Lor. Yes, so it should seem; but had you met

With so many defeats as I have done to night,

You would willingly excuse this Ceremony.

Fred. She’s wondrous fair;

Sure in his whole Cabal he cannot show a fairer—

Lor. She resembles Clarina; I wish your Highness

Would see further, and then perhaps this would

Fall to my lot, for I love her for likeness sake.

Antonio presents Ismena, and retires as the other.

Fred. This I confess out-does the others;

An Innocency dwells upon her Face,

That’s strangely taking, is it not, Lorenzo?

Lor. To say truth, she is very fine indeed. They present Laura.

Fred. Hah! I am amaz’d; see, Lorenzo,

Dost thou not know that Face?

Lor. O’ my Conscience and Soul, ’tis my own Sister Laura;

Why, how now, Mistress,

Do things go thus with you, i’faith? She shakes her Hand, as not understanding him.

Ant. Sir, she understands you not.

Lor. Is it not Laura then?

Ant. No, Sir, it is a Stranger.

Fred. Let her be what she will, I’ll have her. Fred. seems to talk, when she answers in Grimaces.

Lor. There have been Examples in the World

Of the good Offices done by a Brother to a Sister;

But they are very rare here,

And therefore will surely be the more acceptable.

Well, Sir, have you fix’d, that I may chuse?

Fred. I have, and had he thousands more, Lor. goes to Clar.

I would refuse them all for this fair Creature.

Piet. Sir, all things are ready as you desire,

But my Master must first speak with you alone. 

Fred. About the Price, I’ll warrant you;

Let him come in: All go out but Fred, to him Cur.

—Are you the Master of the Ceremony?

Cur. I am.

Fred. Be speedy then, and by my Impatiency

To be with that agreeable Stranger,

Guess at my Approbation of the Ladies, and which I chuse.

Cur. Your mighty Heat, Sir, will be soon allay’d.

Fred. Shall it?

Cur. Yes, Sir, it shall, for you must die.

Fred. Sure thou art mad to tell me so, whoe’er thou be’st,

Whilst I have this about me. Draws.

Fred. Hold, I am the Prince of Florence.

Cur. These, Sir, are Rogues, and have no sense of ought,

But Mischief in their Souls;

Gold is their Prince and God,—go, be gone— They withdraw.

—See, Sir, I can command them.

Fred. Curtius, why dost thou deal thus treacherously with me?

Did I not offer thee to fight thee fairly?

Cur. ’Tis like the Injuries, Sir, that you have done me;

Pardon me if my Griefs make me too rude,

And in coarse terms lay all your Sins before you.

—First, Sir, you have debauch’d my lovely Sister,

The only one I had;

The Hope and Care of all our noble Family:

Thou, Prince, didst ravish all her Virtue from her,

And left her nothing but a desperate sense of Shame,

Which only serv’d to do her self that Justice,

Which I had executed, had she not prevented me.

Fred. In this, upon my Soul, you do me wrong.

Cur. Next, (Oh, how unlike a brave and generous Man!)

Without a Cause, you cast me from your Bosom;

Withdrew the Honour of your promis’d Friendship,

And made me partner in my Sister’s Fate;

Only with this difference, that she

You left to act a Murder on her self;

And mine you would have been so kind to’ve done

With your own hand, but my respect prevented it.

—Next, Sir, you ravish’d Laura from me,

And under a pretence of sacred Friendship,

You prov’d your self the worst of Enemies;

And that’s a Crime you dare not say was Ignorance,

As you perhaps will plead your Sin to Cloris was.

Fred. Cloris, why, what hast thou to do with Cloris?

Cur. She was my Sister, Frederick.

Fred. Thy Sister!

Cur. Yes, think of it well,

A Lady of as pure and noble Blood,

As that of the great Duke thy Father,

Till you, bad Man, infected it.

—Say, should I murder you for this base Action,

Would you not call it a true Sacrifice?

And would not Heaven and Earth forgive it too?

Fred. No, had I known that she had been thy Sister,

I had receiv’d her as a Gift from Heaven;

And so I would do still.

Cur. She must be sent indeed from Heaven,

If you receive her now.

Fred. Is Cloris dead? Oh, how I was to blame! Weeps.

—Here thou mayst finish now the Life thou threaten’st.

Cur. Now, Sir, you know my Justice and my Power;

Yet since my Prince can shed a Tear for Cloris,

I can forgive him; here, Sir,—send me to Cloris, Kneels, and offers his Sword.

That Mercy possibly will redeem the rest

Of all the Wrongs you’ve done me;

And you shall find nothing but Sorrow here,

And a poor broken Heart that did adore you.

Fred. Rise, Curtius, and divide my Dukedom with me;

Do any thing that may preserve thy Life,

And gain my Pardon; alas, thy Honour’s safe,

Since yet none knows that Cloris was thy Sister,

Or if they do, I must proclaim this truth;

She dy’d thy Prince’s Wife.

Cur. These Tidings would be welcome to my Sister,

And I the fitting’st Man to bear that News.

Offers to stab himself; is held by Frederick, Laura, and Cloris, who come in with Isabella, dress’d like Philibert, and the rest.

Lau. Stay, Curtius, and take me with thee in the way.

Cur. Laura, my dearest Laura! how came you hither?

Lau. Commanded by your Letter; have you forgot it?

Fred. Curtius, look here, is this not Cloris’ Face?

Cur. The same; Oh my sweet Sister, is it thee? Curtius goes to embrace her, she goes back.

Fred. Do not be shy, my Soul, it is thy Brother.

Cur. Yes, a Brother who despis’d his Life,

When he believ’d yours lost or sham’d:

But now the Prince will take a care of it.

Clo. May I believe my Soul so truly bless’d?

Clo. Rise, Sir, it is my Duty and my Glory.

Alb. Sir, we have Pardons too to beg of you.

Fred. Antonio and Alberto, what, turn’d Bravoes?

Cur. I am amaz’d.

Ant. You’ll cease your Wonder, Sir, when you shall know,

—Those Braves which formerly belong’d to you,

Are now maintain’d by me; which Pietro hir’d

For this night’s service; and from them we learnt

What was to be done, (though not on whom)

But that we guess’d, and thought it but our duty

To put this Cheat on Curtius;

Which had we seen had been resolv’d to kill you,

Had been by us prevented:

The Ladies too would needs be Curtezans

To serve your Highness.

Fred. I’m much oblig’d to them, as you.

—Cloris, a while I’ll leave thee with thy Brother,

Till I have reconcil’d thee to my Father:

To marry me, is what he long has wish’d for,

And will, I know, receive this News with Joy. Exit Prince.

Lor. Here’s fine doings; what am I like to come to if he

Turn honest now? This is the worst piece of Inconstancy

He ever was guilty of; to change ones Humour, or so,

Sometimes, is nothing: but to change Nature,

To turn good on a sudden, and never give a Man

Civil warning, is a Defeat not be endur’d;

I’ll see the end on’t though. Goes out.

Alb. Here, Antonio—imagine how I love thee,

Who make thee such a Present.

Gives him Clarina, who is dressed just as Ismena was, and Ismena in a Masquing Habit.

Ant. Clarina, can you pardon my Offence,

And bless me with that Love,

You have but justly taken from me?

Clar. You wrong me, Sir, I ne’er withdrew my Heart,

Though you, but too unkindly, did your Confidence.

Ant. Do not upbraid me; that I was so to blame,

Is shame enough: pray pardon, and forget it.

Clar. I do.

Ant. Alberto, to shew my Gratitude in what I may,

I beg you would receive Ismena from me.

Alb. That thy Wife Clarina!

A Beauty which till now I never saw.

Ant. Sure thou art mad, didst thou not give her me but now,

And hast not entertain’d her all this night?

Alb. Her Habit and her Vizard did deceive me;

I took her for this lady,—Oh bless’d Mistake!

Ism. I see you’re in the dark, but I’ll unfold the Riddle,

—Sir, in the Passage from the Monastery,

Attended only by my Confessor,

A Gentleman, a Passenger, in the same Boat,

Address’d himself to me;

And made a many little Courtships to me:

I being veil’d, he knew not who receiv’d them,

Nor what Confusion they begot in me.

At the first sight, I grew to great esteems of him,

But when I heard him speak—

I’m not asham’d to say he was my Conqueror.

Alb. Oh, Madam, was it you?

Who by your Conversation in that Voyage,

Gave me Disquiets,

Which nothing but your Eyes could reconcile again?

Ism. ’Twas I whom you deceiv’d with some such Language.

—After my coming home I grew more melancholy,

And by my silence did increase my Pain;

And soon Clarina found I was a Lover,

Which I confess’d at last, and nam’d the Object.

She told me of your Friendship with Antonio,

And gave me hopes that I again should see you:

—But Isabella over-heard the Plot,

Which, Sir, Antonio did contrive with you,

To make a feigned Courtship to Clarina,

And told us all the story.

Alb. Oh, how I’m ravish’d with my Happiness!

Ism. Clarina, Sir, at first was much inrag’d,

And vow’d she would revenge her on Antonio;

But I besought her to be pleas’d again,

And said I would contrive a Counter-Plot,

Should satisfy her Honour and Revenge.

Thus, Sir, I got a Garment like to hers;

And to be courted, though but in jest, by you,

I run all hazards of my Brother’s Anger,

And your opinion of my Lightness too.

Clar. ’Twas a Temptation, Sir, I would not venture on,

Lest from the reasons of a just Revenge,

And so much Beauty as Alberto own’d,

My Virtue should not well secure your Interest.

Ant. But why, Ismena, was that killing Plot,

When I was hid behind the Arras? for now I confess all.

Ism. To make Alberto confident of my Love,

And try his Friendship to the utmost point.

—Alberto too I found had some reserves,

Which I believ’d his Amity to you.

Alb. Yes, Madam, whilst I took you for his Wife,

I thought it crime enough but to adore you;

But now I may with honour own my Passion:

I will, Ismena, confidently assure you,

That I will die, unless you pity me.

Ism. She that durst tell you, Sir, how much she lov’d,

When you believ’d it was a Sin to do so,

Will now make good that Promise with Antonio’s leave.

Ant. With perfect Joy, Ismena, I resign thee, Ant. gives him Ism.

Alb. By double Ties you now unite our Souls;

Though I can hardly credit what I see,

The Happiness so newly is arriv’d. To Ant.

Fred. My Father is the kindest Man on Earth,

And Cloris shall be welcome to his Bosom;

Who’ll make him happy in my Reformation.

—Here, Curtius, take Laura, who, I find,

Had rather be my Sister than my Mistress:

The Duke commands it so.

Cur. Till you have pardon’d me my late Offences,

I must deny myself so great a Happiness. Cur. kneels.

Fred. Rise, you have it.

Sal. Is here not a Runegado belongs to me?

Lau. No, Sir, my Faith’s entire,

And Curtius has the keeping of it.

Sal. Who made him Master of it, hau?

Lau. Heaven, my Inclinations and the Prince.

Sal. Three powerful Opposers;

Take her, since it must be so,

And mayst thou be happy with her.

Fred. Alberto, would this Court afforded

A Lady worthy thee.

Alb. Sir, I’m already sped, I humbly thank you.

Lor. Sped, quoth ye? Heaven defend

Me from such Fortune.

Fred. Lorenzo, I had forgot thee; thou shalt e’en marry too.

Lor. You may command me any thing but marrying.

Isab. What think you then of a smooth-fac’d Boy?

Lor. A Pox on him, sure he will not tell now, will he?

Isab. My Lord, I beg your leave to challenge Lorenzo.

Fred. What, to a Duel, Philibert?

Lor. Phil. Phil. hold, do not ruin the Reputation

Of a Man that has acquir’d Fame amongst the female Sex;

I protest I did but jest.

Clo. Yes, Sir, I was the happy Boy to be belov’d,

When Cloris was forgotten.

Fred. Oh, how you raise my Love and Shame!

But why did Isabella change her Habit?

Clo. Only to take my place, lest you should miss me,

Who being with Laura, at the Lodgings of Clarina,

And comparing the Words of her Letter

With what the Bravoes had confess’d to Antonio,

We found the Plot which was laid for you,

And join’d all to prevent it.

Fred. ’Twas sure the work of Heaven.

Isab. And now, Sir, I come to claim a Husband here.

Fred. Name him, and take him.

Isab. Lorenzo, Sir.

Lor. Of all Cheats, commend me to a Waiting-Gentlewoman;

I her Husband?

Ant. I am a Witness to that Truth.

Fred. ’Tis plain against you; come, you must be honest.

Lor. Will you compel me to’t against my will?

Oh Tyranny, consider, I am a Man of Quality and Fortune.

Isab. As for my Qualities, you know I have sufficient,

And Fortune, thanks to your Bounty, considerable too.

Fred. No matter, he has enough for both.

Lor. Nay, Sir, an you be against me,

’Tis time to reform in my own defence;

But ’tis a thing I never consider’d, or thought on.

Fred. Marry first, and consider afterwards.

Lor. That’s the usual way, I confess;

Come, Isabella, since the Prince commands it,

I do not love thee, but yet I’ll not forswear it;

Since a greater Miracle than that is wrought,

And that’s my marrying thee;

Well, ’tis well thou art none of the most beautiful,

I should swear the Prince had some designs on thee else.

Clo. Yes, Guilliam, since thou hast been so faithful,

I dare assure thee Lucia shall be thine.

Clo. speaks aside to Guil. Guil. bows.

Fred. Come, my fair Cloris, and invest thy self

In all the Glories which I lately promis’d:

—And, Ladies, you’ll attend her to the Court,

And share the Welcomes which the Duke provides her;

Where all the Sallies of my flattering Youth

Shall be no more remember’d, but as past.

Since ’tis a Race that must by Man be run,

I’m happy in my Youth it was begun;

It serves my future Manhood to improve,

Which shall be sacrific’d to War and Love.