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DRAMATIS PERSONE.

AMYCLAS, King of Laconia.

ITHOCLES, a Favourite.

ORGILUS, Son of Crotolon.

BASSANES, a jealous Nobleman.

ARMOSTES, a Counsellor of State.
CROTOLON, another Counsellor.

PROPHILUS, Friend of Ithocles.
NEARCHUS, Prince of Argos.
TECNICUS, a Philosopher.

HEMOPHIL, }

GRONEAS,

Courtiers.

AMELUS, Friend of Nearchus.

PHULAS, Servant to Bassanes.

Lords, Courtiers, Officers, Attendants, &c.

CALANTHA, Daughter of Amyclas.

PENTHEA, Sister of Ithocles and Wife of Bassanes.

EUPHRANEA, Daughter of Crotolon, a Maid of honour.

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THE BROKEN HEART.

ACT THE FIRST.

SCENE I. A Room in CROTOLON'S House.

Enter CROTOLON and ORgilus.

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

Org.

I can yield many.

Crot.

Reason! good sir,

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.

Org.

All this I acknowledge.

5

ΙΟ

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.

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After so many quarrels as dissension,

Fury, and rage had broached in blood, and sometimes With death to such confederates as sided

With now-dead Thrasus and yourself, my lord; 20 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. Org.

What of this?

25

Much, much, dear sir.

A freedom of convérse, 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
Prevented all those triumphs we prepared for,
By Thrasus his untimely death.

Crot.

Most certain.

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35

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

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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

45

And riches, I confess, beyond my fortunes.

Crot. All this is no sound reason to impórtune My leave for thy departure.

Now it follows

Org.
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.

Org.

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As how, pray?

Bassanes,

The man that calls her wife, considers truly
What heaven of perfections he is lord of
By thinking fair Penthea his: this thought
Begets a kind of monster-love, which love
Is nurse unto a fear so strong and servile
As brands all dotage with a jealousy :

All eyes who gaze upon that shrine of beauty

He doth resolve do homage to the miracle;
Some one, he is assured, may now or then,

If opportunity but sort, prevail :

So much, out of a self-unworthiness,

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65

His fears transport him; not that he finds cause
In her obedience, but his own distrust.

70

Crot. You spin out your discourse.
Org.
My griefs are violent :
For, knowing how the maid was heretofore
Courted by me, his jealousies grow wild
That I should steal again into her favours,
And undermine her virtues; which the gods
Know I nor dare nor dream of.

75

Hence, from hence,

I undertake a voluntary exile ;
First, by my absence to take off the cares
Of jealous Bassanes; but chiefly, sir,
To free Penthea from a hell on earth;
Lastly, to lose the memory of something
Her presence makes to live in me afresh.

80

Crot. Enough, my Orgilus, enough. To Athens, I give a full consent.-Alas, good lady!—

We shall hear from thee often?

Org.
Crot.

Often.

See,

85

Thy sister comes to give a farewell.

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Euph.

Enter EUPHRANEA.

Brother!

Org. Euphranea, thus upon thy cheeks I print
A brother's kiss; more careful of thine honour,
Thy health, and thy well-doing, than my life.
Before we part, in presence of our father,

I must prefer a suit t' ye.

Euph.

My brother, a command.

You may style it,

90

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