Free. Why, this is she I told thee ey’d thee so at the Conventicle; ’tis _Lambert_, the renown’d, the famous Lady _Lambert_—Mad call’st thou her? ’tis her ill acted Greatness, thou mistak’st; thou art not us’d to the Pageantry of these Women yet: they all run thus mad; ’tis Greatness in ’em, _Loveless._ Lov. And is thine thus, thy Lady _Desbro?_ Free. She’s of another Cut, she married, as most do, for Interest—but what—thou’t to her? Lov. If Lightning stop my way:— Perhaps a sober View may make me hate her. [Exeunt both. Scene II. A Chamber in _Lambert’s_ House. Enter _Lambert_ and _Whitlock_. Whit. My Lord, now is your time, you may be King; Fortune is yours, you’ve time it self by th’ Fore-lock. Lam. If I thought so, I’d hold him fast, by Heaven. Whit. If you let slip this Opportunity, my Lord, you are undone—_Aut Cæsar, aut Nullus._ Lam. But _Fleetwood_— Whit. Hang him, soft Head. Lam. True, he’s of an easy Nature; yet if thou didst but know how little Wit governs this mighty Universe, thou wou’dst not wonder Men should set up him. Whit. That will not recommend him at this _Juncto_, tho he’s an excellent Tool for your Lordship to make use of; and therefore use him, Sir, as _Cataline_ did _Lentulus_; drill the dull Fool with Hopes of Empire on, and that all tends to his Advancement only: The Blockhead will believe the Crown his own: What other Hopes could make him 354 ruin Richard, a Gentleman of Qualities a thousand times beyond him? Lam. They were both too soft; an ill Commendation for a General, who should be rough as Storms of War it self. Whit. His time was short, and yours is coming on; Old Oliver had his. Lam. I hate the Memory of that Tyrant Oliver. Whit. So do I, now he’s dead, and serves my Ends no more. I lov’d the Father of the great Heroick, whilst he had Power to do me good: he failing, Reason directed me to the Party then prevailing, the Fag-end of the Parliament: ’tis true, I took the Oath of Allegiance, as Oliver, your Lordship, Tony, and the rest did, without which we could not have sat in that Parliament; but that Oath was not for our Advantage, and so better broke than kept. Lam. I am of your Opinion, my Lord. Whit. Let Honesty and Religion preach against it. But how cou’d I have serv’d the Commons by deserting the King? how have I show’d my self loyal to your Interest, by fooling Fleet-wood, in the deserting of Dick; by dissolving the honest Parliament, and bringing in the odious Rump? how cou’d I have flatter’d Ireton, by telling him Providence brought thingsabout, when ’twas mere Knavery all; and that the Hand of the Lord was in’t, when I knew the Devil was in’t? or indeed, how cou’d I now advise you to be King, if I had started at Oaths, or preferr’d Honesty or Divinity before Interest and the Good Old Came? Lam. Nay,’tis most certain, he that will live in this World, must be endu’d with the three rare Qualities of Dissimulation, Equivocation, and mental Reservation.