It cannot, wretch; and thou but remember From whom thou hadst this spirit, thou dar'st not hope it.

Who train'd thee up in arms, but I? who taught

thee

Men were men only when they durst look down
With scorn on death and danger, and contemn'd
All opposition, till plumed Victory

Had made her constant stand upon their helmets ?
Under my shield thou hast fought as securely
As the young eaglet, cover'd with the wings
Of her fierce dam, learns how and where to prey.
All that is manly in thee, I call mine;

But what is weak and womanish, thine own.
And what I gave, since thou art proud, ungrateful,
Presuming to contend with him, to whom
Submission is due, I will take from thee.
Look, therefore, for extremities, and expect not
I will correct thee as a son, but kill thee

As a serpent swollen with poison; who surviving
A little longer, with infectious breath,

Would render all things near him, like itself,
Contagious.

Mal. jun. Thou incensed Power,

Awhile forbear thy thunder! let me have
No aid in my revenge, if from the grave
My mother-

Mal. sen. Thou shalt never name her more

[They fight, and the son is slain.

Mal. sen. Die all my fears,

And waking jealousies, which have so long

Been my tormentors! there's now no suspicion :
A fact which I alone am conscious of,

Can never be discover'd, or the cause
That call'd this duel on, I being above

All perturbations; nor is it in

The power of fate, again [to] make me wretched.

THE PARLIAMENT OF LOVE, A

COMEDY:

BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

CLEREMOND takes an oath to perform his mistress LEONORA's pleasure. She enjoins him to kill his best friend. He invites MONTROSE to the field, under pretence of wanting him for a second: then shows, that he must fight with him.

Cler. This is the place.

Mont. An even piece of ground,

Without advantage; but be jocund, friend:
The honour to have entered first the field,
However we come off, is ours.

Cler. I need not,

So well I am acquainted with your valour,
To dare, in a good cause, as much as man,
Lend

you encouragement; and should I add, Your power to do, which Fortune, howe'er blind, Hath ever seconded, I cannot doubt

But victory still sits upon your sword,

And must not now forsake you.

Mont. You shall see me

Come boldly up: nor will I shame your cause,
By parting with an inch of ground not bought
With blood on my part.

Cler. 'Tis not to be question'd:

That which I would entreat, (and pray you grant it,)

Is, that you would forget your usual softness,
Your foe being at your mercy; it hath been
A custom in you, which I dare not praise,
Having disarm'd your enemy of his sword,
To tempt your fate, by yielding it again;
Then run a second hazard.

Mont. When we encounter

A noble foe, we cannot be too noble.

Cler. That I confess; but he that's now to oppose you,
I know for an arch villain; one that hath lost
All feeling of humanity, one that hates
Goodness in others, 'cause he 's ill himself;

A most ungrateful wretch, (the name's too gentle,
All attributes of wickedness cannot reach him,)
Of whom to have deserved, beyond example
Or precedent of friendship, is a wrong
Which only death can satisfy.

Mont. You describe

A monster to me.

Cler. True, Montrose, he is so.

Afric, though fertile of strange prodigies,
Never produced his equal; be wise, therefore,
And if he fall into your hands, despatch him:
Pity to him is cruelty. The sad father,
That sees his son stung by a snake to death,
May, with more justice, stay his vengeful hand,
And let the worm escape, than you vouchsafe him
A minute to repent: for 'tis a slave

So sold to hell and mischief, that a traitor
To his most lawful prince, a church-robber,
A parricide, who, when his garners are

Cramm'd with the purest grain, suffers his parents,
Being old and weak, to starve for want of bread,
Compared to him are innocent.

Mont. I ne'er heard

Of such a cursed nature; if long-lived,

He would infect mankind; rest you assured,
He find from me small courtesy.

Cler. And expect

As little from him; blood is that he thirsts for,

Not honourable wounds.

Mont. I would I had him

Within my sword's length !

Cler. Have thy wish: thou hast !

X.

[CLEREMOND draws his sword.

161

L

Nay, draw thy sword and suddenly: I am
That monster, temple-robber, parricide,
Ingrateful wretch, friend-hater, or what else
Makes up the perfect figure of the devil,
Should he appear like man. Banish amazement,
And call thy ablest spirits up to guard thee
From him that's turn'd a fury. I am made
Her minister, whose cruelty but named,

Would with more horror strike the pale-cheek'd

stars

Than all those dreadful words which conjurors use,
To fright their damn'd familiars. Look not on me
As I am Cleremond; I have parted with

The essence that was his, and entertain'd
The soul of some fierce tigress, or a wolf's,
New-hang'd for human slaughter, and 'tis fit:
I could not else be an apt instrument
To bloody Leonora.

Mont. To my knowledge

I never wrong'd her.

Cler. Yes, in being a friend

To me; she hated my best friend, her malice
Would look no lower :-and for being such,
By her commands, Montrose, I am to kill thee.
Oh, that thou hadst, like others, been all words,
And no performance! or that thou hadst made
Some little stop in thy career of kindness!
Why wouldst thou, to confirm the name of friend,
Snatch at this fatal office of a second,

Which others fled from ?-'Tis in vain to mourn

now,

When there's no help; and therefore, good Montrose,

Rouse thy most manly parts, and think thou stand'st

now

A champion for more than king or country;
Since, in thy fall, goodness itself must suffer.

Remember, too, the baseness of the wrong
Offer'd to friendship; let it edge thy sword,
And kill compassion in thee; and forget not
I will take all advantages: and so,

Without reply, have at thee!

Mont. See, how weak

[They fight, CLEREMOND falls.

An ill cause is! you are already fallen:
What can you look for now?

Cler. Fool, use thy fortune :

And so he counsels thee, that, if he had

Changed places, instantly would have cut thy

throat,

Or digg'd thy heart out.

Mont. In requital of

That savage purpose, I must pity you;

Witness these tears, not tears of joy for conquest, But of true sorrow for your misery.

Live, O live, Cleremond, and, like a man,

Make use of reason, as an exorcist

To cast this devil out, that does abuse you;
This fiend of false affection.

A NEW WAY TO PAY OLD DEBTS,
A COMEDY:

BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

OVERREACH, (a cruel extortioner) treats about marrying his daughter with LORD LOVELL.

LOVELL. OVERREACH.

Over. To my wish; we are private.

I come not to make offer with my daughter
A certain portion; that were poor and trivial :
In one word, I pronounce all that is mine,