Francis Beaumont

“ Ay, all his Heaven hereafter!
⁠King.⁠Hear, Evadne,
Thou soul of sweetness, hear! I am thy king.
⁠Evad.⁠Thou art my shame! Lie still, there's none about you,
Within your cries: All promises of safety
Are but deluding dreams. ”

“ More out of fear than honour! You have lost
A noble master; which your faith, Melantius,
Some think, might have preserved: Yet you know best.
⁠Cal.⁠When time was, I was mad; some, that dares fight,
I hope will pay this rascal. ”

“ The blessed soul to this fair seat again.
No comfort comes; the gods deny me too!
I'll bow the body once again: Aspatia!
The soul is fled for ever; and I wrong
Myself, so long to lose her company. ”

“ Enter Lysippus, Diagoras, Cleon, Strato, and Guard.
⁠Lys.⁠See where he stands, as boldly confident
As if he had his full command about him.
⁠Stra.⁠He looks as if he had the better cause, sir;
Under your gracious pardon, let me speak it!
Though he be mighty-spirited, and forward
To all great things; to all things of that danger
Worse men shake at the telling of; yet, certainly,
I do believe him noble; and this action
Rather pull'd on, than sought: his mind was ever
As worthy as his hand
⁠Lys.⁠'Tis my fear, too. ”

“ Be Flesh, If she have Blood, and can fear, 'tis a daring
Above that desperate Fool that left his Peace,
And went to Sea to fight: 'tis so many sins
An Age cannot prevent 'em; and so great,
The Gods want Mercy for: Yet I must through 'em. ”

“ Amin.I dream! Awake, Amintor!
Evad.You hear right.
I sooner will find out the beds of snakes,
And with my youthful blood warm their cold flesh,
Letting them curl themselves about my limbs,
Than sleep one night with thee. This is not feign'd,
Nor sounds it like the coyness of a bride.
Amin.Is flesh so earthly to endure all this?
Are these the joys of marriage? Hymen, keep
This story (that will make succeeding youth
Neglect thy ceremonies) from all ears ”

“ That knows no God more mighty than her Mischiefs:
Thou dost still worse, still number on thy faults,
To press my poor heart thus. Can I believe
There's any seed of virtue in that woman
Left to shoot up, that dares go on in sin,
Known, and so known as thine is. ”

“ Shall know, there's not an altar that will smoke
In praise of thee; we will adopt us sons;
Then virtue shall inherit, and not blood.
If we do lust, we'll take the next we meet,
Serving ourselves as other creatures do ”

“ Amin.The world wants lives to excuse thy loss!
Come, let me bear thee to some place of help.
Asp.Amintor, thou must stay; I must rest here;
My strength begins to disobey my will.
How dost thou, my best soul? I would fain live
Now, if I could: Wouldst thou have loved me then?
Amin.Alas! all that I am's not worth a Hair from thee.
Asp.Give me thy hand; my hands grope up and down,
And cannot find thee: I am wondrous sick:
Have I thy hand, Amintor?
Amin.Thou greatest blessing of the world, thou hast.
Asp.I do believe thee better than my sense.
Oh! I must go. Farewell! ”

“ As this our age hath known? What could he do,
If such a sudden speech had met his blood,
But ruin thee for ever, if he had not kill'd thee?
He could not bear it thus. He is as we,
Or any other wrong'd man. ”

“ Go learn to love first; learn to lose yourselves;
Learn to be flatter'd, and believe, and bless
The double tongue that did it. Make a faith
Out of the miracles of ancient lovers,
Such as speak truth, and died in't, and, like me,
Believe all faithful, and be miserable. ”

“ Call thrice aloud, and then start, feigning joy
So coldly!—World, what do I hear? a friend
Is nothing. Heaven, I would have told that man
My secret sins! I'll search an unknown land,
And there plant friendship; all is wither'd here. ”

“ Mel.Mark his disorder'd Words, and at the Mask,
Diagoras knows, he raged, and rail'd at me,
And call'd a lady whore, so innocent
She understood him not. But it becomes
Both you and me too to forgive distraction:
Pardon him, as I do.
Cal.I'll not speak for thee,
For all thy cunning.—If you will be safe,
Chop off his head; for there was never known
So impudent a rascal.
King.Some, that love him
Get him to bed. Why, pity should not let
Age make itself contemptible; we must be
All old; have him away.
Mel.Calianax, the King believes you; come you shall go
Home, and rest ”

“ What you dare do unto a weak old man
In single fight. You will give ground, I fear.
Come, draw.
Mel.I will not draw, unless thou pull'st thy death
Upon thee with a stroke. There's no one blow,
That thou canst give, hath strength enough to kill me.
Tempt me not so far then: The power of earth
Shall not redeem thee.
Cal.I must let him alone:
He's stout and able; and, to say the truth,
However I may set a face, and talk,
I am not valiant. When I was a youth,
I kept my credit with a testy trick
I had, 'mongst cowards, but durst never fight. ”

“ Amin.Lovers! who?
Evad.The king and me.
Amin.O, God!
Evad.Who should live long, and love without distaste,
Were it not for such pickthanks as thyself.
Did you lie with me? Swear now, and be, punish'd
In hell for this!
Amin.The faithless sin I made
To fair Aspatia, is not yet revenged;
It follows me.—I will not lose a word
To this vile woman: But to you, my king,
The anguish of my soul thrusts out this truth,
You are a tyrant! And not so much to wrong
An honest man thus, as to take a pride
In talking with him of it.
Evad.Now, sir, see how loud this Fellow ly'd. ”

“ Mel.Enough. This must be known to none
But you and I, Evadne; not to your lord,
Though he be wise and noble, and a fellow
Dares step as far into a worthy action
As the most daring: ay, as far as justice. ”

“ And lose thine offices.
Cal.I am valiant grown,
At all these years, and thou art but a slave!
Mel.Leave! Some company will come, and I respect
Thy years, not thee, so much, that I could wish
To laugh at thee alone.
Cal.I'll spoil your mirth:
I mean to fight with thee. There lie, my cloak!
This was my father's sword, and he durst fight.
Are you prepared?
Mel.Why wilt thou dote thyself
Out of thy life? Hence, get thee to bed!
Have careful looking-to, and eat warm things,
And trouble not me: My head is full of thoughts,
More weighty than thy life or death can be. ”

“ When all falls blasted. If you needs must love,
(Forced by ill fate) take to your maiden bosoms
Two dead-cold aspicks, and of them make lovers:
They cannot flatter, nor forswear; one kiss
Makes a long peace for all. ”

“ Cal.Yes, I shou'd sit mute
whilst a rogue with strong arms cuts your throat.
King.Well, I will try him; and, if this be true,
I'll pawn my life I'll find it. If't be false,
And that you clothe your hate in such a lie,
You shall hereafter dote in your own house,
Not in the court.
Cal.Why, if it be a lie,
Mine ears are false; for, I'll be sworn, I heard it.
Old men are good for nothing: You were best
Put me to death for hearing, and free him
For meaning it. ”

“ Looks not Evadne beauteous, with these rites now
Were those hours half so lovely in thine eyes,
When our hands met before the holy man?
I was too foul within to look fair then:
Since I knew ill, I was not free till now.
Amin.There is presage of some important thing
About thee, which, it seems, thy tongue hath lost.
Thy hands are bloody, and thou hast a knife!
Evad.In this consists thy happiness and mine.
Joy to Amintor! for the king is dead.
Amin.Those have most power to hurt us, that we love;
We lay our sleeping lives within their arms! ”

“ Can answer to the world.
⁠King.⁠How's this, Evadne?
⁠Evad.⁠I am not she; nor bear I in this breast
So much cold spirit to be call'd a Woman.
I am a Tyger, I am any thing
That knows not Pity. Stir not, if thou dost,
I'll take thee unprepar'd; thy Fears upon thee,
That make thy sins look double ”

“ Lay a garland on my hearse,
Of the dismal yew;
Maidens, willow branches bear;
Say I died true:
My love was false, but I was firm
From my hour of birth.
Upon my buried body lie
Lightly, gentle earth!
Evad.Fie on't, Madam! The words are so strange, they are able to make one dream of hobgoblins. “I could never have the power:” Sing that, Dula.
Dula.I could never have the power
To love one above an hour,
But my heart would prompt mine eye
On some other man to fly ”

“ Asp.Oh, oh, oh!
Amin.This earth of mine doth tremble. and I feel
A stark affrighted motion in my blood:
My soul grows weary of her house, and I
All over am a trouble to myself.
There is some hidden power in these dead things,
That calls my flesh unto 'em: I am cold!
Be resolute, and bear 'em company.
There's something, yet, which I am loth to leave.
There's man enough in me to meet the fears
That death can bring ”

“ Mel.Quench me this mighty Humour, and then tell me
Whose Whore you are, for you are one, I know it.
Let all mine Honours perish but I'll find him,
Though he lie lockt up in thy Blood; be sudden;
There is no facing it, and be not flattered;
The burnt Air, when the Dog reigns, is not fouler
Than thy contagious Name, 'till thy Repentance
(If the Gods grant thee any) purge thy Sickness.
Evad.Be gone, you are my Brother, that's your Safety.
Mel.I'll be a Wolf first ”

“ The combat of you, tis not in the power
Of all our laws to hinder it, unless
We mean to quit 'em.
Cal.Why, if you do think
'Tis fit an old man, and a counsellor,
Do fight for what he says, then you may grant it.
Enter Amintor, Evadne, Melantius, Diphilus, Lysippus, Cleon, Strato, and Diagoras.
King.Come, sirs!—Amintor, thou art yet a bridegroom,
And I will use thee so: Thou shalt sit down.—
Evadne, sit ”

“ Mel.This is a Night, in spight of Astronomers,
To do the deed in; I will wash the stain
That rests upon our House, off with his Blood.
Enter Amintor.
Amin.Melantius, now assist me: If thou be'st
That which thou say'st, assist me. I have lost
All my distempers, and have found a rage
So pleasing! Help me.
Mel.Who can see him thus,
And not swear vengeance?—What's the matter, friend? ”

“ Blushes upon thy Cheeks, and 'till thou dost a Fault, 'twere Pity.
King.Yet I wonder much
At the strange desperation of these Men,
That dare attempt such Acts here in our State;
He could not escape that did it.
Mel.Were he known, unpossible.
King.It would be known, Melantius.
Mel.It ought to be, if he got then away
He must wear all our Lives upon his Sword,
He need not fly the Island, he must leave no one alive.
King.No, I should think no Man
Cou'd kill me and scape clear, but that old Man. ”

“ ⁠Asp.⁠Then, my good girls, be more than women, wise:
At least be more than I was; ”

“ Amin.Not on thee, did thine Anger swell as high
As the wild Surges; thou shouldst do me Ease
Here, and eternally, if thy noble hand
Would cut me from my sorrows.
Mel.This is base And fearful. They, that use to utter lies
Provide not blows, but words, to qualifie
The men they wrong'd; thou hast a guilty cause.
Amin.Thou pleasest me; for so much more like this
Will raise my anger up above my griefs,
Which is a passion easier to be born
And I shall then be happy.
Mel.Take then more To raise thine anger: 'Tis meer
cowardice Makes thee not draw ”

“ These credulous ears, he pour'd the sweetest words
That art or love could frame. ”

“ Exit Mel.
Evad.Would I cou'd say so to my black disgrace!
Oh, where have I been all this time? how 'friended,
That I should lose myself thus desperately,
And none for pity show me how I wandered?
There is not in the compass of the light
A more unhappy creature: Sure, I am monstrous!
For I have done those follies, those mad mischiefs,
Would dare a woman. Oh, my loaden soul,
Be not so cruel to me; choke not up
Enter Amintor. ”

“ How dost thou, love? kiss me.
Evad.I cannot love you, you tell tales of me.
Amin.Nothing but what becomes us.—Gentlemen,
'Would you had all such wives, and all the world,
That I might be no wonder! You are all sad:
What, do you envy me? I walk, methinks,
On water, and ne'er sink, I am so light.
Mel.'Tis well you are so.
Amin.Well? how can I be other,
When she looks thus?—Is there no music there?
Let's dance.
Mel.Why, this is strange, Amintor!
Amin.I do not know myself; yet I could wish
My joy were less.
Diph.I'll marry too, if it will make one thus.
Evad.Amintor, hark. ”

“ Exit.
Asp.How stubbornly this fellow answered me!
There is a vile dishonest trick in man,
More than in woman: All the men I meet
Appear thus to me, are all harsh and rude;
And have a subtilty in everything,
Which love could never know. But we fond women
Harbour the easiest and the smoothest thoughts,
And think, all shall go so! It is unjust,
That men and women should be match'd together.
Enter AMINTOR and his Man.
Amin.Where is he?
Ser.There, my lord.
Amin.What would you, sir? ”

“ Amin.But there is nothing——
Mel.Worse and worse! farewell!
From this time have acquaintance, but no friend.
Amin.Melantius, stay: You shall know what it is.
Mel.See, how you play'd with friendship! Be advised
How you give cause unto yourself to say,
You ha' lost a Friend. ”

“ Mel.I should be, Sir, the merriest here,
But I have ne'er a Story of my own
Worth telling at this time.
King.Give me the Wine.
Melantius, I am now considering
How easie 'twere for any Man we trust
To poyson one of us in such a Bowl.
Mel.I think it were not hard Sir, for a Knave.
Cal.Such as you are.
King.I'faith 'twere easie, it becomes us well
To get plain dealing men about our selves,
Such as you all are here. Amintor, to thee,
And to thy fair Evadne.
Mel.Have you thought of this, Calianax? ”