Act 4 — [Scene II.][4202]

Bass. Pray, use your recreations, all the service I will expect is quietness amongst ye; Take liberty at home, abroad, at all times, And in your charities appease the gods, Whom I, with my distractions, have offended.5 Grau. Fair blessings on thy heart! Phu. [Aside.] Here ’s a rare change! My lord, to cure the itch, is surely gelded; The cuckold in conceit hath cast his horns. Bass. Betake ye to your several occasions; And wherein I have heretofore been faulty,10 Let your constructions mildly pass it over. Henceforth I ’ll study reformation,—more I have not for employment. Grau. O, sweet man! Thou art the very “Honeycomb of Honesty.”[4203] Phu. The “Garland of Good-will.”—Old lady, hold up15 Thy reverend snout, and trot behind me softly, As it becomes a moil[4204] of ancient carriage. Exeunt Grausis and Phulas. Bass. Beasts, only capable of sense, enjoy The benefit of food and ease with thankfulness; Such silly creatures, with a grudging, kick not Against the portion nature hath bestow’d:21 But men, endow’d with reason and the use Of reason, to distinguish from the chaff Of abject scarcity the quintessence, Soul, and elixir of the earth’s abundance,25 The treasures of the sea, the air, nay, heaven, Repining at these glories of creation Are verier beasts than beasts; and of those beasts The worst am I: I, who was made a monarch Of what a heart could wish for,—a chaste wife,—30 Endeavour’d what in me lay to pull down That temple built for adoration only, And level ’t in the dust of causeless scandal. But, to redeem a sacrilege so impious, Humility shall pour, before the deities35 I have incenst, a largess of more patience Than their displeased altars can require: No tempests of commotion shall disquiet The calms of my composure.

Org. I have found thee, Thou patron of more horrors than the bulk40 Of manhood, hoop’d about with ribs of iron, Can cram within thy breast: Penthea, Bassanes, Curst by thy jealousies,—more, by thy dotage,— Is left a prey to words. Bass. Exercise Your trials for addition to my penance;45 I am resolv’d. Org. Play not with misery Past cure: some angry minister of fate hath Depos’d the empress of her soul, her reason, From its most proper throne; but, what ’s the miracle More new, I, I have seen it, and yet live!50 Bass. You may delude my senses, not my judgment; ’T is anchor’d into a firm resolution; Dalliance of mirth or wit can ne’er unfix it: Practise[4205] yet further. Org. May thy death of love to her Damn all thy comforts to a lasting fast55 From every joy of life! Thou barren rock, By thee we have been split in ken[4206] of harbour.

Ith. Sister, look up; your Ithocles, your brother, Speaks t’ ye; why do you weep? Dear, turn not from me.— Here is a killing sight; lo, Bassanes,60 A lamentable object! Org. Man, dost see ’t? Sports are more gamesome; am I yet in merriment? Why dost not laugh? Bass. Divine and best of ladies, Please to forget my outrage; mercy ever Cannot but lodge under a roof so excellent.65 I have cast off that cruelty of frenzy Which once appear’d imposture,[4207] and then juggled To cheat my sleeps of rest. Org. Was I in earnest? Pen. Sure, if we were all Sirens, we should sing pitifully. And ’t were a comely music, when in parts70 One sung another’s knell. The turtle sighs When he hath lost his mate; and yet some say He must be dead first. ’T is a fine deceit To pass away in a dream; indeed, I ’ve slept With mine eyes open a great while. No falsehood75 Equals a broken faith; there ’s not a hair Sticks on my head but, like a leaden plummet, It sinks me to the grave. I must creep thither; The journey is not long. Ith. But, thou, Penthea, Hast many years, I hope, to number yet,80 Ere thou canst travel that way. Bass. Let the sun first Be wrapp’d up in an everlasting darkness, Before the light of nature, chiefly form’d For the whole world’s delight, feel an eclipse So universal! Org. Wisdom, look ye, begins85 To rave!—Art thou mad too, antiquity? Pen. Since I was first a wife, I might have been Mother to many pretty prattling babes; They would have smil’d when I smil’d, and for certain I should have cri’d when they cri’d:—truly, brother,90 My father would have pick’d me out a husband, And then my little ones had been no bastards; But ’t is too late for me to marry now, I am past child-bearing; ’t is not my fault. Bass. Fall on me, if there be a burning Aetna,95 And bury me in flames! Sweats hot as sulphur Boil through my pores! Affliction hath in store No torture like to this. Org. Behold a patience! Lay by thy whining gray dissimulation, Do something worth a chronicle; show justice Upon the author of this mischief; dig out101 The jealousies that hatch’d this thraldom first With thine own poniard. Every antic rapture Can roar as thine does. Ith. Orgilus, forbear. Bass. Disturb him not; it is a talking motion[4208] Provided for my torment. What a fool am I106 To bandy[4209] passion! Ere I ’ll speak a word, I will look on and burst. Pen. I lov’d you once. [To Orgilus.] Org. Thou didst, wrong’d creature: in despite of malice, For it I love thee ever. Pen. Spare your hand;110 Believe me, I ’ll not hurt it. Org. My[4210] heart too. [Pen.] Complain not though I wring it hard. I ’ll kiss it; O, ’t is a fine soft palm!—hark, in thine ear; Like whom do I look, prithee?—Nay, no whispering. Goodness! we had been happy; too much happiness115 Will make folk proud, they say—but that is he— Points at Ithocles. And yet he paid for ’t home; alas, his heart Is crept into the cabinet of the princess; We shall have points[4211] and bride-laces. Remember, When we last gather’d roses in the garden,120 I found my wits; but truly you lost yours. That ’s he, and still ’t is he. [Again pointing at Ithocles.] Ith. Poor soul, how idly Her fancies guide her tongue! Bass. [Aside.] Keep in, vexation, And break not into clamour. Org. [Aside.] She has tutor’d me: Some powerful inspiration checks my laziness.—125 Now let me kiss your hand, griev’d beauty. Pen. Kiss it.— Alack, alack, his lips be wondrous cold. Dear soul, h’as lost his colour: have ye seen A straying heart? All crannies! every drop Of blood is turned to an amethyst,130 Which married bachelors hang in their ears. Org. Peace usher her into Elysium!— If this be madness, madness is an oracle. Exit. Ith. Christalla, Philema, when slept my sister, Her ravings are so wild? Chris. Sir, not these ten days.135 Phil. We watch by her continually; besides, We can not any way pray her to eat. Bass. O, misery of miseries! Pen. Take comfort; You may live well, and die a good old man. By yea and nay, an oath not to be broken,140 If you had join’d our hands once in the temple,— ’T was since my father died, for had he liv’d He would have done ’t,—I must have call’d you father.— O, my wrack’d honour! ruin’d by those tyrants, A cruel brother and a desperate dotage!145 There is no peace left for a ravish’d wife Widow’d by lawless marriage; to all memory Penthea’s, poor Penthea’s name is strumpeted: But since her blood was season’d by the forfeit Of noble shame with mixtures of pollution,150 Her blood—’t is just—be henceforth never height’ned With taste of sustenance! Starve; let that fulness Whose plurisy[4212] hath fever’d faith and modesty— Forgive me; O, I faint! [Falls into the arms of her Attendants.] Arm. Be not so wilful, Sweet niece, to work thine own destruction. Ith. Nature155 Will call her daughter monster!—What! not eat? Refuse the only ordinary means Which are ordain’d for life? Be not, my sister, A murderess to thyself.—Hear’st thou this, Bassanes? Bass. Foh! I am busy; for I have not thoughts160 Enow to think: all shall be well anon. ’T is tumbling in my head; there is a mastery In art to fatten and keep smooth the outside; Yes, and to comfort up the vital spirits164 Without the help of food, fumes or perfumes, Perfumes or fumes. Let her alone; I ’ll search out The trick on ’t. Pen. Lead me gently; heavens reward ye. Griefs are sure friends; they leave without control Nor cure nor comforts for a leprous soul. Exeunt the maids supporting Penthea. Bass. I grant ye; and will put in practice instantly170 What you shall still admire: ’t is wonderful, ’T is super-singular, not to be match’d; Yet, when I ’ve done ’t, I ’ve done ’t:—ye shall all thank me. Exit. Arm. The sight is full of terror. Ith. On my soul Lies such an infinite clog of massy dulness,175 As that I have not sense enough to feel it.— See, uncle, th’ angry[4213] thing returns again; Shall ’s welcome him with thunder? We are haunted, And must use exorcism to conjure down This spirit of malevolence. Arm. Mildly, nephew,180

Near. I come not, sir, to chide your late disorder, Admitting that th’ inurement to a roughness In soldiers of your years and fortunes, chiefly, So lately prosperous, hath not yet shook off The custom of the war in hours of leisure;185 Nor shall you need excuse, since y’ are to render Account to that fair excellence, the princess, Who in her private gallery expects it From your own mouth alone: I am a messenger But to her pleasure. Ith. Excellent Nearchus,190 Be prince still of my services, and conquer Without the combat of dispute; I honour ye. Near. The king is on a sudden indispos’d, Physicians are call’d for; ’t were fit, Armostes, You should be near him. Arm. Sir, I kiss your hands.195 Exeunt Ithocles and Armostes. Near. Amelus, I perceive Calantha’s bosom Is warm’d with other fires than such as can Take strength from any fuel of the love I might address to her. Young Ithocles, Or ever I mistake, is lord ascendant200 Of her devotions; one, to speak him truly, In every disposition nobly fashioned. Ame. But can your highness brook to be so rivall’d, Considering the inequality of the persons?204 Near. I can, Amelus; for affections injur’d By tyranny or rigour of compulsion, Like tempest-threat’ned trees unfirmly rooted, Ne’er spring to timely growth: observe, for instance, Life-spent Penthea and unhappy Orgilus. Ame. How does your grace determine? Near. To be jealous210 In public of what privately I ’ll further; And though they shall not know, yet they shall find it. Exeunt.