am calme farwell And peace for euer Euadne whom thou hatst will die for thee Kills herselfe Amint. I haue a little humane nature yet That 's lest for thee that bids me stay thy hand Returnes Euad. Thy hand was welcome but it came too late Oh I am lost the heauie sleepe makes hast Aspat. Oh oh oh Amint. This earth of mine doth tremble and I feele A starke affrighted motion in my bloud My soule growes weary of her house and I All ouer am a trouble to my selfe There is some hidden power in these dead things That calls myselfe vnto 'em I am cold Be resolute and beare 'em company There 's something yet which I am loath to leaue There 's man enough in me to meete the feares That death can bring and yet would it were done I can finde nothing in the whole discourse Of death I durst not meete the bouldest way Yet still betwixt the reason and the act The wrong I to Aspatia did stands vp I haue not such another fault to answer Though she may iustly arme her selfe with scorne And hate of me my soule will part lesse troubled When I haue paid to her in teares my sorrow I will not leaue this act vnsatisfied If all that 's left in me can answer it Aspat. Was it a dreame There stands Amintor still Or I dreame still Amint. How doest thou speake receiue my loue helpe Thy bloud climbes vp to his old place againe There 's hope of thy recouerie Aspat. Did you not name Aspatia Amint. I did Aspat. And talkt of teares and sorrow vnto her Amint. T is true and till these happie signes in thee Staid my course it was thither I was going Aspat. Thou art there already and these wounds are hers Those threats I brought with me sought not reuenge But came to fetch this blessing from thy hand I am Aspatia yet Amint. Dare my soule euer looke abroad agen Aspat. I shall sure liue Amintor I am well A kinde of healthfull ioy wanders within me Amint. The world wants lines to excuse thy losse Come let me beare thee to some place of helpe Aspat. Amintor thou must stay I must rest here My strength begins to disobey my will How dost thou my best soule I would faine liue Now if I could wouldst thou haue loued me then Amint. Alas all that I ams not worth a haire From thee Aspat. Giue me thine hand mine eyes grow vp downe And cannot finde thee I am wondrous sicke Haue I thy hand Amintor Amint. Thou greatest blessing of the world thou hast Aspat. I doe beleeue thee better then my sense Oh I must goe farewell Amint. She sounds Aspatia Helpe for Gods sake water Such as may chaine life euer to this frame Aspatia speake what no helpe yet I foole I le chafe her temples yet there nothing stirs Some hidden power tell her Amintor cals And let her answer me Aspatia speake I haue heard if there be any life but bow The body thus and it will shew it selfe Oh she is gone I will not leaue her yet Since out of iustice we must challenge nothing I le call it mercy if you le pittie me You heauenly powers and lend forth some few yeeres The blessed soule to this faire seat againe No comfort comes the gods deuie me too I le bow the body once againe Aspatia The soule is fled for euer and I wrong My selfe so long to loose her companie Must I talke now Here 's to be with thee loue Kils himselfe Enter Seruant Ser. This is a great grace to my Lord to haue the new King come to him I must tell him he is entring Oh God helpe helpe Enter Lysip Melant Call Diph. Strato Lys. Where 's Amintor Strat. O there there Lys. How strange is this Call What should we doe here Mel. These deaths are such acquainted things with me That yet my heart dissolues not May I stand Stiffe here for euer eyes call vp your teares This is Amintor heart he was my friend Melt now it flowes Amintor giue a word To call me to thee Amint. Oh Mel. Melantius cals his friend Amintor oh thy armes Are kinder to me then thy tongue Speake speake Amint. What Mel. That little word was worth all the sounds That euer I shall heare againe Diph. Oh brother here lies your sister slaine You loose your selfe in sorrow there Mel. Why Dip it is A thing to laugh at in respect of this Here was my Sister Father Brother Sonne All that I had speake once againe What youth lies slaine there by thee Amint. T is Aspatia My last is said let me giue vp my soule Into thy bosome Call What 's that what 's that Aspatia Mel. I neuer did repent the greatnesse of heart till now It will not burst at need Call My daughter dead here too and you haue all fine new trickes to greiue but I nere knew any but direct crying Mel. I am a Pratler but no more Diph. Hold Brother Lisip. Stop him Diph. Fie how vnmanly was this offer in you Does this become our straine Call I know not what the matter is but I am Growne very kinde and am friends with you all now You haue giuen me that among you will kill me Quickly but I le go home and liue as long as I can Exit Mel. His spirit is but poore that can be kept From death for want of weapons Is not my hands a weapon sharpe enough To stop my breath or if you tie downe those I vow Amintor I will neuer eate Or drinke or sleepe or haue to doe with that That may preserue life this I sweare to keepe Lisip. Looke to him tho and beare those bodies in May this a faire example be to me To rule with temper for on lustfull Kings Vnlookt for suddaine deaths from God are sent But curst is he that is their instrument FINIS
now prethee hate him Has sunke thy faire soule I command thee curse him Curse till the gods heare and deliuer him To thy iust wishes yet I feare Euadne You had rather play your game out Euad. No I feele Too many sad confusions here to let in Any loose flame hereafter Mel. Dost thou not feele amongst al those one braue anger That breakes out nobly and directs thine arme To kill this base King Euad. All the gods forbid it Mel. No al the gods require it they are dishonored in him Euad. T is too fearfull Mel. Y' are valiant in his bed and bold enough To be a stale whore and haue your Madams name Discourse for groomes and pages and hereafter When his coole Maiestie hath laid you by To be at pension with some needie Sir For meat and courser cloathes thus farre you had no feare Come you shall kill him Euad. Good Sir Mel. And t were to kisse him dead thou dst smother him Be wise and kill him canst thou liue and know What noble minds shall make thee see thy selfe Found out with euery finger made the shame Of all successions and in this thy ruine Thy brother and thy noble husband broken Thou shalt not liue thus kneele and sweare to helpe me When I shall call thee to it or by all Holy in heauen and earth thou shalt not liue To breathe a foule houre longer not a thought Come t is a righteous oath giue me thy hand And both to heauen held vp sweare by that wealth This lustfull theefe stole from thee when I say it To let his foule soule out Euad. Here I sweare it And all you spirits of abused Ladies Helpe me in this performance Mel. Enough this must be knowne to none But you and I Euadne not to your Lord Though he be wise and noble and a fellow Dare step as farre into a worthy action As the most daring I as farre as iustice Aske me not why Farewell Exit Mel. Euad. Would I could say so to my blacke disgrace Gods where haue I beene all this time how friended That I should lose my selfe thus desperately And none for pittie shew me how I wandred There is not in the compasse of the light A more vnhappy creature sure I am monstrous For I haue done those follies those mad mischiefes Would dare a woman O my loaden soule Be not so cruell to me choake not vp Enter Amintor The way to my repentance O my Lord Amint. How now Euad. My much abused Lord Kneele Amint. This cannot be Euad. I doe not kneele to liue I dare not hope it The wrongs I did are greater looke vpon me Though I appeare with all my faults Amint. Stand vp This is a new way to beget more sorrowes Heauen knowes I haue too many doe not mocke me Though I am tame and bred vp with my wrongs Which are my foster-brothers I may leape Like a hand-wolfe into my naturall wildnesse And doe an outrage prethee doe not mocke me Euad. My whole life is so leaprous it infects All my repentance I would buy your pardon Though at the highest set euen with my life That sleight contrition that no sacrifice For what I haue committed Amint Sure I dazle There cannot be A faith in that foule woman That knowes no God more mighty then her mischiefes Thou doest still worse still number on thy faults To presse my poore heart thus Can I beleeue There 's any seed of vertue in that woman Left to shoot vp that dares goe in sinne Knowne and so knowne as thine is O Euadne Would there were any safetie in thy sex That I might put a thousand sorrowes off And credit thy repentance but I must not Thou hast brought me to that dull calamitie To that strange misbeleefe of all the world And all things that are in it that I feare I shall fall like a tree and finde my graue Only remembring that I grieue Euad. My Lord Giue me your griefes you are an innocent A soule as white as heauen let not my sinnes Perish your noble youth I doe not fall here To shadow by dissembling with my teares As all say women can or to make lesse What my hot will hath done which heauen and you Knowes to be tougher then the hand of time Shall cut from mans remembrance no I doe not I doe appeare the same the same Euadne Drest in the shames I liu'd in the same monster But these are names of honour to what I am I doe present my selfe the foulest creature Most poisonous dangerous and despisde of men Lerna ere bred or Nilus I am hell Till you my deare Lord shoot your light into me The beames of your forgiuenesse I am soule sicke And wither with the feare of one condemnd Till I haue got your pardon Amint. Rise Euadne Those heauenly powers that put this good into thee Grant a continuance of it I forgiue thee Make thyselfe worthy of it and take heed Take heed Euadne this be serious Mocke not the powers aboue that can and dare Giue thee a great example of their iustice To all insuing eyes if thou plai'st With thy repentance the best sacrifice Euad. I haue done nothing good to get beleife My life hath beene so faithlesse all the Creatures Made for heauens honors haue their ends and good ones Al but the cousening Crocodiles false women They raigne here like those plagues those killing soares Men pray against and when they die like tales Ill told and vnbeleiu'd they passe away And go to dust forgotten But my Lord Those short daies I shall number to my rest As many must not see me shall though too late Though in my euening yet perceiue a will Since I can doe no good because a woman Reach constantly at something that is neere it I will redeeme one minute of my age Or like another Niobe I le weepe Till I am water Amint. I am dissolued My frozen soule melts may each sin thou hast Finde a new mercy rise I am at peace Hadst thou beene thus thus excellently good Before that deuill King tempted thy frailty Sure thou hadst made a Star giue me thy hand From this time I will know thee and as far As honour giues me leaue be thy Amintor When we meete next I will salute thee fairely And pray the gods to giue thee happy daies My Charity shall go along with thee Though my embraces must be far from thee I should ha' kild thee but this sweete repentance Lockes vp my vengeance for which thus I kisse thee The last kisse we must take and would to heauen The holy Preist that gaue our hands together Had giuen vs equall virtues go Euadne The gods thus part our bodies haue a care My honour falles no further I am well then Euad. All the deare ioyes here and aboue hereafter Crowne thy faire soule thus I take leaue my Lord And neuer shall you see the foule Euadne Till she haue tried all honoured meanes that may Set her in
thou doest loue me Thou waighst not any thing compar'd to me Life honour ioyes eternall all delights The world can yeeld are light as aire To a true louer when his Lady frownes And bids him doe this wilt thou kill this man Sweare my Amintor and I le kisse the sun Of thy lips AMIN. I wonnot swear sweet loue till I know the cause EVAD. I wood thou wouldst Why it is thou that wrongst me I hate thee Thou should'st haue kild thy selfe AMIN. If I should know that I should quickly kill The man you hated EVAD. Know it and doo 't AMIN. Oh no what looke so ere thou should'st put on To trie my faith I cannot thinke thee false I cannot finde one blemish in thy face Where falsehood should abide leaue and to bed If you haue sworne to any of the virgins That were your olde companions to preserue Your maidenhead a night it may be done Without this meanes EVAD, A maidenhead Amintor at my yeares AMIN. Sure she raues this cannot be Her naturall temper shall I call thy maides Either thy healthfull sleepe hath left thee long Or else some feauer rages in thy blood EVAD. Neither of these what thinke you I am mad Because I speake the truth AMIN. Is this the truth wil you not lie with me to night EVAD. You talke as if you thought I would hereafter AMIN. Hereafter yes I doe EVD. You are deceiu'd put off amazement with patience mark What I shall vtter for the Oracle Knowes nothing truer t is not for a night Or two that I forbeare your bed but euer AMIN. I dreame awake Amintor EVAD. You heare right I sooner would finde out the beds of Snakes And with my youthfull blood warme their cold flesh Letting them curle themselues about my limbes then sleepe one night with thee this is not faind Nor sounds it like the kisses of a bride AMIN. Is flesh so earthly to endure all this Are these the ioyes of mariage Hymen keepe This story that will make succeeding youth Neglect thy ceremonies from all eares Let it not rise vp for thy shame and mine To after ages we will scorne thy lawes If thou no better blesse them touch the heart Of her whom thou hast sent me or the world Shall know this not an altar then will smoake In praise of thee we will adopt vs sonnes Then vertue shall inherit and not blood If we doe lust we 'le take the next we meet Seruing our selues as other creatures doe And neuer take note of the female more Nor of her issue I doe rage in vaine She cannot iest Oh pardon me my loue So deare the thoughts are which I hold of thee That I must breake forth satisfie my feare It is a paine beyond the paine of death To be in doubt confirme it with an oath If this be true EVAD. Doe you inuent the forme Let there be in it all the binding wordes Diuels and coniurers can put together And I will take it I haue sworne before And here by all things holy doe againe Neuer to be acquainted with thy bed Is your doubt ouer now AMIN. I know too much would I had doubted still Was euer such a mariage night as this You powers aboue if you did euer meane Man should be vs'd thus you haue thought a way How he may beare himselfe and saue his honour Instant me with it for to my dull eyes There is no meane no moderate course to runne I must liue scorn'd or be a murderer Is there a third why is this night so calme Why does not heauen speake in thunder to vs And drowne their voyce EVAD. This rage will doe no good AMIN. Euadne heare me thou hast tane an oath But such a rash one that to keepe it were Worse then to sweare it call it backe to thee Such vowes as that neuer ascend the heauen A teare or two will wash it quite away Haue mercy on my youth my hopefull youth If thou be pittifull for without boast This land was proud of me what Lady was there That men cald faire and vertuous in this Isle That would haue shund my loue it is in thee To make me hold this worth Oh we vaine men That trust all our reputation To rest vpon the weake and yeelding hand Of feeble woman but thou art not stone Thy flesh is soft and in thine eyes doe dwell The spirit of loue thy heart cannot be hard Come leade me from the bottome of dispaire To all the ioyes thou hast I know thou wilt And make me carefull least the sudden change Ore-come my spirits EVAD. When I call back this oath the paines of hell inuiron me AMIN. I sleepe and am to temporate come to bed Or by those haires which if thou hast a soule like to thy locks Were threads for Kings to weare About their armes EVAD. Why so perhaps they are AMIN. I le dragge thee to my bed and make thy tongue Vndoe this wicked oath or on thy flesh I le print a thousand wounds to let out life EVAD. I feare thee not doe what thou darst to me Euery ill sounding word or threatning looke Thou shewest to me will be reueng'd at full AMIN. It will not sure Euadne EVAD. Doe not you hazard that AMIN. Ha ye your Champions EVAD. Alas Amintor thinkst thou I forbeare To sleepe with thee because I haue put on A maidens strictnesse looke vpon these cheekes And thou shalt finde the hot and rising blood Vnapt for such a vow no in this heart There dwels as much desire and as much will To put that wished act as euer yet Was knowne to woman and they haue been showne Both but it was the folly of thy youth To thinke this beauty to what land soe're It shall be cald shall stoope to any second I doe enioy the best and in that height Haue sworne to stand or die you guesse the man AMIN. No let me know the man that wrongs me so That I may cut his body into motes And scatter it before the Northen winde EVAD. You dare not strike him AMIN. Doe not wrong me so Yes if his body were a poysonous plant That it were death to touch I haue a soule Will throw me on him EVAD. Why t is the King AMIN. The King EVAD. What will you doe now AMIN. It is not the King EVAD. What did he make this match for dull Amintor AMIN. Oh thou hast nam'd a word that wipes away All thoughts reuengefull in that sacred word The King there lies a terror what fraile man Dares lift his hand against it let the Gods Speake to him when they please till when let vs Suffer and waite EVAD. Why should you fill your selfe so full of heate And haste so to my bed I am no virgin AMIN. What Diuell hath put it in thy fancy then To mary mee EVAD. Alas I must haue one To father children and to beare the name Of husband to me that my sinne may be More honorable AMIN. What strange thing