Enter HERMIONE and FIDELIA.
HERMIONE.
Why then, my dear, what is the greatest prize in love?
FIDELIA.
Absence of other griefs, the greatest that loving hearts can prove.
HERMIONE.
But absence cannot minish love, or make it less in ought.
FIDELIA.
Yet nevertheless it leaves a doubt within the other's thought.
HERMIONE.
And what is that?—
FIDELIA.
Lest change of air should change the absent mind.
HERMIONE.
That fault is proper but to them whom jealousy makes blind.
FIDELIA.
O, pardon it, for that the cause from whence it springs is such.
HERMIONE.
From whence is that?
FIDELIA.
My mother says, from loving over-much.
HERMIONE.
Your author I will not admit; that rests us[73] it to prove.
FIDELIA.
Be sure it is, that jealousy proceeds of fervent love.
HERMIONE.
Can that be fervent love, wherein suspicion leads the mind?
FIDELIA.
Most fervent love, where so much love doth make the fancy blind.
HERMIONE.
But faithful love can never be, wherein suspect doth dwell.
FIDELIA.
The faithful lovers do suspect, because they love so well.
HERMIONE.
My dear Fidelia, as I think, thy love is such to me,
So fervent, faithful and unstain'd, as purer none can be,
Admit occasions fall out, then, that I must part from thee,
Tell me, wilt thou mean space suspect inconstancy in me?
FIDELIA.
If so I do, impute it to the force of lovers' laws,
That oftentimes are touch'd with fear, whereas there is no cause.
[ARMENIO listening.
ARMENIO.
What have I heard? what do mine eyes behold?
Dishonour to the house from whence I came!
Unshamefast girl, forgetful, all too bold:
And thou, false traitor, author of the same.
Sufferest not, for guerdon of thy due,
The king my father's gracious countenance,
But must thou climb, ungrateful and untrue,
These steps at first thine honour to advance?
Hath Fortune promised so much hope at first,
To make thy conquest of a prince's child?
And should I stand to question, how thou durst
To leave to think she might be so beguil'd?
But words may not suffice to wreak this wrong,
Hid under cloak of over-hardy[74] love.
Thou[75] upstart fondling, and forborne too long,
To give such cause thy prince's ire to move.
FIDELIA.
Nay, my good brother, take it not so whot:
The fault is mine, and I will bear the blame.
And to return you an answer, well I wot
How to defend the honour of my name.
But for my love, I am resolved in this,
However you account of his defaults,
With vowed affection wholly to be his,
As one in whom I spy more special parts,
Than fall in fondlings of the baser kind.
To have a word not squaring with the place,
But measure men by their unstained minds,
Let fortune be to virtue no disgrace;
For fortune, when and where it likes her majesty,
With clouds can cover birth and highest degree.
ARMENIO.
What, dame, and are you shameless in your shame?
No, mistress, no: it will not be let past;
But, wilful wench, this new-attempted game,
Ere it be won, will ask another cast.
And, lady, cloak his virtues as you will,
He'll be but as I said, a fondling still.
HERMIONE.
Erst had I thought, my lord, a man so wise as you,
Son to a prince, scholar to him that depth of learning knew,
Among many lessons one,[76] this rule could wisely find,
To have the government of wrath and rancour of your mind.
What high offence is given unto your father's grace?
I take it nothing needful here to reason of the case:
But stand he less content, or pleased herewithal,
My lord, that thus you should mislike the cause is very small.
The unremoved love I bear my lady here,
Whose countenance my comfort is, that holds my love as dear,
Commands me to digest such hard and bitter words,
As not with credit of your state your honour here affords.
Else, prince, persuade thyself, my mind were not so base
To pocket, but for such respects, so hard and foul disgrace.
And this,[77] lady—Hermione, for ought that men do know,
By birth may be as nobly born as Prince Armenio.
ARMENIO.
Traitor, thou shalt not joy that proud comparison.
FIDELIA.
My good Hermione, come hence; let him alone.
ARMENIO.
Nay, dame; it likes me not that you should go.
HERMIONE.
Whether thou wilt, Armenio, she shall, though thou say no.
ARMENIO.
What, shall she, villain?
FIDELIA.
Help, help! alas!
Enter PHIZANTIES [the prince], a LORD, and
PENULO [a parasite].
PHIZANTIES.
What stir is here? what means this broil begun?
Give me to know th'occasion of this strife?
How falls it out? Armenio, my son,
Hath wound receiv'd by stroke of naked knife.
Say to me straight, what one hath done this deed?
His blows are big that makes a prince to bleed.
FIDELIA.
My sovereign father, pardon his offence,[78]
Whose grief of mind is greater than his wound.
My rightful quarrel yields me safe defence,
And here they stand that guilty must be found.
ARMENIO.
Traitor, O king, unto your majesty,
Whose proud attempt doth touch your grace so near,
As what may be the greatest villainy
Upon recital shall be opened here.
My sister and your far unworthy child,
Forgetting love and fear of gods and thee,
And honour of her name, is thus beguil'd
To love this gentleman, whom here you see—
Hermione, whom for a jewel of some price
Old Hermet gave[79] your highness long ago.
And for I gave rebuke to her[80] device,
In gallant thought he would not take it so;
But, as it seems, to do my body good—
I thank him—deign'd himself to let me blood.
PHIZANTIES.
Hermione, and hast thou done this deed?
And couldst thou shrine such treason in thy thought?
Armenio, jest not with thy hurt: take heed.
And thou, fond girl, whose stained blood hath wrought,
How hath mine age and honour been abus'd,
My princely care, Hermione, of thee?
The fault so great it cannot be excus'd,
And you enforc'd the shame thereof to see.
But far we fear some farther ill may fall,
Through love and hate of one and of the other:
Her foolish love, I mean; and therewithal
The hot disdain and stomach of her brother.
Hermione, weigh what our pleasure is.
Whilome, thou knowest, we entertained[81] thee willingly;
Now, seeing thou hast done so far amiss
To reach above thy reach unorderly,
In milder words, because we love thee well,
Lo, we discharge thee of our princely court:
Thou mayest no longer with Fidelia dwell,
Forbidden to her presence to resort.
Behold my 'ward,[82] that am no bitter judge,
And wend thy way, where'er thou likest to go:
This only way I take to end the grudge,
And stop the love that each to other owe.
Among such haps as might my mind content,
Whereof the gracious gods have given me store,
I count this one, if thus I might prevent
The furthest outrage of the swelling sore.
HERMIONE.
Alas! now have I lived too long, I see,
Confounded so to yield to fortune's will:
My sovereign prince offended thus with me,
And I adjudg'd to death, though living still.
Ah, my good lord! whom I have honoured long,
Long may your highness joy this highest place:
Thyself the root and cause of mine own wrong.
But must I leave to view my lady's face,
And, banish'd from my prince's royal court,
Wander,[83] as erst the unhappy Oedipus,
Whose pain my foes will make their chiefest sport—
My most unhappy chance will have it thus.
ARMENIO.
No force forsooth: unpitied might he die,
That to his sovereign means such villainy.
HERMIONE.
Such villainy! who ever meant more good?
ARMENIO.
The venom of thy villainy withstood.
HERMIONE.
Armenio, I forbear thee here for reverence;
Yet, by my prince's leave, in my defence
I may allege I lov'd thy sister here;
Which love though I am like to buy full dear;
Yet is her love more precious than the price.
But since hard hap prevents our late device,
Long live my lord, long live my lady's grace:
God send them friends as loyal in my place;
And, trust me, then their fortune shall be such,
As not thy love shall ever prove so much.
PHIZANTIES.
Hermione, give me thy hand: adieu:
Think this is done t'avoid a further ill,
And double mischief that might else ensue.
For my sake cease to love Fidelia still:
Unequal love is enemy to rest.
She is too young to love thee as she should—
And thou, Hermione, canst conceive the rest.
My meaning is, she loves not as we would.
Time may afford to both your hearts' desires
New choice to cool these newly-kindled fires.
FIDELIA.
Never, alas! never will be the day,
That I shall leave to love Hermione.
Sooner shall nature's course quite altered be,
Than I shall leave, dear knight, to honour thee.
Good father, let him stay, who, if he part,
'Gainst law is like to steal away my heart.
ARMENIO.
May it please your grace to keep the body here,
It's like enough the heart will hover[84] near.
HERMIONE.
My lord, laugh not oppressed souls to scorn.
Losers, they say, may easily be forborne.
PHIZANTIES.
Forbear these words; and thou, Fidelia,
These misbeseeming foolish fashions stay.
Let it suffice that thou shalt live in court,
Where, if among the jolly brave resort
Of sundry knights of noble personage,
Worthy thy love for gifts and parentage,
Thou shalt espy one[85] such as we do like,
Our favours shall not be too far to seek.
FIDELIA.
Ah, my Hermione!
HERMIONE.
Sweet lady mine, farewell.[86]
Farewell, the courteous't dame that on earth do dwell.
ARMENIO.
Sir, now you are packing, let me know your walk,
For I have that may not be past without some talk:
Nor stands it with mine honour to let thee bear it clear,
But I will make thee know Armenio's blood is dear.
HERMIONE.
My lord, I make no challenge with offence;
But first I will prepare for my defence.
ARMENIO.
So, sir, you are aforehand: keep you so,
And reckon of Armenio for thy vowed foe.
Go, wend thy ways obscurer than the night,
And Fortune for revenge plague thee with spite.
[Exit.
