Part 13 (1/2)

_Mel_. Then dare not fight with me, for that's a sin.

His grief distracts him; call thy thoughts agen, And to thy self p.r.o.nounce the name of friend, And see what that will work; I will not fight.

_Amint_. You must.

_Mel_. I will be kill'd first, though my pa.s.sions Offred the like to you; 'tis not this earth Shall buy my reason to it; think a while, For you are (I must weep when I speak that) Almost besides your self.

_Amint_. Oh my soft temper!

So many sweet words from thy Sisters mouth, I am afraid would make me take her To embrace, and pardon her. I am mad indeed, And know not what I do; yet have a care Of me in what thou doest.

_Mel_. Why thinks my friend I will forget his honour, or to save The bravery of our house, will lose his fame, And fear to touch the Throne of Majesty?

_Amint_. A curse will follow that, but rather live And suffer with me.

_Mel_. I will do what worth shall bid me, and no more.

_Amint_. Faith I am sick, and desperately I hope, Yet leaning thus, I feel a kind of ease.

_Mel_. Come take agen your mirth about you.

_Amint_. I shall never do't.

_Mel_. I warrant you, look up, wee'l walk together, Put thine arm here, all shall be well agen.

_Amint_. Thy Love, O wretched, I thy Love, _Melantius_; why, I have nothing else.

_Mel_. Be merry then.

[_Exeunt. Enter Melantius agen_.

_Mel_. This worthy young man may do violence Upon himself, but I have cherisht him To my best power, and sent him smiling from me To counterfeit again; Sword hold thine edge, My heart will never fail me: _Diphilus_, Thou com'st as sent.

[_Enter Diphilus_.

_Diph_. Yonder has been such laughing.

_Mel_. Betwixt whom?

_Diph_. Why, our Sister and the King, I thought their spleens would break, They laught us all out of the room.

_Mel_. They must weep, _Diphilus_.

_Diph_. Must they?

_Mel_. They must: thou art my Brother, and if I did believe Thou hadst a base thought, I would rip it out, Lie where it durst.

_Diph_. You should not, I would first mangle my self and find it.

_Mel_. That was spoke according to our strain; come Joyn thy hands to mine, And swear a firmness to what project I shall lay before thee.

_Diph_. You do wrong us both; People hereafter shall not say there past A bond more than our loves, to tie our lives And deaths together.