Act 5 — SCENE V.

Plan. I bore whil[e]st I could; but now 'tis grown Too great to be contain'd in human breast, And it shall out, though hoop'd with walls of brass. Are they at it? I stood once listening At their entreaty; this time at my own I'll stand and hearken.

And. 'Tis impossible. Lib. I tell you, no. I'll aggravate the injuries, And tell him how basely poor it was for A father to betray his son so. And. His piety shall never—— Lib. But his fury shall. I'll stab the king himself, and bring Those witnesses shall swear 'twas Plangus. Plan. Nay, then, 'tis time to strike— There, carry thy intents to hell.

Eph. What dismal note was that? And.Sir, there You see your martyr, whose force being Too weak to save my honour, his fidelity Was greater, and [has] died a royal sacrifice, Offer'd by th' impious hand of that vile man. Eph. O heav'n! doth not the earth yet gape and swallow thee? Thy life shall be my crime no longer; I gave it thee, And thus resume it with a thousand curses.

Plan. Sir, I at length am happy to the height Of all my wishes. I'm a-going suddenly

From all my troubles, all your fears; but I Will tell my story first— How you have wrong'd, and been wronged yourself. This woman, to be short, hath twin'd Like ivy with my naked limbs, before She married you, and would—O, In spite of death I will go on—have tempted me To bed her since. Upon refusal, she Turned her love to hate, and plots my ruin, And next your death—I can no more—I kill'd The instrument—farewell, forgive me.

Eph. Can this be true, Andromana? And. Do you believe it? Eph. I wish I had not cause—— And. Sir, every syllable was true he told you; Whose words I thus confirm.

And. You should have come a little sooner. Ino. Do I see well? or is the prince here slain? And. He is, and 'cause you love him, Carry that token of my love to him.

I know he'll take it kindly that you take So long a journey only to see him. Ino. It was the devil struck, sure, A woman could not do it.—Plangus, O!