And, in exchange of that, I seize on this, [Takes Ero. by the hand. The real substance: with this other hand I give away, before her father's face, His younger joy, Cleophila, to thee, Cousin Amethus; take her, and be to her More than a father, a deserving husband. Thus, robb’d of both thy children in a minute, Thy cares are taken off. Mel. My brains are dull’d; I am entranced and know not what you mean. Great, gracious sir, alas ! why do you mock me? I am a weak old man, so poor and feeble, That my untoward joints can scarcely creep Unto the grave, where I must seek my rest. Pal. Eroclea was, you know, contracted mine; Cleophila my cousin's, by consent Of both their hearts; we both now claim our own: It only rests in you to give a blessing, Rhe. Sir, 'tis truth and justice. vows! Oh, children, children, pay your prayers to heaven, For they have shew'd much mercy. But So phronos, Pal. Leave the rest to time. She's thy wife, Menaphon. Rhetias, for thee, thrive, [Exeunt. ? This line alludes to the last couplet of the Prologue. The concluding scene of this drama is wrought up with singular art and beauty. If the “Very Woman" of Massinger preceded the Lover's Melancholy (as I believe it did,) Ford is indebted to it for no inconsiderable part of his plot. EPILOGUE. To be too confident, is as unjust 8 * This Epilogue does not appear in all the copies. Mr. Heber's has it not. "I can hardly believe it to have been really spoken on the stage ; for there is an expression in it which, in that case, would bear an air of insult to the poet's poorer brethren, as well as to the audience. By being free, he means that he was not compelled by necessity to have recourse to the stage; indeed, he appears from his Dedications to have been much engaged in professional business ; and he had besides, I believe, some hereditary property. |