SCENE II.

_The Court before_ CHAROMONTE'_s House_.

_Enter_ CONTARINO, _leading in_ FIORINDA, ALPHONSO, HIPPOLITO, HIERONIMO, _and_ CALAMINTA.

_Fior._ 'Tis a goodly pile, this.

_Hier._ But better by the owner.

_Alph._ But most rich In the great states[90] it covers.

_Fior._ The duke's pleasure Commands us hither.

_Cont._ Which was laid on us To attend you to it.

_Hip._ Signior Charomonte, To see your excellence his guest, will think Himself most happy.

_Fior._ Tie my shoe.--[_The pane falls down._]--What's that? A pane thrown from the window, no wind stirring!

_Calam._ And at your feet too fall'n:--there's something writ on 't.

_Cont._ Some courtier, belike, would have it known He wore a diamond.

_Calam._ Ha! it is directed To the princess Fiorinda.

_Fior._ We will read it. [_Reads._

_He, whom you pleased to favour, is cast down Past hope of rising, by the great duke's frown, If, by your gracious means, he cannot have A pardon;--and that got, he lives your slave. Of men the most distressed_, SANAZARRO.

Of me the most beloved; and I will save thee, Or perish with thee. Sure, thy fault must be Of some prodigious shape, if that my prayers And humble intercession to the duke

_Enter_ COZIMO _and_ CHAROMONTE.

Prevail not with him. Here he comes; delay Shall not make less my benefit.

_Coz._ What we purpose Shall know no change, and therefore move we not: We were made as properties, and what we shall Determine of them cannot be call'd rigour, But noble justice. When they proved disloyal, They were cruel to themselves. The prince that pardons The first affront offer'd to majesty, Invites a second, rendering that power Subjects should tremble at, contemptible. Ingratitude is a monster, Carolo, To be strangled in the birth, not to be cherish'd. Madam, you're happily met with.

_Fior._ Sir, I am An humble suitor to you; and the rather Am confident of a grant, in that your grace, When I made choice to be at your devotion, Vow'd to deny me nothing.

_Coz._ To this minute We have confirm'd it. What's your boon?

_Fior._ It is, sir, That you, in being gracious to your servant, The ne'er sufficiently praised Sanazarro, That now under your heavy displeasure suffers, Would be good unto yourself. His services, So many, and so great, (your storm of fury Calm'd by your better judgment,) must inform you Some little slip, for sure it is no more, From his loyal duty, with your justice cannot Make foul his fair deservings. Great sir, therefore, Look backward on his former worth, and turning Your eye from his offence, what 'tis I know not, And, I am confident, you will receive him Once more into your favour.

_Coz._ You say well, You are ignorant in the nature of his fault; Which when you understand, as we'll instruct you, Your pity will appear a charity, It being conferr'd on an unthankful man, To be repented. He's a traitor, madam, To you, to us, to gratitude; and in that All crimes are comprehended.

_Fior._ If his offence Aim'd at me only, whatsoe'er it is, 'Tis freely pardon'd.

_Coz._ This compassion in you Must make the colour of his guilt more ugly. The honours we have hourly heap'd upon him, The titles, the rewards, to the envy of The old nobility, as the common people, We now forbear to touch at, and will only Insist on his gross wrongs to you. You were pleased, Forgetting both yourself and proper greatness, To favour him, nay, to court him to embrace A happiness, which, on his knees, with joy He should have sued for. Who repined not at The grace you did him? yet, in recompense Of your large bounties, the disloyal wretch Makes you a stale; and, what he might be by you, Scorn'd and derided, gives himself up wholly To the service of another. If you can Bear this with patience, we must say you have not The bitterness of spleen, or ireful passions Familiar to women. Pause upon it, And when you seriously have weigh'd his carriage, Move us again, if your reason will allow it, His treachery known: and then, if you continue An advocate for him, we perhaps, because We would deny you nothing, may awake Our sleeping mercy. Carolo!

_Char._ My lord. [_They talk aside._

_Fior._ To endure a rival that were equal to me, Cannot but speak my poverty of spirit; But an inferior, more: yet true love must not Know or degrees, or distances. Lidia may be As far above me in her form, as she Is in her birth beneath me; and what I In Sanazarro liked, he loves in her. But, if I free him now, the benefit Being done so timely, and confirming too My strength and power, my soul's best faculties being Bent wholly to preserve him, must supply me With all I am defective in, and bind him My creature ever. It must needs be so, Nor will I give it o'er thus.

_Coz._ Does your nephew Bear his restraint so constantly[91], as you Deliver it to us?

_Char._ In my judgment, sir, He suffers more for his offence to you, Than in his fear of what can follow it. For he is so collected, and prepared To welcome that you shall determine of him, As if his doubts and fears were equal to him. And sure he's not acquainted with much guilt, That more laments the telling one untruth, Under your pardon still, for 'twas a fault, sir, Than others, that pretend to conscience, do Their crying secret sins.

_Coz._ No more; this gloss Defends not the corruption of the text. Urge it no more. [CHAROMONTE _and the others talk aside_.

_Fior._ I once more must make bold, sir, To trench upon your patience. I have Consider'd my wrongs duly: yet that cannot Divert my intercession for a man Your grace, like me, once favour'd. I am still A suppliant to you, that you would vouchsafe The hearing his defence, and that I may, With your allowance, see and comfort him. Then, having heard all that he can allege In his excuse, for being false to you, Censure him as you please.

_Coz._ You will o'ercome; There's no contending with you. Pray you, enjoy What you desire, and tell him, he shall have A speedy trial; in which, we will forbear To sit a judge, because our purpose is To rise up his accuser.

_Fior._ All increase Of happiness wait on Cozimo! [_Exeunt_ FIORINDA _and_ CALAMINTA.

_Alph._ Was it no more?

_Char._ My honour's pawn'd for it.

_Cont._ I'll second you.

_Hip._ Since it is for the service and the safety Of the hopeful prince, fall what can fall, I'll run The desperate hazard.

_Hier._ He's no friend to virtue That does decline it. [_They all come forward and kneel._

_Coz._ Ha! what sue you for? Shall we be ever troubled? Do not tempt That anger may consume you.

_Char._ Let it, sir: The loss is less, though innocents we perish, Than that your sister's son should fall, unheard, Under your fury. Shall we fear to entreat That grace for him, that are your faithful servants, Which you vouchsafe the count, like us a subject?

_Coz._ Did not we vow, till sickness had forsook Thy daughter Lidia, and she appear'd In her perfect health and beauty to plead for him, We were deaf to all persuasion?

_Char._ And that hope, sir, Hath wrought a miracle. She is recover'd, And, if you please to warrant her, will bring The penitent prince before you.

_Coz._ To enjoy Such happiness, what would we not dispense with?

_Alph. Hip. Hier._ We all kneel for the prince.

_Cont._ Nor can it stand With your mercy, that are gracious to strangers, To be cruel to your own.

_Coz._ But art thou certain I shall behold her at the best?

_Char._ If ever She was handsome, as it fits not me to say so, She is now much better'd.

_Coz._ Rise; thou art but dead, If this prove otherwise. Lidia, appear, And feast an appetite almost pined to death With longing expectation to behold Thy excellencies: thou, as beauty's queen, Shalt censure[92] the detractors. Let my nephew Be led in triumph under her command; We'll have it so; and Sanazarro tremble To think whom he hath slander'd. We'll retire Ourselves a little, and prepare to meet A blessing, which imagination tells us We are not worthy of: and then come forth, But with such reverence, as if I were Myself the priest, the sacrifice my heart, To offer at the altar of that goodness That must or kill or save me. [_Exit._

_Char._ Are not these Strange gambols in the duke?

_Alph._ Great princes have, Like meaner men, their weakness.

_Hip._ And may use it Without control or check.

_Cont._ 'Tis fit they should; Their privilege were less else, than their subjects'.

_Hier._ Let them have their humours; there's no crossing them. [_Exeunt._

FOOTNOTES:

[90] _States_,] i. e. _statesmen_, _men of power_. A common acceptation of the word.

[91] _So constantly_,] i. e. _with such constancy_.

[92] _Censure._] It has been already observed, that this word is used by our old writers, where we should now use _judge_, and with the same latitude of meaning through its various acceptations.--GIFFORD.