Ere he will dare, poor man, to ope an eye

On these divine looks, but with low-bent

thoughts

Accusing such presumption; as for words,
He dares not utter any but of service:

Yet this lost creature loves you.-Be a princess
In sweetness as in blood; give him his doom,
Or raise him up to comfort.

Cal. What new change

Appears in my behaviour, that thou dar'st
Tempt my displeasure?

Pen. I must leave the world
To revel [in] Elysium, and 'tis just
To wish my brother some advantage here;
Yet by my best hopes, Ithocles is ignorant
Of this pursuit: but if you please to kill him,
Lend him one angry look, or one harsh word,
And you shall soon conclude how strong a power
Your absolute authority holds over

His life and end.

Cal. You have forgot, Penthea, How still I have a father.

Pen. But remember

I am a sister, though to me this brother

Hath been, you know, unkind; oh, most unkind! Cal. Christalla, Philema, where are you?Lady,

Your check lies in my silence.

Enter CHRISTALLA and PHILEMA.

Both. Madam, here.

Cal. I think you sleep, you drones: wait on
Penthea

Unto her lodging.-Ithocles? wrong'd lady!

[Aside.

Pen. My reckonings are made even; death or

fate

Can now nor strike too soon, nor force too late. [Exeunt.

ACT IV. SCENE I.

The Palace. ITHOCLES' Apartment.

Enter ITHOCLES and ARMOSTES.

Ith. Forbear your inquisition; curiosity Is of too subtle and too searching nature: In fears of love too quick; too slow of credit.I am not what you doubt me.

Arm. Nephew, be then

As I would wish;-all is not right.-Good Hea

ven

Confirm your resolutions for dependence
On worthy ends, which may advance your quiet!
Ith. I did the noble Orgilus much injury,
But grieved Penthea more; I now repent it,
Now, uncle, now; this Now is now too late.
So provident is folly in sad issue,

That afterwit, like bankrupt's debts, stands tallied,

Without all possibilities of payment.

Y

Sure he's an honest, very honest gentleman;
A man of single meaning.'

Arm. I believe it:

Yet, nephew, 'tis the tongue informs our ears; Our eyes can never pierce into the thoughts, For they are lodged too inward :—but I question No truth in Orgilus.-The princess, sir.

Ith. The princess? ha!

Arm. With her the prince of Argos.

Enter NEARCHUS, leading CALANTHA; AMELUS, CHRISTALLA, PHILEMA.

Near. Great fair one, grace my hopes with any

instance

Of livery, from the allowance of your favour;
This little spark-

[Attempts to take a ring from her finger.

Cal. A toy!

Near. Love feasts on toys,

For Cupid is a child ;-vouchsafe this bounty:
It cannot be denied.

Cal. You shall not value,

Sweet cousin, at a price, what I count cheap;

A man of single meaning.] i. e. plain, open, sincere, unreserved. It appears, notwithstanding the disavowal of Armostes, that he did not altogether adopt the fatal error of his nephew. 2 Grace my hopes with any instance

Of livery.] i. e. favour me with some badge, some ornament from your person, to show that you have condescended to enrol me among your servants. This was the language of courtship; and was derived from the practice of distinguishing the followers and retainers of great families, by the badge or crest of the house.

So cheap, that let him take it, who dares stoop

for't,

And give it, at next meeting, to a mistress:
She'll thank him for't, perhaps.

[Casts the ring before ITHOCLES, who takes it up. Ame. The ring, sir, is

The princess's; I could have took it up.

Ith. Learn manners, prithee.-To the blessed

owner,

Upon my knees

[Kneels and offers it to CALANTIA.

Near. You are saucy.

Cal. This is pretty!

I am, belike, "a mistress"-wondrous pretty! Let the man keep his fortune, since he found it;

He's worthy on't.-On, cousin!

[Exeunt NEAR. CAL. CHRIS. and PHIL.

Ith. (to Ame.) Follow, spaniel;

I'll force you to a fawning else.

Ame. You dare not.

Arm. My lord, you were too forward.

Ith. Look ye, uncle,

[Exit.

Some such there are, whose liberal contents
Swarm without care in every sort of plenty;
Who, after full repasts, can lay them down
To sleep; and they sleep, uncle: in which silence
Their very dreams present 'em choice of pleasures,
Pleasures (observe me, uncle) of rare object:
Here heaps of gold, there increments of honours,
Now change of garments, then the votes of people;
Anon varieties of beauties, courting,

In flatteries of the night, exchange of dalliance;
Yet these are still but dreams. Give me felicity
Of which my senses waking are partakers,
A real, visible, material happiness;

And then, too, when I stagger in expectance
Of the least comfort that can cherish life.—
I saw it, sir, I saw it; for it came

From her own hand.

Arm. The princess threw it to you.

Ith. True; and she said--well I remember what

Her cousin prince would beg it.

Arm. Yes, and parted

In anger at your taking on't.

Ith. Penthea,

Oh, thou hast pleaded with a powerful language!

I want a fee to gratify thy merit;

But I will do

Arm. What is't you say?

Ith. "In
In anger ?""

In anger let him part; for could his breath,
Like whirlwinds, toss such servile slaves, as lick
The dust his footsteps print, into a vapour,

It durst not stir a hair of mine; it should not;
I'd rend it up by th' roots first. To be any thing
Calantha smiles on, is to be a blessing

More sacred than a petty prince of Argos
Can wish to equal, or in worth or title.

Arm. Contain yourself, my lord; Ixion, aiming
To embrace Juno, bosom'd but a cloud,
And begat Centaurs; 'tis an useful moral: