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EDOL.

You will hear me?

EDWIN.

Your letters did delcare it to the King,

Both of the Peace, and all Conditions

Brought by this Saxon Lady, whose fond love

Has thus bewitched him.

EDOL.

I will curse you all as black as hell,

Unless you hear me; your gross mistake would make

Wisdom her self run madding through the streets,

And quarrel with her shadow. Death!

Why kill'd ye not that woman?

DONO.

GLOST.

Oh, my Lord!

EDOL.

The great devil take me quick, had I been by,

And all the women of the world were barren,

She should have died, e're he had married her

On these conditions.

CADOR.

It is not reason that directs you thus.

EDOL.

Then I have none, for all I have directs me.

Never was man so palpably abus'd,

So basely marted, bought and sold to scorn.

My Honor, Fame, and hopeful Victories,

The loss of Time, Expences, Blood, and Fortunes,

All vanisht into nothing.

EDWIN.

This rage is vain, my Lord:

What the King does nor theym nor you can help.

EDOL.

My Sword must fail me then/

CADOR.

'Gainst whom will you expose it?

EDOL.

What's that to you? 'gainst all the devils in hell,

To guard my country.

EDWIN.

These are airy words.

EDOL.

Sir, you tread too hard upon my patience.

EDWIN.

I speak the duty of a Subjects faith,

And say agen, had you been here in presnce,

What the King did, you had not dar'd to cross it.

EDOL.

I will trample on his Life and Soul that says it.

CADOR.

My Lord!

EDWIN.

Come, come.

EDOL.

Now, before heaven -

CADOR.

Dear sir!

EDOL.

Not dare? thou liest beneath thy lungs.

GLOUCESTER.

No more, son edwin.

EDWIN.

I have done, sir; I take my leave.

EDOL.

But thou shalt not, you shall take no leave of me, Sir.

DONO.

For wisdoms sake, my Lord -

EDOL.

Sir, I'le leave him, and you, and all of you,

The Court and King, and let my Sword and friends

Shuffle for Edols safety: stayn you here,

And hug the Saxons, till they cut your throats,

Or bring the Land to servile slavery.

Such yokes of baseness Chester must not suffer.

Go, and repent betimes those foul misdeeds,

For in this League all our whole Kingdom bleeds,

Which Ile prevent, or perish.

Exit EDOL, CAPT.

GLOST.

See how his rage transports him!

CADOR.

These passions set apart, a braver soldier

Breathes not i'th'world this day.

DONO.

I wish his own worth do not court his ruine.

The King must Rule, and we must learn to obay,

True vertue still directs the noble way.

Scene III.

Hall Of State In The Palace.)

Loud Musick. Enter AURELIUS, ARTESIA, OSTORIUS, OCTA, PROXIMUS,

TOCLIO, OSWOLD, HERMIT.

AUREL.

Why is the Court so dull? me thinks, each room

And angle of our Palace should appear

Stuck full of objects fit for mirth and triumphs,

To show our high content. Oswold, fill wine!

Must we begin the Revels? Be it so, then!

Reach me the cup: Ile now begin a Health

To our lov'd Queen, the bright Artesia,

The Royal Saxon King, our warlike brother.

Go and command all the whole Court to pledge it.

Fill to the Hermit there! Most reverent Anselme,

Wee' do thee Honor first, to pledge my Queen.

HER.

I drink no healths, great King, and if I did,

I would be loath to part with health to those

That have no power to give it back agen.

AUREL.

Mistake not, it is the argument of Love

And Duty to our Queen and us.

ARTES.

But he ows none, it seems.

HER.

I do to vertue, madam: temperate minds

Covets that health to drink, which nature gives

In every spring to man; he that doth hold

His body but a Tenement at will,

Bestows no cost, but to repair what's ill:

Yet if your healths or heat of Wine, fair Princes,

Could this old frame or these cras'd limbes restore,

Or keep out death or sickness, then fill more,

I'le make fresh way for appetite; if no,

On such a prodigal who would wealth bestow?

OSTORIUS.

He speaks not like a guest to grace a wedding.

Enter TOCLIO.

ARTES.

No, sir, but like an envious impostor.

OCTA.

A Christian slave, a Cinick.

OSTOR.

What vertue could decline your Kingly spirit

To