Actus Secundus. [Scæna Prima.]
Enter Arcadius and Polydora.
Pol. Indeed you shall not go.
Arc. Whither?
Pol. To travel,
I know you see me, but to take your leave,
But I must never yield to such an absence.
Arc. I prethee leave thy fears, I am commanded
To th' contrary, I wonot leave thee now.
Pol. Commanded? by whom?
Arc. The Queen.
Pol. I am very glad, for trust me, I could think
Of thy departure with no comfort, thou
Art all the joy I have, half of my soul,
But I must thank the Queen now for thy company,
I prethee, what could make thee so desirous
To be abroad?
Arc. Only to get an appetite
To thee Polidora.
Pol. Then you must provoke it.
Arc. Nay, prethee do not so mistake thy servant.
Pol. Perhaps you surfeit with my Love.
Arc. Thy love?
Pol. Although I have no beauty to compare
With the best faces, I have a heart above
All competition.
Arc. Thou art jealous now,
Come let me take the kiss I gave thee last,
I am so confident of thee, no Lip
Has ravisht it from thine; I prethee come
To Court.
Pol. For what?
Arc. There is the throne for beauty.
Pol. 'Tis safer dwelling here.
Arc. There's none will hurt,
Or dare but think an ill to Polydora,
The greatest will be proud to honor thee.
Thy luster wants the admiration here:
There thou wot shine indeed, and strike a reverence
Into the gazer.
Pol. You can flatter too.
Arc. No praise of thee can be thought so, thy virtue
Will deserve all, I must confess, we Courtiers
Do oftentimes commend to shew our Art,
There is necessity sometimes to say,
This Madam breaths Arabian Gumms,
Amber and Cassia; though while we are praising,
We wish we had no nostrils to take in
Th' offensive steam of her corrupted Lungs.
Nay, some will swear they love their Mistriss,
Would hazard lives and fortunes, to preserve
One of her hairs brighter than Berinices;
Or young Apollo's, and yet after this,
A favour from another toy would tempt him
To laugh, while the officious hangman whips
Her head off.
Pol. Fine men.
Arc. I am none of these,
Nay, there are women Polidora, too
That can do pretty well at flatteries;
Make men believe they dote, will languish for 'em,
Can kiss a Jewel out of one, and dally
A carcanet of Diamonds from another,
Weep into th' bosome, of a third, and make
Him drop as many Pearls; they count it nothing
To talk a reasonable heir within ten days
Out of his whole Estate, and make him mad
He has no more wealth to consume.
Pol. You'll teach me
To think I may be flattered in your promises,
Since you live where this Art is most profest.
Arc. I dare not be so wicked Polidora,
The Infant errors of the Court I may
Be guilty of, but never to abuse
So rare a goodness, nor indeed did ever
Converse with any of those shames of Court,
To practise for base ends; be confident
My heart is full of thine, and I so deeply
Carry the figure of my Polydora,
It is not in the power of time or distance
To cancel it, by all that's blest I love thee:
Love thee above all women, dare invoke
A curse when I forsake thee.
Pol. Let it be some
Gentle one.
Arc. Teach me an oath I prethee,
One strong enough to bind, if thou dost find
Any suspition of my faith, or else
Direct me in some horrid imprecation:
When I forsake thee for the love of other
Women, may heaven reward my apostacy
To blast my greatest happiness on earth,
And make all joys abortive.
Pol. Revoke these hasty syllables, they carry
Too great a penalty for breach of Love
To me, I am not worth thy suffering,
You do not know, what beauty may invite
Your change, what happiness may tempt your eye
And heart together.
Arc. Should all the graces of your sex conspire
In one, and she should [court [me], with] a [Dowry],
Able to buy a Kingdom, when I give
My heart from Polidora.
Pol. I suspect not,
And to requite thy constancy, I swear.
Arc. 'Twere sin to let thee waste thy breath
I have assurance of thy noble thoughts.
Enter a Servant.
Serv. My Lord, your Uncle hath been every where
I' th' Court inquiring for you, his looks speak
Some earnest cause.
Arc. I am more acquainted with
Thy virtue, than to imagine thou wilt not
Excuse me now, one kiss dismisses him
Whose heart shall wait on Polidora prethee
Let me not wish for thy return too often,
My Father.
Enter Nestorius, and a servant.
Nes. I met Arcadius in strange haste, he told me
He had been with thee.
Pol. Some affair too soon
Ravish'd him hence, his Uncle sent for him
You came now from Court: how looks the Queen
This golden morning?
Nes. Like a Bride, her soul
Is all on mirth, her eyes have quick'ning fires,
Able to strike a spring into the earth,
In winter.
Pol. Then Lisimachus can have
No frost in's blood, that lives so near her beams.
Nes. His politick Father the Protector smiles too,
Resolve to see the ceremony of the Queen
'Twill be a day of state.
Pol. I am not well.
Nes. How! not well? retire then, I must return
My attendance is expected, Polidora,
Be careful of thy health.
Pol. It will concern me. [Exit.
Enter Arcadius, and Macarius.
Arc. You amaze me, Sir.
Mac. Dear Nephew, if thou respect thy safety
My honor, or my age, remove thy self,
Thy life's in danger.
Arc. Mine? who's my enemy?
Mac. Take horse, and instantly forsake the City,
Or else within some unsuspected dwelling,
Obscure thy self, stay not to know the reason.
Arc. Sir, I beseech your pardon, which i' th' number
Of my offences unto any, should
Provoke this dishonourable flight?
Mac. I would, when I petition'd for thy stay,
I had pleaded for thy banishment, thou knowst not
What threatens thee.
Arc. I would desire to know it,
I am in no conspiracy of treason,
Have ravish'd no mans Mistriss, not so much
As [given] the lye to any, what should mean
Your strange and violent fears, I will [n]ot] stir
Until you make me sensible I have lost
My innocence.
Mac. I must not live to see
Thy body full of wounds, it were less sin
To rip thy Fathers Marble, and fetch from
The reverend vault, his ashes, and disperse them
By some rude winds, where none should ever find
The sacred dust: it was his Legacy,
The breath he mingled with his prayers to Heaven
I [sh]ould] preserve Arcadius, whose fate
He prophesied in death, would need protection,
Thou wot disturb his ghost, and call it to
Affright my dreams, if thou refuse to obey me.
Arc. You more inflame me, to enquire the cause
Of your distraction, and you'll arm me better
Than any coward flight by acquainting me
Whose malice aims to kill me, good Sir tell me.
Mac. Then prayers and tears assist me.
Arc. Sir.
Mac. Arcadius,
Thou art a rash young man, witness the spirit
Of him that trusted me so much, I bleed,
Till I prevent this mischief. [Exit.
Enter Philocles, Lisander.