MERCURY. Then thus our father Jupiter concludes, To lay the stroke of your unceasing strife. As heretofore betwixt these lovers twain Ye have express'd your powers upon their life, So now he wills you to withhold your hands. Enough sufficeth to confirm your might; And to conjoin ye both in friendly bands Of faithful love, wherein the gods delight, His pleasure is that, Lady Venus, you Shall be content never to hinder them, To whom Dame Fortune shall her[126] friendship show, Of wretched to procure them happy men. Ne shall you, Fortune, once presume to take The credit of the honour in your hand: If Lady Venus do them quite forsake, You shall not seem in their[127] defence to stand; But whomsoever one of you prefer, The other shall be subject unto her; For thus hath Jupiter determined now. VENUS. I must and will subscribe my will to you. FORTUNE. And I most gladly thereof do allow. VENUS. Whom Fortune favours I will not despise. FORTUNE. Whom Love rejects by me shall never rise. MERCURY. To this conclusion do you both agree? VENUS. For my part. FORTUNE. And I, most willingly. MERCURY. Then let your union be confirmed again By proper course, each one in his descent Over mortal men and worldly things to reign By interchange, as Jupiter hath meant. And[128] friendly Fortune, let me entreat, alone-- Sith by your means these lovers hind'red were, And now ye two are reconcil'd in one, You grant the[m] grace their honour up to rear. FORTUNE.[129] Sweet Mercury, I give thee my consent. I will forthwith advance them to renown: And their destruction better to prevent, They shall relieve them, that did throw them down. MERCURY.[130] And I my gracious favour will bestow Upon them all, according to desert; And I will help his frenzy ere I go. That bedlam up and down he[re] plays[131] his part. _Enter_ BOMELIO _with_ HERMIONE _and_ FIDELIA, _with a cope and dagger_. BOMELIO. Cot's[132] wounds! ye whore, I am not for your diet. Hang, rascal, make a leg to me, [or,] by Gog's blood, I'll stab thee through. What the devil, the devil, and all my books be gone! O most accursed man Bomelio! Go hide thyself, go hide thyself! go hang thyself, go hang! I'll hang the whore out of hand; and as for you, villain,--stand, rascal! stand! FIDELIA. Good father, hear me. Come, take a little rest: Yea, my sweet father, come, sleep upon my breast. BOMELIO. Hark the whore! See what an impudent whore it is. Sleep, you whore? I'll sleep with you anon, Gog's blood, you whore, I'll hang you up! [_He threatens her_. FIDELIA. Help, help, Hermione! HERMIONE. Good father, let her alone. Come, let us go. [_Enter_ MERCURY _invisible_.] MERCURY. Now with my music I'll recure his woe. [_Play_. BOMELIO. Hark, hark, my hearts! Pipes, fiddles! O brave! I shall have my books again. Dance about. Robin Hood is a good knave. Come, Bess, let's go sleep. Come, Bess; together, together.