SCENE II.--_An Apartment in_ MONTFERRERS' _Mansion.

_Enter_ MONTFERRERS _and_ CHARLEMONT.

_Mont._ I prithee, let this current of my tears Divert thy inclination from the war, For of my children thou art only left To promise a succession to my house. And all the honour thou canst get by arms Will give but vain addition to thy name; Since from thy ancestors thou dost derive A dignity sufficient, and as great As thou hast substance to maintain and bear. I prithee, stay at home.

_Charl._ My noble father, The weakest sigh you breathe hath power to turn My strongest purpose, and your softest tear To melt my resolution to as soft Obedience; but my affection to the war Is as hereditary as my blood To every life of all my ancestry. Your predecessors were your precedents, And you are my example. Shall I serve For nothing but a vain parenthesis I' the honoured story of your family? Or hang but like an empty scutcheon Between the trophies of my predecessors, And the rich arms of my posterity? There's not a Frenchman of good blood and youth, But either out of spirit or example Is turned a soldier. Only Charlemont Must be reputed that same heartless thing That cowards will be bold to play upon.

_Enter_ D'AMVILLE, ROUSARD, _and_ SEBASTIAN.

_D'Am._ Good morrow, my lord.

_Mont._ Morrow, good brother.

_Charl._ Good morrow, uncle.

_D'Am._ Morrow, kind nephew. What, ha' you washed your eyes wi' tears this morning? Come, by my soul, his purpose does deserve Your free consent;--your tenderness dissuades him. What to the father of a gentleman Should be more tender than the maintenance And the increase of honour to his house? My lord, here are my boys. I should be proud That either this were able, or that inclined To be my nephew's brave competitor.

_Mont._ Your importunities have overcome. Pray God my forced grant prove not ominous!

_D'Am._ We have obtained it.--Ominous! in what? It cannot be in anything but death. And I am of a confident belief That even the time, place, manner of our deaths Do follow Fate with that necessity That makes us sure to die. And in a thing Ordained so certainly unalterable, What can the use of providence prevail?

_Enter_ BELFOREST, LEVIDULCIA, CASTABELLA, _and_ Attendants.

_Bel._ Morrow, my Lord Montferrers, Lord D'Amville. Good morrow, gentlemen. Cousin Charlemont, Kindly good morrow. Troth, I was afeared I should ha' come too late to tell you that I wish your undertakings a success That may deserve the measure of their worth.

_Charl._ My lord, my duty would not let me go Without receiving your commandëments.

_Bel._ Accompliments are more for ornament Then use. We should employ no time in them But what our serious business will admit.

_Mont._ Your favour had by his duty been prevented If we had not withheld him in the way.

_D'Am._ He was a coming to present his service; But now no more. The book invites to breakfast. Wilt please your lordship enter?--Noble lady! [_Exeunt all except_ CHARLEMONT _and_ CASTABELLA.

_Charl._ My noble mistress, this accompliment Is like an elegant and moving speech, Composed of many sweet persuasive points, Which second one another, with a fluent Increase and confirmation of their force, Reserving still the best until the last, To crown the strong impulsion of the rest With a full conquest of the hearer's sense; Because the impression of the last we speak Doth always longest and most constantly Possess the entertainment of remembrance. So all that now salute my taking leave Have added numerously to the love Wherewith I did receive their courtesy. But you, dear mistress, being the last and best That speaks my farewell, like the imperious close Of a most sweet oration, wholly have Possessed my liking, and shall ever live Within the soul of my true memory. So, mistress, with this kiss I take my leave.

_Cast._ My worthy servant, you mistake the intent Of kissing. 'Twas not meant to separate A pair of lovers, but to be the seal Of love; importing by the joining of Our mutual and incorporated breaths, That we should breathe but one contracted life. Or stay at home, or let me go with you.

_Charl._ My Castabella, for myself to stay, Or you to go, would either tax my youth With a dishonourable weakness, or Your loving purpose with immodesty.

_Enter_ LANGUEBEAU SNUFFE.

And, for the satisfaction of your love, Here comes a man whose knowledge I have made A witness to the contract of our vows, Which my return, by marriage, shall confirm.

_Lang._ I salute you both with the spirit of copulation, already informed of your matrimonial purposes, and will testimony to the integrity--

_Cast._ O the sad trouble of my fearful soul! My faithful servant, did you never hear That when a certain great man went to the war, The lovely face of Heaven was masqued with sorrow, The sighing winds did move the breast of earth, The heavy clouds hung down their mourning heads, And wept sad showers the day that he went hence As if that day presaged some ill success That fatally should kill his happiness. And so it came to pass. Methinks my eyes (Sweet Heaven forbid!) are like those weeping clouds, And as their showers presaged, so do my tears. Some sad event will follow my sad fears.

_Charl._ Fie, superstitious! Is it bad to kiss?

_Cast._ May all my fears hurt me no more than this!

_Lang._ Fie, fie, fie! these carnal kisses do stir up the concupiscences of the flesh.

_Enter_ BELFOREST _and_ LEVIDULCIA.

_Lev._ O! here's your daughter under her servant's lips.

_Charl._ Madam, there is no cause you should mistrust The kiss I gave; 'twas but a parting one.

_Lev._ A lusty blood! Now by the lip of love, Were I to choose your joining one for me--

_Bel._ Your father stays to bring you on the way. Farewell. The great commander of the war Prosper the course you undertake! Farewell.

_Charl._ My lord, I humbly take my leave.--Madam, I kiss your hand.--And your sweet lip.--[_To_ CASTABELLA.] Farewell. [_Exeunt_ BELFOREST, LEVIDULCIA, _and_ CASTABELLA. Her power to speak is perished in her tears. Something within me would persuade my stay, But reputation will not yield unto't. Dear sir, you are the man whose honest trust My confidence hath chosen for my friend. I fear my absence will discomfort her. You have the power and opportunity To moderate her passion. Let her grief Receive that friendship from you, and your love Shall not repent itself of courtesy.

_Lang._ Sir, I want words and protestation to insinuate into your credit; but in plainness and truth, I will qualify her grief with the spirit of consolation.

_Charl._ Sir, I will take your friendship up at use, And fear not that your profit shall be small; Your interest shall exceed your principal. [_Exit._

_Re-enter_ D'AMVILLE _with_ BORACHIO.

_D'Am._ Monsieur Languebeau! happily encountered. The honesty of your conversation makes me request more interest in your familiarity.

_Lang._ If your lordship will be pleased to salute me without ceremony, I shall be willing to exchange my service for your favour; but this worshipping kind of entertainment is a superstitious vanity; in plainness and truth, I love it not.

_D'Am._ I embrace your disposition, and desire to give you as liberal assurance of my love as my Lord Belforest, your deserved favourer.

_Lang._ His lordship is pleased with my plainness and truth of conversation.

_D'Am._ It cannot displease him. In the behaviour of his noble daughter Castabella a man may read her worth and your instruction.

_Lang._ That gentlewoman is most sweetly modest, fair, honest, handsome, wise, well-born, and rich.

_D'Am._ You have given me her picture in small.

_Lang._ She's like your diamond; a temptation in every man's eye, yet not yielding to any light impression herself.

_D'Am._ The praise is hers, but the comparison your own. [_Gives him the ring._

_Lang._ You shall forgive me that, sir.

_D'Am._ I will not do so much at your request as forgive you it. I will only give you it, sir. By ---- you will make me swear.

_Lang._ O! by no means. Profane not your lips with the foulness of that sin. I will rather take it. To save your oath, you shall lose your ring.--Verily, my lord, my praise came short of her worth. She exceeds a jewel. This is but only for ornament: she both for ornament and use.

_D'Am._ Yet unprofitably kept without use. She deserves a worthy husband, sir. I have often wished a match between my elder son and her. The marriage would join the houses of Belforest and D'Amville into a noble alliance.

_Lang._ And the unity of families is a work of love and charity.

_D'Am._ And that work an employment well becoming the goodness of your disposition.

_Lang._ If your lordship please to impose it upon me I will carry it without any second end; the surest way to satisfy your wish.

_D'Am._ Most joyfully accepted. Rousard! Here are letters to my Lord Belforest, touching my desire to that purpose.

_Enter_ ROUSARD, _looking sickly_.

Rousard, I send you a suitor to Castabella. To this gentleman's discretion I commit the managing of your suit. His good success shall be most thankful to your trust. Follow his instructions; he will be your leader.

_Lang._ In plainness and truth.

_Rous._ My leader! Does your lordship think me too weak to give the onset myself?

_Lang._ I will only assist your proceedings.

_Rous._ To say true, so I think you had need; for a sick man can hardly get a woman's good will without help.

_Lang._ Charlemont, thy gratuity and my promises were both But words, and both, like words, shall vanish into air. For thy poor empty hand I must be mute; This gives me feeling of a better suit. [_Exeunt_ LANGUEBEAU _and_ ROUSARD.

_D'Am._ Borachio, didst precisely note this man?

_Bor._ His own profession would report him pure.

_D'Am._ And seems to know if any benefit Arises of religion after death. Yet but compare's profession with his life;-- They so directly contradict themselves, As if the end of his instructions were But to divert the world from sin, that he More easily might ingross it to himself. By that I am confirmed an atheist. Well! Charlemont is gone; and here thou seest His absence the foundation of my plot.

_Bor._ He is the man whom Castabella loves.

_D'Am._ That was the reason I propounded him Employment, fixed upon a foreign place, To draw his inclination out o' the way.

_Bor._ It has left the passage of our practice free.

_D'Am._ This Castabella is a wealthy heir; And by her marriage with my elder son My house is honoured and my state increased. This work alone deserves my industry; But if it prosper, thou shalt see my brain Make this but an induction to a point So full of profitable policy, That it would make the soul of honesty Ambitious to turn villain.

_Bor._ I bespeak Employment in't. I'll be an instrument To grace performance with dexterity.

_D'Am._ Thou shalt. No man shall rob thee of the honour. Go presently and buy a crimson scarf Like Charlemont's: prepare thee a disguise I' the habit of a soldier, hurt and lame; And then be ready at the wedding feast, Where thou shalt have employment in a work Will please thy disposition.

_Bor._ As I vowed, Your instrument shall make your project proud.

_D'Am._ This marriage will bring wealth. If that succeed, I will increase it though my brother bleed. [_Exeunt._