Alcip. Ah, Madam, I have too much shame to live.
Had Heaven preserv’d my Innocence intire,
That I with confidence might have ador’d you,
Though I had been successless;
Yet I had liv’d and hop’d, and aim’d to merit you:
But since all hopes of that are taken from me,
My Life is but too poor a Sacrifice,
To make atonement for my Sins to you.
Gal. I will not answer thee to what thou hast said, But only beg thou wilt preserve thy life, Without which mine will be of little use to me.
Alcip. Might I without a sin believe this Blessing, Sure I should be immortal.
Falatio peeps in again.
Fal. I think I may venture, the fury is past, and the great shot spent, the mad Captain General’s wounded; so, I hope ‘twill let out some of his hot blood—
Enter the King, Cleontius, and Attendants.
King. My Love, Alcippus, is despis’d I see,
And you in lieu of that return you owe me,
Endeavour to destroy me.
—Is this an Object for your Rage to work on?
Behold him well, Alcippus, ‘tis your Prince.
—Who dares gaze on him with irreverend Eyes?
The good he does you ought to adore him for,
But all his evils ‘tis the Gods must punish,
Who made no Laws for Princes.
Alcip. Sir, I confess I’m culpable,
And were it not a sin equal to that,
To doubt you could forgive me,
I durst not hope your mercy after it.
King. I think with all the Tenderness I’m guilty of, I hardly shall be brought to pardon thee.
Phi. I humbly beg you will forgive him, Sir,
I drew him to it against his will; I forc’d him,
And gave him language not to be indur’d
By any gallant man.