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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 flie;_
Venus, fix mine eyes fast,
Or if not, give me all that I shall see at last.
Evad. So, leave me now.
Dula. Nay, we must see you laid.
Asp. Madam good night, may all the marriage joys
That longing Maids imagine in their beds,
Prove so unto you; may no discontent
Grow 'twixt your Love and you; but if there do,
Enquire of me, and I will guide your moan,
Teach you an artificial way to grieve,
To keep your sorrow waking; love your Lord
No worse than I; but if you love so well,
Alas, you may displease him, so did I.
This is the last time you shall look on me:
Ladies farewel; as soon as I am dead,
Come all and watch one night about my Hearse;
Bring each a mournful story and a tear
To offer at it when I go to earth:
With flattering Ivie clasp my Coffin round,
Write on my brow my fortune, let my Bier
Be born by Virgins that shall sing by course
The truth of maids and perjuries of men.
Evad. Alas, I pity thee. [Exit Evadne.
Omnes. Madam, goodnight.
1 Lady. Come, we'l let in the Bridegroom.
Dul. Where's my Lord?
1 Lady. Here take this light.
[Enter Amintor.
Dul. You'l find her in the dark.
1 Lady. Your Lady's scarce a bed yet, you must help her.
Asp. Go and be happy in your Ladies love;
May all the wrongs that you have done to me,
Be utterly forgotten in my death.
I'le trouble you no more, yet I will take
A parting kiss, and will not be denied.
You'l come my Lord, and see the Virgins weep
When I am laid in earth, though you your self
Can know no pity: thus I wind my self
Into this willow Garland, and am prouder
That I was once your Love (though now refus'd)
Than to have had another true to me.
So with my prayers I leave you, and must try
Some yet unpractis'd way to grieve and die.
Dul. Come Ladies, will you go? [Exit Aspatia.
Om. Goodnight my Lord.
Amin. Much happiness unto you all.
[Exeunt Ladies.
I did that Lady wrong; methinks I feel
Her grief shoot suddenly through all my veins;
Mine eyes run; this is strange at such a time.
It was the King first mov'd me to't, but he
Has not my will in keepingwhy do I
Perplex my self thus? something whispers me,
Go not to bed; my guilt is not so great
As mine own conscience (too sensible)
Would make me think; I only brake a promise,
And 'twas the King that forc't me: timorous flesh,
Why shak'st thou so? away my idle fears.
[Enter Evadne.
Yonder she is, the lustre of whose eye
Can blot away the sad remembrance
Of all these things: Oh my Evadne, spare
That tender body, let it not take cold,
The vapours of the night will not fall here.
To bed my Love; Hymen will punish us
For being slack performers of his rites.
Cam'st thou to call me?
Evad. No.
Amin. Come, come my Love, And let us lose our selves to one another. Why art thou up so long?
Evad. I am not well.
Amint. To bed then let me wind thee in these arms, Till I have banisht sickness.
Evad. Good my Lord, I cannot sleep.
Amin. Evadne, we'l watch, I mean no sleeping.
Evad. I'le not go to bed.
Amin. I prethee do.
Evad. I will not for the world.
Amin. Why my dear Love?
Evad. Why? I have sworn I will not.
Amin. Sworn!
Evad. I.
Amint. How? Sworn Evadne?
Evad. Yes, Sworn Amintor, and will swear again If you will wish to hear me. 0 Amin. To whom have you Sworn this?
Evad. If I should name him, the matter were not great.
Amin. Come, this is but the coyness of a Bride.
Evad. The coyness of a Bride?
Amin. How prettily that frown becomes thee!
Evad. Do you like it so?
Amin. Thou canst not dress thy face in such a look But I shall like it.
Evad. What look likes you best?
Amin. Why do you ask?
Evad. That I may shew you one less pleasing to you.
Amin. How's that?
Evad. That I may shew you one less pleasing to you.
Amint. I prethee put thy jests in milder looks. It shews as thou wert angry.
Evad. So perhaps I am indeed.
Amint. Why, who has done thee wrong?
Name me the man, and by thy self I swear,
Thy yet unconquer'd self, I will revenge thee.
Evad. Now I shall try thy truth; if thou dost love me,
Thou weigh'st not any thing compar'd with me;
Life, Honour, joyes Eternal, all Delights
This world can yield, or hopeful people feign,
Or in the life to come, are light as Air
To a true Lover when his Lady frowns,
And bids him do this: wilt thou kill this man?
Swear my Amintor, and I'le kiss the sin off from
thy lips.
Amin. I will not swear sweet Love,
Till I do know the cause.
Evad. I would thou wouldst;
Why, it is thou that wrongest me, I hate thee,
Thou shouldst have kill'd thy self.
Amint. If I should know that, I should quickly kill
The man you hated.
Evad. Know it then, and do't.
Amint. Oh no, what look soe're thou shalt put on,
To try my faith, I shall not think thee false;
I cannot find one blemish in thy face,
Where falsehood should abide: leave and to bed;
If you have sworn to any of the Virgins
That were your old companions, to preserve
Your Maidenhead a night, it may be done without this
means.
Evad. A Maidenhead Amintor at my years?
Amint. Sure she raves, this cannot be
Thy natural temper; shall I call thy maids?
Either thy healthful sleep hath left thee long,
Or else some Fever rages in thy blood.
Evad. Neither Amintor; think you I am mad,
Because I speak the truth?
Amint. Will you not lie with me to night?
Evad. To night? you talk as if I would hereafter.
Amint. Hereafter? yes, I do.
Evad. You are deceiv'd, put off amazement, and with patience mark
What I shall utter, for the Oracle
Knows nothing truer, 'tis not for a night
Or two that I forbear thy bed, but for ever.
Amint. 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 curle 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 joyes of Marriage? Hymen keep
This story (that will make succeeding youth
Neglect thy Ceremonies) from all ears.
Let it not rise up for thy shame and mine
To after ages; we will scorn thy Laws,
If thou no better bless them; touch the heart
Of her that thou hast sent me, or the world
Shall know there's not an Altar that will smoak
In praise of thee; we will adopt us Sons;
Then vertue shall inherit, and not blood:
If we do lust, we'l take the next we meet,
Serving our selves as other Creatures do,
And never take note of the Female more,
Nor of her issue. I do rage in vain,
She can but jest; Oh! pardon me my Love;
So dear the thoughts are that I hold of thee,
That I must break forth; satisfie my fear:
It is a pain beyond the hand of death,
To be in doubt; confirm it with an Oath, if this be true.
Evad. Do you invent the form:
Let there be in it all the binding words
Devils and Conjurers can put together,
And I will take it; I have sworn before,
And here by all things holy do again,
Never to be acquainted with thy bed.
Is your doubt over now?
Amint. I know too much, would I had doubted still;
Was ever such a marriage night as this!
You powers above, if you did ever mean
Man should be us'd thus, you have thought a way
How he may bear himself, and save his honour:
Instruct me in it; for to my dull eyes
There is no mean, no moderate course to run,
I must live scorn'd, or be a murderer:
Is there a third? why is this night so calm?
Why does not Heaven speak in Thunder to us,
And drown her voice?
Evad. This rage will do no good.
Amint. Evadne, hear me, thou hast ta'ne an Oath,
But such a rash one, that to keep it, were
Worse than to swear it; call it back to thee;
Such vows as those never ascend the Heaven;
A tear or two will wash it quite away:
Have mercy on my youth, my hopeful youth,
If thou be pitiful, for (without boast)
This Land was proud of me: what Lady was there
That men call'd fair and vertuous in this Isle,
That would have shun'd my love? It is in thee
To make me hold this worthOh! we vain men
That trust out all our reputation,
To rest upon the weak and yielding hand
Of feeble Women! but thou art not stone;
Thy flesh is soft, and in thine eyes doth dwell
The spirit of Love, thy heart cannot be hard.
Come lead me from the bottom of despair,
To all the joyes thou hast; I know thou wilt;
And make me careful, lest the sudden change
O're-come my spirits.
Evad. When I call back this Oath, the pains of hell inviron me.
Amin. I sleep, and am too temperate; come to bed, or by Those hairs, which if thou hast a soul like to thy locks, Were threads for Kings to wear about their arms.