_Mar._ Leave us to meditate on misery, To sad our thought with contemplation Of past calamities. If any ask Where lives the widow of the poison'd lord? Where lies the orphant of a murder'd father? Where lies the father of a butcher'd son? Where lives all woe?--conduct him to us three, The down-cast ruins of calamity. _Ant._[323] Sound doleful tunes, a solemn hymn advance, To close the last act of my vengeance; 170 And when the subject of your passion's spent, Sing _Mellida is dead_; all hearts will relent, In sad condolement at that heavy sound. Never more woe in lesser plot was found! And, O, if ever time create a muse, That to th' immortal fame of virgin faith Dares once engage his pen to write her death, Presenting it in some black tragedy, May it prove gracious; may his style be deck'd With freshest blooms of purest elegance; May it have gentle presence, and the scenes suck'd up By calm attention of choice audience; 181 And when the closing Epilogue appears, Instead of claps, may it obtain but tears. [_A song.--Exeunt omnes._ _Antonii vindictæ_ [_sic_]. [315] "Io"--the joyful cry with which Hymen was invoked by the ancients. Cf. Catullus:-- "Ite, concinite in modum: Io Hymen Hymenæe io, Io Hymen Hymenæe!" [316] Old eds. "Ful." [317] A sort of waltz, described in Sir John Davies' _Orchestra_, st. 70.--Cf. Chapman's _May Day_ (1611), iv. 1:-- "Fill red-cheek'd Bacchus, let the Burdeux grape Skip like [sic] lavoltas in their swelling veins" --lines made up from the present passage. [318] "Measure"--a grave solemn dance. [319] See Collier's _Hist. of Engl. Dram. Poetry_, iii. 251-2 (ed. 2). [320] So Marston uses "kn_u_rl'd" (p. 166) for "gn_a_rl'd." [321] Cf. _Richard II._, i. 1:--"_Sluiced out_ his innocent soul through streams of blood." [322] Proofs. [323] Old eds. "_And._" THE MALCONTENT. _The Malcontent. By Iohn Marston._ 1604. _At London printed by V. S. for William Aspley, and are to be solde at his shop in Paules Church-yard._ 4to. _The Malcontent. Augmented by Marston. With the Additions played by the Kings Maiesties servants. Written by Ihon Webster._ 1604. _At London Printed by V. S. for William Aspley, and are to be sold at his shop in Paules Church-yard._ 4to. STORY OF THE PLAY.