 | The Enchanted Lovers |  |
58
SCENA IV.
CLIDAMANT, MELINTUS.CLIDAMANT.
O night, lend me thy silence, make these woods
To hold their peace in th' absence of the day,
And let no sound be heard here but my love:
At last I'm happily delivered from
A troublesome companion, that would
Obstruct my fortune, that fame jealous Shepheard
Without respect and faith.
Melintus.
I'm much oblig'd
Unto thee for this noble character
Thou giv'st me; in despight of all my care
And cunning thou art come without my company
To see thy lovely Mistress.
Clidamant.
I came here
To meet another person: for my Mistress,
I have already spoken with her fully.
Melintus.
Yes, if mine eyes deceiv'd me not, thou talkd'st
Unto Diana, and seeing me follow,
Ye both fled at one time, these Woods conceal'd you.
Clidamant.
Good Gods! what saiest thou to me?
Melintus.
But I'l be
More wise another her time, and heed you better.
CLIDAMANT.
I understand not what this language means,
But this distrust doth me an injury:
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Since th'object that expecteth me, forbids it;
Desirest thou to publish secret passions?
Ismenia in thy sight gave me those Tables;
'Tis she that doth expect me at the place
Appointed; for Diana, she knows nothing
Of this invention: if thou canst, injoy
That lovely Shepheardess and think not me
Guilty of any treason, I seek only
Ismenia, and shun society:
In this affair, Shepheard retire thy self
And leave my love in peace, why wouldst thou do me
So ill an office?
Melintus.
This appointed meeting
Denotes some artifice; I observ'd lately
At our last Games the amorous commerce
That pass'd between Diana and thy self,
So many kind respects, such gentle glances,
And private whisperings forming the suspicion
That still awakes me.
CLIDAMANT.
Cease to trouble me,
And thy self too unnecessarily;
Our discourse only was an effect of
Civility; I say again, I leave
Diana to thee; oh how perfectly
I hate those vain suspicions and condemn them!
Melintus.
Ismenia's very free she would have had
Boldness enough to express her love by day,
Why should she make choice of the night to speak it?
Why dar'd she not to utter it in words,
But writ it to thee?
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In vain jealous Shepheard,
Thou askest me that question, all that I
Can say unto thee, is that I am sent for;
I cannot tell thee more if the occasion
Be good or bad; if J could satisfie thee
Upon that point, believ't thou should'st excuse me.
Melintus.
I'l follow thee where ere thou goest.
CLIDAMANT.
Oh Gods!
What a Tormentor have I?
Melintus.
I attend thee.
Clidamant.
Then stay thou here, I'l leave the place unto thee.
I feign to withdraw, to withdraw him also.
softly.
Exit.
Melintus.
What! leav'st thou me alone? and cunningly
Hid'st me those secrets, which yet I must know:
Feign as much as thou wilt, in spight of thee
I will find out to which of those two objects
Thou giv'st thy faith, and dost direct they vows,
I'l be a witness of thy secret love;
Another's shall inform me on't, Thimantes
Will tell me all the Plot; to him I'l go,
And give him notice of the assignation;
He'l come to let me know sure, if Diana
Appeareth there; or if it be Ismenia,
J shall do him a mischief; when Thimantes
Shall see his Mistress appoint secret meetings
To others then himself at such an hour,
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So shall I have pleasure in my resentment
In weakning the fierceness of Ismenia,
And of her servant, I'l to him immediately.
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