SCENE II.[4130

_Flourish_. _Enter_ AMYCLAS the King, ARMOSTES, PROPHILUS, [Courtiers,] _and_ Attendants.

_Amy._ The Spartan gods are gracious; our humility Shall bend before their altars, and perfume Their temples with abundant sacrifice. See, lords, Amyclas, your old king, is ent’ring Into his youth again! I shall shake off 5 This silver badge of age, and change this snow For hairs as gay as are Apollo’s locks; Our heart leaps in new vigour.

_Arm._ May old time Run back to double your long life, great sir!

_Amy._ It will, it must, Armostes: thy bold nephew, 10 Death-braving Ithocles, brings to our gates Triumphs and peace upon his conquering sword. Laconia is a monarchy at length; Hath in this latter war trod under foot Messene’s pride; Messene bows her neck 15 To Lacedaemon’s royalty. O, ’t was A glorious victory, and doth deserve More than a chronicle—a temple, lords, A temple to the name of Ithocles.— Where didst thou leave him, Prophilus?

_Pro._ At Pephon, 20 Most gracious sovereign; twenty of the noblest Of the Messenians there attend your pleasure, For such conditions as you shall propose In settling peace, and liberty of life.

_Amy._ When comes your friend, the general?

_Pro._ He promis’d 25 To follow with all speed convenient.

_Enter_ CALANTHA, EUPHRANEA; CHRISTALLA _and_ PHILEMA [_with a garland;_] _and_ CROTOLON.

_Amy._ Our daughter!—Dear Calantha, the happy news, The conquest of Messene, hath already Enrich’d thy knowledge.

_Cal._ With the circumstance And manner of the fight, related faithfully 30 By Prophilus himself.—But, pray, sir, tell me How doth the youthful general demean His actions in these fortunes?

_Pro._ Excellent princess, Your own fair eyes may soon report a truth Unto your judgment, with what moderation, 35 Calmness of nature, measure, bounds, and limits Of thankfulness and joy, ’a doth digest Such amplitude of his success as would In others, moulded of a spirit less clear, Advance ’em to comparison with heaven: 40 But Ithocles—

_Cal._ Your friend—

_Pro._ He is so, madam, In which the period of my fate consists: He, in this firmament of honour, stands Like a star fixt, not mov’d with any thunder Of popular applause or sudden lightning 45 Of self-opinion; he hath serv’d his country, And thinks ’t was but his duty.

_Crot._ You describe A miracle of man.

_Amy._ Such, Crotolon, On forfeit of a king’s word, thou wilt find him.— _Flourish._ 49 Hark, warning of his coming! All attend him.

_Enter_ ITHOCLES, HEMOPHIL, _and_ GRONEAS; _the rest of the_ Lords _ushering him in_.

Return into these arms, thy home, thy sanctuary, Delight of Sparta, treasure of my bosom, Mine own, own Ithocles!

_Ith._ Your humblest subject.

_Arm._ Proud of the blood I claim an interest in, As brother to thy mother, I embrace thee, 55 Right noble nephew.

_Ith._ Sir, your love ’s too partial.

_Crot._ Our country speaks by me, who by thy valour, Wisdom, and service, shares in this great action; Returning thee, in part of thy due merits, A general welcome.

_Ith._ You exceed in bounty. 60

_Cal._ Christalla, Philema, the chaplet, [_Takes the chaplet from them._]—Ithocles, Upon the wings of Fame the singular And chosen fortune of an high attempt Is borne so past the view of common sight, That I myself with mine own hands have wrought, 65 To crown thy temples, this provincial garland:[4131] Accept, wear, and enjoy it as our gift Deserv’d, not purchas’d.

_Ith._ Y’ are a royal maid.

_Amy._ She is in all our daughter.

_Ith._ Let me blush, Acknowledging how poorly I have serv’d, 70 What nothings I have done, compar’d with th’ honours Heap’d on the issue of a willing mind; In that lay mine ability, that only: For who is he so sluggish from his birth, So little worthy of a name or country, 75 That owes not out of gratitude for life A debt of service, in what kind soever Safety or counsel of the commonwealth Requires, for payment?

_Cal._ ’A speaks truth.

_Ith._ Whom heaven Is pleas’d to style victorious, there to such 80 Applause runs madding, like the drunken priests In Bacchus’ sacrifices, without reason, Voicing the leader-on a demi-god; Whenas, indeed, each common soldier’s blood Drops down as current coin in that hard purchase 85 As his whose much more delicate condition Hath suckt the milk of ease: judgment commands, But resolution executes. I use not, Before this royal presence, these fit slights[4132] As in contempt of such as can direct; 90 My speech hath other end; not to attribute All praise to one man’s fortune, which is strengthen’d By many hands. For instance, here is Prophilus, A gentleman—I cannot flatter truth— Of much desert; and, though in other rank, 95 Both Hemophil and Groneas were not missing To wish their country’s peace; for, in a word, All there did strive their best, and ’t was our duty.

_Amy._ Courtiers turn soldiers!—We vouchsafe our hand. [HEMOPHIL _and_ GRONEAS _kiss his hand_.] Observe your great example.

_Hem._ With all diligence. 100

_Gron._ Obsequiously and hourly.

_Amy._ Some repose After these toils is[4133] needful. We must think on Conditions for the conquered; they expect[4134] ’em. On!—Come, my Ithocles.

_Euph._ Sir, with your favour, I need not a supporter.

_Pro._ Fate instructs me. 105

_Exeunt._ HEMOPHIL _stays_ CHRISTALLA; GRONEAS, PHILEMA.

_Chris._ With me?

_Phil._ Indeed, I dare not stay.

_Hem._ Sweet lady. Soldiers are blunt,—your lip.

_Chris._ Fie, this is rudeness: You went not hence such creatures.

_Gro._ Spirit of valour Is of a mounting nature.

_Phil._ It appears so.— Pray, in earnest, how many men apiece 110 Have you two been the death of?

_Gro._ ’Faith, not many; We were compos’d of mercy.

_Hem._ For our daring, You heard the general’s approbation Before the king.

_Chris._ You “wish’d your country’s peace;” That show’d your charity: where are your spoils, 115 Such as the soldier fights for?

_Phil._ They are coming.

_Chris._ By the next carrier, are they not?

_Gro._ Sweet Philema, When I was in the thickest of mine enemies, Slashing off one man’s head, another’s nose, Another’s arms and legs,—

_Phil._ And all together. 120

_Gro._ Then would I with a sigh remember thee, And cry “Dear Philema, ’t is for thy sake I do these deeds of wonder!”—Dost not love me With all thy heart now?

_Phil._ Now as heretofore. I have not put my love to use; the principal 125 Will hardly yield an interest.

_Gro._ By Mars, I ’ll marry thee!

_Phil._ By Vulcan, you ’re forsworn, Except my mind do alter strangely.

_Gro._ One word.

_Chris._ You lie beyond all modesty:—forbear me. 129

_Hem._ I ’ll make thee mistress of a city; ’t is Mine own by conquest.

_Chris._ By petition; sue for ’t _In forma pauperis_.—City! kennel.—Gallants, Off with your feathers, put on aprons, gallants; Learn to reel, thrum,[4135] or trim a lady’s dog, 134 And be good quiet souls of peace, hobgoblins!

_Hem._ Christalla!

_Chris._ Practise to drill hogs, in hope To share in the acorns.—Soldiers! corncutters, But not so valiant; they ofttimes draw blood, Which you durst never do. When you have practis’d More wit or more civility, we ’ll rank ye 140 I’ th’ list of men: till then, brave things-at-arms, Dare not to speak to us,—most potent Groneas!—

_Phil._ And Hemophil the hardy!—at your services.

_Exeunt_ CHRISTALLA _and_ PHILEMA.

_Gro._ They scorn us as they did before we went.

_Hem._ Hang ’em! let us scorn them, and be reveng’d. 145

_Gro._ Shall we?

_Hem._ We will: and when we slight them thus, Instead of following them, they’ll follow us; It is a woman’s nature.

_Gro._ ’T is a scurvy one. _Exeunt._