The Maids Tragedy

Amint. Melantius, stay, you shall know what that is.

Mel. See how you play'd with friendship; be advis'd How you give cause unto your self to say, You ha'lost a friend.

Amint. Forgive what I have done;                 For I am so ore-gone with injuries                 Unheard of, that I lose consideration                 Of what I ought to do—oh—oh.Mel. Do not weep; what is't?                 May I once but know the man                 Hath turn'd my friend thus?Amint. I had spoke at first, but that.Mel. But what?Amint. I held it most unfit                 For you to know; faith do not know it yet.Mel. Thou seest my love, that will keep company                 With thee in tears; hide nothing then from me;                 For when I know the cause of thy distemper,                 With mine own armour I'le adorn my self,                 My resolution, and cut through thy foes,                 Unto thy quiet, till I place thy heart                 As peaceable as spotless innocence. What is it?Amint. Why, 'tis this—it is too big                 To get out, let my tears make way a while.Mel. Punish me strangely heaven, if he escape                 Of life or fame, that brought this youth to this.Amint. Your Sister.Mel. Well said.Amint. You'l wish't unknown, when you have heard it.Mel. No.Amint. Is much to blame,                 And to the King has given her honour up,                 And lives in Whoredom with him.Mel. How, this!                 Thou art run mad with injury indeed,                 Thou couldst not utter this else; speak again,                 For I forgive it freely; tell thy griefs.Amint. She's wanton; I am loth to say a Whore,                 Though it be true.Mel. Speak yet again, before mine anger grow                 Up beyond throwing down; what are thy griefs?Amint. By all our friendship, these.Mel. What? am I tame?                 After mine actions, shall the name of friend                 Blot all our family, and strike the brand                 Of Whore upon my Sister unreveng'd?                 My shaking flesh be thou a Witness for me,                 With what unwillingness I go to scourge                 This Rayler, whom my folly hath call'd Friend;                 I will not take thee basely; thy sword                 Hangs near thy hand, draw it, that I may whip                 Thy rashness to repentance; draw thy sword.Amint. 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 lyes,                 Provide not blows, but words to qualifie                 The men they wrong'd; thou hast a guilty cause.Amint. 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                 Cowardize makes thee not draw; and I will leave thee                 dead                 However; but if thou art so much prest                 With guilt and fear, as not to dare to fight,                 I'le make thy memory loath'd, and fix a scandal                 Upon thy name for ever.Amint. Then I draw,                 As justly as our Magistrates their Swords,                 To cut offenders off; I knew before                 'Twould grate your ears; but it was base in you                 To urge a weighty secret from your friend,                 And then rage at it; I shall be at ease                 If I be kill'd; and if you fall by me,                 I shall not long out-live you.Mel. Stay a while.                 The name of friend is more than family,                 Or all the world besides; I was a fool.                 Thou searching humane nature, that didst wake                 To do me wrong, thou art inquisitive,                 And thrusts me upon questions that will take                 My sleep away; would I had died ere known                 This sad dishonour; pardon me my friend;                 If thou wilt strike, here is a faithful heart,                 Pierce it, for I will never heave my hand                 To thine; behold the power thou hast in me!                 I do believe my Sister is a Whore,                 A Leprous one, put up thy sword young man.Amint. How should I bear it then, she being so?                 I fear my friend that you will lose me shortly;                 And I shall do a foul action my self                 Through these disgraces.Mel. Better half the Land                 Were buried quick together; no, Amintor,                 Thou shalt have ease: O this Adulterous King                 That drew her to't! where got he the spirit                 To wrong me so?Amint. What is it then to me,                 If it be wrong to you!Mel. Why, not so much: the credit of our house                 Is thrown away;                 But from his Iron Den I'le waken death,                 And hurle him on this King; my honesty                 Shall steel my sword, and on its horrid point                 I'le wear my cause, that shall amaze the eyes                 Of this proud man, and be too glittering                 For him to look on.Amint. I have quite undone my fame.Mel. Dry up thy watry eyes,                 And cast a manly look upon my face;                 For nothing is so wild as I thy friend                 Till I have freed thee; still this swelling breast;                 I go thus from thee, and will never cease                 My vengeance, till I find my heart at peace.Amint. It must not be so; stay, mine eyes would tell                 How loth I am to this; but love and tears                 Leave me a while, for I have hazarded                 All this world calls happy; thou hast wrought                 A secret from me under name of Friend,                 Which Art could ne're have found, nor torture wrung                 From out my bosom; give it me agen,                 For I will find it, wheresoe're it lies                 Hid in the mortal'st part; invent a way to give it back.Mel. Why, would you have it back?                 I will to death pursue him with revenge.

Amint. Therefore I call it back from thee; for I know Thy blood so high, that thou wilt stir in this, and shame me To posterity: take to thy Weapon.

Mel. Hear thy friend, that bears more years than thou.Amint. I will not hear: but draw, or I–Mel. Amintor.

Amint. Draw then, for I am full as resolute As fame and honour can inforce me be; I cannot linger, draw.

Mel. I do—but is not                 My share of credit equal with thine if I do stir?Amint. No; for it will be cal'd                 Honour in thee to spill thy Sisters blood,                 If she her birth abuse, and on the King                 A brave revenge: but on me that have walkt                 With patience in it, it will fix the name                 Of fearful Cuckold—O that word! be quick.Mel. Then joyn with me.Amint. I dare not do a sin, or else I would: be speedy.Mel. Then dare not fight with me, for that's a sin.                 His grief distracts him; call thy thoughts agen,                 And to thy self pronounce the name of friend,                 And see what that will work; I will not fight.Amint. You must.Mel. I will be kill'd first, though my passions                 Offred the like to you; 'tis not this earth                 Shall buy my reason to it; think a while,                 For you are (I must weep when I speak that)                 Almost besides your self.Amint. Oh my soft temper!                 So many sweet words from thy Sisters mouth,                 I am afraid would make me take her                 To embrace, and pardon her. I am mad indeed,                 And know not what I do; yet have a care                 Of me in what thou doest.Mel. Why thinks my friend I will forget his honour, or to save                 The bravery of our house, will lose his fame,                 And fear to touch the Throne of Majesty?Amint. A curse will follow that, but rather live                 And suffer with me.Mel. I will do what worth shall bid me, and no more.

Amint. Faith I am sick, and desperately I hope, Yet leaning thus, I feel a kind of ease.

Mel. Come take agen your mirth about you.Amint. I shall never do't.Mel. I warrant you, look up, wee'l walk together,                 Put thine arm here, all shall be well agen.Amint. Thy Love, O wretched, I thy Love, Melantius;                 why, I have nothing else.Mel. Be merry then.

[Exeunt. Enter Melantius agen.

Mel. This worthy young man may do violence                 Upon himself, but I have cherisht him                 To my best power, and sent him smiling from me                 To counterfeit again; Sword hold thine edge,                 My heart will never fail me: Diphilus,                 Thou com'st as sent.

[Enter Diphilus.

Diph. Yonder has been such laughing.Mel. Betwixt whom?

Diph. Why, our Sister and the King, I thought their spleens would break, They laught us all out of the room.

Mel. They must weep, Diphilus.Diph. Must they?

Mel. They must: thou art my Brother, and if I did believe Thou hadst a base thought, I would rip it out, Lie where it durst.

Diph. You should not, I would first mangle my self and find it.Mel. That was spoke according to our strain; come                 Joyn thy hands to mine,                 And swear a firmness to what project I shall lay                 before thee.Diph. You do wrong us both;                 People hereafter shall not say there past                 A bond more than our loves, to tie our lives                 And deaths together.Mel. It is as nobly said as I would wish;                 Anon I'le tell you wonders; we are wrong'd.Diph. But I will tell you now, wee'l right our selves.Mel. Stay not, prepare the armour in my house;                 And what friends you can draw unto our side,                 Not knowing of the cause, make ready too;                 Haste Diphilus, the time requires it, haste.

[Exit Diphilus.

                 I hope my cause is just, I know my blood                 Tells me it is, and I will credit it:                 To take revenge, and lose my self withal,                 Were idle; and to scape impossible,                 Without I had the fort, which misery                 Remaining in the hands of my old enemy                 Calianax, but I must have it, see

[Enter Calianax.

                 Where he comes shaking by me: good my Lord,                 Forget your spleen to me, I never wrong'd you,                 But would have peace with every man.Cal. 'Tis well;                 If I durst fight, your tongue would lie at quiet.Mel. Y'are touchie without all cause.Cal. Do, mock me.Mel. By mine honour I speak truth.Cal. Honour? where is't?

Mel. See what starts you make into your hatred to my love and freedom to you.– I come with resolution to obtain a suit of you.

Cal. A suit of me! 'tis very like it should be granted, Sir.Mel. Nay, go not hence;                 'Tis this; you have the keeping of the Fort,                 And I would wish you by the love you ought                 To bear unto me, to deliver it into my hands.Cal. I am in hope that thou art mad, to talk to me thus.

Mel. But there is a reason to move you to it. I would kill the King that wrong'd you and your daughter.

Cal. Out Traytor!Mel. Nay but stay; I cannot scape, the deed once done,                 Without I have this fort.Cal. And should I help thee? now thy treacherous mind                 betrays it self.Mel. Come, delay me not;                 Give me a sudden answer, or already                 Thy last is spoke; refuse not offered love,                 When it comes clad in secrets.

Cal. If I say I will not, he will kill me, I do see't writ In his looks; and should I say I will, he'l run and tell the King: I do not shun your friendship dear Melantius, But this cause is weighty, give me but an hour to think.

Mel. Take it—I know this goes unto the King,                 But I am arm'd.                                                         [Ex. Melant.Cal. Me thinks I feel my self                 But twenty now agen; this fighting fool                 Wants Policy; I shall revenge my Girl,                 And make her red again; I pray, my legs                 Will last that pace that I will carry them,                 I shall want breath before I find the King.

Actus Quartus

Enter Melantius, Evadne, and a Lady.

Mel. Save you.Evad. Save you sweet Brother.Mel. In my blunt eye methinks you look Evadne.Evad. Come, you would make me blush.Mel. I would Evadne, I shall displease my ends else.Evad. You shall if you command me; I am bashful;                 Come Sir, how do I look?Mel. I would not have your women hear me                 Break into commendation of you, 'tis not seemly.Evad. Go wait me in the Gallery—now speak.Mel. I'le lock the door first.

[Exeunt Ladies.

Evad. Why?

Mel. I will not have your guilded things that dance in visitation with their Millan skins choke up my business.

Evad. You are strangely dispos'd Sir.Mel. Good Madam, not to make you merry.Evad. No, if you praise me, 'twill make me sad.Mel. Such a sad commendation I have for you.Evad. Brother, the Court hath made you witty, And learn to riddle.Mel. I praise the Court for't; has it learned you nothing?Evad. Me?Mel. I Evadne, thou art young and handsom,                 A Lady of a sweet complexion,                 And such a flowing carriage, that it cannot                 Chuse but inflame a Kingdom.Evad. Gentle Brother!Mel. 'Tis yet in thy remembrance, foolish woman, To make me gentle.Evad. How is this?

Mel. 'Tis base, And I could blush at these years, through all My honour'd scars, to come to such a parly.

Evad. I understand you not.Mel. You dare not, Fool;                 They that commit thy faults, fly the remembrance.Evad. My faults, Sir! I would have you know I care not                 If they were written here, here in my forehead.Mel. Thy body is too little for the story,                 The lusts of which would fill another woman,                 Though she had Twins within her.Evad. This is saucy;                 Look you intrude no more, there lies your way.Mel. Thou art my way, and I will tread upon thee,                 Till I find truth out.Evad. What truth is that you look for?Mel. Thy long-lost honour: would the Gods had set me                 One of their loudest bolts; come tell me quickly,                 Do it without enforcement, and take heed                 You swell me not above my temper.Evad. How Sir? where got you this report?Mel. Where there was people in every place.

Evad. They and the seconds of it are base people; Believe them not, they lyed.

Mel. Do not play with mine anger, do not Wretch, I come to know that desperate Fool that drew thee From thy fair life; be wise, and lay him open.

Evad. Unhand me, and learn manners, such another                 Forgetfulness forfeits your life.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'le 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 raigns, 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'le be a Wolf first; 'tis to be thy Brother                 An infamy below the sin of a Coward:                 I am as far from being part of thee,                 As thou art from thy vertue: seek a kindred                 Mongst sensual beasts, and make a Goat thy Brother,                 A Goat is cooler; will you tell me yet?Evad. If you stay here and rail thus, I shall tell you,                 I'le ha' you whipt; get you to your command,                 And there preach to your Sentinels,                 And tell them what a brave man you are; I shall laugh                 at you.Mel. Y'are grown a glorious Whore; where be your                 Fighters? what mortal Fool durst raise thee to this                 daring,                 And I alive? by my just Sword, h'ad safer                 Bestride a Billow when the angry North                 Plows up the Sea, or made Heavens fire his food;                 Work me no higher; will you discover yet?Evad. The Fellow's mad, sleep and speak sense.

Mel. Force my swollen heart no further; I would save thee; your great maintainers are not here, they dare not, would they were all, and armed, I would speak loud; here's one should thunder to 'em: will you tell me? thou hast no hope to scape; he that dares most, and damns away his soul to do thee service, will sooner fetch meat from a hungry Lion, than come to rescue thee; thou hast death about thee: h'as undone thine honour, poyson'd thy vertue, and of a lovely rose, left thee a canker.

Evad. Let me consider.Mel. Do, whose child thou wert,                 Whose honour thou hast murdered, whose grave open'd,                 And so pull'd on the Gods, that in their justice                 They must restore him flesh again and life,                 And raise his dry bones to revenge his scandal.Evad. The gods are not of my mind; they had better                 let 'em lie sweet still in the earth; they'l stink here.Mel. Do you raise mirth out of my easiness?                 Forsake me then all weaknesses of Nature,                 That make men women: Speak you whore, speak truth,                 Or by the dear soul of thy sleeping Father,                 This sword shall be thy lover: tell, or I'le kill thee:                 And when thou hast told all, thou wilt deserve it.Evad. You will not murder me!

Mel. No, 'tis a justice, and a noble one, To put the light out of such base offenders.

Evad. Help!Mel. By thy foul self, no humane help shall help thee,                 If thou criest: when I have kill'd thee, as I have                 Vow'd to do, if thou confess not, naked as thou hast                 left                 Thine honour, will I leave thee,                 That on thy branded flesh the world may read                 Thy black shame, and my justice; wilt thou bend yet?Evad. Yes.Mel. Up and begin your story.Evad. Oh I am miserable.Mel. 'Tis true, thou art, speak truth still.Evad. I have offended, noble Sir: forgive me.Mel. With what secure slave?

Evad. Do not ask me Sir. Mine own remembrance is a misery too mightie for me.

Mel. Do not fall back again; my sword's unsheath'd yet.Evad. What shall I do?Mel. Be true, and make your fault less.Evad. I dare not tell.Mel. Tell, or I'le be this day a killing thee.Evad. Will you forgive me then?

Mel. Stay, I must ask mine honour first, I have too much foolish nature in me; speak.

Evad. Is there none else here?Mel. None but a fearful conscience, that's too many. Who is't?Evad. O hear me gently; it was the King.Mel. No more. My worthy father's and my services                 Are liberally rewarded! King, I thank thee,                 For all my dangers and my wounds, thou hast paid me                 In my own metal: These are Souldiers thanks.                 How long have you liv'd thus Evadne?Evad. Too long.Mel. Too late you find it: can you be sorry?Evad. Would I were half as blameless.Mel. Evadne, thou wilt to thy trade again.Evad. First to my grave.Mel. Would gods th'hadst been so blest:                 Dost thou not hate this King now? prethee hate him:                 Couldst thou not curse him? I command thee curse him,                 Curse till the gods hear, and deliver him                 To thy just wishes: yet I fear Evadne;                 You had rather play your game out.Evad. No, I feel                 Too many sad confusions here to let in any loose flame                 hereafter.Mel. Dost thou not feel amongst all those one brave anger                 That breaks out nobly, and directs thine arm to kill                 this base King?Evad. All the gods forbid it.Mel. No, all the gods require it, they are dishonoured in him.Evad. 'Tis too fearful.Mel. Y'are valiant in his bed, and bold enough                 To be a stale whore, and have your Madams name                 Discourse for Grooms and Pages, and hereafter                 When his cool Majestie hath laid you by,                 To be at pension with some needy Sir                 For meat and courser clothes, thus far you know no fear.                 Come, you shall kill him.Evad. Good Sir!Mel. And 'twere to kiss him dead, thou'd smother him;                 Be wise and kill him: Canst thou live and know                 What noble minds shall make thee see thy self                 Found out with every finger, made the shame                 Of all successions, and in this great ruine                 Thy brother and thy noble husband broken?                 Thou shalt not live thus; kneel and swear to help me                 When I shall call thee to it, or by all                 Holy in heaven and earth, thou shalt not live                 To breath a full hour longer, not a thought:                 Come 'tis a righteous oath; give me thy hand,                 And both to heaven held up, swear by that wealth                 This lustful thief stole from thee, when I say it,                 To let his foul soul out.Evad. Here I swear it,                 And all you spirits of abused Ladies                 Help me in this performance.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, I as far as Justice.                 Ask me not why. Farewell.

[Exit Mel.

Evad. Would I could say so to my black disgrace.                 Oh where have I been all this time! how friended,                 That I should lose my self thus desperately,                 And none for pity shew me how I wandred?                 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. O my loaden soul,                 Be not so cruel to me, choak not up

[Enter Amintor.

The way to my repentance. O my Lord.Amin. How now?Evad. My much abused Lord! [Kneels.Amin. This cannot be.Evad. I do not kneel to live, I dare not hope it;                 The wrongs I did are greater; look upon me                 Though I appear with all my faults.Amin. Stand up.                 This is no new way to beget more sorrow;                 Heaven knows I have too many; do not mock me;                 Though I am tame and bred up with my wrongs,                 Which are my foster-brothers, I may leap                 Like a hand-wolf into my natural wilderness,                 And do an out-rage: pray thee do not mock me.Evad. My whole life is so leprous, it infects                 All my repentance: I would buy your pardon                 Though at the highest set, even with my life:                 That slight contrition, that's no sacrifice                 For what I have committed.Amin. Sure I dazle:                 There cannot be a faith in that foul woman                 That knows no God more mighty than her mischiefs:                 Thou dost still worst, still number on thy faults,                 To press my poor heart thus. Can I believe                 There's any seed of Vertue in that woman                 Left to shoot up, that dares go on in sin                 Known, and so known as thine is, O Evadne!                 Would there were any safety in thy sex,                 That I might put a thousand sorrows off,                 And credit thy repentance: but I must not;                 Thou hast brought me to the dull calamity,                 To that strange misbelief of all the world,                 And all things that are in it, that I fear                 I shall fall like a tree, and find my grave,                 Only remembring that I grieve.Evad. My Lord,                 Give me your griefs: you are an innocent,                 A soul as white as heaven: let not my sins                 Perish your noble youth: I do not fall here                 To shadow by dissembling with my tears,                 As all say women can, or to make less                 What my hot will hath done, which heaven and you                 Knows to be tougher than the hand of time                 Can cut from mans remembrance; no I do not;                 I do appear the same, the same Evadne,                 Drest in the shames I liv'd in, the same monster.                 But these are names of honour, to what I am;                 I do present my self the foulest creature,                 Most poysonous, dangerous, and despis'd of men,                 Lerna e're bred, or Nilus; I am hell,                 Till you, my dear Lord, shoot your light into me,                 The beams of your forgiveness: I am soul-sick,                 And [wither] with the fear of one condemn'd,                 Till I have got your pardon.Amin. Rise Evadne,                 Those heavenly powers that put this good into thee,                 Grant a continuance of it: I forgive thee;                 Make thy self worthy of it, and take heed,                 Take heed Evadne this be serious;                 Mock not the powers above, that can and dare                 Give thee a great example of their justice                 To all ensuing eyes, if thou plai'st                 With thy repentance, the best sacrifice.Evad. I have done nothing good to win belief,                 My life hath been so faithless; all the creatures                 Made for heavens honours have their ends, and good ones,                 All but the cousening Crocodiles, false women;                 They reign here like those plagues, those killing sores                 Men pray against; and when they die, like tales                 Ill told, and unbeliev'd, they pass away,                 And go to dust forgotten: But my Lord,                 Those short dayes I shall number to my rest,                 (As many must not see me) shall though too late,                 Though in my evening, yet perceive a will,                 Since I can do no good because a woman,                 Reach constantly at some thing that is near it;                 I will redeem one minute of my age,                 Or like another Niobe I'le weep till I am water.Amin. I am now dissolved:                 My frozen soul melts: may each sin thou hast,                 Find a new mercy: Rise, I am at peace:                 Hadst thou been thus, thus excellently good,                 Before that devil King tempted thy frailty,                 Sure thou hadst made a star: give me thy hand;                 From this time I will know thee, and as far                 As honour gives me leave, be thy Amintor:                 When we meet next, I will salute thee fairly,                 And pray the gods to give thee happy dayes:                 My charity shall go along with thee,                 Though my embraces must be far from thee.                 I should ha' kill'd thee, but this sweet repentance                 Locks up my vengeance, for which thus I kiss thee,                 The last kiss we must take; and would to heaven                 The holy Priest that gave our hands together,                 Had given us equal Vertues: go Evadne,                 The gods thus part our bodies, have a care                 My honour falls no farther, I am well then.Evad. All the dear joyes here, and above hereafter                 Crown thy fair soul: thus I take leave my Lord,                 And never shall you see the foul Evadne                 Till sh'ave tryed all honoured means that may                 Set her in rest, and wash her stains away.

[Exeunt.