No More Learning

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_Mel. _ Truce with your interpretations. Make haste.

Phil. _Foible, chagrin, grimace, embarrasse, double entendre,
equivoque, ecclaircissement, suittè, beveue, façon, penchant, coup
d'etourdy,_ and _ridicule. _

_Mel. _ Hold, hold; how did they begin?

_Phil. _ They began at _sottises_, and ended _en ridicule_.

_Mel. _ Now, give me your paper in my hand, and hold you my glass,
while I practise my postures for the day. [MELANTHA _laughs in the
glass. _] How does that laugh become my face?

_Phil. _ Sovereignly well, madam.

_Mel. _ Sovereignly? Let me die, that's not amiss. That word shall not
be yours; I'll invent it, and bring it up myself: My new point gorget
shall be yours upon't. Not a word of the word, I charge you.

_Phil. _ I am dumb, madam.

_Mel. _ That glance, how suits it with my face?
[_Looking in the glass again. _

_Phil. _ 'Tis so _languissant_!

_Mel. _ _Languissant! _ that word shall be mine too, and my last Indian
gown thine for't. That sigh? [_Looks again. _

_Phil. _ 'Twill make a man sigh, madam. 'Tis a mere _incendiary_.

_Mel. _ Take my guimp petticoat for that truth. If thou hast most of
these phrases, let me die but I could give away all my wardrobe, and
go naked for them.

_Phil. _ Go naked? Then you would be a Venus, madam. O Jupiter! what
had I forgot? This paper was given me by Rhodophil's page.

_Mel. _ [_Reading the letter. _] Beg the favour from you. --Gratify my
passion--so far--assignation--in the grotto--behind the terrace--clock
this evening--Well, for the _billets doux_ there is no man in Sicily
must dispute with Rhodophil; they are so French, so _gallant_, and so
_tendre_, that I cannot resist the temptation of the assignation. Now,
go you away, Philotis; it imports me to practise what to say to my
servant when I meet him. [_Exit_ PHILOTIS. ] Rhodophil, you'll wonder
at my assurance to meet you here;--let me die, I am so out of breath
with coming, that I can render you no reason of it. --Then he will make
this _repartee_; Madam, I have no reason to accuse you for that which
is so great a favour to me. --Then I reply, But why have you drawn me
to this solitary place? Let me die, but I am apprehensive of some
violence from you. --Then says he, Solitude, madam, is most fit for
lovers; but by this fair hand--Nay, now I vow you're rude, sir. O fy,
fy, fy; I hope you'll be honourable? --You'd laugh at me if I should,
madam. --What, do you mean to throw me down thus? Ah me! ah! ah! ah!

_Enter_ POLYDAMAS, LEONIDAS, _and Guards. _

O Venus! the king and court. Let me die, but I fear they have found my
foible, and will turn me into _ridicule_. [_Exit, running. _

_Leon. _ Sir, I beseech you.

_Poly. _ Do not urge my patience.

_Leon. _ I'll not deny,
But what your spies informed you of is true:
I love the fair Palmyra; but I loved her
Before I knew your title to my blood.

_Enter_ PALMYRA _guarded. _

See, here she comes, and looks, amidst her guards,
Like a weak dove under the falcon's gripe.
O heaven, I cannot bear it.

_Poly. _ Maid, come hither.
Have you presumed so far, as to receive
My son's affections?

_Palm. _ Alas, what shall I answer? To confess it
Will raise a blush upon a virgin's face;
Yet I was ever taught 'twas base to lie.

_Poly. _ You've been too bold, and you must love no more.

_Palm. _ Indeed I must; I cannot help my love;
I was so tender when I took the bent,
That now I grow that way.

_Poly. _ He is a prince, and you are meanly born.

_Leon. _ Love either finds equality, or makes it:
Like death, he knows no difference in degrees,
But plains, and levels all.

_Palm. _ Alas! I had not rendered up my heart,
Had he not loved me first; but he preferred me
Above the maidens of my age and rank,--
Still shunned their company, and still sought mine.
I was not won by gifts, yet still he gave;
And all his gifts, though small, yet spoke his love.
He picked the earliest strawberries in woods,
The clustered filberds, and the purple grapes;
He taught a prating stare to speak my name;
And, when he found a nest of nightingales,
Or callow linnets, he would show them me,
And let me take them out.

_Poly. _ This is a little mistress, meanly born,
Fit only for a prince's vacant hours,
And then, to laugh at her simplicity,
Not fix a passion there. Now hear my sentence.

_Leon. _ Remember, ere you give it, 'tis pronounced
Against us both.

_Poly. _ First, in her hand
There shall be placed a player's painted sceptre,
And, on her head, a gilded pageant crown:
Thus shall she go,
With all the boys attending on her triumph;
That done, be put alone into a boat,
With bread and water only for three days;
So on the sea she shall be set adrift,
And who relieves her dies.

_Palm. _ I only beg that you would execute
The last part first: Let me be put to sea;
The bread and water for my three days life
I give you back, I would not live so long;
But let me 'scape the shame.

_Leon. _ Look to me, piety; and you, O Gods, look to my piety!
Keep me from saying that, which misbecomes a son;
But let me die before I see this done.

_Poly. _ If you for ever will abjure her sight,
I can be yet a father; she shall live.

_Leon. _ Hear, O you powers! is this to be a father?
I see 'tis all my happiness and quiet
You aim at, sir; and take them:
I will not save even my Palmyra's life
At that ignoble price; but I'll die with her.

_Palm. _ So had I done by you,
Had fate made me a princess. --Death, methinks,
Is not a terror now:
He is not fierce, or grim, but fawns, and sooths me,
And slides along, like Cleopatra's aspick,
Offering his service to my troubled breast.

_Leon. _ Begin what you have purposed when you please;
Lead her to scorn, your triumph shall be doubled.
As holy priests,
In pity, go with dying malefactors,
So I will share her shame.

_Poly. _ You shall not have your will so much; first part them,
Then execute your office.

_Leon. _ No; I'll die
In her defence. [_Draws his sword. _

_Palm. _ Ah, hold, and pull not on
A curse, to make me worthy of my death:
Do not by lawless force oppose your father,
Whom you have too much disobeyed for me.

_Leon. _ Here, take it, sir, and with it pierce my heart:
[_Presenting his sword to his Father upon his
knees. _
You have done more in taking my Palmyra.
You are my father; therefore I submit.

_Poly. _ Keep him from any thing he may design
Against his life, while the first fury lasts;
And now perform what I commanded you.

_Leon. _ In vain; if sword and poison be denied me,
I'll hold my breath and die.

_Palm. _ Farewell, my last Leonidas; yet live,
I charge you, live, 'till you believe me dead.
I cannot die in peace, if you die first;
If life's a blessing, you shall have it last.

_Poly. _ Go on with her, and lead him after me.

_Enter_ ARGALEON _hastily, with_ HERMOGENES.

_Arga. _ I bring you, sir, such news as must amaze you,
And such as will prevent you from an action,
Which would have rendered all your life unhappy. [HERMOGENES _kneels. _

_Poly. _ Hermogenes, you bend your knees in vain,
My doom's already past.

_Her. _ I kneel not for Palmyra, for I know
She will not need my prayers; but for myself:
With a feigned tale I have abused your ears,
And, therefore, merit death: but since, unforced,
I first accuse myself, I hope your mercy.

_Poly. _ Haste to explain your meaning.

_Her. _ Then, in few words, Palmyra is your daughter.

_Poly. _ How can I give belief to this impostor?
He, who has once abused me, often may.
I'll hear no more.

_Arga. _ For your own sake, you must.

_Her. _ A parent's love,--for I confess my crime,--
Moved me to say, Leonidas was yours;
But when I heard Palmyra was to die,
The fear of guiltless blood so stung my conscience,
That I resolved, even with my shame, to save
Your daughter's life.

_Poly. _ But how can I be certain, but that interest,
Which moved you first to say your son was mine,
Does not now move you too, to save your daughter?

_Her. _ You had but then my word; I bring you now
Authentic testimonies. Sir, in short,
[_Delivers on his knees a jewel, and letter. _
If this will not convince you, let me suffer.

_Poly. _ I know this jewel well; 'twas once my mother's,
[_Looking first on the jewel. _
Which, marrying, I presented to my wife.
And this, O this is my Eudocia's hand.
_This was the pledge of love given to Eudocia,_ [Reads.
_Who, dying, to her young Palmyra leaves it;_
_And this, when you, my dearest lord, receive,
Own her, and think on me, dying Eudocia. _
Take it; 'tis well there is no more to read. [_To_ ARGA.
My eyes grow full, and swim in their own light. [_He embraces_ PALM.

_Palm. _ I fear, sir, this is your intended pageant.
You sport yourself at poor Palmyra's cost;
But if you think to make me proud,
Indeed I cannot be so: I was born
With humble thoughts, and lowly, like my birth.
A real fortune could not make me haughty,
Much less a feigned.

_Poly. _ This was her mother's temper.
I have too much deserved thou shouldst suspect
That I am not thy father; but my love
Shall henceforth show I am. Behold my eyes,
And see a father there begin to flow:
This is not feigned, Palmyra.

_Palm. _ I doubt no longer, sir; you are a king,
And cannot lie: Falsehood's a vice too base
To find a room in any royal breast.
I know, in spite of my unworthiness,
I am your child; for when you would have killed me,
Methought I loved you then.

_Arga. _ Sir, we forget the prince Leonidas;
His greatness should not stand neglected thus.

_Poly. _ Guards, you may now retire; Give him his sword,
And leave him free.

_Leon. _ Then the first use I make of liberty
Shall be, with your permission, mighty sir,
To pay that reverence to which nature binds me.
[_Kneels to_ HERMOGENES.

_Arga. _ Sure you forget your birth, thus to misplace
This act of your obedience; you should kneel
To nothing but to heaven, and to a king.

_Leon. _ I never shall forget what nature owes,
Nor be ashamed to pay it; though my father
Be not a king, I know him brave and honest,
And well deserving of a worthier son.

_Poly. _ He bears it gallantly.

_Leon.
_ Why would you not instruct me, sir, before, [_To_ HERM.
Where I should place my duty?
From which, if ignorance have made me swerve,
I beg your pardon for an erring son.

_Palm. _ I almost grieve I am a princess, since
It makes him lose a crown.

_Leon. _ And next, to you, my king, thus low I kneel,
To implore your mercy; if in that small time
I had the honour to be thought your son,
I paid not strict obedience to your will.
I thought, indeed, I should not be compelled,
But thought it as your son; so what I took
In duty from you, I restored in courage;
Because your son should not be forced.

_Poly. _ You have my pardon for it.

_Leon. _ To you, fair princess, I congratulate
Your birth; of which I ever thought you worthy:
And give me leave to add, that I am proud
The gods have picked me out to be the man,
By whose dejected fate yours is to rise;
Because no man could more desire your fortune,
Or franklier part with his, to make you great.

_Palm. _ I know the king, though you are not his son,
Will still regard you as my foster-brother,
And so conduct you downward from a throne,
By slow degrees, so unperceived and soft,
That it may seem no fall: Or, if it be,
May fortune lay a bed of down beneath you!

_Poly. _ He shall be ranked with my nobility,
And kept from scorn by a large pension given him.

_Leon. _ You are all great and royal in your gifts; [_Bowing. _
But at the donor's feet I lay them down:
Should I take riches from you, it would seem
As I did want a soul to bear that poverty,
To which the gods designed my humble birth:
And should I take your honours without merit,
It would appear, I wanted manly courage
To hope them, in your service, from my sword.

_Poly. _ Still brave, and like yourself.
The court shall shine this night in its full splendour,
And celebrate this new discovery.
Argaleon, lead my daughter: As we go,
I shall have time to give her my commands,
In which you are concerned. [_Exeunt all but_ LEONIDAS.

_Leon. _ Methinks, I do not want
That huge long train of fawning followers,
That swept a furlong after me.
'Tis true I am alone;
So was the godhead, ere he made the world,
And better served himself, than served by nature.
And yet I have a soul
Above this humble fate. I could command,
Love to do good, give largely to true merit,
All that a king should do: But though these are not
My province, I have scene enough within,
To exercise my virtue.
All that a heart, so fixed as mine, can move,
Is, that my niggard fortune starves my love. [_Exit. _


SCENE II.

PALAMEDE _and_ DORALICE _meet: She, with a book in her hand, seems
to start at the sight of him. _

_Dor. _ 'Tis a strange thing that no warning will serve your turn; and
that no retirement will secure me from your impertinent addresses! Did
not I tell you, that I was to be private here at my devotions?

_Pala. _ Yes; and you see I have observed my cue exactly: I am come to
relieve you from them. Come, shut up, shut up your book; the man's
come who is to supply all your necessities.

_Dor. _ Then, it seems, you are so impudent to think it was an
assignation? This, I warrant, was your lewd interpretation of my
innocent meaning.

_Pala. _ Venus forbid, that I should harbour so unreasonable a thought
of a fair young lady, that you should lead me hither into temptation.
I confess, I might think indeed it was a kind of honourable challenge,
to meet privately without seconds, and decide the difference betwixt
the two sexes; but heaven forgive me, if I thought amiss.

_Dor. _ You thought too, I'll lay my life on't, that you might as well
make love to me, as my husband does to your mistress.

_Pala. _ I was so unreasonable to think so too.

_Dor. _ And then you wickedly inferred, that there was some justice in
the revenge of it; or, at least, but little injury for a man to
endeavour to enjoy that, which he accounts a blessing, and which is
not valued as it ought by the dull possessor. Confess your
wickedness,--did you not think so?

_Pala. _ I confess I was thinking so, as fast as I could; but you think
so much before me, that you will let me think nothing.

_Dor. _ 'Tis the very thing that I designed; I have forestalled all
your arguments, and left you without a word more, to plead for mercy.
If you have any thing farther to offer, ere sentence pass--Poor
animal, I brought you hither only for my diversion.

_Pala. _ That you may have, if you'll make use of me the right way; but
I tell thee, woman, I am now past talking.

_Dor. _ But it may be, I came hither to hear what fine things you could
say for yourself.

_Pala. _ You would be very angry, to my knowledge, if I should lose so
much time to say many of them. --By this hand you would!

_Dor. _ Fye, Palamede, I am a woman of honour.

_Pala. _ I see you are; you have kept touch with your assignation: And
before we part, you shall find that I am a man of honour. Yet I have
one scruple of conscience--

_Dor. _ I warrant you will not want some naughty argument, or other, to
satisfy yourself. --I hope you are afraid of betraying your friend?

_Pala. _ Of betraying my friend! I am more afraid of being betrayed by
you to my friend. You women now are got into the way of telling first
yourselves: A man, who has any care of his reputation, will be loth to
trust it with you.

_Dor. _ O, you charge your faults upon our sex! You men are like cocks;
you never make love, but you clap your wings, and crow when you have
done.

_Pala. _ Nay, rather you women are like hens; you never lay, but you
cackle an hour after, to discover your nest. --But I'll venture it for
once.

_Dor. _ To convince you that you are in the wrong, I'll retire into the
dark grotto, to my devotion, and make so little noise, that it shall
be impossible for you to find me.

_Pala. _ But if I find you--

_Dor. _ Ay, if you find me--But I'll put you to search in more corners
than you imagine. [_She runs in, and he after her. _

_Enter_ RHODOPHIL _and_ MELANTHA.

_Mel. _ Let me die, but this solitude, and that grotto are scandalous;
I'll go no further; besides, you have a sweet lady of your own.

_Rho. _ But a sweet mistress, now and then, makes my sweet lady so much
more sweet.

_Mel. _ I hope you will not force me?

_Rho. _ But I will, if you desire it.

_Pala. _ [_Within. _] Where the devil are you, madam? 'Sdeath, I begin
to be weary of this hide and seek: If you stay a little longer, till
the fit's over, I'll hide in my turn, and put you to the finding me.
[_He enters, and sees_ RHODOPHIL _and_ MELANTHA. ] How! Rhodophil and
my mistress!

_Mel. _ My servant, to apprehend me! this is _surprenant au dernier_.

_Rho. _ I must on; there's nothing but impudence can help me out.

_Pala. _ Rhodophil, how came you hither in so good company?

_Rho. _ As you see, Palamede; an effect of pure friendship; I was not
able to live without you.

_Pala. _ But what makes my mistress with you?

_Rho. _ Why, I heard you were here alone, and could not in civility but
bring her to you.

_Mel. _ You'll pardon the effects of a passion which I may now avow for
you, if it transported me beyond the rules of _bienseance. _

_Pala. _ But, who told you I was here? they, that told you that, may
tell you more, for aught I know.

_Rho. _ O, for that matter, we had intelligence.

_Pala. _ But let me tell you, we came hither so very privately, that
you could not trace us.

_Rho. _ Us! what us? you are alone.

_Pala. _ Us! the devil's in me for mistaking:--me, I meant. Or us, that
is, you are me, or I you, as we are friends: That's us.

_Dor. _ Palamede, Palamede! [_Within. _

_Rho. _ I should know that voice; who's within there, that calls you?

_Pala. _ Faith, I can't imagine; I believe the place is haunted.

_Dor. _ Palamede, Palamede, all-cocks hidden. [_Within. _

_Pala. _ Lord, Lord, what shall I do? --Well, dear friend, to let you
see I scorn to be jealous, and that I dare trust my mistress with you,
take her back, for I would not willingly have her frighted, and I am
resolved to see who's there; I'll not be daunted with a bugbear,
that's certain:--Prithee, dispute it not, it shall be so; nay do not
put me to swear, but go quickly: There's an effort of pure friendship
for you now.

_Enter_ DORALICE, _and looks amazed, seeing them. _

_Rho. _ Doralice! I am thunder-struck to see you here.

_Pala. _ So am I! quite thunder-struck. Was it you, that called me
within? --I must be impudent.

_Rho. _ How came you hither, spouse?

_Pala. _ Ay, how came you hither? And, which is more, how could you be
here without my knowledge?

_Dor. _ [_To her husband. _] O, gentlemen, have I caught you i'faith!
have I broke forth in ambush upon you! I thought my suspicions would
prove true.

_Rho. _ Suspicions! this is very fine, spouse! Prithee, what
suspicions?

_Dor. _ O, you feign ignorance: Why, of you and Melantha; here have I
staid these two hours, waiting with all the rage of a passionate,
loving wife, but infinitely jealous, to take you two in the manner;
for hither I was certain you would come.

_Rho. _ But you are mistaken, spouse, in the occasion; for we came
hither on purpose to find Palamede, on intelligence he was gone
before.

_Pala. _ I'll be hanged then, if the same party, who gave you
intelligence I was here, did not tell your wife you would come hither.
Now I smell the malice on't on both sides.

_Dor. _ Was it so, think you? nay, then, I'll confess my part of the
malice too. As soon as ever I spied my husband and Melantha come
together, I had a strange temptation to make him jealous in revenge;
and that made me call Palamede, Palamede! as though there had been an
intrigue between us.

_Mel. _ Nay, I avow, there was an appearance of an intrigue between us
too.

_Pala. _ To see how things will come about!

_Rho. _ And was it only thus, my dear Doralice? [_Embrace. _

_Dor. _ And did I wrong n'own Rhodophil, with a false suspicion?
[_Embracing him. _

_Pala. _ [_Aside. _] Now I am confident we had all four the same design:
'Tis a pretty odd kind of game this, where each of us plays for double
stakes: This is just thrust and parry with the same motion; I am to
get his wife, and yet to guard my own mistress. But I am vilely
suspicious, that, while I conquer in the right wing, I shall be routed
in the left; for both our women will certainly betray their party,
because they are each of them for gaining of two, as well as we; and I
much fear.

If their necessities and ours were known,
They have more need of two, than we of one.
[_Exeunt, embracing one another. _


ACT IV. SCENE I.

_Enter_ LEONIDAS, _musing;_ AMALTHEA, _following him. _

_Amal.