

Evad. You prick me, lady. Dula. 'Tis against my will.

hit

Dula. I will refuse it.

[Exeunt.

She will pluck down aside; she does not use it. Evad. Why, do.

Dula. You will find the play

Quickly, because your head lies well that way. Evad. I thank thee, Dula; 'would, thon could'st instil

Some of thy mirth into Aspatia !

Nothing but sad thoughts in her breast do dwell: Methinks, a mean betwixt you would do well.

Dula. She is in love: Hang me, if I were so,
But I could run my country. I love, too,
To do those things that people in love do.
Asp. It were a timeless smile should prove my
cheek:

It were a fitter hour for me to laugh,
When at the altar the religious priest
Were pacifying the offended powers

With sacrifice, than now. This should have been My night and all your hands have been employed

In giving me a spotless offering

Anon you must endure more, and lie still:
You're best to practise.

Evad. Sure, this wench is mad.

Dula. No faith, this is a trick that I have had Since I was fourteen.

Evad. 'Tis high time to leave it.

Dula. Nay, now I'll keep it, 'till the trick
leave me.

A dozen wanton words, put in your head,
Will make you livelier in your husband's bed.
Evad. Nay, faith, then take it.
Dula. Take it, madam? where?
We all, I hope, will take it, that are here.
Evad. Nay, then, I'll give you o'er.
Dula. So will I make

The ablest man in Rhodes, or his heart ake.
Evad. Wilt take my place to-night?

Dula. I'll hold your cards 'gainst any two I know.
Evad. What wilt thou do?

Dula. Madam, we'll do't, and make 'em leave play two. Evad. Aspatia, take her part.

young Amintor's 's bed, as we are now For you. Pardon, Evadne; 'would, my worth Were great as yours, or that the king, or he, Or both, thought so! Perhaps, he found me worthless :

But, till he did so, in these ears of mine,
These credulous ears, he pour'd the sweetest
words

That art or love could frame. If he were false,
Pardon it, Heaven! And if I did want
Virtue, you safely may forgive that too;
For I have lost none, that I had from you.

Evad. Nay, leave this sad talk, madam.
Asp. 'Would, I could! then should I leave the

cause.

Evad. See, if you have not spoiled all Dula's mirth.

Asp. Thou think'st thy heart hard; but if thou be'st caught,

Remember me; thou shalt perceive a fire
Shot suddenly into thee.

Dula. That's not so good; let them shoot any thing but fire, I fear them not.

Asp. Well, wench, thou may'st be taken. Erad. Ladies, good night: I'll do the rest myself.

Dula, I could never have the pow'r

To love one above an hour,

But my heart would prompt mine eye
On some other man to fly:
Venus, fix thou mine eyes fast,

Or, if not, give me all that I shall see at last.
Evad. So, leave me now.

Dula. Nay, we must see you laid.
Asp. Madam, good night. May all the mar-
riage joys

That longing maids imagine in their beds,
Prove so unto you. May no discontent
Grow 'twixt your love and you! But, if there do,
Enquire of me, and I will guide your moan;
Teach you an artificial way to grieve,
To keep your sorrow waking. Love your lord
No worse than I; but, if
you love so well,
Alas, you may displease him; so did I.
This is the last time you shall look on me.
Ladies, farewell. As soon as I am dead,
Come all, and watch one night about
my
Bring each a mournful story, and a tear,
To offer at it, when I go to earth.
With flatt'ring ivy clasp my coffin round;
Write on my brow my fortune; let my bier
Be borne by virgins, that shall sing, by course,
The truth of maids, and perjuries of men.
Evad. Alas, I pity thee.

Omnes. Madam, good night.

hearse;

[Exit EVAD.

1 Lady. Come, we'll let in the bridegroom. Dula. Where's my lord?

Enter AMINTOR.

1 Lady. Here, take this light.
Dula. You'll find her in the dark.

1 Lady. Your lady's scarce abed yet; you
must help her.

Asp. Go, and be happy in your lady's love. May all the wrongs, that you have done to me, Be utterly forgotten in my death! I'll trouble you no more; yet I will take A parting kiss, and will not be deny'd.

You'll come, my lord, and see the virgins weep,
When I am laid in earth, though you yourself
Can know no pity. Thus I wind myself
Into this willow garland, and am prouder,
That I was once your love, though now refus'd,
Than to have had another true to me.

So with my prayers I leave you, and must try
Some yet-unpractis'd way to grieve and die.

Dula. Come, ladies, will you go?
Omnes. Good night, my lord.
Amin. Much happiness unto you all!

[Exit.

[Exeunt Ladies.
I did that lady wrong: Methinks, I feel
Her grief shoot suddenly through all my veins.
Mine eyes run: This is strange at such a time.
It was the king first mov'd me to't; but he
Has not my will in keeping. Why do I
Perplex myself thus? Something whispers me,
As my own conscience, too sensible,
'Go not to bed.' My guilt is not so great
Would make me think: I only brake a promise,
And 'twas the king that forced me. Tim'rous flesh,
Why shak'st thou so? Away, my idle fears!
Enter EVADNE.

Yonder she is, the lustre of whose eye
Can blot away the sad remembrance
Of all these things. Oh, my Evadne, spare
That tender body; let it not take cold.
The vapours of the night will not fall here;
To bed, my love. Hymen will punish us
For being slack performers of his rites.
Cam'st thou to call me?

But I shall like it.

Evad. What look likes you best?

Amin. Why do you ask?

Letting them curl themselves about my limbs,

to you

Amin. How's that?

Amin. Why, who has done thee wrong? Name me the man, and by thyself I swear, Thy yet unconquer'd self, I will revenge thee. Evad. Now I shall try thy truth. If thou dost love me,

Thou weigh'st not any thing compar'd with me:
Life, honour, joys eternal, all delights

This world can yield, or hopeful people feign,
Or in the life to come, are light as air
To a true lover, when his lady frowns,

And bids him do this. Wilt thou kill this man?
Swear, my Amintor, and I'll kiss the sin

Off from thy lips.

Amin.. I will not swear, sweet love,

Till I do know the cause.

Evad. I would, thou would'st.

Why, it is thou, that wrong'st me; I hate thee; Thou should'st have killed thyself.

Amin. If I should know that, I should quickly kill

feigned,

Nor sounds it like the coyness of a bride.

Amin. Is flesh so earthly to endure all this?
Are these the joys of marriage? Hymen, keep
This story (that will make succeeding youth
Neglect thy ceremonies) from all ears;
Let it not rise up, for thy shame and mine,
To after-ages: We will scorn thy laws,
If thou no better bless them. Touch the heart
Of her, that thou hast sent me, or the world
Shall know: There's not an altar, that will
smoke

In praise of thee; we will adopt us sons;
Then virtue shall inherit, and not blood.
If we do lust, we'll take the next we meet,
Serving ourselves as other creatures do,
And never take note of the female more,
Nor of her issue.

I do rage in vain;

She can but jest. O, pardon me, my love!
So dear the thoughts are that I hold of thee,
That I must break forth. Satisfy my fear;
It is a pain, beyond the hand of death,
To be in doubt: Confirm it with an oath,
If this be true,

Evad. Do you invent the form:
Let there be in it all the binding words
Devils and conjurers can put together,
And I will take it. I have sworn before,
And here, by all things holy, do again,
Never to be acquainted with thy bed.
Is your doubt over now?

Amin. I know too much. 'Would I had doubt ed still!

Was ever such a marriage night as this!
Ye pow'rs above, if you did ever mean
Man should be us'd thus, you have thought a

way

That men called fair and virtuous in this isle, That would have shunn'd my love; It is in thee To make me hold this worth. Oh! we vain men, That trust out all our reputation,

To rest upon the weak and yielding hand