Coz. You say well,

You are ignorant in the nature of his fault, Which, when you understand, (as we'll instruct you)

Your pity will appear a charity,

(It being conferred on an unthankful man,)
To be repented. He's a traitor, madam,
To you, to us, to gratitude; and in that
All crimes are comprehended.

Fio. If his offence

Aimed at me only, whatsoe'er it is,
Tis freely pardoned.

Coz. This compassion in you

Must make the colour of his guilt more ugly.
The honours we have hourly heaped upon him,
The titles, the rewards, to the envy
of
The old nobility, as the common people,
We now forbear to touch at, and will only
Insist on his gross wrongs to you. You were
pleased,

Forgetting both yourself and proper greatness,
To favour him, nay, to court him to embrace
A happiness, which, on his knees, with joy
He should have sued for. Who repined not at
The grace you did him! Yet, in recompense
Of your large bounties, the disloyal wretch
Makes you a stale; and, that he might be by

Move us again, if your reason will allow it,
His treachery known. And then, if you continue
An advocate for him, we, perhaps, because
We would deny you nothing, may awake
Our sleeping mercy. Carolo!

Car. My lord.

[They whisper.
Fio. To endure a rival, that were equal to me,
Cannot but speak my poverty of spirit;
But an inferior, more: Yet true love must not
Know or degrees, or distances. Lydia may be
As far above me in her form, as she

Is in her birth beneath me; and what I
In Sanazarro liked, he loves in her.
But if I free him now, the benefit
Being done so timely, and confirming too
My strength and power, my soul's best faculties
being

Bent wholly to preserve him, must supply me
With all I am defective in, and bind him
My creature ever. It must needs be so,
Nor will I give it o'er thus.

Coz. Does our nephew
Bear his restraint so constantly as you
Deliver it to us?

Car. In my judgment, sir,

He suffers more for his offence to you,
Than in his fear of what can follow it.
For he is so collected and prepared
To welcome that you shall determine of him,
As if his doubts and fears were equal to him.
And sure he's not acquainted with much guilt,
That more laments the telling one untruth,
Under your pardon still, (for 'twas a fault, sir,)
Than others, that pretend to conscience, do
Their crying secret sins.

Coz. No more; this gloss

Defends not the corruption of the text;
Urge it no more.

[CAROLO and the others whisper.
Fio. I once more must make bold, sir,
To trench upon your patience. I have
Considered my wrongs duly: Yet that cannot
Divert my intercession for a man,

Your grace, like me, once favoured. I am still
A suppliant to you, that you would vouchsafe
The hearing his defence, and that I may,
With your allowance, see, and comfort him,
Then, having heard all that he can alledge
In his excuse for being false to you,
Censure him as you please.

Coz. You will o'ercome;

There's no contending with you. Pray you, enjoy
What you desire, and tell him, he shall have
A speedy trial, in which we'll forbear

To sit as judge, because our purpose is
To rise up his accuser,

Fio. All increase

Of happiness wait on Cozimo.

[Exeunt FIORINDA and CALAMINTA.

Alph. Was it no more?

Car. My honour's pawned for it.
Con. I'll second you.

Lod. Since it is for the service and the safety Of the hopeful prince, fall what can fall, I'll run The desperate hazard.

Hie. He's no friend to virtue That does decline it.

[They all kneel.

Coz. Ha! what sue you for? Shall we be ever troubled? Do not tempt That anger may consume you,

Car. Let it, sir:

Coz. To enjoy

Such happiness, what would we not dispense with?

Alph. Lod. Hie. We all kneel for the prince. Con. Nor can it stand

With your mercy, that are gracious to strangers,
To be cruel to your own.

Coz. But art thou certain
I shall behold her at the best?
Car. If ever

She was handsome, as it fits not me to say so,
She is now much bettered.

Coz. Rise; thou art but dead

If this prove otherwise. Lydia, appear,
And feast an appetite, almost pined to death
With longing expectation to behold

Thy excellencies: Thou, as beauty's queen,
Shalt censure the detractors. Let my nephew
Be led in triumph under her command;
We'll have it so; and Sanazarro tremble

To think whom he hath slandered. We'll retire
Ourselves a little, and prepare to meet

A blessing, which, imagination tells us,
We are not worthy of, and then come forth;
But with such reverence, as if I were
Myself the priest, the sacrifice, my heart,
To offer at the altar of that goodness,
That must or kill or save me.

Car. Are not these
Strange gambols in the duke?
Alph. Great princes have,

Like meaner men, their weakness.
Lod. And may use it

Without controul or check.

Con. 'Tis fit they should;

[Exit COZIMO.

Their privilege were less else than their subjects. Hie. Let them have their humours; there's no crossing them. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Enter FIORINDA, SANAZARRO, and CALAMINTA.

Sqn. And can it be your bounties should fall
down

In showers on my ingratitude? Or the wrongs
Your greatness should revenge, teach you to pity?
What retribution can I make? what service
Pay to your goodness, that in some proportion,
May to the world express I would be thankful?
Since my engagements are so great, that all
My best endeavours to appear your creature,
Can but proclaim my wants, and what I owe
To your magnificence.

Fio. All debts are discharged

In this acknowledgment: Yet, since you please,
I shall impose some terms of satisfaction
For that, which you profess yourself obliged for:
They shall be gentle ones, and such as will not,
I hope, afilict you.

San. Make me understand,
Great princess, what they are, and my

obedience

Shall, with all cheerful willingness, subscribe

To what you shall command.
Fio. I will bind you to

mine.

you

To love a lady, that a noble way

Truly affects you; and that you would take
To your protection and care, the dukedom
Of Urbin, which no more is mine, but yours;
And that, when you have full possession of
My person, as my fortunes, you would use me,
Not as a princess, but instruct me in
The duties of an humble wife; for such,
The privilege of my birth no more remembered,
I will be to you. This consented to,

All injuries forgotten, on your lips

I thus sign your quietus.

San. I am wretched

In having but one life to be employed

As you please to dispose it: And, believe it,
If it be not already forfeited

To the fury of my prince, as 'tis your gift,
With all the faculties of my soul I'll study,
In what I may, to serve you.

Fio. I am happy

Enter GIOVANNI and LYDIA.

In this assurance.-What

Sweet lady's this?

San. 'Tis Lydia, madam, she

Fio. I understand you.

Nay, blush not; by my life, she is a rare one! And, if I were your judge, I would not blame

you,

To like and love her.-But, sir, you are mine

now;

And I presume so on your constancy,
That I dare not be jealous.

San. All thoughts of her

Are in your goodness buried.
Lyd. Pray you, sir,

Be comforted; your innocence should not know
What 'tis to fear, and if you but look on

The guards, that you have in yourself, you can

not.

The duke's your uncle, sir; and though a little
Incensed at you, when he sees your sorrow,
He must be reconciled. What rugged Tartar,
Or cannibal, though bathed in human gore,
But, looking on your sweetness, would forget
His cruel nature, and let fall his weapon,
Though then aimed at your throat ?
Giov. O Lydia,

Of maids the honour, and your sex's glory!
It is not fear to die, but to lose you,
That brings this fever on me.
I will now
Discover to you that, which, till this minute,
I durst not trust the air with. Ere you knew
What power the magic of your beauty had,
I was enchanted by it, liked, and loved it,
My fondness still encreasing with my years;
And, flattered by false hopes, I did attend

Some blessed opportunity to move
The duke, with his consent, to make
you
But now, such is my star-crossed destiny,
Deny himself the happiness to enjoy you.
And I as well in reason may entreat him
To give away his crown, as to part from
A jewel of more value, such you are:
Yet, howsoever, when you are his dutchess,
And I am turned unto forgotten dust,
Pray you, love my memory. I should say more,
But I am cut off.

Enter COZIMO, CAROLO, CONTARINO, and
others.

San. The duke! that countenance, once, When it was cloathed in smiles, shewed like an angel's;

But, now 'tis folded up in clouds of fury,

'Tis terrible to look on.

Lyd. Sir.

[The DUKE admiring LYDIA.

Coz. A while Silence your musical tongue, and let me feast My eyes with the most ravishing object that They ever gazed on. There's no miniature In her fair face, but is a copious theme Which would (discoursed at large of) make a volume.

What clear arched brows! What sparkling eyes!
The lilies

Contending with the roses in her cheeks,
Who shall most set them off! What ruby lips!
Or unto what can I compare her neck,
But to a rock of crystal! Every limb
Proportioned to love's wish, and in their neat-

ness

Add lustre to the richness of her habit,
Not borrow from it.

Lyd. You are pleased to shew, sir,
The fluency of your language, in advancing
A subject much uuworthy.

Coz. How unworthy?

By all the vows which lovers offer at
The Cyprian goddess' altars, eloquence.
Itself, presuming as you are to speak you,
Would be struck dumb. And what have you de-
served, then,

(Wretches, you kneel too late) that have endcavoured

To spout the poison of your black detraction
On this immaculate whiteness! Was it malice
To her perfections? Or—

Fio. Your highness promised

A gracious hearing to the count..
Lyd. And prince too;

Do not make void such a grant.
Coz. We will not;

Yet, since their accusation must be urged,
And strongly, ere their weak defence have hear-
ing,
[Seats the ladies.
We scat you here, as judges, to determine

membering

Whose deputies we are, be neither swayed,
Or with particular spleen or foolish pity;
For neither can become you.

Car. There's some hope yet,
Since they have such gentle judges.
Coz. Rise, and stand forth, then,
And hear with horror to your guilty souls

What we will prove against you. Could this princess

(Thou enemy to thyself!) stoop her high flight
Of towering greatness, to invite thy lowness
To look upon it, and with nimble wings

Of gratitude, couldst thou forbear to meet it?
Were her favours boundless in a noble way,
And warranted by our allowance, yet,
In thy acceptation, there appeared no sign
Of a modest thankfulness?

Pass over it, and briefly touch at that,

Which does concern ourself; in which, both being

Equal offenders, what we shall speak, points
Indifferently at either. How we raised thee,
Forgetful Sanazarro, of our grace,

To a full possession of power and honours,
It being too well known, we'll not remember.
And what thou wert (rash youth) in expectation,
(And from which, headlong, thou hast thrown
thyself)

Not Florence, but all Tuscany, can witness
With admiration. To assure thy hopes,
We did keep constant to a widowed bed,
And did deny ourself those lawful pleasures,
Our absolute power and height of blood allowed

you, in recompense of this, to him

And now expect your sentence.

[The ladies descend from the state. Lydia. In your birth, sir,

You were marked out the judge of life and death,
And we, that are your subjects, to attend
With trembling fear

Fio. We do resign

your doom.

This chair, as only proper to yourself.

Giov. And, since in justice we are lost, we fly Unto your saving mercy. [All kneeling.

Sun. Which sets off

A prince much more than rigour.
Car. And becomes him,

When 'tis expressed to such as fell by weakness,
That being a twin-born brother to affection,
Better than wreaths of conquest.

Hier. Lod. Con. Alph. We all speak

Their language, mighty sir.

Coz. You know our temper,

And, therefore, with more boldness venture on

it:

And, would not our consent to your demands
Deprive us of a happiness, hereafter
Ever to be despaired of, we, perhaps,
Might hearken nearer to you, and could wish,
With some qualification or excuse,

You might make less the mountains of your crimes,

And so invite our clemency to feast with you.
But you, that know with what impatience
Of grief, we parted from the fair Clarinda,
Our dutchess, (let her memory still be sacred!}
And with what imprecations on ourself
We vowed, not hoping e'er to see her equal,
Ne'er to make trial of a second choice,
If nature framed not one that did excel her,
(As this maid's beauty prompts us that she does)
And yet, with oaths then mixed with tears, upon
Her monument we swore our eye should never
Again be tempted; 'tis true, and those vows
Are registered above; something here tells me.
Carolo, thou heardst us swear.

Car. And swear so deeply,

ing,

With treacherous lies endeavoured to conceal This jewel from our knowledge, which ourself Could only lay just claim to.

Giov. 'Tis most true.

Sun. We both confess a guilty cause.
Coz. Look on her;

Is this a beauty fit to be embraced
By any subject's arms? Can any tire
Become that forehead, but a diadem ?
Or, should we grant your being false to us
Could be excused, your treachery to her,
In seeking to deprive her of that greatness,
(Her matchless form considered), she was born to,
Must ne'er find pardon! We have spoken, la-
dies,

Like a rough orator, that brings more truth

(As she's not to be named with the dead dutch

Of what's presented, worthy of your love And favour, as was aimed; and we have all

[Exeunt omnes.

VOL. II.