AMELUS, friend of Nearchus

PHULAS, servant of Bassanes

Lords, Courtiers, Officers, Attendants

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

GRAUSIS, Overseer of Penthea

SCENE-Sparta

PROLOGUE

Our scene is Sparta. He whose best of art
Hath drawn this piece, calls it the Broken Heart.
The title lends no expectation here

Of apish laughter, or of some lame jeer
At place or persons; no pretended clause
Of jests fit for a brothel, courts applause
From vulgar admiration: such low songs,
Tuned to unchaste ears, suit not modest tongues.
The virgin-sisters then deserved fresh bays
When innocence and sweetness crowned their lays;
Then vices gasped for breath, whose whole commerce
Was whipped to exile by unblushing verse.
This law we keep in our presentment now,

Not to take freedom more than we allow ;

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What may be here thought Fiction, when time's youth

Wanted some riper years, was known A Truth:
In which, if words have clothed the subject right,
You may partake a pity, with delight.

THE BROKEN HEART

ACT I

SCENE I

A Room in Crotolon's House.

Enter Crotolon and Orgilus.

Crot. Dally not further; I will know the reason
That speeds thee to this journey.

Org. 'Reason?' good sir,

I can yield many.

Crot. Give me one, a good one;

Such I expect, and ere we part must have:

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.

ΙΟ

Org. All this I acknowledge.

Crot. You do! then, son, if books and love of knowledge Inflame you to this travel, here in Sparta

You may as freely study.

Org. 'Tis not that, sir.

Crot. Not that, sir! As a father, I command thee

To acquaint me with the truth.

Org. Thus, I obey you.

After so many quarrels, as dissension,

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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 gentle 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. What of this?

Org. Much, much, dear sir.

A freedom of convèrse, 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

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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 importune
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 thraldom, misery,
Affliction, that he savours not humanity,
Whose sorrow melts not into more than pity,
In hearing but her name.

Crot. As how, pray?

Org. Bassanes,

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