Please it your gracious highness and fair prince, This gentle lady is no child of mine. Her parents both were noble: how they died, And she, an infant, of her heritage Was cozened by an uncle, I'll make plain By names, dates, papers, birth-marks, jewellery. I reared her as my own in low content, And meant not to destroy her happiness By telling her of her nobility, Till she might claim her land with power to take. Alardo. Prove what thou sayest, and they may wed to-morrow. Rupert. Thanks, gracious father. It is true, I know. What, Eulalie! hast thou no energy? Art thou struck dumb? Wilt thou not spring to me? How! Would'st thou have me woo thee o'er again? A high delight! Then high-born maid, be coy. Eulalie. O no, I need no wooing; but I fear Thou'lt love me in a manner different. A lady I would be to marry thee; But with thy former love, pray love me still. Rupert. With that, and every kind of love, I will. Thou art--O what thou art I cannot say! I love thee, nor can tell how lovingly. Ivy. I'll make a ballad of this, a proper ballad--a ballad that would draw tears from a frog in the heart of a rock. By Hecate, I will! Enter Officers with Sebastian. Officer. This is the captain we were sent to take. Alardo. Canst thou say aught by way of an excuse? Sebastian. King, I behold such happy faces here, Glowing like stars in the grey morning air, That I have little fear to say, I cannot. It seems indeed that every star of heaven With most auspicious aspect earthward turns. I bring such tidings as will raise your brows Much more than this new amity I see Constrains surprise in me. Your appetites Shall, when they have fed full of wonderment, Fall to a second feast of happiness, Admiring, welcoming and hearing told The ships, their crews, and unconceived escapes. Alardo. What ships, crews, 'scapes? Sebastian. Those galleys four, ornate, With all the gallant, living human freight That sailed forth in the five, with wealth untold Of bullion, spices, silks, and rarities, Gathered in many lands and many seas, Are in the harbour safe arrived but now. Alardo. I cannot speak. Kind Heaven, my knees I bow. Mayers. Long live the King! Long live Prince Rupert! Long live our May-Queen! Green. Let us to the shore. Ivy. Ay, that's the word! Come, lads and lasses! There shall we have sight of ships we thought never to see, and shake hands that we thought death had shaken, and hear voices that we thought were singing with mermaids. O, there will be kissing and embarrassment, and sobbing and lacrimony! I will end my ballad with it. Cinthio. Sebastian, all our voyaging is past. Sebastian. And paradise attained at home at last. Ivy. Good captain, lead us on. Sebastian. I pray you, wait. Ivy. Sir, we have waited a year and a month, and can tarry no longer. Come. Mayers. Away, away! [Green, Ivy, Sebastian, and Mayers go out. Alardo.