Pen. How, Orgilus, by promise I was thine.
The heavens do witness; they can witness too
A rape done on my truth: how I do love thee
Yet, Orgilus, and yet, must best appear
In tendering thy freedom; for I find
The constant preservation of thy merit,
By thy not daring to attempt my fame
With injury of any loose conceit,

Which might give deeper wounds to discontents.
Continue this fair race: then, though I cannot
Add to thy comfort, yet I shall more often
Remember from what fortune I am fall'n,
And pity mine own ruin.-Live, live happy,-
Happy in thy next choice, that thou mayst people
This barren age with virtues in thy issue!
And O, when thou art married, think on me
With mercy, not contempt! I hope thy wife,
Hearing my story, will not scorn my fall.—
Now let us part.

Org.

Part! yet advise thee better:

Penthea is the wife to Orgilus,

And ever shall be.

Pen.
Org. How!

Pen.

Never shall nor will.

Hear me; in a word I'll tell thee why.

The virgin-dowry which my birth bestowed
Is ravished by another; my true love
Abhors to think that Orgilus deserved
No better favours than a second bed.
Org. I must not take this reason.
Pen.

To confirm it;

Should I outlive my bondage, let me meet
Another worse than this and less desired,
If, of all men alive, thou shouldst but touch
My lip or hand again!

Org.

I tell ye, you grow wanton in
Come, sweet, thou'rt mine.

Penthea, now

my sufferance:

Pen.

Uncivil sir, forbear!

Or I can turn affection into vengeance;
Your reputation, if you value any,

Lies bleeding at my feet. Unworthy man,
If ever henceforth thou appear in language,
Message, or letter, to betray my frailty,
I'll call thy former protestations lust,

And curse my stars for forfeit of my judgment.
Go thou, fit only for disguise, and walks,
To hide thy shame: this once I spare thy life.
I laugh at mine own confidence; my sorrows
By thee are made inferior to my fortunes.
If ever thou didst harbour worthy love,
Dare not to answer. My good genius guide me,
That I may never see thee more!-Go from me!
Org. I'll tear my veil of politic French off,
And stand up like a man resolved to do:

Action, not words, shall show me.--O Penthea! [Exit. Pen. He sighed my name, sure, as he parted from

me:

I fear I was too rough. Alas, poor gentleman!

He looked not like the ruins of his youth,

But like the ruins of those ruins. Honour,

How much we fight with weakness to preserve thee!

[Walks aside.

Enter BASSANES and GRAUSIS.

Bass Fie on thee! damn thee, rotten maggot, damn

thee !

Sleep? sleep at court? and now? Aches,' convulsions, Imposthumes, rheums, gouts, palsies, clog thy bones

A dozen years more yet!

Grau.

Now you're in humours.

Bass. She's by herself, there's hope of that; she's sad

too;

She's in strong contemplation; yes, and fixed:

The signs are wholesome.

1 The word was pronounced as a dissyllable, aitches.

Gau.

Very wholesome, truly.

Bass. Hold your chops, nightmare!-Lady, come;

your brother

Is carried to his closet; you must thither.

Pen. Not well, my lord?

Bass.

A sudden fit; 'twill off!

Some surfeit or disorder.-How dost, dearest ?

Pen. Your news is none o' the best.

Pen. In vain we labour in this course of life To piece our journey out at length, or crave Respite of breath: our home is in the grave. Bass. Perfect philosophy!

Pen.

Then let us care

To live so, that our reckonings may fall even
When we're to make account.

He cannot fear

Pro.
Who builds on noble grounds: sickness or pain
Is the deserver's exercise; and such

Your virtuous brother to the world is known.
Speak comfort to him, lady; be all gentle :
Stars fall but in the grossness of our sight;
A good man dying, the earth doth lose a light.

[Exeunt.

SCENE I.-The Study of TECNICUS.

Enter TECNICUS, and ORGILUS in his usual dress.

EC. Be well advised; let not a resolu

tion

of reason.

Org. It shall not, most sage master.
Tec.

I am jealous ; 1
For if the borrowed shape so late put

Inferred a consequence, we must conclude
Some violent design of sudden nature
Hath shook that shadow off, to fly upon
A new-hatched execution. Orgilus,
Take heed thou hast not, under our integrity,
Shrouded unlawful plots; our mortal eyes
Pierce not the secrets of your heart, the gods
Are only privy to them.

Learned Tecnicus,

Org.
Such doubts are causeless; and, to clear the truth
From misconceit, the present state commands me.
The Prince of Argos comes himself in person
In quest of great Calantha for his bride,
Our kingdom's heir; besides, mine only sister,
Euphranea, is disposed to Prophilus ;
Lastly, the king is sending letters for me
To Athens, for my quick repair to court:

1 Suspicious.

[on

1

Just ones, Orgilus,

Please to accept these reasons.

Tec.

Not to be contradicted: yet beware

Of an unsure foundation; no fair colours
Can fortify a building faintly jointed.

I have observed a growth in thy aspéct

Of dangerous extent, sudden, and—look to’t—

I might add, certain—

Org.

My aspéct! could art

Run through mine inmost thoughts, it should not sift
An inclination there more than what suited

With justice of mine honour.

Tec.

I believe it.

But know then, Orgilus, what honour is :
Honour consists not in a bare opinion
By doing any act that feeds content,

Brave in appearance, 'cause we think it brave;
Such honour comes by accident, not nature,
Proceeding from the vices of our passion,
Which makes our reason drunk: but real honour
Is the reward of virtue, and acquired

By justice, or by valour which for basis
Hath justice to uphold it. He then fails
In honour, who for lucre or revenge
Commits thefts, murders, treasons, and adulteries,
With suchlike, by intrenching on just laws,
Whose sovereignty is best preserved by justice.
Thus, as you see how honour must be grounded
On knowledge, not opinion,--for opinion
Relies on probability and accident,

But knowledge on necessity and truth,-

I leave thee to the fit consideration

Of what becomes the grace of real honour,

Wishing success to all thy virtuous meanings.

Org. The gods increase thy wisdom, reverend oracle,

And in thy precepts make me ever thrifty!

Tec. I thank thy wish.

[Exit ORGILUS.