| Cle. There's already a thousand father- [ | 95 |
less tales amongst us. Some say, her horse ran
away with her; some, a wolf pursued her;
others, 't was a plot to kill her, and that arm'd
men were seen in the wood: but questionless
| she rode away willingly. | 100 |
Enter KING and THRASILINE.
King. Where is she?
Cle. Sir, I cannot tell.
King. How's that? Answer me so again!
Cle. Sir, shall I lie?
King. Yes, lie and damn, rather than tell me that. I say again, where is she? Mutter not! -- Sir, speak you; where is she?
| Dion. Sir, I do not know. | 105 |
King.Speak that again so boldly, and, by
Heaven,
It is thy last! -- You, fellows, answer me
Where is she? Mark me, all; I am your
king:
I wish to see my daughter; show her me;
| I do command you all, as you are subjects, | 110 |
If ay, then am I not to be obeyed?
Dion. Yes, if you command things possible and honest.
King. Things possible and honest! Hear me,
thou, --
Thou traitor, that dar'st confine thy King to
| things | 115 |
Or, let me perish, if I cover not
All Sicily with blood!
Dion. Faith, I cannot, Unless you tell me where she is.
King. You have betray'd me; you have let
| me lose | 120 |
And set her here before me. 'T is the king
Will have it so; whose breath can still the
winds,
Unclond the sun, charm down the swelling sea,
And stop the floods of heaven. Speak, can it
| not? | 125 |
Dion. No. [this?
King. No! cannot the breath of kings do
Dion. No; nor smell sweet itself, if once the lungs Be but corrupted,
King. Is it so? Take heed!
Dion. Sir, take you heed how you dare the powers That must be just.
| King. Alas! what are we kings! | 130 |
Why do you gods place us above the rest,
To be serv'd, flatter'd, and ador'd, till we
Believe we hold within our hands your thunder?
And when we come to try the power we have,
There's not a leaf shakes at our threat'nings.
I have sinn'd, 't is true, and here stand to be
| punish'd; | 136 |
My way, and lay it on!
Dion. [Aside.] He articles with the gods.
Would somebody would draw bonds for the
| performance of covenants betwixt them! | 141 |
King. What, is she found?
Pha. No; we have ta'en her horse; He gallopt empty by. There is some treason. You, Galatea, rode with her into the wood; Why left you her?
| Gal. She did command me. | 145 |
King. Command! you should not.
Gal. 'T would ill become my fortunes and my birth To disobey the daughter of my king.
King. You're all cunning to obey us for our hurt; But I will have her.
| Pha. If I have her not, | 150 |
By this hand, there shall be no more Sicily.
Dion. [Aside.] What, will he carry it to Spain in's pocket?
Pha. I will not leave one man alive, but the
king,
| A cook, and a tailor. | 154 |
Dion. [Aside.] Yes; you may do well to spare your lady-bedfellow; and her you may keep for a spawner.
King. [Aside.] I see the injuries I have done must be reveng'd.
Dion. Sir, this is not the way to find her out.
King. Run all, disperse yourselves. The man
| that finds her, | 160 |
great.
Dion. I know some would give five thousand pounds to find her.
Pha. Come, let us seek.
King. Each man a several way; here I myself.
| Dion. Come, gentlemen, we here. | 165 |
Cle. Lady, you must go search too.
Meg. I had rather be search'd myself. Exeunt [severally].
Enter ARETHUSA.
Are. Where am I now? Feet, find me out a
way,
Without the counsel of my troubled head.
I'll follow you boldly about these woods,
O'er mountains, thorough brambles, pits, and
floods.
| Heaven, I hope, will ease me. I am sick. | 5 |
Enter BELLARIO.
Bel. [Aside.] Yonder's my lady. God knows
I want nothing,
Because I do not wish to live; yet I
Will try her charity. -- Oh hear, you have
plenty!
From that flowing store drop some on dry
ground. -- See,
| The lively red is gone to guard her heart! | 10 |
-557-
Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information:
Book title: The Chief Elizabethan Dramatists, Excluding Shakespeare.
Contributors: William Allan Neilson - Editor.
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin.
Place of publication: Boston.
Publication year: 1911.
Page number: 557.
This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.
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