 | The Strange Discovery |  |
Scena septima.
Enter Arsace and Cibile.Ars.
Now will he bend or breake, yeeld or endure
More punishment? how doe his fetters please him?
How doth he beare his stripes?
Cib.
With patience
And manly fortitude beyond beliefe,
Takes glory in his sufferings, and becomes
More unrelenting now then heretofore.
Ars.
What a strange nature hath this savage man,
Will nothing worke upon it? cannot love
Perswade him, nor the force of punishment
Compell him to humanity? some Tigresse
Or she Wolfe in the forest was his nurse.
Is there no hope he will relent in time?
Cib.
Our labour's lost in the attempting it,
He hath Cariclea still before his eyes,
Lodgeth her in his heart, his mouth express'd it;
I heard him to exclaime thus, deare Cariclea,
My love, my life, my heart, thy onely name
Makes me despise my torments, and in thee
I'm comforted what ever fall to me;
Whereby I'm confident she is his wife,
Or secret mistris, wherefore if you please,
Lets (as the proverbe saith) cast our last anckor,
And seeke some meanes to rid her of her life,
For when he knows she's dead, tis very likely
Arsace.
Thy counsell pleaseth me, and i'le command
This stoppe to be removed presentlie.
Cibile.
How, will you doe it without course of Law
Or orderlie proceeding, who will doe
In this pointe your commandment? for although
All things are subject to you; yet the laws
Are free, and will not let you kill without
The judgment of the Persian magistrates;
Besides we should be carefull how we did
Accuse the maid, least we should not be able
To prove what we doe lay unto her charge.
Ars.
How then shall we contrive it?
Cib.
Daintily,
By a more sure and farre more safe a way,
By a strong subtle cuppe of deadlie poison,
The plot is layd alreadie, and the potion
Prepar'd, I stay but onely for the patient
T'administer it.
Ars.
Is any gone to call her?
Cib.
Yes, Aura madame.
Ars.
Well i'le leave you then,
Strong physick's best for stubborn natur'd men.
Exit Arsace.
Enter Cariclea, with Aura weeping, and servants.
Cib.
Why doe you weep, sweet heart? 'twill mar your beauty,
Your brother shall not long be kept in prison;
Be not so foolish to consume and pine
Away for sorrow, know Theagines
This night shall be releas'd, and come unto thee,
Therefore be merry; 'twas his foolish fault
And disobedience to my mistris service
Made him to be committed; nicety
Is naught in yong folkes, but all is forgotten.
(Partly at my request) and liberty
Granted unto him, this was the occasion
I sent for you, that you might be partaker
Of this glad newes, therefore rouse up your selfe,
And now at length eate something; Aura lay
Will comfort your weake stomacke, sure you are
Too blame to fast so long.
Caric.
But is this true
That you have told me? you so often have
Deceiv'd me with untruths as I scarce dare
To credit any thing you say unto me.
Cib.
By all the gods tis true, which if it be not,
Let me be poison'd at this table heere
And be a sad example; more this day
Your busines all shall be dispatch'd, so that
You shall not need to take more care heereafter,
If by refrayning from your meate you doe not
Destroy your health and die, pray eate a little.
Caric.
On confidence that this is true I will.
they sit downe and eate.
Cib.
Aura give me some wine, Cariclea health
Remember good Theagines.
Aura mistaks and gives the poison'd cupp to Cibile, she drinks, but powres halfe of it on the ground when she tasted what it was, looking cruellie upon Aura, the poison suddenlie workes and she begins to fall, Cariclea supportes her.
Cib.
I will not have thy helpe, false wretch, I will not
th'ast poison'd me, beare witnesse all heere present
That see me die, I lay my death on none
But her and this queane Aura, so informe
Arsace that she may revenge my death.
she dies.
Caric.
See heere the iustice of the heavens displaid
To mortall view in this strange accident;
This cup, this poisonous cup was meant to me
By wicked Cibile, but yet it fell
By some mistake to her owne lot to drinke it.
Arsaces servants binde Cariclea and Aura.
What doe you meane to binde me a weake maid,
I'le goe without constraint where you will lead me
If't be before Arsace, though I die
I care not so Theagenes be by.
Exeunt.
| The Strange Discovery | |