The Maids Tragedy | Page 2

your arrival Made me
imagine you had heard the change.
Mel. Who hath he taken then?
Lys. A Lady Sir, That bears the light above her, and strikes dead With
flashes of her eye; the fair Evadne your vertuous Sister.
Mel. Peace of heart betwixt them: but this is strange.
Lys. The King my brother did it To honour you; and these solemnities
Are at his charge.

Mel. 'Tis Royal, like himself; But I am sad, my speech bears so
unfortunate a sound To beautiful _Aspatia_; there is rage Hid in her
fathers breast; Calianax Bent long against me, and he should not think,
If I could call it back, that I would take So base revenges, as to scorn
the state Of his neglected daughter: holds he still his greatness with the
King?
Lys. Yes; but this Lady Walks discontented, with her watry eyes Bent
on the earth: the unfrequented woods Are her delight; and when she
sees a bank Stuck full of flowers, she with a sigh will tell Her servants
what a pretty place it were To bury lovers in, and make her maids
Pluck'em, and strow her over like a Corse. She carries with her an
infectious grief That strikes all her beholders, she will sing The
mournful'st things that ever ear hath heard, And sigh, and sing again,
and when the rest Of our young Ladies in their wanton blood, Tell
mirthful tales in course that fill the room With laughter, she will with
so sad a look Bring forth a story of the silent death Of some forsaken
Virgin, which her grief Will put in such a phrase, that ere she end, She'l
send them weeping one by one away.
Mel. She has a brother under my command Like her, a face as
womanish as hers, But with a spirit that hath much out-grown The
number of his years.
[Enter Amintor.
Cle. My Lord the Bridegroom!
Mel. I might run fiercely, not more hastily Upon my foe: I love thee
well Amintor, My mouth is much too narrow for my heart; I joy to look
upon those eyes of thine; Thou art my friend, but my disorder'd speech
cuts off my love.
Amin. Thou art _Melantius_; All love is spoke in that, a sacrifice To
thank the gods, Melantius is return'd In safety; victory sits on his sword
As she was wont; may she build there and dwell, And may thy Armour
be as it hath been, Only thy valour and thy innocence. What endless
treasures would our enemies give, That I might hold thee still thus!

Mel. I am but poor in words, but credit me young man, Thy Mother
could no more but weep, for joy to see thee After long absence; all the
wounds I have, Fetch not so much away, nor all the cryes Of Widowed
Mothers: but this is peace; And what was War?
Amin. Pardon thou holy God Of Marriage bed, and frown not, I am
forc't In answer of such noble tears as those, To weep upon my
Wedding day.
Mel. I fear thou art grown too sick; for I hear A Lady mourns for thee,
men say to death, Forsaken of thee, on what terms I know not.
Amin. She had my promise, but the King forbad it, And made me make
this worthy change, thy Sister Accompanied with graces above her,
With whom I long to lose my lusty youth, And grow old in her arms.
Mel. Be prosperous.
[Enter Messenger.
Messen. My Lord, the Maskers rage for you.
Lys. We are gone. _Cleon, Strata, Diphilus_.
Amin. Wee'l all attend you, we shall trouble you With our solemnities.
Mel. Not so Amintor. But if you laugh at my rude carriage In peace, I'le
do as much for you in War When you come thither: yet I have a
Mistress To bring to your delights; rough though I am, I have a
Mistress, and she has a heart, She saies, but trust me, it is stone, no
better, There is no place that I can challenge in't. But you stand still,
and here my way lies.
[Exit.
Enter Calianax with Diagoras.
Cal. Diagoras, look to the doors better for shame, you let in all the
world, and anon the King will rail at me; why very well said, by Jove

the King will have the show i'th' Court.
Diag. Why do you swear so my Lord? You know he'l have it here.
Cal. By this light if he be wise he will not.
Diag. And if he will not be wise, you are forsworn.
Cal. One may wear his heart out with swearing, and get thanks on no
side, I'le be gone, look to't who will.
Diag. My Lord, I will never keep them out. Pray stay, your looks