Ino. My liege,
Had this action and my merit been so great
As our prince would make it, I then might
Own it, and expect reward.——
But it was so small, so much below my duty,
That I must, upon my knees, beg pardon
That I came no sooner.
Eph. This is a prodigy
Beyond whatever yet was wrote in story.
Inophilus, we have been too backward
In cherishing thy growing virtue, we will
Hereafter mend it.
And, dear Rinatus, be proud of thy brave son,
And let the people honour the remaining army;
We shall esteem it as a favour done to us.
We have a largess for your valorous captains,
You have not fought in vain.
This day let our court put on its greatest jollity,
And let none wear a discontented brow;
For where a frown is writ, we'll think it reason
To say, that face hath characters of treason.
[Exeunt.
ACT III., SCENE 1.
Enter Plangus and Inophilus.
Ino. But, sir, when you consider she's a woman——
Plan. O dear Inophilus!
Let earth and heav'n forget there are such things;
Or if they ever name them, let it be
With a curse heavy as are the ills they act. A mandrake's note
Would ring a better peal of music in my ears,
Than those two syllables pronounc'd again.
Ino. Pray, sir, put off this humour,
This peevish pet, and reason tamely. Sir,
You've lost a wench, and will you therefore lose
Yourself too? Hear me but patiently a word.[89]
Plan. Prythee, go teach the galley-slaves that word,
Things that dare own no thought beyond their chains,
And stand in fear of whipping and wanting bread.
Bid them be tame and patient that fry in sulphur:
'Tis a word I've forsworn to know the meaning of;
Or if I must, 'tis but to shun it, and hate it more.
O, were thy wrongs as great as mine, Inophilus,
Or didst thou love but half so well as Plangus,
Thou wouldst instil into me the poison of revenge,
And puff me up with thought of vengeance
Till I did burst, and, like a breaking cloud,
Spread a contagion on those have injur'd me.