What means this silence and unmovèd calm? Boy, wind thy cornet: force the leaden gates Of lazy sleep fly open with thy breath. My Mellida not up? not stirring yet? umh! _Mar._ That voice should be my son's, Antonio's. Antonio! 160 _Ant._ Here: who calls? here stands Antonio. _Mar._ Sweet son! _Ant._ Dear mother! _Mar._ Fair honour of a chaste and loyal bed, Thy father's beauty, thy sad mother's love, Were I as powerful as the voice of fate, Felicity complete should sweet thy state; But all the blessings that a poor banish'd wretch Can pour upon thy head, take, gentle son: Live, gracious youth, to close thy mother's eyes, 170 Loved of thy parents, till their latest hour. How cheers my lord, thy father? O sweet boy, Part of him thus I clip, my dear, dear joy. [_Embraces_ ANTONIO. _Ant._ Madam, last night I kissed his princely hand, And took a treasured blessing from his lips. O mother, you arrive in jubilee, And firm atonement of all boist'rous rage; Pleasure, united love, protested faith, Guard my loved father, as sworn pensioners: The dukes are leagued in firmest bond of love, 180 And you arrive even in the solsticy And highest point of sunshine happiness. [_One winds a cornet within._ Hark, madam, how yon cornet jerketh up His strain'd shrill accents in the capering air, As proud to summon up my bright-cheek'd love! Now, mother, ope wide expectation; Let loose your amplest sense, to entertain Th' impression of an object of such worth That life's too poor to---- _Gal._ Nay, leave hyperboles. _Ant._ I tell thee, prince, that presence straight appears Of which thou canst not form hyperboles; 191 The trophy of triumphing excellence, The heart of beauty, Mellida appears. See, look, the curtain stirs; shine nature's pride, Love's vital spirit, dear Antonio's bride. [_The curtain's drawn, and the body of_ FELICHE, _stabb'd thick with wounds, appears hung up_. What villain bloods the window of my love? What slave hath hung yon gory ensign up In flat defiance of humanity? Awake, thou fair unspotted purity! Death's at thy window, awake, bright Mellida! 200 Antonio calls! _Enter_ PIERO, _unbraced, with_ FOROBOSCO. _Pier._ Who gives these ill-befitting attributes Of chaste, unspotted, bright, to Mellida? He lies as loud as thunder: she's unchaste, Tainted, impure, black as the soul of hell. [ANTONIO _draws his rapier, offers to run at_ PIERO, _but_ MARIA _holds his arm and stays him_. _Ant._ Dog! I will make thee eat thy vomit up, Which thou hast belkt 'gainst taintless Mellida.