University of Virginia Library

Scena Septima.

Enter Marullus, and Armelina, to Clorina fastned in a Chair, with the heart of Pyrontus in her hand.
Arme.
Y'ave made me such a terrible Relation
Of his strange Jealousy, and his foul Murther,
And's barbarous usage of your deer sweet self;
That (my Clorina) I'm deficient
Of Language to express my Admiration.
But (my dull eyes) can you so long refrain
From dissolution into showers of Tears?
My heart is sure of Stone, or It would break
At these Effects of's impious Proceedings.

Clor.
Have patience, my best sister. 'Tis enough
For me to be so miserable: I would not
My suffrings should beget a Grief in you.

Arme.
Then I more stupid were then Salvages—
Then any beast in any Wilderness,
Or any Fury in black Hell it self.

Clor.
Oh! Armelina how am I beholding
Unto you, for your pitty of my wrongs!
And yet I needs must grieve to see you thus
Afflict your self at the sad sense of them.
But I beseech you to assume a Courage,
Worthy our Noble Family to orecome it.
I shall but a few Minutes longer trouble you
With my unfortunate Company. I find
My heart too weak to make Resistance longer
Against th'impetuous storm of my vast Injuries:
I find Death stealing sensibly upon me.

Arme.
The Heavens forbid.

Clor.
Prayers come too late now to divert my Fate.
I pray you therefore, good Marullus, haste
To my dear Husband, and your Faithful Friend.
Tell him, I beg but so much favour from him
As I may breathe my soul out in his presence
And see him once again; and I shall dye
Contentedly, and pardon him my wrongs.

Mar.
Madam! I do beseech you to have patience,
I will go for him; And have hope he will
Be very shortly reconcil'd unto you:
For from my soul I pitty your Misfortunes.
Exit Marullus.

Clor.
Shed no more tears. You have, my Armelina,
Spent too much of that precious dew already
On poor unworthy me.

Arme.
You are Clorina! my Elder, and
My only Sister: And can I perceive
Your Innocency persecuted thus,
And seem an unconcern'd spectator of it?
It is impossible. Give me leave therefore,
T'express all sorrow I am capable of
As tribute of my cordiall Affection
To your so lovely, sweet, and injur'd Person.

Enter Bassanes, and Marullus.
Clor.
Welcom my too unkind, though my dear Husband.
To your Clorina, welcom my Bassanes.
My eyes grow dim, and I my heart strings feel
To crack. Your harsh suspition of my Loyalty.
And so severe an usage of me, have
Cut off my life in prime of all my Youth.
Here, with my parting breath (in presence of
The gods, within the Hearing of your friend Marullus,
And of my Sister) I declare I dye
Free from all guilt, and never injur'd you.
And so Farewell for ever. Gods! I come;
Afford my Innocency in Heaven a Room.

She dyes
Mar.
She hath took leave of life.

Arme.
I did not think,
Her death had been so neer.
Farewell forever all Content and Pleasure
Since she is gon. No thought of Joy shall ever,
Possess my heart hereafter. She that was
My only happiness is vanish'd from me.
Look Monster of Mankind! This is a sight
Only befits the eyes of such a Villain.
Here thou hast murther'd the most virtuous wife
That ever Hymen knew; And one that was
In her Affection over-fond of thee.

Bassa.
Your passion makes you speak, you know not what.
Your Sister injur'd me in such high nature
That she hath justly brought upon her self,
The end that's come upon her.

Arme.
Th'Anthropophagians that devour mans flesh,
By thee may be instructed in worse Cruelties.
What Hellish wretch, but thy more Hellish self
Would thus have us'd a Lady of her Beauty?
To fasten with strong wire's (in a Case of Male)
A mans heart in his wife's own hand, and look her
With Chains into a Chair, fast; is a Mischief
None but Bassanes durst have done. What Tyrant
In History did ever act so ill?
Perillus was an Innocent to thee.
The vengeance of high Jove hangs o're thy head;
To strike thee with his forked-Thunder dead.

Bassa.
No Husband but a Wittall, would have suffer'd
The Prostitution of his Wife.

Arme.
You slander her, basely belye her virtues.
She to us all hath clear'd her self. Marullus
And I heard her relate the story. It was
The saddest that did ever fall from tongue;
Which she before had told thee all at large.
She doated on thee to her death, and with
Her last expiring breath protested freely
Her Innocency from thy imputed Crime.

Bassa.
I care not what you say: She was as foule
In her Base Actions, as her Face was Fair.

Arme.
Thou dost traduce inhumainly her virtue:
And I believe forbad'st she should have Meat.

Bassa.
I did not think of it; And therefore gave
Forth no such Order.

Arme.
If the least Humanity
Remains yet in thee, let her be releas'd
From these so barbarous bonds, this heart remov'd
Out of her hands; It with Pyrontus body
Deliver'd to his Friends for Sepulcher:
And I will take care for the funerall Rites
Of sweet Clorina my poor murther'd Sister.

Bassa.
T'will ease me of some trouble, and a Charge;
Therefore I will consent to that Demand:
And the gods keep me from a second Marriage.

Arme.
Thou need'st not fear that: thou canst not find a woman
So lost to Virtue, and to honor; that
Dare be a Wife to such a blooddy Butcher.
Sure there's no woman in the world so senseless,
And wicked as to give her self to thee.
I'le tell thy story unto all I meet:
And thy Reproach shall ring through every street.

Bassa.
Your Larum may run on; whil'st I'le declare
To all the world how false you women are.

Exeunt Omnes.