 | The Strange Discovery |  |
Scena octava.
Enter the iudges and people of Athens, then Aristippus And Demeneta with Cnemon bound.1 Iudg.
Cnemon stand forth, who doth accuse him here?
Aristippus steps forth, and strewing ashes on his head, saith:
Aristip.
I brought not up my sonne ye men of Athens
To see him come unto this end, but rather
To be a staffe to stay my age upon;
As soone as he was borne his education
VVas good and civill, when he did attaine
And Academies there to study arts,
And Mathematicke sciences, besides,
According to the lawes of this our City,
Made him free denison, yet notwithstanding
He hath not onely cast behind his backe
These favours of my love, but diversely
Both injur'd me, and beaten this good woman,
Who by our lawes is now my second wife;
And not content herewith, one night he came
Unto us with a drawne sword in his hand
(When we in bed suspected no such thing)
In mind to kill us both, and was no farther
From being a paracide but that by chance
His sword by sudden feare fell out his hand,
Which Demeneta my good wife tooke up:
Therefore I flee to you most learned Judges,
And though I might by law of this our Senate
Slay him with my owne hands, yet I appeale
Unto your justice, and commit my cause
To your grave censures, counting it more fit
To punish this my sonne by publike lawe
Then private bloodshed.
With that Aristippus weepes, Demeneta faining teares also.
Demen.
Cnemon, I'me sorry for thee pretty boy,
In an ill hower wert thou brought to the world;
Unhappy creature.
Cnem.
Grave and learned senate
Vouchsafe to heare me speake.
2 Iudg.
We will not heare thee,
But answer to this question we propound,
Came you unto your father with a sword
Drawne in your hand, or no?
Cnem.
I not deny
But I came with a drawne sword in my hand,
But I will tell you how, please you to heare me.
3 Iudg.
He hath confess'd ynough, he ought not speake
more for himselfe.
Let us proceed to sentence.
2 Iudg.
I judge him worthy to be ston'd to death.
3 Iudg.
I to be hang'd.
4 Iudg.
This is my sentence, fathers,
That he be cast headlong into the dungeon.
Cnem.
O cruell stepmother, and most unkind,
For thy curs'd sake am I so ill intreated
Against all equity and justice too,
Thou kil'st me contrary to course of Law.
1. Iudg.
Your sentence is too hard and too severe,
Let him not die, but be for ever banish'd.
2 Iudg.
Let him be ston'd.
3. Iudg.
Nay hang'd.
4. Iudg.
nay cast into
The dungeon.
1. Iudg.
since we differ conscript fathers,
In our opinions, I doe thinke it fit
It be referr'd unto the peoples voyces.
2. Iudg.
I doe assent unto it.
3 Iudg.
So do I.
4. Iudg.
And I.
1. Iudg.
Then people give your voices, shall young Cnemon
Die or be banish'd!
The people.
banish'd, banish'd, banish'd.
1. Iudg.
Then Cnemon, this must be thy punishment,
Perpetuall exile from thy native land
Never to be revok'd, which if infring'd
By thy presumption, then expect to have
No mercie from the senate, but a grave.
Breake up the Court.
Exeunt,
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