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 our nephew

Bear his restraint so constantly, 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.

Cox. You will o'ercome;

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. Hir. 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 the detractors. Let my nephew
Be led in triumph under her command;

SCENE III.-A State-room in the same.
Enter FIORINDA, SANAZARRO, and CALAMINTA.
Sanaz. And can it be, your bounties should fall
down

In showers on my ingratitude, or the wrongs
Your greatness should revenge, teach you to pity?
What retribution can I make, what service
Pay to your goodness, that, in some proportion,
May to the world express I would be thankful?
Since my engagements are so great, that all
My best endeavours to appear your creature
Can but proclaim my wants, and what I owe
To your magnificence.

Fior. All debts are discharged

In this acknowledgment: yet, since you please
I shall impose some terms of satisfaction

For that which you profess yourself obliged for,
They shall be gentle ones, and such as will not,
I hope, afflict you.

Sanaz. Make me understand,

Great princess, what they are, and my obedience
Shall, with all cheerful willingness, subscribe
To what you shall command.

Fior. I will bind you to

Make good your promise. First, I then enjoin you
To love a lady, that, a noble way,

Truly affects you; and that you would take
To your protection and care the dukedom
Of Urbin, which no more is mine, but your's.
And that, when you have full possession of
My person as my fortune, you would use me,
Not as a princess, but instruct me in
The duties of an humble wife, for such,
The privilege of my birth no more remember'd,
I will be to you. This consented to,

All injuries forgotten, on your lips

I thus sign your quietus.

Sanaz. I am wretched,

In having but one life to be employ'd

As you please to dispose it. And, believe it,

If it be not already forfeited

To the fury of my prince, as 'tis your gift,
With all the faculties of my soul I'll study,
In what I may, to serve you.

Fior. I am happy

Sanaz. 'Tis Lidia, madam, sheFior. I understand you.

Nay, blush not; by my life, she is a rare one!
And, if I were your judge, I would not blame you
To like and love her. But, sir, you are mine now;
And I presume so on your constancy,

That I dare not be jealous.

Sanaz. All thoughts of her
Are in your goodness buried.
Lid. Pray you, sir,

Be comforted; your innocence should not know
What 'tis to fear; and if that you but look on
The guards that you have in yourself, you can not.
The duke's your uncle, sir, and, though a little
Incensed against you, when he sees your sorrow,
He must be reconciled. What rugged Tartar,
Or cannibal, though bath'd in human gore,
But, looking on your sweetness, would forget
His cruel nature, and let fall his weapon,
Though then aim'd at your throat?
Giov. O Lidia,

Of maids the honour, and your sex's glory!
It is not fear to die, but to lose you,
That brings this fever on me. I will now
Discover to you, that which, till this minute,
I durst not trust the air with. Ere you knew
What power the magic of your beauty had,
I was enchanted by it, liked, and loved it,
My fondness still increasing with my years;
And, flattered by false hopes, I did attend
Some blessed opportunity to move
The duke with his consent to make you mine:
But now, such is my star-cross'd destiny,
When he beholds you as you are, he cannot
Deny himself the happiness to enjoy you.
And I as well in reason may entreat him
To give away his crown, as to part from
A jewel of more value, such you are.
Yet, howsoever, when you are his dutchess,
And I am turn'd into forgotten dust,

Pray you, love my memory :-I should say more,
But I'm cut off.

Enter CoziмO, CHAROMONTE, CONTARINO, HIERONIMO, HIPPOLITO, and ALPHONSO.

Sanaz. The duke! That countenance, once, When it was clothed in smiles, shew'd like an But, now 'tis folded up in clouds of fury, [angel's, "Tis terrible to look on.

Lid. Sir.

Coz. A while

Silence your musical tongue, and let me feast
My eyes with the most ravishing object that
They ever gazed on. There's no miniature
In her fair face, but is a copious theme
Which would, discours'd at large of, make a volume.
What clear arch'd brows! what sparkling eyes!
Contending with the roses in her cheeks, [the lilies
Who shall most set them off. What ruby lips!—
Or unto what can I compare her neck,
But to a rock of crystal? every limb
Proportion'd to love's wish, and in their neatness
Add lustre to the riches of her habit,
Not borrow from it.

Lid. You are pleased to shew, sir,

The fluency of your language, in advancing
A subject much unworthy.

Cox. How! unworthy?

By all the vows which lovers offer at
The Cyprian goddess' altars, eloquence

Itself presuming, as you are, to speak you, Would be struck dumb!-And what have you deserved then,

[GIOVANNI and SANAZARRO kneel. (Wretches, you kneel too late,) that have endeavour'd

To spout the poison of your black detraction
On this immaculate whiteness? was it malice
To her perfections? or――

Fior. Your highness promised

A gracious hearing to the count.
Lid. And prince too;

Do not make void so just a grant.

Coz. We will not.

Yet, since their accusation must be urged,

And strongly, ere their weak defence have hearing,
We seat you here, as judges, to determine
Of your gross wrongs, and ours. [Seats the Ladies
in the chairs of state.] And now, remem-
Whose deputies you are, be neither sway'd [bering
Or with particular spleen, or foolish pity,
For neither can become you.

Char. There's some hope yet,
Since they have such gentle judges.

Coz. Rise, and stand forth, then,
And hear, with horror to your guilty souls,

What we will prove against you. Could this prin

cess,

Thou enemy to thyself, [To SANAZARRO] stoop her high flight

Of towering greatness to invite thy lowness
To look up to it, and with nimble wings
Of gratitude couldst thou forbear to meet it?
Were her favours boundless in a noble way
And warranted by our allowance, yet,
In thy acceptation, there appear'd no sign
Of a modest thankfulness?

Fior. Pray you forbear

To press that further; 'tis a fault we have
Already heard, and pardon'd.

Cox. We will then

Pass over it, and briefly touch at that

Which does concern ourself, in which both being
Equal offenders, what we shall speak points
Indifferently at either. How we raised thee,
Forgetful Sanazarro! of our grace,
To a full possession of power and honours,
It being too well known, we'll not remember.
And what thou wert, rash youth, in expectation,
[TO GIOVANNI,
And from which headlong thou hast thrown thyself,
Not Florence, but all Tuscany can witness,
With admiration. To assure thy hopes,
We did keep constant to a widowed bed,
And did deny ourself those lawful pleasures
Our absolute power and height of blood allow'd us;
Made both, the keys that open'd our heart's secrets,
And what you spake, believed as oracles:
But you in recompence of this, to him

That gave you all, to whom you owed your being,
With treacherous lies endeavour'd to conceal
This jewel from our knowledge, which ourself
Could only lay just claim to.

Giov. 'Tis most true, sir.

Sanaz. We both confess a guilty cause.
Coz. Look on her.

Is this a beauty fit to be embraced
By any subject's arms? can any tire
Become that forehead, but a diadem?
Or, should we grant your being false to us

When 'tis express'd to such as fell by weakness, That being a twin-born brother to affection, Better than wreaths of conquest.

Hier. Hip. Cont. Alph. We all speak Their language, mighty sir.

Coz. You know our temper,

And therefore with more boldness venture on it:
And, would not our consent to your demands
Deprive us of a happiness hereafter
Ever to be despair'd of, we, perhaps,
Might hearken nearer to you; and could wish
With some qualification, or excuse,

You might make less the mountains of your crimes,
And so invite our clemency to feast with you.
But you, that knew with what impatiency
Of grief we parted from the fair Clarinda,
Our dutchess, (let her memory still be sacred!)
And with what imprecations on ourself
We vow'd, not hoping e'er to see her equal,
Ne'er to make trial of a second choice,

If nature framed not one that did excel her,
As this maid's beauty prompts us that she does :-
And yet, with oaths then mix'd with tears, upon
Her monument we swore our eye should never
Again be tempted ;-'tis true, and those vows
Are register'd above, something here tells me.-
Carolo, thou heardst us swear.

Char. And swear so deeply,

That if all women's beauties were in this, (As she's not to be named with the dead dutchess,) Nay, all their virtues bound up in one story, (Of which mine is scarce an epitome,) If you should take her as a wife, the weight Of your perjuries would sink you. If I durst,

I had told you this before.

Cox. 'Tis strong truth, Carolo : And yet, what was necessity in us, Cannot free them from treason.

Char. There's your error;

The prince, in care to have you keep your vows Made unto heaven, vouchsafed to love my daughter. Lid. He told me so, indeed, sir.

Fior. And the count Averr'd as much to me.

Cox. You all conspire,

To force our mercy from us.

Char. Which given up,

To aftertimes preserves you unforsworn:
An honour, which will live upon your tomb,
When your greatness is forgotten.

Coz. Though we know

All this is practice, and that both are false:
Such reverence we will pay to dead Clarinda,
And to our serious oaths, that we are pleased
With our own hand to blind our eyes, and not
Know what we understand. Here, Giovanni,
We pardon thee; and take from us, in this,
More than our dukedom: love her. As I part
With her, all thoughts of women fly fast from us!
Sanazarro, we forgive you in your service
To this princess, merit it. Yet let not others

That are in trust and grace, as you have been,
By the example of our lenity,

Presume upon their sovereign's clemency.

Enter CALANDRINO and PETRONELLA,

All. Long live great Cozimo!

Cal. Sure the duke is

In the giving vein, they are so loud. Come on,

spouse;

We have heard all, and we will have our boon too. Cox. What is it?

Cal. That your grace, in remembrance of