University of Virginia Library

Scena, 9.

The Duke, Erminia, Amynter, Althea, &c.
Duk.
So now this punctillio of marriage ta'ne
away,
I hope to finde her
no more so scrupulous.—
(Aside.
Understanding of your misfortune Madam,
and the general misfortne of us all,
I'm come to comfort you for Cleanders loss,
and to assure you, you shall finde in me
all you have lost in him; I'le be
in place of husband to you.—

Am.
I believe you would.

(Aside.
Duke.
Cease mourning then,
and reckon your loss among
those remediless misfortunes can never be
remedy'd with mourning.

Er.
Your Highness highly honours me;
but comfort (my Lord) 's a work of time:
first we must grieve, e're we be comforted;
there are certain decencies of widdow-hood,
which for widdows to neglect,
is to neglect their fame:
many a showre of tears must fall first, and
many a gust of sighs blow over, e're it
clear up again.
In fine, comfort's the physick
of grief and sorrow, and no feaverish body in
Crisis of their Feaver takes physick: that once over,
all the comfort becomes or me to take,
or you to give, I willingly shall admit;
mean time I leave you, and humbly beseech
your Highness to leave me to my grief.

Duk.
Peace to your thoughts Erminia,
nor shall I ever take that peace away
by any act of mine; so recommending to you
a moderation of your grief and sorrow,
I take my leave,—this is some comfort yet.

Exit.
Er.
He's gone, and I but dally with my grief,
fancying Cleander not dead,
whilst no other difference is
'twixt death and absence, but onely this;
t'one's a short death, t'other a long absence; so he
whilst absent for the time is dead to me;
and absence for the time
zanies death, and imitates it so,
t'one can do nothing that t'other does not do.