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Enter P HILASTER, A RETHUSA, and B ELLARIO 1
ARE. Nay, dear Philaster, grieve not; we are well. | |
| BEL. Nay, good my lord, forbear; we are wondrous well. | |
| PHI. Oh, Arethusa, oh, Bellario, | |
| Leave to be kind! | 4 |
| I shall be shut from Heaven, as now from earth, | |
| If you continue so. I am a man | |
| False to a pair of the most trusty ones | |
| That ever earth bore; can it bear us all? | 8 |
| Forgive, and leave me. But the King hath sent | |
| To call me to my death: oh, shew it me, | |
| And then forget me! And for thee, my boy, | |
| I shall deliver words will mollify | 12 |
| The hearts of beasts to spare thy innocence. | |
| BEL. Alas, my lord, my life is not a thing | |
| Worthy your noble thoughts! ’Tis not a life, | |
| ’Tis but a piece of childhood thrown away. | 16 |
| Should I outlive you, I should then outlive | |
| Virtue and honour; and when that day comes, | |
| If ever I shall close these eyes but once, | |
| May I live spotted for my perjury, | 20 |
| And waste my limbs to nothing! | |
| ARE. And I (the woful’st maid that ever was, | |
| Forc’d with my hands to bring my lord to death) | |
| Do by the honour of a virgin swear | 24 |
| To tell no hours beyond it! | |
| PHI. Make me not hated so. | |
| ARE. Come from this prison all joyful to our deaths! | |
| PHI. People will tear me, when they find you true | 28 |
| To such a wretch as I; I shall die loath’d. | |
| Enjoy your kingdoms peaceably, whilst I | |
| For ever sleep forgotten with my faults. | |
| Every just servant, every maid in love, | 32 |
| Will have a piece of me, if you be true. | |
| ARE. My dear lord, say not so. | |
| BEL. A piece of you! | |
| He was not born of woman that can cut | 36 |
| It and look on. | |
| PHI. Take me in tears betwixt you, for my heart | |
| Will break with shame and sorrow. | |
| ARE. Why, ’tis well. | 40 |
| BEL. Lament no more. | |
| PHI. Why, what would you have done | |
| If you had wrong’d me basely, and had found | |
| Your 2 life no price compared to mine? 3 For love, sirs, | 44 |
| Deal with me truly. | |
| BEL. ’Twas mistaken, sir. | |
| PHI. Why, if it were? | |
| BEL. Then, sir, we would have ask’d | 48 |
| You pardon. | |
| PHI. And have hope to enjoy it? | |
| ARE. Enjoy it! ay. | |
| PHI. Would you indeed? be plain. | 52 |
| BEL. We would, my lord. | |
| PHI. Forgive me, then. | |
| ARE. So, so. | |
| BEL. ’Tis as it should be now. | 56 |
| PHI. Lead to my death. Exeunt. | |
