'Lady, I'm coine to claim your noble promise: Reads. "If you be mistress of your word, you're mine;

'I'm last return'd. Your riddle is dissolv'd 35, And I attend your faith. Your humble servant, Clarange.'

Is this the friar that saw him dead?
Lid. 'Tis he;

Clarangè, on my life! I am defeated!
Such reverend habits juggle? my true sorrow
For a false friend, not worth a tear, derided?
Friar. You have abus'd my trust.
Olin. It is not well,
Nor like a gentleman.

Clara. All stratagems

In love, and that the sharpest war, are lawful.
By your example, I did change my habit,
Caught you in your own toil, and triumph
in it;

And what by policy's got, I will maintain
With valour! No Lisander shall come in
Again to fetch you off.

Lid. His honour'd name,

Pronounc'd by such a treacherous tongue, is tainted.

Maintain thy treason with thy sword? With what

Contempt I hear it! in a wilderness

I durst encounter it, and would, but that
In my retired hours, (not counterfeited
As thy religious shape was) I have learn'd,
When justice may determine, such a cause,
And of such weight, as this fair lady is,
Must not be put to Fortune. I appeal
Unto the king; and be whose wisdom knows
To do his subjects right in their estates,
As graciously with judgment will determine
In points of honour.

Olin. I'll steer the same course with you.
Clara. I'll stand the trial.

Friar. What have you done? or what Intend you?

Clara. Ask not; I'll come off with honour. [Exeunt. Enter Beronte, Clarinda, Malfort; a bar set forth, Officers.

Ber. Be constant in your proofs: Should you shrink back now,

Your life must answer it; nor am I safe, My honour being engag'd to make that good Which you affirm.

Clari. I'm confident, so dearly

I honour'd my dead lord, that no respect, Or of my lady's bounties, (which were great ones,

I must confess) nor of her former life, [her) (For while that she was chaste, indeed I-lov'd Shall hinder me from lending ny assistance Unto your just revenge-mine own I mean.

[Aside.

If Leon keep far off enough, all's secure:
Lisander dares not come in; modest blushes
Parted with ine long since, and impudence,
Arm'd with my hate unto her innocence,
Shall be the weapon I will fight with now.
Ber. The rack

Being presented to you, you'll roar out
What you conceal yet.

Malf. Conceal? I know nothing

But that I shall be hang'd, and that I look for: It is my destiny; I ever had

A hanging look; and a wise woman told me, Tho' I had not the heart to do a deed Worthy the halter, in my youth or age,

1

I should take a turn with a wry mouth; and [ballad

now

p. 257.

And courted with felicity 36; that drew on me, With other helps of nature, as of fortune, The envy, not the love, of most that knew

me;

This made me to presume too much, perhaps
Too proud; but I am humbled: And if now
I do make it apparent, I can bear
Adversity with such a constant patience
As will set off my innocence, I hope, sir,
In your declining age, when I should live
A comfort to you, you shall have no cause,
Howe'er I stand accus'd, to hold your honour
Shipwreck'd in such a daughter.

Olin. Oh, best friend!

My honour's at the stake too; for—
Dor. Be silent:

The king!

Enter King, Lemure, and Attendants. Lem. Sir, if you please to look upon The prisoner, and the many services Her father hath done for you

[holding,

King. We must look on The cause, and not the persons. Yet beWith an impartial eye, th'excelling beauties Of this fair lady, (which we did believe Upon report, but till now never saw 'em) It moves a strange kind of compassion in me. Let us survey you nearer! She's a book To be with care perus'd; and 'tis my wouder, If such mishapen guests as Lust and Murder, At any price, should ever find a lodging In such a beauteous inn! Mistake us not; Tho' we admire the outward structure, if The rooms be foul within, expect no favour. I were no man, if I could look on beauty Distress'd, without some pity; but no king, If any superficial gloss of feature [tice. Could work me to decline the course of jusBut to the cause, Cleander's death! what proofs

Can you produce against her?

B. Royal sir,

[build

Touching that point, my brother's death, we On suppositions

King. Suppositions? how?

Is such a lady, sir, to be condemu'd
On suppositions?

Ber. They're well-grounded, sir;
And if we make it evident she's guilty [tery,
Of the first crime we charge her with, Adul-
That being the parent, it may find belief
That murder was the issue.

King. We allow

It may be so; but that it may be, must not Infer a necessary consequence

To cast away a lady's life. What witnesses To make this good?

Ber. The principal, this woman,

For many years her servant; she hath taken Her oath in court. Come forward!

King. By my crown,

A lying face!

Člari. I swore, sir, for the King; And if you are the party, as I do

Believe you are, (for you have a good face, However mine appears) swearing for you, sir, I ought to have my oath pass.

[vant,

King. Impudent too? Well, what have you sworn? Clari. That this lady was A goodly tempting lady, as she is: How thinks your majesty? And I her serHer officer, as one would say, and trusted With her closest chamber-service; that Lisander

Was a fine-timber'd gentleman, and active;
That he could do fine gambols

To make a lady merry; that this pair,
A very loving couple, mutually

Affected one another: So much for them, sir!
That I, a simple waiting-woman, having

taken

My bodily oath, the first night of admittance Into her ladyship's service, on her slippers, (That was the book) to serve her will in all things,

And to know no religion but her pleasure,
(Tis not yet out of fashion with some ladies)
That I, as the premises shew, being com-
manded

To do my function, in conveyance of
Lisander to her chamber, (my lord absent,
On a pretended sickness) did the feat,
(It cannot be denied) and at dead midnight
Left 'em together: What they did, some here
Can easily imagine. I have said, sir.
Dor. The devil's oratrix !
King. Then you confess
You were her bawd?

Clari. That's coarse; her agent, sir.
King. So, goody Agent! And you think
there is

No punishment due for your agentship?
Clari. Let her suffer first,

Being my better, for adultery,

And I'll endure the mulct impos'd on bawds, Call it by the worst name.

Cal. Live I to hear this?

King. Take her aside. Your answer to this, lady.

Cal. Heav'n grant me patience! To be thus confronted

(Oh, pardon, royal sir, a woman's passion!) By one (and this the worst of my misfortunes) That was my slave, but never to such ends,

sir,

Would give a statue motion into fury.

6

Into Sported with felicity.'

Sympson.

Let my past life, my actions, nay intentions,
Be by my grand accuser justly censur'd,
(For her I scorn to answer) and if they
Yield any probability of truth

In that she urges, then I will confess

A guilty cause. The people's voice, which is
The voice of truth, my husband's tenderness
In his affection to me, (that, no dotage,
But a reward of humbleness) the friendship
Echo'd thro' France between him and Li-
sander,
[sence,

All make against her. For him in his ab-
(Whatever imputation it draw on me) [mne,
I must take leave to speak: 'Tis true, he lov'd
But not in such a wanton way; his reason
Master'd his passions: I grant I had
At midnight conf'rence with him; but if he
Ever receiv'd a further favour from me
Than what a sister might give to a brother,
May I sink quick! And thus much, (did he
know

The shame I suffer for him, with the loss
Of his life for appearing) on my soul,
He would maintain.

Enter Lisander and Alcidon.
Lis. And will, thou clear example

Of women's pureness!

King. Tho' we hold her such,

Thou hast express'd thyself a desp'rate fool,
To thrust thy head into the lion's jaws,
The justice of thy king.

Lis. I came prepar'd for't,

And offer up a guilty life to clear

[to;

Her innocence: The oath she took, I swear
And for Cleander's death, to purge myself
From any colour malice can paint on me,
Or that she had a hand in't, I can prove
That fatal night when he in's own house fell,
And many days before, I was distant from it
A long day's journey.

Clari. I am caught. Ber. If so,

[Aside.

How came your sword into this steward's Stand forth.

[hands? Malf I have heard nothing that you spake: I know I must die; and what kind of death 'Pray you resolve me; I shall go away else In a qualm; I'm very faint.

Enter Leon, Servants, and Guard.
King. Carry him off;

His fear will kill him.

[Malf. carried off.

Dor. Sir, 'twas my ambition, My daughter's reputation being wounded I' th' general opinion, to have it Cur'd by a public trial; I had else Forborne your majesty's trouble. I'll bring forth

Cleander's murderer; in a wood I heard him, As I rode sadly by, unto himself, [none, With some compunction, tho' this devil had Lament what he had done, cursing her lust That drew him to that bloody fact.

Leon. To lessen

The foulness of it, (for which I know justly
I am to suffer) and with my last breath
To free these innocents, I do confess all,
This wicked woman only guilty with me.
Cluri. Is't come to this? Thou puling rogue!
flaws
With prayers in thy mouth; I'll curse the
By which I suffer! All I grieve for is,
That I die unreveng’d.

die thou

Leon. But one word more, sir,

And I have done: I was by accident where
Lisander met with Cloridon and Chrysanthes,
Was an ear-witness when he sought for peace,
Nay, begg'd it upon colder terms than can
Almost find credit, his past deeds consider'd;
But they, deaf to his reasons, sev'rally
Assaulted him; but such was his good fortune,
That both fell under it. Upon my death
I take it uncompell'd, that they were guilty
Of their own violent ends; and he, against
His will, the instrument.

Alc. This I will swear too;

For I was not far off.

Dor. They have alledg'd

As much to wake your sleeping mercy, sir, As all the advocates of France can plead In his defence.

King. The criminal judge shall sentence These to their merits. With mine own hand, lady,

I take you from the bar, and do myself
Pronounce you innocent.

[Leon and Clarinda taken away guarded. All Long live the King!

King. And, to confirm you stand high in our favour,

And as some recompence for what you have
With too much rigour in your trial suffer'd,
Ask what you please, becoming me to grant,
And be possess'd of 't.

Cal. Sir, I dare not doubt
Your royal promise; in a king it is
A strong assurance; that emboldens me
Upon my humble knees to make my boon
Lisander's pardon!

Dor. My good genius
Did prompt her to it.

Lem. At your feet thus prostrate, I second her petition.

Alc. Never king

Pour'd forth his mercy on a worthier subject. Ber. To witness my repentance, for the

King. Clarangè!

Dor. With a shaven crown?
Olin. Most strange!

Clara. Look on thy rival-your late ser

vant, madam,

But now devoted to a better mistress,
The Church, whose orders I have took upon

me:

I here deliver up my interest in her 37,
And what was got with cunning (as you
thought)

I simply thus surrender. Heretofore,
You did outstrip me in the race of friendship;
I am your equal now.

Dor. A suit soon ended!

Clara. And joining thus your hands, (I know both willing)

I may do in the church my friar's office
In marrying you.

Lid. The victory is yours, sir.

King. It is a glorious one, and well sets off Our scene of mercy. To the dead we tender Our sorrow; to the living, ample wishes Of future happiness. "Tis a King's duty To prove himself a father to his subjects; And I shall hold it, if this will succeed, A meritorious and praise-worthy deed. [Exeunt.

STILL doubtful, and perplex'd too, whether Hath done Fletcher right in this history, [he The Poet sits within; since he must know it, He, with respect, desires that you would shew it

By some accustom'd sign; if from our action, Or his endeavours, you meet satisfaction, With ours he hath his ends; we hope the best,

To make that certainty in you doth rest.