English drama; Kings and rulers -- Succession -- Drama; Love -- Drama; Sicily (Italy) -- Drama; Tragicomedy
_Are_. Dear _Philaster_, leave
To be enrag'd, and hear me.
_Phi_. I have done;
Forgive my passion, not the calm'd sea,
When _Æolus_ locks up his windy brood,
Is less disturb'd than I, I'le make you know it.
Dear _Arethusa_, do but take this sword,
And search how temperate a heart I have;
Then you and this your boy, may live and raign
In lust without control; Wilt thou _Bellario_?
I prethee kill me; thou art poor, and maist
Nourish ambitious thoughts, when I am dead:
This way were freer; Am I raging now?
If I were mad I should desire to live;
Sirs, feel my pulse; whether have you known
A man in a more equal tune to die?
_Bel_. Alas my Lord, your pulse keeps madmans time,
So does your tongue.
_Phi_. You will not kill me then?
_Are_. Kill you?
_Bell_. Not for a world.
_Phi_. I blame not thee,
_Bellario_; thou hast done but that, which gods
Would have transform'd themselves to do; be gone,
Leave me without reply; this is the last
Of all our meeting. Kill me with this sword;
Be wise, or worse will follow: we are two
Earth cannot bear at once. Resolve to do, or suffer.
_Are_. If my fortunes be so good to let me fall
Upon thy hand, I shall have peace in death.
Yet tell me this, will there be no slanders,
No jealousies in the other world, no ill there?
_Phi_. No.
_Are_. Shew me then the way.
_Phi_. Then guide
My feeble hand, you that have power to do it,
For I must perform a piece of justice. If your youth
Have any way offended Heaven, let prayers
Short and effectual reconcile you to it.
_Are_. I am prepared.
_Enter a_ Country-fellow.
_Coun_. I'le see the King if he be in the Forest, I have hunted
him these two hours; if I should come home and not
see him my Sisters would laugh at me; I can see nothing
but people better horst than my self, that outride
me; I can hear nothing but shouting. These Kings had
need of good brains, this whooping is able to put a mean
man out of his wits. There's a Courtier with his sword
drawn, by this hand upon a woman, I think.
_Phi_. Are you at peace?
_Are_. With Heavens and Earth.
_Phi_. May they divide thy soul and body?
_Coun_. Hold dastard, strike a Woman! th'art a craven I
warrant thee, thou wouldst be loth to play half a dozen
of venies at wasters with a good fellow for a broken head.
_Phi_. Leave us good friend.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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