_Tamyra._ O, my deare servant, in thy close embraces I have set open all the dores of danger To my encompast honour, and my life: 5 Before I was secure against death and hell; But now am subject to the heartlesse feare Of every shadow, and of every breath, And would change firmnesse with an aspen leafe: So confident a spotlesse conscience is, 10 So weake a guilty. O, the dangerous siege Sinne layes about us, and the tyrannie He exercises when he hath expugn'd! Like to the horror of a winter's thunder, Mixt with a gushing storme, that suffer nothing 15 To stirre abroad on earth but their own rages, Is sinne, when it hath gathered head above us; No roofe, no shelter can secure us so, But he will drowne our cheeks in feare or woe. _Buss._ Sin is a coward, madam, and insults 20 But on our weaknesse, in his truest valour: And so our ignorance tames us, that we let His shadowes fright us: and like empty clouds In which our faulty apprehensions forge The formes of dragons, lions, elephants, 25 When they hold no proportion, the slie charmes Of the witch policy makes him like a monster Kept onely to shew men for servile money: That false hagge often paints him in her cloth Ten times more monstrous than he is in troth. 30 In three of us the secret of our meeting Is onely guarded, and three friends as one Have ever beene esteem'd, as our three powers That in our one soule are as one united: Why should we feare then? for my selfe, I sweare, 35 Sooner shall torture be the sire to pleasure, And health be grievous to one long time sick, Than the deare jewell of your fame in me Be made an out-cast to your infamy; Nor shall my value (sacred to your vertues) 40 Onely give free course to it from my selfe, But make it flie out of the mouths of Kings In golden vapours, and with awfull wings. _Tam._ It rests as all Kings seales were set in thee. Now let us call my father, whom I sweare 45 I could extreamly chide, but that I feare To make him so suspicious of my love, Of which (sweet servant) doe not let him know For all the world. _Buss._ Alas! he will not think it. _Tam._ Come then--ho! Father, ope and take your friend. 50 _Ascendit Frier._ _Fri._ Now, honour'd daughter, is your doubt resolv'd? _Tam._ I, father, but you went away too soone. _Fri._ Too soone! _Tam._ Indeed you did; you should have stayed; Had not your worthy friend beene of your bringing, And that containes all lawes to temper me, 55 Not all the fearefull danger that besieged us Had aw'd my throat from exclamation.