Before their own sour censure, to interrupt

The custom of this ceremony bluntly.

Near. None dares, Lady!

Cal. Yes, yes; some hollow voice deliver'd to me
How that the King was dead.

Arm. The King is dead :

That fatal news was mine; for in mine arms

He breathed his last, and with his crown bequeath'd you
Your mother's wedding ring, which here I tender.

Crot. Most strange!

Cal. Peace crown his ashes! we are Queen then.

Near. Long live Calantha, Sparta's sovereign Queen!
All. Long live the Queen.

Cal. What whisper'd Bassanes?

Bass. That my Penthea, miserable soul,

Was starved to death.

Cal. She's happy; she hath finish'd

A long and painful progress.-A third murmur
Pierced mine unwilling ears.

Org. That Ithocles

Was murder'd.

Cal. By whose hand?

Org. By mine: this weapon

Was instrument to my revenge.

The reasons

(ITHOCLES had prevented PENTHEA from marrying ORGILUS, to whom

she was betrothed.)

Are just and known. Quit him of these, and then
Never lived gentleman of greater merit,

Hope, or abiliment to steer a kingdom.

Cal. We begin our reign

With a first act of justice. Thy confession,
Unhappy Orgilus! dooms thee a sentence;
But yet thy father's or thy sister's presence
Shall be excused: give, Crotolon ! a blessing
To thy lost son; Euphranea! take a farewell:
And both begone!

To ORGILUS.

Bloody relater of thy stains in blood!

For that thou hast reported him (whose fortunes

And life by thee are both at once snatch'd from him)
With honourable mention, make thy choice

Of what death likes thee best! there's all our bounty.
But to excuse delays, let me, dear cousin!
Entreat you and these lords see execution
Instant, before ye part.

Near. Your will commands us.

Org. One suit, just Queen! my last. Vouchsafe your clem

ency,

That by no common hand I be divided

From this my humble frailty.

Cal. To their wisdoms,

Who are to be spectators of thine end,

I make the reference. Those that are dead,
Are dead; had they not now died, of necessity
They must have paid the debt they owed to nature
One time or other. Use despatch, my lords !-
We'll suddenly prepare our coronation.

Exit.

Arm. 'Tis strange these tragedies should never touch on
Her female pity.

Bass. She has a masculine spirit.

The coronation of CALANTHA takes place after the execution of ORGILUS.She enters the Temple, dressed in white, having a crown on her head. She kneels at the altar. The dead body of ITHOCLES (whom she should have married) is borne on a hearse, in rich robes, having a crown on his head; and placed by the side of the altar, where she kneels. Her devotions ended, she rises.

CALANTHA. NEARCHUS. PROPHILUS.

BASSANES.

CROTOLON.
CHRISTALLA. PHILEMA,

Cal. Our orisons are heard, the Gods are merciful.

Now tell me, you, whose loyalties pay tribute
To us your lawful sovereign! how unskilful

III.-12

Your duties, or obedience is, to render
Subjection to the sceptre of a virgin;
Who have been ever fortunate in princes
Of masculine and stirring composition.
A woman has enough to govern wisely
Her own demeanours, passions, and divisions.
A nation warlike, and inured to practice
Of policy and labour, can not brook

A feminate authority: we therefore

Command your counsel, how you may advise us
In choosing of a husband, whose abilities

Can better guide this kingdom.

Near. Royal lady!

Your law is in your will.

Arm. We have seen tokens

Of constancy too lately to mistrust it.

Crot. Yet if your Highness settle on a choice

By your own judgment both allow'd and liked of,
Sparta may grow in power and proceed

To an increasing height.

Cal. Cousin of Argos!

Near. Madam!

Cal. Were I presently

To choose you for my lord,-I'll open freely
What articles I would propose to treat on,
Before our marriage.

Near. Name them, virtuous lady!

Cal. I would presume you would retain the royalty
Of Sparta in her own bounds: then in Argos
Armostes might be viceroy; in Messene
Might Crotolon bear sway; and Bassanes
Be Sparta's marshal :

The multitudes of high employments could not
But set a peace to private griefs. These gentlemen,
Groneas and Hemophil, with worthy pensions,
Should wait upon your person in your chamber.

I would bestow Christalla on Amelus;

She'll prove a constant wife

Should into Vesta's temple.

Bass. This is a testament;

and Philema

It sounds not like conditions on a marriage. Near. All this should be perform'd.

Cal. Lastly, for Prophilus,

He should be, cousin! solemnly invested

In all those honours, titles, and preferments,

Which his dear friend and my neglected husband

Too short a time enjoy'd.

Proph. I am unworthy

To live in your remembrance.

Euph. Excellent lady!

Near. Madam! what means that word, neglected husband? Cal. Forgive me! Now I turn to thee, thou shadow

To the dead body of ITHOCLES.

Of my contracted lord! Bear witness all,
I put my mother's wedding ring upon
His finger; 'twas my father's last bequest :
Thus I new marry him, whose wife I am;
Death shall not separate us. O my lords!

I but deceived your eyes with antick gesture,

When one news straight came huddling on another,
Of death, and death, and death; still I danced forward;
But it struck home, and here, and in an instant.

Be such mere women, who with shrieks and outcries

Can vow a present end to all their sorrows;

Yet live to court new pleasures, and outlive them!
They are the silent griefs which cut the heart-strings :
Let me die smiling!

Near. 'Tis a truth too ominous.

Cal. One kiss on these cold lips! my last. Crack! crack!

Argos now's Sparta's king.

Dies.

PHILIP MASSINGER.

1584-1639.

A NEW WAY TO PAY OLD debts.

SIR GILES OVERREACH, a wealthy usurer, is described.
To have a usurer that starves himself

And wears a cloak of one-and-twenty years

On a suit of fourteen groats, bought of the hangman,
To grow rich, and then purchase, is too common ;
But this Sir Giles feeds high, keeps many servants,
Who must at his command do any outrage;
Rich in his habit, vast in his expenses,-

Yet he to admiration still increases

In wealth and lordships.

He frights men out of their estates,
And breaks through all law-nets, made to curb ill men,
As they were cobwebs. No man dares reprove him.
Such a spirit to dare and power to do were never

Lodged so unluckily.

OVERREACH has robbed and ruined his own nephew, WELLBORN, a careless good fellow; and out of farther malice employs MARRALL, a knavish attorney, his tool and parasite, to persuade WELLBORN to some act which shall put him out of the way. LADY ALLWORTH, a rich widow, befriends WELLBORN, and for his purpose gives him free access to her house, as if he were a favoured suitor. He takes MARRALL there to dinner; and the hoodwinked rascal changes sides at once, and fawns upon his entertainer. AMBLE, ORDER, and FURNACE are LADY ALLWORTH'S servants. AMBLE, who has waited at table, enters laughing.

Amble. Ha, ha! I shall burst.

Order. Contain thyself, man!

Furn. Or make us partakers of your sudden mirth!

Amble. Ha, ha! my Lady has got such a guest at her tablethis term-driving Marrall, this snip of an attorney.