 | Love's Labyrinth |  |
Scæn. 4.
Enter Damocles.Kin.
How now light-skirts? have you got your Champion
To shield you from our anger? know I have
Not yet forgot the name of father, though
You thus have slighted it; but as a King,
We must be just to punish your contempt.
Did you so well know your beauty to be
Proud of it, and yet so little value it,
As thus to throw it all away at once?
Well, get you gone.—Since that you have esteem'd
A strangers love before your loyalty
To me, or my care to you, a stranger shall
Inherit what you were born to, had not
Your fond affections forc'd this vile exchange.
Max.
Sir—for your fury will not suffer me
To call you father; think not your daughter
Undervalued by her love to me:
Her love ran not so low, as to be stoop'd
To meet with crime, who am a Prince no less
12
Kin.
What drew you hither then? you must needs know
It is no less than treason for to steal
An heir to our crown: what drew you hither?
Max.
Hither I came, drawn by that forcible
Attractive, for to offer up my self
A sacrifice at th'altar of her love.
Tost with a sea of miseries, I came
To anchor in the haven of her heart:
And if this be treason, I shall not blush
To be esteem'd a traytor. But if not,
Then pardon me, if bolder innocence
Doth force me tell you, 'tis not just in you
Thus to oppose what Heavens have decreed.
Believe me, Sir, it's neither safe nor just,
For you to violate the lawes of fate.
Kin.
Let not your pride so far transport you, that
You tax our justice. I shall scourge your haste
Into a leisurely repentance, when
The sea shall teach you that your teares, and th'wind
That sighs become your headlong rash attempts.
Max.
Great Sir, lay what you will on me, I scorn
To crave your favour for my self; but yet
Let Nature prompt you to be merciful
To her who is a chief part of your self.
Kin.
No, as ye have joyn'd your selves in mirth, so
Will I joyn ye too in mourning; and because
Two no good consort make, my brother shall
Bear a third part in your grave harmonie.
Seph.
Father, let me the heavy burthen bear
Of this sad song alone: let all your fierce
Justice center in my breast.—
13
No more,
Our sentence is irrevocable, nought
Shall satisfie me else: I'll have it done.
1 Lo.
My Liege, the barque is ready, and attends
Your pleasure; the commands of Kings are not
To be gain-said, or broken; for the will
Of heaven is obey'd in doing them.
Seph.
We do obey it then, and willingly,
Father, for yet I can't forget that name,
Although these injuries would raze it out
My memorie; I will not now dispute,
But readily obey your will: and know
The pleasures of your Court should not entice
Me shun this comming terrour, which will be,
More welcome to me by my companie.
And thus I take my leave. Here may you find
She kneels.
That happiness you wish, and we shall want
Whilest that we prove our selves loves Confessors,
If not his Martyrs.—
Kin.
I will hear no more.
Away with them, my Lord, you know the place,
Our sentence and the time, I long to see
Me, and my Kingdom from these monsters free.
Max.
Arcadia adieu! Thou hast before
Been famous for the happiness of Ioves:
Now mischief hath usurp't the seat, and may
It be the object of the gods hatred,
Since Love's the subject of their crueltie.
Come dearest, let us winde our selves so close,
That envie may admire, and so despair
To enter here, where love possession keeps.
Exeunt.
| Love's Labyrinth | |