Cam. The proofs are

Too pregnant. O Bertoldo !

Ador. He's not worth

Your sorrow, madam.

Cam. Tell me, when you saw this,

Did not you grieve, as I do now, to hear it?

Ador. His precipice from goodness raising mine, And serving as a foil to set my faith off, I had little reason.

Cam. In this you confess

The devilish malice of your disposition.

As you were a man, you stood bound to lament it;
And not, in flattery of your false hopes,
To glory in it. When good men pursue

The path mark'd out by virtue, the blest saint
With joy look on it, and seraphic angels
Clap their celestial wings in heavenly plaudits,
To see a scene of grace so well presented,
The fiends, and men made up of envy, mourning.
Whereas now, on the contrary, as far
As their divinity can partake of passion,
With me they weep, beholding a fair temple,
Built in Bertoldo's loyalty, turn'd to ashes
By the flames of his inconstancy, the damn'd
Rejoicing in the object.-'Tis not well
In you, Adorni.

Ador. What a temper dwells

In this rare virgin! [Aside.] Can you pity him, That hath shewn none to you?

Cam. I must not be

Cruel by his example. You, perhaps,

Expect now I should seek recovery

Of what I have lost, by tears, and with bent knees

Beg his compassion. No; my towering virtue,

From the assurance of my merit, scorns

To stoop so low. I'll take a nobler course,
And, confident in the justice of my cause,
The king, his brother, and new mistress, judges,
Ravish him from her arms. You have the contract,
In which he swore to marry me?

Ador. 'Tis here, madam.

Cam. He shall be, then, against his will, husband;

my

And when I have him, I'll so use him!-Doubt not,
But that, your honesty being unquestioned,
This writing, with your testimony, clears all.

Ador. And buries me in the dark mists of error. Cam. I'll presently to court; pray you, give order

For my caroch.

Ador. A cart for me were fitter,

To hurry me to the gallows.

Cam. O false men!

[Aside, and exit.

Inconstant! perjured! My good angel help me,

In these my extremities!

Loud music. Enter ROBERTO, BERTOLDO, AURELIA, FERDINAND, ASTUTIO, Gonzaga, RODERIGO, JACOMO, PIERIO, a Bishop, and Attendants.

Rob. Had our division been greater, madam,
Your clemency, the wrong being done to you,
In pardon of it, like the rod of concord,
Must make a perfect union.-Once more,
With a brotherly affection, we receive you
Into our favour: let it be your study
Hereafter to deserve this blessing, far
Beyond your merit.

Bert. As the princess' grace

To me is without limit, my endeavours,

With all obsequiousness to serve her pleasures,
Shall know no bounds: nor will I, being made
Her husband, e'er forget the duty that

I owe her as a servant.

Aurel. I expect not

But fair equality, since I well know,

If that superiority be due,

"Tis not to me. When you are made my consort,
All the prerogatives of my high birth cancell'd,
I'll practice the obedience of a wife,

And freely pay it. Queens themselves, if they
Make choice of their inferiors, only aiming
To feed their sensual appetites, and to reign
Over their husbands, in some kind commit
Authorized whoredom; nor will I be guilty,
In my intent, of such a crime.

Gonz. This done,

As it is promised, madam, may well stand for
A precedent to great women: but, when once
The griping hunger of desire is cloy'd,
And the poor fool advanced, brought on his knees,
Most of your eagle breed, I'll not say all,
Ever accepting you, challenge again
What, in hot blood, they parted from.
Aurel. You are ever

An enemy of our sex ; but you, I hope, sir,
Have better thoughts.

Bert. I dare not entertain

An ill one of your goodness.

Rob. To my power

I will enable him, to prevent all danger
Envy can raise against your choice. One word

more

Touching the articles.

P

Aurel. But, done in heat of blood,

Enter FULGENTIO, CAMIOLA, SYLLI, and ADORNI.

Cam. To do me justice

Exacts your present care, and can admit
Of no delay. If, ere my cause be heard,
In favour of your brother you go on, sir,
Your sceptre cannot right me. He's the man,
The guilty man, whom I accuse; and you
Stand bound in duty, as you are supreme,
To be impartial. Since you are a judge,
As a delinquent look on him, and not
As on a brother: Justice painted blind,
Infers her ministers are obliged to hear

The cause, and truth, the judge, determine of it;
And not sway'd or by favour or affection,
By a false gloss, or wrested comment, alter
The true intent and letter of the law.

Rob. Nor will I, madam.

Aurel. You seem troubled, sir.
Gonz. His colour changes too.
Cam. The alteration

Grows from his guilt. The goodness of my cause
Begets such confidence in me, that I bring
No hired tongue to plead for me, that with gay
Rhetorical flourishes may palliate

That which, stripp'd naked, will appear deform'd.
I stand here mine own advocate; and my truth,
Deliver'd in the plainest language, will
Make good itself; nor will I, if the king
Give suffrage to it, but admit of you,

My greatest enemy, and this stranger prince,
To sit assistants with him.

Aurel. I ne'er wrong'd you.

Cam. In your knowledge of the injury, I believe Nor will you, in your justice, when you are Acquainted with my interest in this man,

Which I lay claim to.

Rob. Let us take our seats.

What is your title to him?

Cam. By this contract,

Seal'd solemnly before a reverend man,

[it;

Charm'd by her flatteries, as, no doubt, he was,
To be dispens❜d with.

Fer. Add this, if you please,

The distance and disparity between
Their births and fortunes.

Cam. What can Innocence hope for,
When such as sit her judges are corrupted!
Disparity of birth or fortune, urge you?

Or Syren charms? or, at his best, in me
Wants to deserve him? Call some few days back,
And, as he was, consider him, and you
Must grant him my inferior. Imagine
You saw him now in fetters, with his honour,
His liberty lost; with her black wings Despair
Circling his miseries, and this Gonzaga
Trampling on his afflictions; the great sum
Proposed for his redemption; the king
Forbidding payment of it; his near kinsmen,
With his protesting followers and friends,
Falling off from him; by the whole world forsaken;
Dead to all hope, and buried in the grave
Of his calamities; and then weigh duly

What she deserv'd, whose merits now are doubted.
That, as his better angel, in her bounties
Appear'd unto him, his great ransome paid.
His wants, and with a prodigal hand, supplied;
Whether, then, being my manumised slave,
He owed not himself to me?

Aurel. Is this true?

Rob. In his silence 'tis acknowledged.
Gonz. If you want

A witness to this purpose, I'll depose it.

Cam. If I have dwelt too long on my deservings
To this unthankful man, pray you pardon me;
The cause required it. And though now I add
A little, in my painting to the life

His barbarous ingratitude, to deter
Others from imitation, let it meet with
A fair interpretation. This serpent,
Frozen to numbness, was no sooner warm'd
In the bosom of my pity and compassion,
But, in return, he ruin'd his preserver,
The prints the irons had made in his flesh
Still ulcerous; but all that I had done,
My benefits, in sand or water written,
As they had never been, no more remember'd!
And on what ground, but his ambitious hopes
To gain this dutchess' favour?

Aurel. Yes; the object,

Look on it better, lady, may excuse The change of his affection.

Cam. The object!

In what? forgive me, modesty, if I say
You look upon your form in the false glass

Of flattery and self-love, and that deceives you
That you were a dutchess, as I take it, was not
Character'd on your face; and, that not seen,
For other feature, make all these, that are
Experienced in women, judges of them,

And, if they are not parasites, they must grant. For beauty without art, though you storm at it, I may take the right-hand file.

Gonz. Well said, i'faith!

I see fair women on no terms will yield

Priority in beauty.

Cam. Down, proud heart!

Why do I rise up in defence of that,

Which, in my cherishing of it, bath undone me' No, madam, I recant,-you are all beauty,

I feel all fires of love quench'd in the water
Of my compassion.-Make your peace; you have
My free consent; for here I do disclaim
All interest in you: and, to further your

Desires, fair maid, composed of worth and honour,
The dispensation procured by me,

Freeing Bertoldo from his vow, makes way
To your embraces.

Bert. Oh, how have I stray'd,

And wilfully, out of the noble track

Mark'd me by virtue! till now, I was never
Truly a prisoner. To excuse my late
Captivity, I might allege the malice

Of Fortune; you, that conquer'd me, confessing
Courage in my defence was no way wanting.
But now I have surrender'd up my strengths
Into the power of Vice, and on my forehead
Branded, with mine own hand, in capital letters,
DISLOYAL and INGRATEFUL. Though barr'd from
Human society, and hiss'd into

Some desart ne'er yet haunted with the curses
Of men and women, sitting as a judge

Upon my guilty self, I must confess

It justly falls upon me; and one tear,

Shed in compassion of my sufferings, more
Than I can hope for.

Cam. This compunction

For the wrong that you have done me, though you should

Fix here, and your true sorrow move no further, Will, in respect I loved once, make these eyes Two springs of sorrow for you.

Bert. In your pity

My cruelty shews more monstrous: yet I am not,
Though most ingrateful, grown to such a height
Of impudence, as, in my wishes only,

To ask your pardon. If, as now I fall
Prostrate before your feet, you will vouchsafe

To act your own revenge, treading upon me

As a viper eating through the bowels of

Your benefits, to whom, with liberty,

owe my being, 'twill take from the burthen

That now is insupportable.

Cam. Pray you, rise;

As I wish peace and quiet to my soul,
I do forgive you heartily: yet, excuse me,
Though I deny myself a blessing that,

By the favour of the dutchess, seconded
With your submission, is offer'd to me;
Let not the reason I allege for't grieve you,
You have been false once.-I have done and if,
When I am married, as this day I will be,
As a perfect sign of your atonement with me,
You wish me joy, I will receive it for
Full satisfaction of all obligations

In which you stand bound to me.
Bert. I will do it,

And, what's more, in despite of sorrow, live
To see myself undone, beyond all hope
To be made up again.

Syl. My blood begins

To come to my heart again.

Cam. Pray you, signior Sylli,

Call in the holy friar; he's prepared For finishing the work.

Syl. I knew I was

The man heaven make me thankful!

Rob. Who is this?

Ast. His father was the banker of Palermo, And this the heir of his great wealth: his wisdom Was not hereditary.

Syl. Though you know me not,

Your majesty owes me a round sum; I have
A seal or two to witness; yet, if you please

To wear my colours, and dance at my wedding,
I'll never sue you.

Rob. And I'll grant your suit.

Syl. Gracious madonna, noble general,

Brave captains, and my quondam rivals, wear them, [Gives them favours.

Since I am confident you dare not harbour

A thought, but that way current.

Aurel. For my part,

I cannot guess the issue.

Re-enter SYLLI with Father PAULO.

Syl. Do your duty;

[Exit.

Paul. Look on this MAID OF HONOUR, now

Truly honour'd in her vow

She pays to heaven: vain delight
By day, or pleasure of the night,
She no more thinks of. This fair hair
(Favours for great kings to wear)
Must now be shorn; her rich array
Changed into a homely gray:
The dainties with which she was fed,
And her proud flesh pampered,
Must not be tasted; from the spring,
For wine, cold water we will bring;
And with fasting mortify
The feasts of sensuality.

Her jewels, beads; and she must look
Not in a glass, but holy book,
To teach her the ne'er-erring way
To immortality. O may
She, as she purposes to be
A child new-born to piety,

Perséver in it, and good men,

With saints and angels, say, Amen!

Cam. This is the marriage! this the port to which My vows must steer me! Fill my spreading sails With the pure wind of your devotions for me, That I may touch the secure haven, where Eternal happiness keeps her residence, Temptations to frailty never entering ! I am dead to the world, and thus dispose Of what I leave behind me; and, dividing My state into three parts, I thus bequeath it: The first to the fair nunnery, to which

I dedicate the last and better part

Of my frail life; a second portion

To pious uses; and the third to thee,

Adorni, for thy true and faithful service.

And, ere I take my last farewell, with hope
To find a grant, my suit to you is, that
You would, for my sake, pardon this young man,
And to his merits love him, and no further.
Rob. I thus confirm it.

[Gives his hand to FULGENTIO.
Cam. And, as e'er you hope, [TO BERTOLDO.
Like me, to be made happy, I conjure you
To reassume your order; and in fighting