THE LOVER'S MELANCHOLY.] This piece, the author tells us, was "the first of his that ever courted reader." It was licensed by Sir Henry Herbert in 1628, and brought out on the 24th of November in that year. In 1629 it was given to the press, accompanied (as the manner was) by several recommendatory poems. "The Lover's Melancholy" seems to have been favourably received. A slight analysis of the plot will, without too much forestalling that pleasure which the reader's own conjectures and anticipations might furnish, enable him more easily to encounter those difficulties which are not unfrequently to be met with in Ford's dialogue,-some of them owing to the defective state of the MSS., but more originating in the author's very peculiar style of composition. Meleander, a noble statesman of Cyprus, was the father of two daughters, Eroclea and Cleophila. A marriage between the former of these and his son, Palador, had been projected by the reigning prince of Cyprus; the appearance, however, of the beautiful Eroclea at court awoke less friendly designs in the heart of the monarch, and it was found necessary to steal away and convey to a distant country the object of his violent passion. A deep melancholy seizes on Palador at the loss of his intended bride; while the still more unfortunate Meleander, accused of treason and stripped of his honours, becomes bereft of reason, and remains a prisoner to his castle, under the care of his other daughter, the tender-hearted and faithful Cleophila. The author of all this mischief shortly after dies; but, at the time the drama commences, no intelligence had been heard of the lovely creature whom his unhallowed desires had made a fugitive and a wanderer. The play opens with the return of Menaphon, a nephew of Meleander and a son of Sophronos, his successor in office, from his travels. These had been undertaken with the view of "disburthening himself of the discontents" which the haughty conduct of his mistress, Thamasta, a cousin of the prince, Palador, had occasioned him; and with that ill success which too often attends such attempts to heal a wounded mind. "Such cure as sick men find in changing beds, As a companion Menaphon brings back with him a youth, named Parthenophill, whom he had accidentally encountered in the beautiful valé of Tempe, in Thessaly; and the occasion of his meeting with whom forms one of the most interesting tales to be found in the whole compass of the drama. The melancholy seclusion in which Palador lived, and his inattention to the cares of government, began at length to excite serious discontents in Cyprus. His tutor, Aretus, and his minister, Sophronos, in vain endeavour to awake him from his lethargy, and some mummeries practised by the court-physician, Corax, for the same purpose, are attended with little better success. His cure, however, was nearer at hand than his courtiers imagined. The young stranger, Parthenophill, turns out in due course of time to be the lost Eroclea, and the discovery has, as might be expected, the double effect of restoring cheerfulness to Palador and reason to Meleander. Cleophila, released from her pious attendance on her late distracted father, bestows her hand on Amethus, her devoted lover; and Thamasta, shamed out of her haughtiness by a misplaced affection into which the male attire of Eroclea had betrayed her, becomes the wife of Menaphon. The minor characters will disclose themselves in the course of the drama; but none of them will be found to have much claim on the reader's attention or affection except Rhetias, the faithful servant of the heroine of the piece. DRAMATIS PERSONÆ. PALADOR, Prince of Cyprus. AMETHUS, cousin to the prince. MELEANDER, an old lord. SOPHRONOS, brother to MELEANDER MENAPHON, Son of SOPHRONOS. ARETUS, tutor to the prince. CORAX, a physician. PELIAS, CUCULUS, two foolish courtiers. RHETIAS (a reduced courtier), servant to EROCLEA. GRILLA, a page of CUCULUS, in woman's dress. THAMASTA, sister of AMETHUS, and cousin to the prince. EROCLEA (as PARTHENOPHILL), Daughters of MELECLEOPHILA, KALA, waiting-maid to THAMASTa. ANDER. Officers, Attendants, &c. SCENE, Famagosta, in Cyprus. THE LOVER'S MELANCHOLY. ACT I. SCENE I. A Room in the Palace. Enter MENAPHON and PELIAS. Men. DANGERS! how mean you dangers? that so courtly You gratulate my safe return from dangers? Men. These are delights; If my experience hath not, truant-like, Pel. As I am modest, I protest 't is strange! Men. What? Pel. To bestride The frothy foams of Neptune's surging waves, Men. Sweet sir, 't is nothing: Straight comes a dolphin, playing near your ship, Men. I will not stretch Your faith upon the tenters.-Prithee, Pelias, Where didst thou learn this language? Pel. I this language? Alas, sir, we that study words and forms VOL. I.-5 Of compliment, must fashion all discourse Enter AMETHUS, Sophronos, and Attendants. Men. My honour'd father! Soph. From mine eyes, son, son of my care, my love, The joys that bid thee welcome, do too much Men. O, princely sir, your hand. Amet. Perform your duties, where you owe them first; I dare not be so sudden in the pleasures Soph. Here thou still find'st A friend as noble, Menaphon, as when Men. Yes, I know it, To him I owe more service- He shall attend your entertainments soon, Soph. Noble lord! Amet. You are both dismiss'd. Pel. Your creature and your servant. [Exeunt all but AMETHUS and MENAPHON. Amet. Give me thy hand. I will not say, Thou'rt welcome;. That is the common road of common friends. Men. 'Tis pieced to mine. Amet. Yes, 't is; as firmly as that holy thing Call'd friendship can unite it. Menaphon, My Menaphon! now all the goodly blessings, That can create a heaven on earth, dwell with thee! |