Part 17 (1/2)

_King_. I' faith 'twere easie, it becomes us well To get plain dealing men about our selves, Such as you all are here: _Amintor_, to thee And to thy fair _Evadne_.

_Mel_. Have you thought of this _Calianax_?

[_Aside_.

_Cal_. Yes marry have I.

_Mel_. And what's your resolution?

_Cal_. Ye shall have it soundly?

_King_. Reach to _Amintor_, _Strato_.

_Amin_. Here my love, This Wine will do thee wrong, for it will set Blushes upon thy cheeks, and till thou dost a fault, 'twere pity.

_King_. Yet I wonder much Of the strange desperation of these men, That dare attempt such acts here in our State; He could not escape that did it.

_Mel_. Were he known, unpossible.

_King_. It would be known, _Melantius_.

_Mel_. It ought to be, if he got then away He must wear all our lives upon his sword, He need not fly the Island, he must leave no one alive.

_King_. No, I should think no man Could kill me and scape clear, but that old man.

_Cal_. But I! heaven bless me: I, should I my Liege?

_King_. I do not think thou wouldst, but yet thou might'st, For thou hast in thy hands the means to scape, By keeping of the Fort; he has, _Melantius_, and he has kept it well.

_Mel_. From cobwebs Sir, 'Tis clean swept: I can find no other Art In keeping of it now, 'twas ne're besieg'd since he commanded.

_Cal_. I shall be sure of your good word, But I have kept it safe from such as you.

_Mel_. Keep your ill temper in, I speak no malice; had my brother kept it I should ha'

said as much.

_King_. You are not merry, brother; drink wine, Sit you all still! _Calianax_, [_Aside_.

I cannot trust thus: I have thrown out words That would have fetcht warm blood upon the cheeks Of guilty men, and he is never mov'd, he knows no such thing.

_Cal_. Impudence may scape, when feeble vertue is accus'd.

_King_. He must, if he were guilty, feel an alteration At this our whisper, whilst we point at him, You see he does not.

_Cal_. Let him hang himself, What care I what he does; this he did say.

_King_. _Melantius_, you cannot easily conceive What I have meant; for men that are in fault Can subtly apprehend when others aime At what they do amiss; but I forgive Freely before this man; heaven do so too: I will not touch thee so much as with shame Of telling it, let it be so no more.

_Cal_. Why this is very fine.

_Mel_. I cannot tell What 'tis you mean, but I am apt enough Rudely to thrust into ignorant fault, But let me know it; happily 'tis nought But misconstruction, and where I am clear I will not take forgiveness of the G.o.ds, much less of you.