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.

I.

For Ithocles, her brother, proud of youth,
And prouder in his power, nourish'd closely
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
And riches, I confess, beyond my fortunes-
Crot. All this is no sound reason to importune
My leave for thy departure.

Org. Now it follows.

Beauteous Penthea, wedded to this torture By an insulting brother, being secretly Compell'd 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,

knowledge

Inflame you to this travel, here in Sparta

You may as freely study.

Org. 'Tis not that, sir.

Crot. Not that, sir! As a father, I command To acquaint me with the truth.

Org. Thus, I obey you.

After so many quarrels, as dissension,

[thee

Fury, and rage had broach'd in blood, and some-
With death to such confederates, as sided [times❘
With now dead Thrasus and yourself, my lord;
Our present king, Amyclas, reconciled
Your eager swords, and seal'd a gentle peace:
Friends you profess'd yourselves; which to con-
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. What of this?

Org. Much, much, dear sir.

[firm,

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,

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

Crot. You spin out your discourse.
Org. My griefs are violent-

[hence,

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: hence, from
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.

Crot. Enough, my Orgilus, enough. To Athens,
I give a full consent;-alas, good lady!—
We shall hear from thee often?

E

Mistake me not; far, far 'tis from my thought, As far from any wish of mine, to hinder Preferment to an honourable bed,

Or fitting fortune; thou art young and handsome;
And 'twere injustice,-more, a tyranny,

Not to advance thy merit: trust me, sister,
It shall be my first care to see thee match'd
As may become thy choice, and our contents.
I have your oath.

Euph. You have; but mean you, brother,
To leave us, as you say?

Crot. Aye, aye, Euphranea.

He has just grounds direct him; I will prove
A father and a brother to thee.

Most gracious sovereign; twenty of the noblest
Of the Messenians there attend your pleasure,
For such conditions as you shall propose,

In settling peace, and liberty of life.

Amyc. When comes your friend the general? Pro. He promised

To follow with all speed convenient.

Enter CROTOLON, CALANTHA, EUPHRANEA, CHRISTALLA, and PHILEMA with a garland.

Amyc. Our daughter! dear Calantha, the happy [news, The conquest of Messene, hath already Enrich'd thy knowledge.

Cal. With the circumstance

And manner of the fight, related faithfully
By Prophilus himself-but, pray, sir, tell me,
How doth the youthful general demean
His actions in these fortunes?

Pro. Excellent princess,

Your own fair eyes may soon report a truth
Unto your judgment, with what moderation,
Calmness of nature, measure, bounds, and limits
Of thankfulness and joy, he doth digest
Such amplitude of his success, as wouldy
In others, moulded of a spirit less clear,
Advance them to comparison with heaven:
But Ithocles-

Delight of Sparta, treasure of my bosom,

Mine own, own Ithocles!

Ith. Your humblest subject.

Arm. Proud of the blood I claim an interest in, As brother to thy mother, I embrace thee, Right noble nephew.

Ith. Sir, your love's too partial.

Crot. Our country speaks by me, who by thy valour,

Wisdom, and service, shares in this great action;
Returning thee, in part of thy due merits,
A general welcome.

Ith. You exceed in bounty.

Cal. Christalla, Philema, the chaplet. [Takes the chaplet from them.] Ithocles, Upon the wings of fame, the singular

And chosen fortune of an high attempt,
Is borne so past the view of common sight,
That I myself, with mine own hands, have wrought
To crown thy temples, this Provincial garland;
Accept, wear, and enjoy it as our gift
Deserv'd, not purchased.

Ith. You are a royal maid.

Amyc. She is, in all, our daughter.

Ith. Let me blush,

Acknowledging how poorly I have serv'd,
What nothings I have done, compared with the
Heap'd on the issue of a willing mind; [honours
In that lay mine ability, that only:
For who is he so sluggish from his birth,
So little worthy of a name or country,
That owes not out of gratitude for life
A debt of service, in what kind soever,
Safety, or counsel of the commonwealth
Requires, for payment?

Cal. He speaks truth.

Ith. Whom heaven

Is pleased to style victorious, there, to such,
Applause runs madding, like the drunken priests
In Bacchus sacrifices, without reason,
Voicing the leader-on a demi-god;

Whenas, indeed, each common soldier's blood
Drops down as current coin in that hard purchase,
As his, whose much more delicate condition
Hath suck'd the milk of ease: judgment commands,
But resolution executes. I use not,
Before this royal presence, these fit slights,
As in contempt of such as can direct;
My speech hath other end; not to attribute

All praise to one man's fortune, which is strengthend

By many hands-for instance, here is Prophilus,
A gentleman (I cannot flatter truth)

Of much desert; and, though in other rank,
Both Hemophil and Groneas were not missing
To wish their country's peace; for, in a word,
All there did strive their best, and 'twas our duty.
Amyc. Courtiers turn soldiers!-We vouchsafe
our hand; [HEM, and GRON. kiss his hand.

Observe your great example.

Hem. With all diligence.
Gron. Obsequiously and hourly.
Amyc. Some repose

After these toils is needful. We must think on
Conditions for the conquer'd; they expect them.
On!-Come, my Ithocles.

Euph. Sir, with your favour,

I need not a supporter.

Pro. Fate instructs me.

[Exit Amvc. attended; IтH., CAL., &c.-As CHRIS, and PHIL, are following CAL., they are detained by HEM. and GRON

Chris. With me?

Phil. Indeed I dare not stay.

Chris. You lie beyond all modesty;-forbear me. Hem. I'll make thee mistress of a city, 'tis Mine own by conquest.

Chris. By petition ;-sue for't

In forma pauperis." City ?" kennel.-Gallants!
Off with your feathers, put on aprons, gallants;
Learn to reel, thrum, or trim a lady's dog,
And be good quiet souls of peace, hobgoblins!
Hem. Christalla!

Gron. Practise to drill hogs, in hope

To share in the acorns.-Soldiers! corncutters, But not so valiant; they oft times draw blood, Which you durst never do. When you have pracMore wit, or more civility, we'll rank you [tis'd

I' th' list of men; till then, brave things at arms, Dare not to speak to us,-most potent Groneas! Phil. And Hemophil the hardy—at your services. [Exeunt CHRIS. and PHIL. Gron. They scorn us as they did before we went. Hem. Hang them, let us scorn them; and be Gron. Shall we? [revenged.

Hem. We will; and when we slight them thus, Instead of following them, they'll follow us; It is a woman's nature.

Hem. Sweet lady,

Soldiers are blunt,-your lip.

[Kisses her.

Of habit and disguise in outward view

Pray [now], in earnest, how many men apiece

Have you two been the death of?

Gron. 'Faith, not many;

We were composed of mercy.

Hem. For our daring,

Hides not the secrets of thy soul within thee

From their quick-piercing eyes, which dive at all

Neglects in young men of delights and life,
Run often to extremities; they care not
For harms to others, who contemn their own.

Org. But I, most learned artist, am not so much
At odds with nature, that I grudge the thrift
Of any true deserver; nor doth malice

Of present hopes, so check them with despair,
As that I yield to thought of more affliction
Than what is incident to frailty: wherefore
Impute not this retired course of living
Some little time, to any other cause

Than what I justly render; the information
Of an unsettled mind; as the effect
Must clearly witness.

Tec. Spirit of truth inspire thee!

On these conditions I conceal thy change,
And willingly admit thee for an auditor.-
I'll to my study.

Org. I to contemplations,

[Exit.

In these delightful walks.-Thus metamorphosed,

I may without suspicion hearken after

Penthea's usage, and Euphranea's faith.

Love, thou art full of mystery! the deities
Themselves are not secure, in searching out

The secrets of those flames, which, hidden, waste
A breast, made tributary to the laws
Of beauty; physic yet hath never found
A remedy to cure a lover's wound.-
Ha! who are those that cross yon private walk
Into the shadowing grove, in amorous foldings?
PROPHILUS and EUPHRANEA pass by, arm in arm, and
whispering.

My sister; O, my sister! 'tis Euphranea
With Prophilus; supported too! I would
It were an apparition! Prophilus

Is Ithocles his friend: it strangely puzzles me.-
Re-enter PROPHILUS and EUPHRANEA.

Again! help me my book; this scholar's habit
Must stand my privilege; my mind is busy,
Mine eyes and ears are open.

[Walks aside, pretending to read.

Pro. Do not waste The span of this stolen time, lent by the gods For precious use, in niceness. Bright Euphranea, Should I repeat old vows, or study new,

For purchase of belief to my desires,—

Org. Desires !

Pro. My service, my integrity.

Org. That's better.

Pro. I should but repeat a lesson

Oft conn'd without a prompter, but thine eyes: My love is honourable.

Org. So was mine

Org. Hold out, Euphranea !

Euph. Know, Prophilus, I never undervalued,
From the first time you mention'd worthy love,
Your merit, means, or person; it had been
A fault of judgment in me, and a dulness
In my affections, not to weigh and thank
My better stars, that offer'd me the grace
Of so much blissfulness: for, to speak truth,
The law of my desires kept equal pace
With yours; nor have I left that resolution:
But only, in a word, whatever choice
Lives nearest in my heart, must first procure
Consent, both from my father and my brother,
Ere he can own me his.

Org. She is foresworn else.
Pro. Leave me that task.

Euph. My brother, ere he parted

To Athens, had my oath.

Org. Yes, yes, he had sure.

Pro. I doubt not, with the means the court supplies,

But to prevail at pleasure.

Org. Very likely!

Euph. Methinks

I hear one talking to himself-I see him.
Pro. 'Tis a poor scholar; as I told you, lady.
Org. I am discover'd-Say it; is it possible,
[Half aloud to himself, as if studying.
With a smooth tongue, a leering countenance,
Flattery, or force of reason-I come to you, sir-
To turn or to appease the raging sea?
Answer to that.-Your art !-what art? to catch
And hold fast in a net the sun's small atoms?
No, no; they'll out, they'll out; you may as easily
Outrun a cloud driven by a northern biast,
As-fiddle-faddle so! peace, or speak sense.
Euph. Call you this thing a scholar? 'las, be's
lunatic.

Pro. Observe him, sweet; 'tis but his recreation. Org. But will you hear a little? You are so tetchy,

You keep no rule in argument; philosophy
Works not upon impossibilities,

But natural conclusions.-Mew?—absurd!
The metaphysics are but speculations

Of the celestial bodies, or such accidents

As not mixt perfectly, in the air engender'd,
Appear to us unnatural; that's all.

Prove it; yet, with a reverence to your gravity,